EQUIPMENT RAIL FOR HOLDING MEDICAL DEVICES NEAR PATIENTS AND PATIENT FURNITURE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device rail for holding medical devices close to the patient.

[0002] It is known in practice to attach one or more medical devices to a stretcher using a device rail. These devices can be, for example, oxygen supply devices, infusion pumps, or the like. The device rail consists, firstly, of a profiled bar, which is typically straight and has a rectangular cross-section, and secondly, of several brackets distributed along the length of the profiled bar. These brackets, on the one hand, secure the profiled bar and, on the other hand, are themselves attached to the stretcher.

[0003] In this context, "stretchers" are stretchers on which patients can be transported lying down. These stretchers are used in emergency services to transport patients to an ambulance, or later from the ambulance to the hospital. The chassis of these stretchers can be foldable, for example, so that the patient can be transported on the stretcher into the ambulance and can also remain lying on the stretcher in the ambulance itself without having to be transferred.

[0004] In hospitals, patient stretchers or patient beds are used rather than trolleys, to transport patients lying down between their hospital room / patient room and, for example, a treatment room or operating theater. It is common practice to provide these patient stretchers or patient beds with equipment rails to keep medical equipment close to the patient. Laypeople can mistake these patient stretchers or patient beds for patient beds; for example, they may not have the folding chassis mentioned above, but they are usually narrower than a patient bed. However, it is also common practice for patient beds, for example those used in hospitals or care facilities, to keep medical equipment close to the patient using equipment rails.

[0005] In addition to the aforementioned stretchers, couches, and beds, medical devices can also be attached to patient wheelchairs using a device rail. Alternatively, they can be mounted on dedicated, mobile units, such as those known in practice under the name "MobiDoc," which consists of a mobile frame that can be optionally attached to or detached from a bed, stretcher, or similar device. While attached, the "MobiDoc" can be moved together with the bed, stretcher, or similar device.

[0006] For the purposes of this proposal, aids that support a patient while lying, sitting, or standing are referred to as patient furniture. This includes, for example, the aforementioned stretchers, couches, beds, and wheelchairs, as well as walkers and similar aids. Accordingly, patient furniture always represents the supporting structure to which the device rail can be attached.

[0007] As an alternative to the aforementioned patient furniture, which always represents a mobile, i.e., movable, installation of the equipment rail, the installation of an equipment rail on a stationary support structure can also be provided, e.g. on a stationary piece of patient furniture such as a stationary, non-mobile patient bed, or e.g. on a wall that runs alongside a patient bed or near its head end.

[0008] Equipment rails are known from practice which are each designed as a rectangular hollow profile made of stainless steel. This hollow profile is attached to a stretcher with the help of brackets. The hollow profile is screwed to the brackets so that the hollow profile has corresponding holes to accommodate the screws. The screw fastening secures the hollow profile between the screw head and the bracket against movement in all directions. The holes weaken the equipment rail from a mechanical point of view and require an additional processing step during production. If holes are provided in the front or outside of the hollow profile, i.e. on the side facing away from the stretcher, e.g. to be able to push a screw through the hollow profile, the holes also have hygiene disadvantages and make the equipment rail more difficult to clean.For hygienic reasons, both ends of the hollow profile are sealed with plastic caps. These caps also serve as protection against injury, since in practice, the hollow profile can be sawn to the desired length and assembled with virtually no finishing, meaning it can have sharp edges at both ends. The caps are inserted into the hollow profile at the front and are held in place by clamping. They can be lost during rough daily use.

[0009] In practice, it is alternatively known to design the holders as clamping jaws, so that the hollow profile is firmly clamped in the holders and is thus positively secured against movement in almost all directions, although not against movement in its longitudinal direction. Only the clamping force of the holder secures the hollow profile against unwanted longitudinal movement. Mechanical influences such as vibrations, driving over paving stones or a similar, uneven surface, etc. can cause the clamps to loosen. Furthermore, high forces acting on the hollow profile can still cause longitudinal movement if the clamping force is overcome, e.g. if the stretcher hits an obstacle or the ambulance with the stretcher in it is involved in an accident.This is especially true since not only the dead weight of the hollow profile must be considered, but also the weight of the equipment attached to the hollow profile, which, due to its inertia, tends to displace the hollow profile longitudinally. Even with this alternative mounting of the hollow profile, which does not require drilling into the hollow profile, both ends of the hollow profile must be sealed for the reasons mentioned, typically with the aforementioned plastic cover caps.

