Feeding auxiliary device for patient with hand dysfunction

Abstract

The utility model discloses a feeding auxiliary device for a hand dysfunction patient. The feeding auxiliary device comprises a control part, a feeding part and a feeding part. The control part controls the distance between the device and a patient and controls the device to conduct feeding work, the food containing part is used for containing nutrients and guiding the nutrients to the feeding part and is installed at the front end of the fixing rod and below the motor, and the feeding part is used for containing the nutrients for the patient to take food and is arranged at the rear end of the fixing rod. Opposite to the face of the patient, the device can reduce the degree of fatigue of the mouth of the patient with hand dysfunction during eating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of feeding aids, and in particular to a feeding aid device for patients with hand dysfunction. Background Technology

[0002] Limb dysfunction refers to a functional impairment in which a limb or related limbs cannot be moved by conscious control, or cannot be fully controlled by conscious control. Such impairments can be caused by damage to the nervous system, damage to the musculoskeletal system, or systemic diseases.

[0003] Among these, hand dysfunction is particularly typical. Patients with hand dysfunction are unable to perform movements such as elbow flexion and external rotation, thus making it impossible for them to control eating and causing difficulty in eating. Most patients with hand dysfunction require a dedicated caregiver or family member to feed them, increasing labor costs.

[0004] In the prior art, an assisted feeding device for patient nutritional care is disclosed (application number: 202323565911.2). This device releases the feeding valve's limit by pressing a spring-loaded flow block on its surface, allowing the internal liquid to flow freely without obstruction of internal pressure. A suction pump then drives the liquid into the user's mouth. However, this device uses a flow tube structure, which differs from a traditional spoon. Therefore, the patient may need to forcefully hold the flow tube in their mouth while eating, potentially leading to mouth fatigue and the flow tube falling out, which could hinder feeding. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this application is to provide a feeding assistance device for patients with hand dysfunction, which can reduce the fatigue of the mouth when patients with hand dysfunction eat.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A feeding aid for patients with hand dysfunction, comprising a control component, a feeding component, and a feeding component;

[0008] The control component includes a movable base, on which a control button and a vertically arranged fixed rod are provided. The top of the fixed rod is provided with an adjustment component, which includes a motor with a downwardly arranged rotating shaft located at the front end of the fixed rod. The control button is used to control the rotation of the motor.

[0009] The feeding component is located at the front end of the fixed rod and below the motor. The feeding component includes a feeding container, and a squeezing assembly is provided inside the feeding container. The squeezing assembly includes a plug, a connecting rod, and a threaded rod. The plug is located inside the feeding container, and the connecting rod is located on top of the plug. A threaded hole is opened on the top of the connecting rod, and the threaded rod is located inside the threaded hole. The top of the threaded rod is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor. A feeding tube is connected to the bottom of the feeding container.

[0010] The feeding component is located at the rear end of the fixed rod. The feeding component includes two equally spaced fixed plates, with a spoon between the two fixed plates. A fixed strip is provided on the top of the fixed plates, and a check valve is installed on the fixed strip. The feeding tube is installed on the check valve at one end relative to the feeding container and is located above the spoon.

[0011] The patient places their feet on the base and presses the control button on the sole of their foot to rotate the motor. The rotation of the motor causes the squeezing component to squeeze the nutrients in the feeding container downwards, allowing them to flow through the feeding tube onto the spoon. The patient then moves their head forward so that their mouth comes into contact with the spoon to eat.

[0012] To facilitate moving the feeding aid to the front of the patient, in some embodiments, the bottom of the base is provided with guide wheels, which are preferably brake wheels.

[0013] To facilitate adjustment of the parallelism between the spoon and the patient's mouth, ensuring accurate contact between the patient's mouth and the spoon for smooth eating, in some embodiments, the top of the fixing rod is provided with a sliding sleeve, and the feeding component is installed at the rear end of the sliding sleeve; the top of the front end of the sliding sleeve is provided with a mounting plate, and the motor is mounted on the mounting plate.

[0014] Further extending the above scheme, the front end of the sliding sleeve is provided with a fixed clamp, and the food container is placed on the fixed clamp.

