Training mannequin with a compressible chest

Abstract

A mannequin (1) for practicing a resuscitation method, comprising a main body (3) having a chest opening (7), a compression plate (9) extending across the chest opening (7), and a hinged support portion (23) supporting the compression plate (9) on one side of the chest opening (7). The sliding support portion (25) supports the compression plate (9) on the opposite side of the chest opening. The chest plate (11) is disposed above the compression plate (9) and attached to the compression plate (9), and the chest plate (11) includes a curved lower plate surface (29) facing the compression plate (9).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a training mannequin with a compressible chest for resuscitation training.

Background Art

[0002] Training mannequins of the above type have been known for a long time. They typically have a compressible chest and, over time, increasingly advanced functions have been added. Such functions include measurements of compression force, depth, and speed. This type of mannequin generally also includes lung functions for cardiopulmonary resuscitation training.

[0003] One known solution for obtaining the compressible chest portion of a mannequin is to make the chest portion from a flexible plate material. It is also common to place a spiral spring between the plate material and the base portion.

[0004] Such a solution is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 9,852,659. Here, a fan-shaped distribution of leaf springs is combined with a spiral spring. The spiral spring must be removed to enable stacking of the torso.

[0005] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 4,850,876 presents a solution where an elastically compressible member is interposed between two panels that are pushed towards each other during chest compression.

[0006] Furthermore, International Publication No. 2012 / 041759 discloses a compressible chest portion where flexible beams of a plate bridge two support structures protruding from a base portion. One of the support structures has a curved support surface such that the compression force increases with the compression depth. Additionally, a compressible element is interposed between the flexible beam and the chest plate.

[0007] U.S. Patent No. 6,227,864 presents a mannequin having a flexible chest plate embedded in a torso made of a deformable foam.

[0008] Some known mannequins cannot be stacked on top of each other. Therefore, they occupy a lot of space during storage and transportation is cumbersome. Furthermore, some mannequins are stackable but require a significant amount of time to assemble before use.

[0009] An object of the present invention may be to provide a stackable training mannequin having compressible chest and lung functions. Further objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description.

Summary of the Invention

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mannequin for practicing resuscitation methods, comprising a main body having a chest opening, a compression plate extending across the chest opening, a hinged support portion supporting the compression plate on one side of the chest opening, and a sliding support portion supporting the compression plate on the opposite side of the chest opening. A chest plate is disposed above the compression plate and attached to the compression plate, and the chest plate includes a curved lower plate surface facing the compression plate.

[0011] The chest plate is preferably made of a substantially non-flexible material, which means that the shape of the chest plate is not intended to change during chest compression.

[0012] The term sliding support portion means a support body that supports the compression plate, and the contact area between the sliding support portion and the compression plate moves along the compression plate during chest compression. Therefore, the sliding support portion can include a rotating roller that rotates relative to the compression plate. The sliding support portion can also include a fixed surface on which the compression plate slides during compression.

[0013] Although the main body is often referred to herein as a single item, it will be understood that the main body can also be manufactured from several items assembled into one common structure.

[0014] In some embodiments, the body can include a lower rim that defines a lower opening, an upper body surface, and a side wall that extends upward from the lower rim toward the upper body surface of the body. The upper body surface can include a chest opening.

[0015] In some embodiments, the chest plate can include an upper plate having a convex upward curvature and a chest plate chamber that houses an electrical circuit. Thus, the chest plate can include an upper plate and a lower plate, and the chest plate chamber can be disposed between the upper plate and the lower plate. The electrical circuit can be installed, for example, on a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0016] In some embodiments, the compression plate may be attached to the end body by a hinged support, and the end body includes a curved support surface. The curved support surface can be supported by an opposing curved support surface. Further, the hinged support can include a sensor for measuring the angle of the compression plate at the location of the hinged support.

[0017] The sensor can be, in some embodiments, an inductive sensor, and the hinged support can further include a metal element. The metal element can contribute to enabling the inductive sensor to measure the angle change.

[0018] Advantageously, the sensor can be attached to the end body or the compression plate, and the metal element is attached to or at least fixed relative to the body. In such embodiments, advantageously, a signal channel can be provided that extends from the end body along the compression plate to the chest plate.

[0019] In some embodiments, the chest plate can be wider than the compression plate and can have a width that fits within the chest opening.