[0010] US 2004 / 0 026 589 A1 discloses a frame suspended from a ceiling. It comprises extruded profiles that abut one another at right angles and are connected by connecting straps. The connecting straps, in the form of three-dimensionally formed metal sheets, are adapted to the cross-sections of the respective extruded profiles. Depending on the design of the frame's vertical struts, medical devices such as infusion pumps can be held directly to these struts, or consoles, drawers, or the like can be attached to the struts, which in turn serve to accommodate medical devices or medical accessories.

[0011] US 2005 / 0 206 107 A1 discloses a mobile frame that can support, for example, medical infusion pumps and can therefore be referred to as a medical device carrier cart. The frame has a horizontal arm with mounting claws in the form of C-shaped curved pieces at both ends. Using these claws, the frame can be coupled to a patient bed.

[0012] FR 2 858 211 A1 discloses a mobile carrying device for medical aids used in patient care. Similar to the subject matter of the aforementioned US 2005 / 0 206 107 A1, this frame can also be coupled, however, not to a hospital bed, but to a cart that serves as a storage facility for the medical aids and is referred to as a storage cart. The frame does not have an equipment rail, but rather elements in the form of hooks, storage panels, or support plates for bottles, by means of which aids can be held to the frame. Wire baskets for holding waste bags are mounted on a horizontal cross member, which is an integral part of the frame through screwing or welding.

[0013] DE 40 38 427 A1 discloses a medical device carrier trolley which, similar to the subject matter of the above-mentioned US 2005 / 0 206 107 A1, can be quickly connected to and detached from hospital beds of various designs. The medical device carrier trolley is a frame with horizontal and vertical struts, with shaped pieces serving as the connection point where one strut connects to the other. The medical device carrier trolley does not have a device rail to which medical devices can be attached; instead, a horizontal device carrier plate, which is attached to the vertical tubes at an adjustable height, serves to accommodate the necessary medical devices.

[0014] A medical organization cart is known from US 2019 / 0 344 816 A1. It is not designed to keep medical devices close to patients, but rather to transport medical supplies such as equipment or disinfectants and / or to keep them ready for use in a storage area. The organization cart has a closed interior. Frequently used supplies can be held on the outside of the cart on a rail, which can thus be referred to as an equipment rail. This rail is also referred to as a clamping rail because it is clamped to two vertical profile strips of the organization cart. The profile strips have indentations for this purpose, and the equipment rail is provided with claws at both ends that engage in these indentations. While one claw is immovably connected to the equipment rail, the other claw is part of a clamp closure, e.g.With an eccentric mechanism, the equipment rail can be secured to the trolley at any height using the tension lock, without the need for tools. The equipment rail has a hollow profile, and the two claws are each inserted into the hollow profile; they can be secured with steel pins.

[0015] The invention is based on the object of improving a generic device rail so that it can be designed as hygienically as possible and ensures secure attachment of the profile strip. Furthermore, the invention is based on the object of providing a patient furniture item that enables the attachment of medical devices in the safest and most hygienic manner possible.

[0016] This object is achieved by a device rail having the features of claim 1 and by a patient furniture according to claim 10. Advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims.

[0017] In other words, the invention proposes designing the holders of the equipment rail in such a way that they encompass the profile strip at both ends similar to a cap, so that these two holders are referred to as outer holders. In this way, the profile strip is secured against displacement in all directions of movement. Accordingly, it is not necessary to drill holes in the profile strip, as would otherwise be necessary for screw connections or similar fastening options. The proposal therefore achieves two advantages: by fixing the profile strip in relation to all directions of movement, the profile strip is held securely. Because the two outer holders encompass the two ends of the profile strip like a hood, the profile strip is covered at both ends, so that even non-reworked, possiblySharp-edged ends of the profile strip do not pose a risk of injury, but are instead concealed. If the profile strip is designed as a hollow profile, the two outer brackets cover the hollow profile at both ends, thus preventing foreign bodies from penetrating the hollow profile, which would be difficult to access for cleaning.

