Mobile intensive care patient handling system apparatus and method of using

• US 4,957,121 A
• Filed: 07/05/1988
• Issued: 09/18/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: University Medical Center Corporation
• Original Assignee: Arizona Technology Development Corporation
• Inventors: Nelson, Robert J., Davis, Robert R., Icenogle, Timothy, Mikitish, Stephen Jr., Machamer, William F.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/217,365
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 600/18, 128/845, 128/870, 128/897, 5/60, 5/81 R, 5/81 B, 5/503, 244/118.5, 280/640, 296/19, 296/20
• US Class Current: 128/897
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0212 2 pairs having wheels within a pair on the same position in longitudinal direction, e.g. on the same axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0237 having at least one swivelling wheel, e.g. castors
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2210/30 for intensive care
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2220/10 Aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 3/00 Ambulance aspects of vehicles; Vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances, e.g. for facilitating access of, or for loading, wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 3/0816 Accommodating or securing stretchers support for stretchers independent from vehicle A61G1/06; loading stretchers A61G3/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0092 Arrangements for mounting stretchers in aircraft cabins
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/00 Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like emergency equipment B64D17/00, B64D19/00, B64D25/00; structures integral with fuselage to facilitate loading, fuselage floors specially adapted for freight, steps mounted on and retractable within aircraft B64C; ground installations B64F

Abstract

This invention discloses a mobile intensive care patient handling apparatus that includes a specially designed framework member, a pallet member for supporting the framework member while in a commerical aircraft, framework restraint brackets to secure the framework to the pallet member, pallet restraint brackets to secure the pallet member to seat rails provided on commercial aircraft, said framework member is provided with an undercarriage adapted for containing life sustaining medical equipment and further adapted for being secured to both the framework restraint brackets and a conventional ambulance'"'"'s patient cot restraint brackets. The patient handling apparatus can be designed according to any aviation authorities'"'"' design requirements including, structural design requirements for emergency landing conditions, structural design requirements for gust load factors, hardware fastening, structural bonding, size and shape design requirements. The patient handling apparatus is especially designed to comply with the American Society of Hospital Based Emergency Air Medical Services standards and with the United States Federal Aviation Authority'"'"'s (FAA) design requirements.

Claims

1. A mobile intensive care patient handling transport apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

(a) framework means for supporting a critically ill patient in a cot portion and associated life sustaining medical equipment secured in an undercarriage portion of said framework means, said undercarriage portion having restraint bracket attachment members for attaching to a conventional ambulance restraint bracket means provided on conventional ground ambulance vehicles; and

(b) detachable pallet means for supporting said framework means, said detachable pallet means having first restraint bracket means for detachably securing said framework means to said pallet means utilizing said restraint bracket attachment members, said first restraint bracket means comprising a pallet mounting plate member and a framework undercarriage mounting member, said framework undercarriage mounting member being mechanically coupled to said pallet mounting plate member,

said detachably secured framework means and said pallet means forming a transportable unit for being transported in an aircraft,

said detachable pallet means having second restraint bracket means attached to an underside of said pallet means for securing said pallet means to seat rails of said aircraft.

2. A mobile intensive care patient handling transport apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

(a) framework means for supporting a critically ill patient in a cot portion and associated life sustaining medical equipment secured in an undercarriage portion of said framework means, said undercarriage portion having restraint bracket attachment members for attaching to a conventional ambulance restraint bracket means provided on conventional ground ambulance vehicles;

(b) life sustaining medical equipment secured to said framework means; and

(c) detachable pallet means for supporting said framework means,

said detachable pallet means having first restraint bracket means for detachably securing said framework means to said pallet means utilizing said restraint bracket attachment members, said detachably secured framework means and said pallet means forming a transportable unit for being transported in an aircraft,

said detachable pallet means having second restraint bracket means attached to an underside of said pallet means for securing said pallet means to seat rails of said aircraft,

said pallet means comprising a reinforced, substantially rectangular sheet member, said sheet member having a first mounting hole pattern for mounting said first restraint bracket means to said pallet means and a second hole pattern for mounting said second restraint bracket means to said pallet means, said sheet member being formed by adhesively laminated pair of honeycombed panels having an outer clad material on each face and reinforcing bushings in each hole of said first and second hole patterns.