[0015] Further extending the above scheme, the fixing bracket includes an angle plate, and the front end of the angle plate is provided with a clamp.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, this application achieves at least the following beneficial effects: This feeding aid device uses the patient's feet to control the flow of nutrients from the feeding container through the feeding tube to the spoon. The spoon serves as a natural way for people to eat, which helps to improve the patient's appetite. Compared with the feeding tube, the patient does not need to purse their lips or hold the spoon in their mouth continuously when eating, which can reduce the patient's mouth fatigue and make the patient more willing to eat. In addition, the material and arrangement of the spoon are more robust and stable than the feeding tube, and it will not fall out of the patient's mouth. Attached Figure Description

[0017] One or more embodiments of this application will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the feeding assistance device in use according to one embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A perspective view of the feeding assistance device in the embodiment;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A partial view of point A in the middle;

[0021] Figure 4 An exploded view of the squeezing component in the feeding aid device of this application;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a partial sectional view of the side of the feeding aid device of this application;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the feeding component in the feeding aid device of this application.

[0024] The following are the components labeled in the diagram: 1. Base; 2. Guide wheel; 3. Table; 4. Feeding tube; 5. Clamp; 6. Motor; 7. Fixing rod; 8. Wheelchair; 9. Control button; 10. Threaded rod; 11. Connecting rod; 12. Bottle cap; 13. Bottle body; 14. Sliding sleeve; 141. Fixing clamp; 142. Mounting plate; 15. Locking bolt; 16. Fixing plate; 161. Clamping block; 17. Spoon; 18. Fixing strip; 19. Check valve; 20. Fixing screw; 21. Plug; 22. Sealing ring. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present application will now be described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the present application may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These embodiments are provided herein to make the disclosure of the present application more complete and to fully convey the concept of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0026] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "upper", "lower", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] To address the drawback of existing technologies that cause high mouth fatigue for patients with hand dysfunction when eating, the inventors, after careful analysis, discovered that the main reason for this problem lies in the use of a soft tube (i.e., a feeding tube) for patients to suck on. When using a feeding tube, because of its cylindrical structure, the mouth needs to purse and create space to hold the tube, similar to using a straw. However, since the tube is only held by a hook, the longer section in contact with the mouth lacks a structure for fixation. Therefore, if the patient spits out the tube, its plastic material causes it to swing downwards, making it difficult for patients with hand dysfunction to re-bite the tube using only their mouth. Furthermore, the patient's mouth tires easily from pursing and holding the tube for extended periods, which may cause it to loosen involuntarily and fall out, hindering eating. Based on this analysis, the inventors have made structural improvements to the assisted feeding device.

[0028] like Figure 1-6 As shown, at least one embodiment of the feeding assistance device for patients with hand dysfunction in this application includes a control component, a feeding component, and a feeding component;

[0029] The control unit controls the distance between the device and the patient, and controls the feeding operation of the device. It includes a movable base 1, which is a plate-like structure. A control button 9 and a vertically arranged fixing rod 7 are mounted on the top surface of the base 1. The control button 9 can be a KAD12-213R push-button switch. The fixing rod 7 is preferably made of aluminum square tubing to reduce weight. An adjustment assembly is located at the top of the fixing rod 7. The adjustment assembly includes a motor 6 mounted at the front end of the fixing rod 7 with its rotating shaft facing downwards. The control button 9 and the motor 6 are electrically connected. (Reference) Figure 2 On the base 1, there is a slot for the patient to step on, which can reduce the foot from sliding on the base 1. The control button 9 is installed in the slot. When the patient steps on the control button 9 and presses the control button 9, the control button 9 supplies power to the motor 6, and the motor 6 rotates.

[0030] The feeding component is used to hold nutrients and guide them to the feeding unit. The feeding container is installed at the front end of the fixing rod 7 and below the motor 6. The feeding component includes the feeding container, which contains a squeezing assembly. The squeezing assembly includes a plug 21, a connecting rod 11, and a threaded rod 10. Figure 4 and 5 As shown, the plug 21 is in the shape of a flat cylinder and is located inside the food container. The connecting rod 11 is vertically connected to the top of the plug 21. The top of the connecting rod 11 has a threaded hole, and the threaded rod 10 is located in the threaded hole. The top of the threaded rod 10 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 6. A flexible feeding tube 4 is connected to the bottom of the food container.