[0018] In one embodiment, the outer brackets can have a T-shaped groove in cross-section. The T-shaped cross-section of the groove results in a C-shaped cross-section of the bracket. The groove is intended to open at the so-called front of the bracket, i.e. at the side of the bracket facing away from the day structure. In this way, it is possible to check directly during installation of the equipment rail how far the bracket has been pushed onto the profile strip or how far the profile strip has been inserted into the bracket. In addition, the groove opening at the front creates access from the front so that, for example, screws or similar fastening elements can be operated before the profile strip is picked up by the bracket.

[0019] The T-shaped groove advantageously does not extend the entire length of the outer bracket, so that the bracket has one open end and one closed end. The profile strip can be inserted into the open or receiving end, and the closed end serves to cover the end of the profile strip.

[0020] Depending on the length of the equipment rail and the weight of the medical devices to be accommodated, deformation of the profile strip cannot be ruled out during practical use. And to prevent resulting damage to the profile strip or even to the medical devices, in one embodiment considered advantageous, the profile strip can be attached to its respective supporting structure using one or more additional brackets. These brackets are referred to as middle brackets because they are located between the two outer brackets. These middle brackets also have a T-shaped groove in cross-section, so that they have an overall roughly C-shaped cross-section with which they encompass the profile strip. In this case, the groove runs through the middle brackets along their entire length.

[0021] To facilitate the attachment of the brackets to a supporting structure, holes can be provided in the back of the brackets. These holes are aligned with the opening of the T-shaped groove located in the front of the bracket, allowing fasteners, for example, to be operated through this opening.

[0022] The mentioned bores can advantageously be designed as stepped bores, the smaller diameter of which opens into the rear side of the holder and the larger diameter of which opens into the groove, so that, for example, a screw head can be arranged in the section of the stepped bore which has the larger diameter, while the shank of the screw can extend through the section with the smaller diameter and into the supporting structure.

[0023] The profile strip can advantageously be made of stainless steel. Due to its corrosion resistance, no surface treatment in the form of painting or the like is required in this case, so that medical devices can be repeatedly attached and detached to the equipment rail, in particular to its profile strip, or moved along the profile strip without damaging such corrosion protection in the form of a surface coating. The use of steel allows for high load-bearing capacity, both due to the weight of the equipment and due to its fastening elements, e.g., clamping screws or the like, without undesirable deformation or even damage to the profile strip, thus enabling a long service life of the equipment rail.The design of the profile strip as a hollow profile improves the bending stiffness of the profile strip and helps to keep the weight as low as possible, especially for patient furniture that has to be lifted and carried at least for a short time.

[0024] In one embodiment, the brackets can consist of an aluminum layer so that, firstly, they are protected against harmful corrosion without additional measures, secondly, they are comparatively light in weight, and thirdly, they ensure a particularly high mechanical strength compared to plastics, for example.

[0025] A particularly advantageous piece of patient furniture can be created according to the proposal by providing it with an equipment rail designed according to the present proposal.

[0026] In one embodiment considered advantageous, it can be provided that the brackets are not attached directly to the patient furniture, but that at least one of the brackets is attached to the patient furniture using an intermediate piece. The brackets can therefore be produced economically in larger quantities as identical parts. Depending on the design of the patient furniture, it may be possible to attach a bracket directly to the patient furniture, for example, by screwing it to a frame or the like of the patient furniture. In many cases, however, it will be advantageous to adapt the device rail to the geometry of the patient furniture.

[0027] This adaptation is made possible by the aforementioned spacers, which are adapted to the geometry of the patient furniture and specifically to the respective mounting point where a device rail bracket is to be attached to the patient furniture. An spacer can also have an arm that rests on the patient furniture like a moment support and absorbs forces that tend to rotate the profile bar of the device rail around its longitudinal axis when one or more medical devices are attached to the profile bar. On the other hand, the spacers provide a mounting surface to which the device rail bracket can be attached. For reasons of hygiene, this mounting surface is designed so that the device rail bracket can be attached to it with as little gap as possible. For example, both the back of the bracket and the mounting surface of the spacer can be flat.

[0028] The equipment rail can be installed, for example, in the following steps: first, the brackets are attached to the spacers. Then, the profile strip is inserted into the brackets, which is easy because the spacers and their connected brackets are freely movable. Finally, the spacers and the equipment rail held by them are attached to the patient furniture. The position of the attachment points on the spacers, which are used to attach the spacers to the patient furniture, is selected so that they are easily accessible even after the equipment rail has been installed. The described procedure, in which the equipment rail is first connected to the spacers, ensures that the brackets are perfectly aligned to accommodate the profile rail.