[0020] Advantageously, when in the uncompressed state, the end of the compression plate located at the sliding support portion is disposed within the receiving recess of the main body.

[0021] In some embodiments, the chest plate can include a chest plate notch configured to receive a portion of the compression plate during compression. The chest plate protrusion can then extend in the same direction as the compression plate on respective sides of the compression plate. The chest plate protrusion can then be moved downward beyond the compression plate during chest compression.

[0022] The main body can have a neck portion, and a flexible air transfer joint can be attached to the neck portion. The flexible air transfer joint can include a first joint portion having an inner flow path and an outer sliding surface, and a second joint portion having a joint opening and an inner sliding surface. The outer sliding surface and the inner sliding surface have a coaxial or concentric curved shape. This enables mutual pivoting movement about a pivot axis.

[0023] The outer and inner sliding surfaces can have the shape of a portion of a sphere or a portion of a cylinder having a circular cross-section.

[0024] The mannequin may include an occipital part and a removable frontal part. When the frontal part is removed, the lower opening can be configured to receive the upper main body surface and a part of the side wall of another main body. The occipital part can be configured to be partially received inside the occipital part attached to the aforementioned another main body.

[0025] In this way, the mannequins can be stacked compactly for transportation and storage. Further, the hinge connection between the head and the torso (or main body) of the mannequin need not be disassembled to enable the aforementioned stacking.

[0026] In some embodiments, the main body can further include a neck portion, and the mannequin can further include a hinge connection portion that connects the neck portion and the occipital portion so as to pivot about a pivot axis. The occipital portion may include a rear concave portion configured to receive a hinge connection portion between another neck portion and the occipital portion. This contributes to making the mannequin stackable with other mannequins.

[0027] In some embodiments, the main body can include a receiving recess at the position of the sliding support portion, and one end of the compression plate is received in the receiving recess.

[0028] When bending the compression plate during chest compression, the end of the compression plate disposed on the sliding support portion may tend to protrude upward in the inclined direction. By disposing this end of the compression plate within the receiving recess, it is possible to avoid the end of the compression plate protruding excessively upward. If it protrudes excessively upward, it may lift a part of the flexible body sheet covering a part of the main body, and thus may be visible.

[0029] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stack of mannequins for practicing a resuscitation method, each mannequin including a main body, a compression plate extending across a chest opening of the main body, and an occipital portion attached to the main body by a hinge connection portion. The upper main body surface and side walls of the main body of the lower mannequin are received through a lower opening defined by a lower rim of the main body of the upper mannequin. Further, the occipital portion of the upper mannequin is received within the occipital portion of the lower mannequin.

[0030] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mannequin for practicing a resuscitation method, comprising a main body having a neck portion, a lung bag having a lung channel, and a rear head portion and a front head portion configured to pivot with respect to the main body about a pivot axis. According to a third aspect of the present invention, the mannequin further comprises a flexible air transmission joint comprising a first joint portion having an outer sliding surface and an inner flow path, and a second joint portion having an inner sliding surface that slides with respect to the aforementioned outer sliding surface and a joint opening. The first or second joint portion is fixed to the neck portion, and the second or first joint portion is connected to the front head portion or the rear head portion, respectively.

[0031] In some embodiments, the front head portion and the rear head portion can be fabricated as one piece. In other embodiments, the front head portion and the rear head portion can be removable. For example, the front head portion can be removed while the rear head portion remains connected to the main body via a hinge connection.

[0032] Although various features of the present invention have been presented above in general terms, more detailed and non-limiting examples of embodiments are presented below with reference to the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0033]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

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Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a mannequin 1 according to the present invention. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, in use, the illustrated parts of the mannequin 1 are in an assembled state. The mannequin 1 has a main body 3 that forms the torso of the mannequin 1. A back of the head 5 is attached to the main body 3. The back of the head 5 is rotatable with respect to the main body 1.

[0035] The main body 1 includes a chest opening 7. A compression plate 9 bridges the chest opening 7. The interrelationship between the main body 3 and the bridging compression plate 9 is also shown in FIG. 2.

[0036] A chest plate 11 is attached to the compression plate 9. The chest plate 11 is interposed between the compression plate 9 and the lung bag 13. The lung bag 13 is connected to the front head 15 via a lung channel 17. When in the assembled state, the front head 15 is connected to the back of the head 5.