[0031] When the motor 6 rotates, it drives the threaded rod 10 to rotate. Since the connecting rod 11 is not restricted, the forward and reverse rotation of the threaded rod 10 will drive the connecting rod 11 to move up and down on the threaded rod 10, thereby driving the stopper 21 to move up and down inside the food container. In order to improve the sealing of the stopper 21 and the inside of the food container, an annular groove is provided on the side wall of the stopper 21, and a rubber sealing ring 22 is installed in the annular groove.

[0032] The feeding device, used to hold nutrients for the patient, is located at the rear end of the fixing rod 7, facing the patient's face. The feeding device includes two equally spaced fixing plates 16, with a commonly used spoon 17 installed between the two fixing plates 16. The top of the fixing plates 16 has a rectangular fixing strip 18 arranged horizontally. The bottom of the fixing strip 18 and the top of the two fixing plates 16 are fixed with screws. A check valve 19 is welded or screwed onto the fixing strip 18. The check valve 19 is preferably a spring-loaded one-way valve. The front end of the check valve 19 is the inlet, and the rear end is the outlet. One end of the feeding tube 4 is installed at the front end of the check valve 19 relative to the feeding container. At the rear end of the check valve 19, a shorter feeding tube 4 is also installed. The check valve 19 and the shorter feeding tube 4 are located above the spoon 17.

[0033] To facilitate adjusting the relative distance between the feeding aid and the patient's face, a guide wheel 2 is installed at the bottom of the base 1. The guide wheel 2 should preferably be a brake wheel. When the patient steps on the base 1 and moves the feeding aid to the front of themselves, they can control the guide wheel 2 to brake by stepping on it or by having someone else brake it. This way, the feeding aid can be fixed in a certain position.

[0034] like Figure 1-3 As shown, the top of the fixing rod 7 is provided with a square tube-shaped sliding sleeve 14. The purpose of the sliding sleeve 14 is to facilitate the adjustment of the height of the feeding component so as to match patients of different heights. A threaded hole is provided on the side wall of the sliding sleeve 14, and a locking bolt 15 is screwed into the threaded hole. The end of the locking bolt 15 away from the sliding sleeve 14 is provided with a Phillips head handle, which makes it easy to rotate the locking bolt 15. Tightening the locking bolt 15 can fix the sliding sleeve 14 in the current position of the fixing rod 7, and vice versa, it will loosen the sliding sleeve 14 for adjustment.

[0035] Correspondingly, the feeding component is installed at the rear end of the sliding sleeve 14, that is, the front end of the two fixing plates 16 and the rear end of the sliding sleeve 14 are welded together.

[0036] The top of the front end of the sliding sleeve 14 is welded with an inverted convex mounting plate 142 (to reduce weight). The mounting plate 142 has screw holes, and the motor 6 is mounted on the mounting plate 142 by screws.

[0037] Secondly, a fixing clamp 141 for fixing the food container is welded to the bottom front end of the sliding sleeve 14. The fixing clamp 141 includes a corner plate, and an arc-shaped clamp 5 is installed at the front end of the corner plate. The food container includes a bottle body 13. The bottle body 13 is clamped and fixed by the clamp 5. A bottle cap 12 with a threaded connection is installed on the top of the bottle body 13. A non-circular through hole for the connecting rod 11 to pass through is opened in the middle of the bottle cap 12. In this embodiment, a square through hole is used. Using a square through hole can prevent the connecting rod 11 from rotating with the threaded rod 10.

[0038] The threaded rod 10 and the shaft of the motor 6 can be connected by welding, but the welding process may damage the motor 6. Therefore, this embodiment also provides a quick-connect method to connect with the shaft of the motor 6. That is, a countersunk hole matching the shaft of the motor 6 is opened at the top of the threaded rod 10, and a threaded hole is opened on the side wall of the countersunk hole. A fixing screw 20 is installed in the threaded hole. After the threaded rod 10 is fitted onto the shaft of the motor 6 through the countersunk hole, it is tightened and fixed by the fixing screw 20.