[0029] An alternative way of attaching the equipment rail to patient furniture using spacers is to first assemble an outer and a middle bracket along with their spacers. The brackets are first firmly attached to the spacers, but the spacers are not yet permanently secured to the stretcher. The profile rail can then be pushed in, and any necessary position adjustments to the two already mounted spacers can still be made. The third spacer is then mounted by first sliding it, along with its attached bracket, onto the end of the profile rail. This, along with the other two spacers, is then permanently attached to the stretcher.

[0030] Advantageously, it can be ensured that the profile strip of a device rail is arranged in the holders with as little play as possible, thus avoiding rattling noises as well as unwanted vibrations or shocks affecting the medical devices, which could otherwise result from the mobility of the profile rail in the holders. Various measures known to those skilled in the art can be provided for this purpose. For example, a spring-loaded ball in a holder can press against the profile strip, or a bent leaf spring can be inserted into a holder to compress the profile strip, or a damping element - e.g. made of plastic - can be arranged in the holder for the same purpose. A threaded hole in the holder can open into the groove in which the profile strip is received and can be used to clamp the profile strip in the holder with no play using a screw, e.g. a grub screw.

[0031] The invention is explained in more detail below using purely schematic representations. Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a device rail in perspective view, Fig. 2 to 4 shows different views of an outer bracket, Fig. 5 to 7 shows views similar to Fig. 2 to 4 a central support, and Fig. 8a separate unit that can be optionally connected to or separated from the patient furniture to create a patient furniture.

[0032] Fig. 1shows an equipment rail 1 intended for use in the medical field and which can be attached to patient furniture such as a stretcher. The equipment rail 1 consists, on the one hand, of a profile strip 2, which is designed as a rectangular hollow profile made of stainless steel, and, on the other hand, of two different types of brackets 3 and 4, each designed as molded aluminum parts. Two identically designed outer brackets 3 each enclose the two ends of the profile strip 2 in a hood-like manner, so that the interaction of the two outer brackets 3 positively secures the profile strip 2 against movement in all directions. The middle bracket 4 therefore does not have to prevent longitudinal displacement of the profile strip 2, but rather secures the profile strip 2 against deflection in all bending directions.

[0033] The Fig. 2 to 4show views of an outer bracket 3. Two unthreaded stepped bores 5 serve to directly fasten the bracket 3 to a supporting structure, or to an intermediate piece in favor of indirect fastening to a supporting structure such as, for example, to a patient piece of furniture. In deviation from the illustrated embodiment, further bores can also be provided in the bracket 3, for example in the form of threaded bores, so that by means of a screw connection from the rear, the bracket 3 can interact with the screw instead of a nut and can be secured in this way. Or a threaded bore can be used to load the profile strip 2 and to secure it in the bracket 3, 4 without play.Accordingly, by arranging more holes than the two stepped holes 5 shown, the bracket 3 can be prepared for many different types of fastening, so that the outer brackets 3 can be manufactured economically advantageously in larger quantities as identical parts.

[0034] In Fig. 2is indicated by a dashed contour how a groove 6 with a T-shaped cross-section was created in the originally cuboid-shaped block of material using a T-milling cutter. At the end of the groove 6, this dashed contour runs semicircular due to the rotating movement of the milling cutter. To ensure that the end of the profile strip 2 is covered by the holder 3 in a hygienic manner, the profile strip 2 is not cut off in a straight and transverse manner at both its ends, but rather tapers at both its ends. This taper can, for example, be V-shaped or polygonal; for example, the two ends of the profile strip 2 can also be reworked to a rounded shape with the same radius as the milling cutter. In such a case, the dashed contour therefore corresponds, apart from a small dimensional tolerance, to the contour that the profile strip 2 has at both its ends.This enables the profile strip 2 to be connected as tightly as possible to the outer holder 3, so that the penetration of dirt into the hollow profile of the profile strip 2 is prevented in a hygienically advantageous manner.

[0035] Due to its T-shaped cross-section, the groove 6 opens into the front of the outer bracket 3, so that the stepped bores 5 and the fastening elements located therein, e.g. screw heads, are easily accessible from the front of the bracket 3.

