Architectural system having transferrable life support cart

• US 7,735,266 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Lanci, Dennis M., Gallant, Dennis J., Biondo, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Jr.; Richard E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chi Q
• Application Number:
  US12/135,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20080236054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 52/361, 52/364, 52/362, 312/209, 312/245, 312/306, 565/8, 550/71, 550/31
• US Class Current: 52/36.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 10/00 Treatment rooms or enclosures for medical purposes baby incubators, couveuses A61G11/00; devices for gas baths with ozone, hydrogen or the like A61H33/14 ; for isolating individuals from external stimuli A61M21/0094 ; containers or portable cabins for affording breathing protection in general A62B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/001 Trolleys for transport of medicaments, food, linen, nursing supplies carts specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis A61B50/13; hand carts B62B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/002 Supply appliances, e.g. columns for gas, fluid, electricity supply vertical ducts or channels for receiving utility lines E04F17/08; installations of electric cables or lines, wall trunking H02G3/0431; structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles F21V33/0068; stands or trestles as supports for apparatus or articles F16M11/00; buildings for public purposes E04H3/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/004 mounted on the ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/005 mounted on the wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/008 mounted on a mobile base, e.g. on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/107 Supply appliances supply appliances for dental machines A61C1/0007
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/108 Means providing sterile air at a surgical operation table or area treatment rooms A61G10/00; instruments or implements for sterile operation A61B90/00; sterilisation of air A61L9/00; purification of air in air-conditioning systems F24F3/16, F24F8/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/80 for connecting a trolley to a device, e.g. bed or column table
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2205/00 General identification or selection means
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/00 Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons stretchers with facilities for picking up patients or disabled persons A61G1/003
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0005 Means for bathing bedridden persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0015 having means for attaching a cabinet in order to transport bed and cabinet together
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/02 with toilet conveniences, or specially adapted for use with toilets
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0503 Holders, support devices for receptacles, e.g. for drainage or urine bags hanging-up devices for infusion A61M5/1414
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0507 Side-rails
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0509 : sliding or pivoting downwards
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0513 : covering particular sections of the bed, e.g. one or more partial side-rail sections along the bed
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0514 : mounted to individual mattress supporting frame sections
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0524 : characterised by integrated accessories, e.g. bed control means, nurse call or reading lights
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/053 : Aids for getting into, or out of, bed, e.g. steps, chairs, cane-like supports
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 9/02 : Cleaning devices washing and rinsing machines for crockery and tableware A47L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/61 : Two- or three-bottle systems for underwater drainage, e.g. for chest cavity drainage
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/00 : Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes stimulating the respiratory movement by mechanical, pneumatic or electrical means, iron lungs combined with gas breathing means A61H31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/107 : in the inspiratory path
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/082 : Mounting brackets, arm supports for equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/084 : Supporting bases, stands for equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1415 : Stands, brackets or the like for supporting infusion accessories
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/745 : Glazing details
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7483 : Details of furniture, e.g. tables or shelves, associated with the partitions
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7488 : Details of wiring
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 : relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 : for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/005 : Electrical coupling combined with fluidic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6315 : allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 : for medicine and surgery

Abstract

An architectural system adaptable to patient acuity level has a headwall unit with a cavity, a ceiling unit, and a column coupled to the ceiling unit. The column is movable between a first position in which at least a majority of the column is situated in the cavity and a second position in which the column is situated outside the cavity. Various types of patient-care equipment is also disclosed. The patient-care equipment is included in, or is coupleable to, one or more of the ceiling unit, the headwall unit, or the column.