[0037] A face portion 19 is attached to the front head 15 when in the assembled state. The face portion 19 may typically be a soft material that mimics human skin. Further, a flexible torso sheet 21 covers at least a portion of the main body 3, as well as the compression plate 9, the chest plate 11, and the lung bag 13. The flexible torso sheet 21 is made of a flexible and skin-mimicking material.

[0038] Here, some of the main parts of the mannequin 1 have been briefly introduced, and a more detailed description of these and additional components will be shown below.

[0039] Refer to FIG. 2. The main body 3 includes a lower rim 4. The lower rim 4 lands on a base (not shown) and defines a lower opening 6. The lower opening 6 is not directly visible in FIG. 2. The lower opening 6 allows several main bodies 3 to be stacked compactly on top of each other as shown in FIG. 12. It will be understood that the lower rim 4 does not necessarily have a continuous edge shape around the lower opening 6.

[0040] The main body 3 further has a side wall 8 extending upward from the lower rim 4. The side wall 8 extends upward toward the upper body surface 10. The upper body surface 10 may resemble the front part of a human torso. The aforementioned chest opening 7 is disposed within the upper body surface 10. Thus, there is a space inside the main body 3, that is, below the upper body surface 10 and within the side wall 8, for accommodating a substantial portion of another main body 3 as shown in FIG. 12.

[0041] The compression plate 9 extends from the hinged support 23 on one side of the chest opening 7 to the sliding support 25 on the opposite side of the chest opening 7. When the user is practicing chest compression, the compression plate 9 curves downward toward a base (not shown) such as the floor, a table, or other surface. In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, the mannequin 1 does not have additional components between the aforementioned base and the middle portion of the compression plate 9. This contributes to enabling a compact stacking when more mannequins 1 are stacked.

[0042] In the embodiment shown in this specification, the sliding support 25 includes a fixed support on which the compression plate 9 slides during chest compression. However, in other embodiments, the sliding support 25 may include rollers that support the compression plate 9. Then, the rollers rotate back and forth along the compression plate 9 during chest compression.

[0043] Figure 3 shows the same as Figure 2 and the chest plate 11. In this embodiment, the chest plate 11 is attached to the compression plate 9. Therefore, when practicing chest compression, the compression force is transmitted to the compression plate 9 through the chest plate 11. Advantageously, the periphery of the chest plate 11 fits inside the chest opening 7 of the body 3, so that it can move downward beyond the edge defining the chest opening 7. Preferably, the periphery of the chest plate 11 substantially follows the periphery of the chest opening 7 with a sufficient distance to avoid contact during chest compression at positions where the compression plate 9 does not exist.

[0044] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view through the chest plate 11 and the compression plate 9 showing the non-compressed state. The hinged support 23 is shown on the right side and will be further described below. The sliding support 25 is shown on the left side. The sliding support 25 includes a sliding shoulder 25a that supports the compression plate 9. During compression, the compression plate 9 curves and thus slides relative to the sliding shoulder 25a. In this embodiment, the sliding shoulder 25a is part of the body 3. As shown in Figure 3, the body 3 includes a receiving recess 26 that receives the end of the compression plate 9. The receiving recess 26 prevents the end of the compression plate 9 from reliably protruding upward beyond the upper surface of the body during compression. However, it should be recalled that the compression plate 9 is hidden by the flexible body sheet 21 disposed thereon. In other embodiments, additional components can be provided on the sliding shoulder 25a.

[0045] The chest plate 11 includes a curved lower plate 27. The curved lower plate 27 has a curved lower plate surface 29 that abuts against the upper surface of the compression plate 9. The lower plate 27 is attached to the compression plate 9 at the attachment position 31, for example, by a pair of screws. When in the illustrated non-compressed state, the lower plate surface 29 curves upward away from the compression plate 9 on both sides of the attachment position 31.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, the chest plate 11 further includes an upper plate 33. The upper plate 33 has a curved upper plate surface 33. When in the assembled state, the flexible body sheet 21 abuts against the upper plate surface 33. As is apparent from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, a chest plate chamber 37 is provided between the lower plate 27 and the upper plate 33. A printed circuit board 39 (PCB) is disposed inside the chest plate chamber 37. The PCB 39 includes various functions such as a wireless communication unit (e.g., Bluetooth), an accelerometer for measuring during chest compression, and other possible sensors.