3. A mobile intensive care patient handling transport apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein said first restraint bracket means comprises:

(a) a pallet mounting plate member; and

(b) a framework undercarriage mounting member, said framework undercarriage mounting member being mechanically coupled to said pallet mounting plate member.

4. A mobile intensive care patient handling transport apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein said second restraint bracket means comprises:

(a) a mating seat rail restraint member for mechanically mating with said seat reals of said aircraft;

(b) a fastener means for mechanically coupling said mating seat rail restraint member to said pallet means.

5. A mobile intensive care patient handling transport apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein said life sustaining equipment comprising:

(a) a power source;

(b) an intra-aortic balloon pump;

(c) a ventilator;

(d) a pulse oximeter;

(e) infusion pumps;

(f) blood pressure monitors;

(g) ekg monitors, said intra-aortic balloon pump, ventilator, pulse oximeter, infusion pumps, blood pressure monitors, ekg monitors being electrically coupled to said power source for receiving electrical energy for functioning as life sustaining equipment and being adapted for and provided with back-up electrical stored batteries;

(h) a pneumatic supply, said pneumatic supply being used to maintain a controlled rhythm for said intra-aortic balloon pump;

(i) a defibrillator, said defibrillator having an independent high energy power source; and

(j) patient restraint equipment.

6. A mobile intensive care patient handling transport apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

(a) framework means for supporting a critically ill patient in a cot portion and associated life sustaining medical equipment secured in an undercarriage portion of said framework means, said undercarriage portion having restraint bracket attachment members for attaching to a conventional ambulance restraint bracket means provided on conventional ground ambulance vehicles;

(b) life sustaining medical equipment secured to said framework means;

(c) detachable pallet means for supporting said framework means,

said detachable pallet means having first restraint bracket means for detachably securing said framework means to said pallet means utilizing said restraint bracket attachment members, said first restraint bracket means comprising a pallet mounting plate member and a framework undercarriage mounting member, said framework undercarriage mounting member being mechanically coupled to said pallet mounting plate member,

said detachably secured framework means and said pallet means forming a transportable unit for being transported in an aircraft,

said detachable pallet means having second restraint bracket means attached to an underside of said pallet means for securing said pallet means to seat rails of said aircraft, and

said detachable pallet means comprising a reinforced, substantially rectangular sheet member, said sheet member having a first mounting hole pattern for mounting said first restraint bracket means to said pallet means and a second hole pattern for mounting said second restraint bracket means to said pallet means, said sheet member being formed by adhesively laminated pair of honeycombed panels having an outer clad material on each face and reinforcing bushings in each hole of said first and second hole patterns.

7. A mobile intensive care patient handling transport apparatus, as recited in claim 6, wherein said second restraint bracket means comprises:

(a) a mating seat rail restraint member for mechanically mating with said seat rails of said aircraft; and

(b) a fastener means for mechanically coupling said mating seat rail restraint member to said pallet means.

8. A mobile intensive care patient handling transport apparatus, as recited in claim 6, wherein said life sustaining equipment comprises:

(a) a power source;

(b) an intra-aortic balloon pump;

(c) a ventilator;

(d) a pulse oximeter;

(e) infusion pumps;

(f) blood pressure monitors;

(g) ekg monitors, said intra-aortic balloon pump, ventilator, pulse oximeter, infusion pumps, blood pressure monitors, ekg monitors being electrically coupled to said power source for receiving electrical energy for functioning as life sustaining equipment and being adapted for and provided with back-up electrical stored batteries;

(h) a pneumatic supply, said pneumatic supply being used to maintain a controlled rhythm for said intra-aortic balloon pump;

(i) a defibrillator, said defibrillator having an independent high energy power source; and

(j) patient restraint equipment.