Claims

1. A set of hospital equipment for use in a hospital room having a floor and at least one wall, the set of equipment comprising

a hospital bed supported by the floor,

an arm assembly hanging in the hospital room above the floor,

a head wall unit coupled to the wall and formed to include a cavity defined, in part, by a ledge surface that is higher in elevation than the floor, and

a mobile cart comprising an upstanding pedestal, a plurality of legs coupled to a bottom of the upstanding pedestal, a plurality of wheels, each wheel being coupled to a respective leg of the plurality of legs, the legs each being movable between a first position having the respective wheel located outwardly from beneath the upstanding pedestal and a second position having the respective wheel tucked beneath the upstanding pedestal, and a plurality of patient-care modules coupled to the upstanding pedestal,

wherein the mobile cart is coupleable to the hospital bed so as to be elevated above the floor with the wheels of the mobile cart being spaced apart from the floor, wherein the mobile cart is coupleable to the arm assembly so as to be elevated above the floor with the wheels of the mobile cart being spaced apart from the floor, wherein the mobile cart is receivable within the cavity of the head wall unit with the wheels of the mobile cart engaging the ledge surface, and wherein the mobile cart is supportable on the floor with the wheels of the mobile cart engaging the floor.

2. The set of hospital equipment of claim 1, wherein the cavity of the head wall unit is sized such that the legs of the mobile cart are required to be in the respective second positions in order for the mobile cart to fit within the cavity.

3. The set of hospital equipment of claim 1, wherein the wheels are coupled to distal ends of the support legs.

4. The set of hospital equipment of claim 1, wherein each of the legs pivots about a respective substantially vertical axis when moving between the first and second positions.

5. The set of hospital equipment of claim 1, wherein the legs are each situated, in their entirety, underneath the pedestal of the mobile cart when each of the legs is in the second position.

6. The set of hospital equipment of claim 1, wherein the pedestal has a front face and a rear face and wherein the legs extend in substantially parallel relation with front and rear faces of the pedestal when the legs are each in the second positions.

7. The set of hospital equipment of claims 6, wherein a majority of the legs is positioned to lie outside a foot print of the pedestal and wherein the legs extend in substantially perpendicular relation to the front and rear faces of the pedestal when the legs are each in the first positions.

8. The set of hospital equipment of claim 1, wherein the mobile cart further includes a handle appended to a top of the pedestal and wherein the handle is configured to be gripped by a caregiver to maneuver the mobile cart along the floor and to manually carry the mobile cart.

9. The set of hospital equipment of claim 1, wherein the pedestal is configured to carry at least one IV pole.

10. The set of hospital equipment of claim 1, wherein the patient-care modules include at least one of an infusion device, a ventilator control unit, a gas control unit, or a vital signs monitor.

11. The set of hospital equipment of claim 1, wherein the mobile cart includes an on-board computer system that interfaces with the patient-care modules.

12. The set of hospital equipment of claim 11, wherein the mobile cart further includes a transmitter unit operable to transmit data from the patient-care modules to a hospital network.

13. The set of hospital equipment of claim 11, wherein data from the patient-care modules is stored in the computer system until a hard-wire or an optical connection is made to a hospital network.

14. The set of hospital equipment of claim 1, wherein the mobile cart has service delivery ports from which medical gases are available.

15. A set of hospital equipment for use in a room of a healthcare facility having a floor, the set of hospital equipment comprising

a mobile cart having wheels, and

a head wall unit coupleable to a wall of a hospital room, the head wall unit formed to include a cavity sized to receive the mobile cart, the head wall unit having a ledge surface that is substantially horizontal and that is elevated with respect to the floor, the wheels of the mobile cart engage the ledge surface when the mobile cart is received in the cavity such that the mobile cart is supported by the ledge surface in spaced-apart elevated relation with the floor.

16. The set of hospital equipment of claim 15, wherein the mobile cart comprises a pedestal and a plurality of legs coupled to a bottom of the upstanding pedestal, each wheel being coupled to a respective leg of the plurality of legs, the legs each being movable between a first position having the respective wheel located outwardly from beneath the upstanding pedestal and a second position having the respective wheel tucked beneath the upstanding pedestal.

17. The set of hospital equipment of claim 16, wherein the legs are each situated, in their entirety, underneath the pedestal of the mobile cart when each of the legs is in the second position, wherein the pedestal has a front face and a rear face and wherein the legs extend in substantially parallel relation with front and rear faces of the pedestal when the legs are each in the second positions, and wherein a majority of the legs is positioned to lie outside a foot print of the pedestal and wherein the legs extend in substantially perpendicular relation to the front and rear faces of the pedestal when the legs are each in the first positions.