Protective shield for a patient control device

• US 20060113208A1
• Filed: 01/12/2006
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dan Warren Clark, Russell Dean Parker
• Original Assignee: Dan Warren Clark, Russell Dean Parker
• Inventors: Clark, Dan Warren, Parker, Russell Dean
• Application Number:
  US11/330,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20060113208A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/438
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/10 specially adapted for instruments, e.g. microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/00 Accommodation for nursing, e.g. in hospitals, not covered by groups A61G1/00 - A61G11/00, e.g. trolleys for transport of medicaments or food service or tea-tables, trolleys or wagons A47B31/00; Prescription lists
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/12 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]

Abstract

A disposable shield designed to sheath a patient control device prevents contaminants from contacting or entering the device. The shield has a bi-directional opening through which the hand-operated device is inserted and removed from the shield. A removable sealing device is used to preserve the integrity of the shield when the sealing device is removed. The shield can therefore be changed each time the device is handled by a different person, minimizing the chances of cross-contamination. The shield also extends the life of the device by preventing biological contaminants from contacting the device.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A sanitary hand-held nursecall device comprising:

a hand-held nursecall device having a device shape; and

a shield including;

a sheath portion having a sheath shape that substantially conforms to the device shape of the hand-held nursecall device, wherein the sheath portion is made of a flexible, resilient material that blocks biological contaminants from reaching the hand-held nursecall device, and wherein the hand-held nursecall device is disposed in the sheath portion.

a bi-directional passage having an open edge that facilitates insertion and removal of the hand-held nursecall device into the sheath portion, and

a removable sealing device that closes the bi-directional passage after the hand-held nursecall device has been inserted into the sheath portion.

15. The sanitary hand-held nursecall device of claim 14, wherein the flexible, resilient material is a synthetic material.

16. The sanitary hand-held nursecall device of claim 15, wherein the synthetic material is one selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, vinyl, latex, and nitrile.

17. The sanitary hand-held nursecall device of claim 14, wherein the flexible, resilient material is one selected from a woven material and a film material.

18. The sanitary hand-held nursecall device of claim 14, wherein the flexible, resilient material is a light-passing material.

19. The sanitary hand-held nursecall device of claim 14, wherein the shield further includes an elevation and the hand-held patient control device further includes a control, wherein the elevation is disposed over the control when the hand-held patient control device is inserted into the shield.

20. The sanitary hand-held nursecall device of claim 14, wherein the removable sealing device is one selected from the group consisting of an adhesive strip and a clamp.

21. The sanitary hand-held nursecall device of claim 14, further comprising a backing, wherein the shield is removably disposed on the backing.

22. The sanitary hand-held nursecall device of claim 14, wherein the hand-held nursecall device includes a cord portion and the removable sealing device is disposed around the cord portion to close the bi-directional passage around the cord portion, wherein the removable sealing device is one selected from the group consisting of an adhesive strip and a clamp.