[0047] The lower plate 27 can be attached to the upper plate 33, for example, by screws (not shown).

[0048] FIG. 5 shows substantially the same items as those shown in FIG. 4, but when in the compressed state. Here, the compression plate 9 is curved, and a portion of the compression plate 9 follows, i.e., contacts, the length of the lower plate surface 29 of the lower plate 27. Naturally, a small downward compression force results in a small compression distance, while a large force results in a large compression distance. In particular, the force required for each additional compression length increases with the compression length. In other words, the force-compression curve is non-linear.

[0049] FIG. 6 shows a side cross-sectional view of the main body 3, the posterior and anterior heads 5, 15, the compression plate 9, the chest plate 11, and the lung bag 13 having the lung channel 17. In FIG. 6, the compression plate 9 is shown in the uncompressed state.

[0050] FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged cross-sectional views of the hinged support portion 23 when in the uncompressed state and the compressed state, respectively. The compression plate 9 is attached to the end body 41 at its end. The end body 41 includes a first end body portion 43 and a second end body portion 45. These are attached to each other and to the compression plate 9, for example, by screws (not shown). The second end body portion 45 includes a curved hinge surface 47.

[0051] The curved hinge surface 47 has a convex configuration and is supported on the concave curved support surface 49 in the illustrated embodiment. The curved support surface 49 is part of the body 3 in the illustrated embodiment. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, additional components can also be provided on the curved support surface 49.

[0052] The metal element 51 is preferably embedded in the curved support surface 49 and arranged on substantially the same plane. In this embodiment, the metal element 51 is formed as a plate having a curved portion.

[0053] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, during chest compression, the end body 41 pivots back and forth while being supported by the curved support surface 49 and / or the metal element 51. Furthermore, a sensor 53 is attached to the end of the compression plate 9. In the illustrated embodiment, the sensor 53 is attached to the end body 41 intervening between the first end body portion 43 and the second end body portion 45.

[0054] The sensor 53 is configured to measure the angle of the sensor 53 relative to the body 3, and thus the angle of the end of the compression plate 9. Advantageously, the sensor 53 can be an inductive sensor. By using a metal material for the metal element 51, the inductive sensor 53 can sense the angular displacement during chest compression. Furthermore, for example, by a computing unit (not shown) embedded in the PCB 39 (FIG. 4), the degree of chest compression (or compression distance) can be calculated based on the measured compression angle of the compression plate 9.

[0055] It will be understood that other solutions such as an accelerometer provided on the chest plate 11 can be applied to measure chest compression. Furthermore, it will be understood that instead of using the metal element 51 having a curved configuration to provide metal in the vicinity of the sensor 53, another element containing metal can be provided.

[0056] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the chest plate 11 and the compression plate 9 to which the chest plate 11 is attached. A string 55 is attached to an end of the compression plate 9 located at the sliding support portion (see FIG. 2). The string 55 is also fixed to the main body 3. This is to ensure that excessive chest compression, that is, excessive downward bending of the compression plate 9, does not move the end of the compression plate 9 downward beyond the sliding shoulder 25a (FIG. 4) and through the chest opening 7 (FIG. 1).

[0057] Referring further to FIG. 9, the chest plate 11 includes a chest plate notch 57. The chest plate notch 57 is for receiving the compression plate during deep chest compression. On each side of the compression plate 9 and the chest plate notch 57, the chest plate 11 includes a chest plate protrusion 59. Thus, during deep compression, at least a portion of each chest plate protrusion 59 can move vertically beyond the adjacent portion of the compression plate 9.

[0058] Furthermore, the compression plate 9 is provided with a signal channel 61 for connecting a sensor 53 to an electrical signal wire (not shown) that connects to a PCB 39 or other electrical equipment within the chest plate 11. In an alternative embodiment, the electrical signal wire can be directly attached to the surface of the compression plate 9 (i.e., without the signal channel 61) using an adhesive or fastening hook, etc.

[0059] The chest plate 11 also includes lung bag attachment means 63. In the illustrated embodiment, the lung bag attachment means 63 is in the form of a protrusion. The lung bag attachment means 63 is configured to connect to the lung bag connection loop 65 shown in FIG. 1.