[0039] A clamping block 161 is installed between the two fixing plates 16. The top surface of the clamping block 161 has a groove for clamping and fixing the handle of the spoon 17. A rubber pad is provided in the groove. When the spoon handle is installed in the clamping block 161, the rubber pad covers the spoon handle to prevent the spoon 17 from loosening. Pins are connected to both sides of the clamping block 161, and the two pins are welded and fixedly connected to the two fixing plates 16 respectively.

[0040] In addition, to prevent the feeding aid from moving left and right, the fixing rod 7 can be placed on a table 3 with a long strip-shaped through hole in the middle. This can not only adjust the distance between the feeding aid and the patient, but also prevent left and right movement. At the same time, the patient can also rest their hands on the table 3 to increase comfort.

[0041] When using this device, medical staff will clamp the bottle 13 containing nutrients into the clamp 5, connect the other end of the feeding tube 4 at the bottom of the bottle 13 to the check valve 19, pass the connecting rod 11 through the bottle cap 12, insert the stopper 21 into the bottle 13, and then put the cap on; then connect the threaded rod 10 and the shaft of the motor 6 to complete the assembly of the feeding assistance device.

[0042] like Figure 1As shown, the patient sits in wheelchair 8 and is moved to the front of table 3 by medical staff or family members. The patient's feet are placed in the slots of base 1, and then the lower limbs drive the device forward until the patient's mouth can contact the spoon 17 of the feeding component. The wheels at the bottom of base 1 are locked to prevent base 1 from moving. Then, the patient steps on the control button 9 to make motor 6 rotate, which drives threaded rod 10 to rotate. The lifting rod moves downward through the threaded rod 10, which causes the stopper 21 to squeeze the nutrients in bottle 13 downward. The nutrients flow into esophagus 4 and push open check valve 19 through pressure. The nutrients flow to the spoon head of spoon 17. The patient tilts their head slightly forward, and their mouth contacts spoon 17 to eat.

[0043] When the patient releases the control button 9, the motor 6 immediately stops working, and the check valve 19 is no longer under pressure. After the nutrient flow out of the esophageal tube 4, it slowly resets and blocks the esophageal tube 4 to prevent the nutrient flow out.

Claims

1. A feeding aid for patients with hand dysfunction, characterized in that, Includes control components, feeding components, and feeding components; The control component includes a movable base, on which a control button and a vertically arranged fixed rod are provided. The top of the fixed rod is provided with an adjustment component, which includes a motor with a downwardly arranged rotating shaft located at the front end of the fixed rod. The control button is used to control the rotation of the motor. The feeding component is located at the front end of the fixed rod and below the motor. The feeding component includes a feeding container, and a squeezing assembly is provided inside the feeding container. The squeezing assembly includes a plug, a connecting rod, and a threaded rod. The plug is located inside the feeding container, and the connecting rod is located on top of the plug. A threaded hole is opened on the top of the connecting rod, and the threaded rod is located inside the threaded hole. The top of the threaded rod is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor. A feeding tube is connected to the bottom of the feeding container. The feeding component is located at the rear end of the fixed rod. The feeding component includes two equally spaced fixed plates, with a spoon between the two fixed plates. A fixed strip is provided on the top of the fixed plates, and a check valve is installed on the fixed strip. The feeding tube is installed on the check valve at one end relative to the feeding container and is located above the spoon.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base is equipped with guide wheels at its bottom.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The top of the fixed rod is provided with a sliding sleeve, and the top of the front end of the sliding sleeve is provided with a mounting plate, and the motor is mounted on the mounting plate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The front end of the sliding sleeve is provided with a fixed clamp, and the food container is placed on the fixed clamp.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The fixed clamp includes an angle plate, and the front end of the angle plate is provided with a clamp.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The food container includes a bottle body, a bottle cap at the top of the bottle body, and a through hole in the middle of the bottle cap for a connecting rod to pass through.

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