An arrangement for the movement of disabled patients from a bed onto a wheel-chair and vice versa

Abstract

 A device equipped in such a way so to allow to a person to be lying down in a bed (1) or sitting on a wheel-chair (4) to pass from the lying to the sitting position on the bed (1) with all the intermediate positions, by means of a liftable section (8), to lift the lower limbs with a flexion up to 90° of the hips and knees by means of joint-rods (9), (10), with all the intermediate positions, to pass from the lying position in bed (1) to the one sitting on a wheel-chair (4) and viceversa, particularly suited for persons and patients suffering from paraplegia and tetraplegia.

Description

[0001] The present invention concerns an equipped device allowing a person to be lying down in bed, sitting on a wheel-chair, to assume intermediate resting positions and. to directly pass from one position to the other by means of liftable and movable sections.

[0002] It is well known that the passage from the bed to the wheel-chair and vice versa of patients suffering from paraplegia, tetraplegia and, in general, of unable persons takes place with great fatigue and with the help of more persons lifting up the patient, or by means of mechanical or hydraulic winches, the use thereof being very difficult.

[0003] The beds for unable patients already known allow only an inclination of the back and a flexion of the lower limbs.

[0004] This means that the patient can be moved for relatively short periods and with long intervals, which in turn causes a constant pressure at the back, at the sacrum and at the heels, with an increased possibility of bed-sores; as well as breathing problems with stasis of the bronchial secretion at the back level, and circulation insufficiency, in particular at the lower limbs' level and at the pelvis.

[0005] It is the aim of the present invention - considering the difficult assistance conditions to these patients - to allow the patient, by means of the device equipped according to the present invention, to be lying down in bed or sitting on a wheel-chair and to perform the following operations with the help of only one person or all alone, should the patient have at least the use of the upper limbs:

- the passage from the lying down to the sitting position in bed, with all the intermediate positions;

- the lifting of the lower limbs with a flexion up to 90° of the hips and the knees (with all intermediate positions);

- the passing from the lying down position in bed to the ene sitting on a wheel-chair and vice versa.

[0006] The equipped device forms a single bed - wheel-chair complex without therefore increasing the need of space.

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment, the object of the present invention consists in a bed, the legs thereof .. being provided with pirouetting translation wheels,cand in a wheel-chair with a closet hole, having the back and the arms out of one piece to be pulled down with blocking breacks assuring the correct placing with respect to the bed and allow the one and the other to move at the same time.

[0008] The net of the bed and the mattress according to the present invention are separated in two parts, which are also materially separated from each other:

-.one part below the lower limbs of the person lying, in bed, called "distal section";

- one part below the trunk of the person lying down, called "proximal section".

[0009] The two sections are provided with different movement possibilities: the distal section moves laterally so that the net of the bed and the mattress are taken off the bed leaving to the patient, who was sitting on the wheel-chair, the possibility of getting out of the frame of the bed, the latter lacking the.connection cross-bar at the side of the feet; the rpoximal section may be inclined as the same is connected with hinges to the frame of the bed.

[0010] On the sides of the bed are provided two parallel rods adjustable according to the length of the lower limbs of the lying down patient in the femoral as well as in the legs' part.

[0011] Said rods consist in two segments jointed at the level of the knees. The segments relating to the part of the legs are connected by means of sheets which will be taken away once the patient has reached the sitting position on the wheel-chair; at the free end of said segments wheels are provided for an easy resting thereof.

[0012] The segments of the femoral parts are connected, at the free end, to the bed's frame by means of hinges coaxial to those of the proximal section; said segments are rigid to one another and bound to the proximal section and therefore said segments rotate remaining parallel until hips or knees have effected a flexion of 90° and further rotate together with the proximal section until the patient is sitting.

[0013] The rotation allowed to the segments at the jointing point

- and therefore the flexion of the knees - is adjustable by means of a special device.

[0014] By rotating, the rods lift the lower limbs of the patient

- by the push effect of the frame on the legs - so that they may assume a different position according to the adjusting effected at the jointing point.

[0015] The length of the rods is adjustable by means of a blocking pivot or nut telescopic development system or by screw system so as to fit them to the anthropometrical dimensions of the patient's lower limbs.

[0016] The possibility of inclination of the back with fix joint-rods is provided, said rods being e.g. resting on the distal section of the bed.

[0017] Further, the application of arms on said rods is provided for the resting of the forearms of the patient.

[0018] For the passing of the patient from the lying down posi= tion in bed to the one sitting on the wheel-chair, the following movements must be performed:

1) rotation of joint-rods so that the lower limbs of the patient may assume the sitting position;

2) lateral movement of the distal section of the bed's net; by this movement the whole end part of the bed is released;

3) rotation of the proximal section until the same assumes the back position of the whee-chair blocked below the bed; together with the proximal section, also the joint-rods supporting the legs rotate and therefore also the whole patient's body, without thereby modifying the reciprocal position of the single parts, as the proximal section and the rods are solid to one another and have the same rotation centre.