9. A mobile intensive care patient handling transport apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

(a) framework means for supporting a critically ill patient in a cot portion and associated life sustaining medical equipment secured in an undercarriage portion of said framework means, said undercarriage portion having restraint bracket attachment members for attaching to a conventional ambulance restraint bracket means provided on conventional ground ambulance vehicles, said framework means having welded, heat treated and artificially aged joints, torqued threaded fasteners and reinforcement bracketry that interconnect said cot portion to said undercarriage that conform to emergency landing design requirements comprising of at least 1.5 g. sideward, 2.0 g. upward, 9.0 g. forward and 4.5 g. downward gravitational forces; and

(b) detachable pallet means for supporting said framework means,

said detachable pallet means having first restraint bracket means for detachably securing said framework means to said pallet means utilizing said restraint bracket attachment members, said detachably secured framework means and said pallet means forming a transportable unit for being transported in an aircraft,

said detachable pallet means having second restraint bracket means attached to an underside of said pallet means for securing said pallet means to seat rails of said aircraft,

said pallet means comprising a reinforced, substantially rectangular sheet member, said sheet member having a first mounting hole pattern for mounting said first restraint bracket means to said pallet means and a second hole pattern for mounting said second restraint bracket means to said pallet means, said sheet member being formed by adhesively laminated pair of honeycombed panels having an outer clad material on each face and reinforcing bushings in each hole of said first and second hole patterns, said pallet means being structurally designed to conform to emergency landing design requirements comprising of at least 1.5 g. sideward, 2.0 g. upward, 9.0 g. forward and 4.5 g. downward gravitational forces,

said framework means and said pallet means being dimensionally sized for complying with said aircraft'"'"'s cabin size and shape design requirements.

10. A method for providing continuous land and air mobile intensive care for a critically ill patient, such as a cardiac patient, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a mobile intensive care transport apparatus adapted for uninterrupted use in providing said intensive care for said patient, said apparatus comprising;

framework means for supporting said critically ill patient in a cot portion and for containing associated life sustaining medical equipment secured in an undercarriage portion of said framework means, said undercarriage portion having restraint bracket attachment members for attaching to a conventional ambulance restraint bracket means provided on conventional ground ambulance vehicles, and

detachable pallet means for supporting said framework means,

said detachable pallet means having first restraint bracket means for detachably securing said framework means to said pallet means utilizing said restraint bracket attachment members, said detachably secured framework means and said pallet means forming a transportable unit for being transported in an aircraft,

said detachable pallet means having second restraint bracket means attached to an underside of said pallet means for securing said pallet means to seat rails of said aircraft, and

said detachable pallet means comprising a reinforced, substantially rectangular sheet member, said sheet member having a first mounting hole pattern for mounting said first restraint bracket means to said pallet means and a second hole pattern for mounting said second restraint bracket means to said pallet means, said sheet member being formed by adhesively laminated pair of honeycombed panels having an outer clad material on each face and reinforcing bushings in each hole of said first and second hole patterns;

(b) placing said critically ill patient onto said cot portion and connecting said life sustaining medical equipment to said patient to provide intensive care;

(c) transporting said patient via land in a first conventional ground ambulance using only said framework means;

(d) attaching said framework means to said detachable pallet means using said first restraint means to form a transportable unit having said patient on said cot portion;

(e) attaching said second restraint means to seat rails of an aircraft;

(f) transporting said transportable unit via air to a remote location without interrupting said life sustaining connection;

(g) detaching said framework means from said pallet means and transferring said patient to a second conventional ground ambulance without interrupting said life sustaining connection; and

(h) transferring said patient from said framework means to an intensive care unit in a hospital.