[0036] The Fig. 5 to 7 show views similar to the Fig. 2 to 4, but from the middle bracket 4. The above-mentioned T-milling cutter has in this case been passed completely through the material block, so that the T-shaped groove 6 passes through the middle bracket 4 over its entire length and opens not just at one but at both ends of the middle bracket 4. The external dimensions of the two different types of brackets 3 and 4 are the same in the illustrated embodiment of the equipment rail 1, so that in the interests of economical production, identical blocks of material, e.g. made of an aluminum material, can always be provided, the machining of which then differs only in the different travel path of the milling cutter in order to produce either an outer bracket 3 or a middle bracket 4.

[0037] The aluminum brackets 3 and 4, as well as the stainless steel profile strip 2, can be manufactured to such tight tolerances and such a precise fit that the profile strip 2 is held in the brackets 3 and 4 with virtually no play and thus without rattling. Particularly when devices are attached to the profile strip 2, the latter will be tilted within the brackets 3 and 4 to the extent permitted by the small amount of play and will no longer rattle.

[0038] Fig. 8 shows in three steps how a separate, mobile unit 7 can be used as part of a patient furniture unit 8. The mobile unit 7 is shown separately on the left. It is a frame known in practice as a "MobiDoc," which is essentially upright and features a chassis with its own castors 9 and several equipment rails 1.

[0039] In the middle of Fig. 8It is shown that this mobile unit 7 has been equipped with several medical devices 10, which have been attached to the device rails 1 and therefore cover the device rails 1 in this illustration.

[0040] Fig. 8 The figure on the right shows how, in a hospital, the mobile unit 7 has been coupled to a patient stretcher 11, which has its own casters 12. By coupling the mobile unit 7 with the patient stretcher 11, the patient furniture 8 has been created, in which the medical devices 10 are arranged near the patient. Reference symbol:

[0041] 1Equipment rail 2Profile strip 3Outer bracket 4Middle bracket 5Stepped hole 6Groove 7Mobile unit 8Patient furniture 9Wheels of unit 7 10Medical device 11Patient stretcher 12Wheels of patient stretcher 11

Claims

1. Device rail (1) which is intended to hold medical devices (10) in the proximity of a patient, wherein the device rail (1) has an elongate profile strip (2), and holders (3, 4) which are intended to be fixed to a supporting structure provided in the vicinity of the patient and for the fastening of the device rail, characterized in that the profile strip (2) is received at its two ends in two outer holders (3) which engage over the respective end of the profile strip (2) in each case in a cover-like manner.

2. Device rail according to Claim 1, characterized in that the outer holders (3) have a slot (6) which is T-shaped in cross section, which in each case open to a front side of the holder (3) facing away from the supporting structure, in such a way that the outer holder (3) has a C-shaped cross section in the region of the slot (6).

3. Device rail according to Claim 2, characterized in that the slot (6) in each case extends only over a proportion of the length of the outer holders (3), in such a way that the outer holder (3) has a receiving end, into which the profile strip is insertable, and an opposite, closed end.

4. Device rail according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a middle holder (4) which is arranged between the two outer holders (3), and which has a slot (6) which is T-shaped in cross section, in such a way that the middle holder (4) has a C-shaped cross section, wherein the middle holder (4) engages around the profile strip (2) and the T-shaped slot (6) passes through the middle holder (4) over the entire length thereof.

5. Device rail according to one of Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the holders (3, 4) have a rear side which is intended to be arranged facing the supporting structure, and a front side which is intended to be arranged facing away from the supporting structure, wherein bores pass through the rear side of the holders (3, 4), in alignment with the opening of the slot (6).

6. Device rail according to Claim 5, characterized in that the bores are designed as stepped bores (5), the larger diameter of which opens to the slot (6) and the smaller diameter of which opens to the rear side of the holder (3, 4).

7. Device rail according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the profile strip (6) is designed as a rectangular hollow profile composed of stainless steel.

8. Device rail according to Claim 7, characterized in that the profile strip (6) tapers at its two ends.

9. Device rail according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holders (3, 4) consist of an aluminium alloy.

10. Item of furniture (8) for a patient which is intended to support a patient while lying, sitting or standing, and on which a device rail (1) designed according to one of the preceding claims is arranged.

11. Item of furniture for a patient according to Claim 10, characterized in that at least one of the holders (3, 4) of the device rail (1) is fastened to the item of furniture (8) for a patient by means of an intermediate piece.