[0019] At the end of this movement the patient is sitting on the wheel-chair; the movements are performed at a constant, low speed so that the various passages take place in a soft and gradual way.

[0020] For the passage from the wheel-chair to the bed the inverse movements will of course be performed.

[0021] If it is desired to make the patient leave the bed on the wheel-chair, the sheets are first taken away from under his legs, the wheel-chair is released and let out of the free end of the bed after having lifted the arms and the back thereof.

[0022] A preferred embodiment of the equipped devoce has been schematically shown, for exemplifying purpose, in the attached drawings, wherein the figures show:

figure 1, ..a complete axonometric view;

figures 2 and 3; an axonometric view of the bed with the joint-rods respectively partially and completely lifted;

figure 4, an axonometric view of the lateral movement of the distal section of the bed's net;

figure 5, the detail of the components' disposition in the position of translation of the patient on the wheel-chair;

figures 6 and 7, axonometric views of the wheel-chair respectively with arms and back pulled down for the placing below the bed, and with arms and back put up for the support of the patient.

[0023] The figures show a device for the translation of unable patients from the bed to the wheel-chair and vice versa, comprising a frame 1 of the bed on legs 2 provided with priouetting translation wheels 3; below the bed a wheel-chair 4 with back 5 and arms 6, out of one single piece that can be pulled down, is placed.

[0024] The net and the mattress of the bed are devided in two sections: distal section 7 provided with lateral translation movement possibilities following to rotation around fulcrum B, and proximal section 8 that can be lifted with respect to the frame 1 of the bed.

[0025] The joint-rods consist in segments 9, hinged to proximal section 8 in A, and in segments 10, jointed to above said segments by means of adjusting of the reciprocal rotation by means of the telescopic resting pipe 11; said rods end in small elbows 13 and wheels 14 for the resting on the frame of distal section 7.

[0026] Between end segments 10 two sheets are stretched which may keep the patient's legs lifted.

[0027] The three functions of opening distal section 7, of lifting proximal section 8 as the back, and of lifting joint-rods 9, are performed by means of three electric motors M.

[0028] Relating to the details of figure 5, the positions of section 7 of the bed's net are shown in detail at the end of the lateral movement thereof on wheels 3' and around pivot B, and of section 8 in the lifting stage thereof together with joint-rods 9 and 10 for bringing the patient sitting onto the wheel-chair.

[0029] Still according to a preferred embodiment, the operating of the movable parts of the object of the present invention is electrically performed by means of motor-reducers with endless screw and grooved bar with mother screw.

[0030] Thecontrol is push-button operated; all safety and blocking switches for the manoeuvre are provided for a correct performance of the operation.

[0031] It is further provided that in case of need, e.g. should there be an electricity black-out, the manoeuvre may be performed manually.

[0032] The operating elements are of the irreversible kind so as to assure the stop-position of all movable parts in whatever stage the operating thereof will be stopped.

[0033] The operating of the movable parts according to the pre= sent invention may be different from the electric one, like e.g. hydraulic, pneumatic, manual, etc.

[0034] The equipped device according to the present invention may be preferably realized out of structural steel and oven-baked painted; however, said device may be realized out of all other materials (wood, iron, aluminium, special materials etc.) and construction and finish techniques used in costruction.

Claims

1. An equipped device for the translation of unable patients lying down in bed onto a wheel-chair and vice versa, wherein there are provided a bed 1 with a net or mattress separated in two sections, the proximal section 8 being inclinable and the distal section 7 being laterally movable, two joint-rods lifting and keeping lifted the lower limbs of the patient by means of removable sheets 12, stretched below the patient's leg, and a wheel-chair 4 placed under said bed.

2. A device equipped for the translation of unable patients lying down in bed to a wheel-chair and vice versa, according to claim 1, wherein said joint-rods consist in seg-: ments 9 hinged on proximal section 8, and in segments 10 joined to above said segments 9 by means of adjusting the reciprocal rotation by means of telescopic resting pipe 11.

3. A device equipped according to claim 1, wherein wheel-chair 4 shows a back 5 and arms 6 out of one single piece that may be pulled down for the placing below the drame of bed 1.

₄. A device equipped according to claim 1, wherein the three functions of opening of the distal section 7, of lifting of the proximal section 8, like a back, and of lifting tof joint-rods 9 are performed by means of three electric motors M.

5. A device equipped according to one of the precedent claims wherein bed 1 and wheel-chair 4 may be united and transporting at the same time.

Drawing