[0060] Figure 10 is an enlarged portion of the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 6. The flexible air transmission joint 70 is attached to or at least fixed relative to the main body 3 (and thus indirectly connected to the main body 3). The first joint portion 71 has an inner flow path 73 and an outer sliding surface 75. The outer sliding surface 75 has a shape corresponding to a part of a sphere. The flexible air transmission joint 70 further includes a second joint portion 77. The second joint portion 77 has an inner sliding surface 79 that abuts against the outer sliding surface 75 of the first joint portion 71. Further, the inner sliding surface 79 also has a configuration corresponding to a part of a sphere that fits precisely with the outer sliding surface 75. The flexible air transmission joint 70 further has a joint opening 81. The joint opening 81 can be a part of the second joint portion 77. In this way, air can be transmitted through the flexible air transmission joint 70 in different mutual angular directions of the first and second joint portions 71, 77.

[0061] Instead of having a configuration corresponding to a part of a sphere, the outer sliding surface 75 and the inner sliding surface 79 can instead have a configuration corresponding to a part of a cylinder having a circular cross-section. A pivot axis 87 about which the first and second joint portions 71, 77 can rotate relative to each other is shown in Figure 11.

[0062] In the illustrated embodiment, the second joint portion 77 is part of or connected to the front head portion 15 (see Figure 1). The front head portion 15 is configured to be attached to the rear head portion 5 such that the second joint portion 77 is maintained in a fixed position on the first joint portion 71. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the positions of the first and second joint portions 71, 77 can be switched such that the outer sliding surface 75 is connected to the front head portion 15 instead of the main body 3.

[0063] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the occipital part 5 connected to the main body 3. The main body 3 includes a neck portion 83. The occipital part 5 is connected to the neck portion 83 by hinge connection portions 85 on both sides of the first joint portion 71. Accordingly, the occipital part 5 can pivot with respect to the main body 3 about a pivot axis 87 that extends through the first joint portion 71 in the illustrated image.

[0064] The neck portion 83 of the main body 3 includes a first elastic band attachment arrangement 89, and the occipital part 5 includes a second elastic band attachment arrangement 91. An elastic band (not shown) can be attached to the respective first and second elastic band attachment arrangements 89, 91 in a tensioned state. This causes the user to have to firmly push the head backward (to ensure air transmission through the lung channel 17) in order to obtain the correct position of the head while training the resuscitation method.

[0065] FIG. 12 shows a plurality of main body parts 3 in a stacked state together with the attached occipital parts 5. Also, the flexible body sheet 21, the chest plate 11 and the compression plate 9 are assembled. As shown in FIG. 12, the main body part 3 and the occipital part 5 can be stacked relatively compactly. Before using the mannequin 1, the frontal part 15 and the face part 19 also have to be assembled.

[0066] The occipital part 5 includes a rear concave portion 93 shown in FIG. 6. The rear concave portion 93 is disposed on the rear side of the occipital part 5 and is configured to receive the hinge connection portion 85 and the first joint portion 71 when in the stacked state as shown in FIG. 12.

Claims

1. A mannequin (1) for practicing resuscitation techniques, a body (3) with a chest opening (7); a compression plate (9) extending across the chest opening (7); a hinged support (23) supporting the compression plate (9) on one side of the chest opening (7), and a sliding support (25) supporting the compression plate (9) on the opposite side of the chest opening; a chest plate (11) above the compression plate (9) and attached to the compression plate; Equipped with The chest plate (11) has a curved lower plate surface (29) facing the compression plate (9). Mannequin (1).

2. The body (3) a lower rim (4) defining a lower opening (6); an upper body surface (10); a sidewall (8) extending upward from the lower rim towards the upper body surface (10) of the body (3); Equipped with characterised in that the upper body surface (10) comprises the chest opening (7), A mannequin (1) according to claim 1.

3. 3. The mannequin (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the chest plate comprises an upper plate (33) with a convex upward curvature and a chest plate chamber (37) comprising an electrical circuit (39).

4. 2. The mannequin (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the compression plate (9) is attached to an end body (41) at the hinged support (23), the end body (41) comprising a curved support surface (49), and the hinged support (23) comprises a sensor (53) for measuring the angle of the compression plate (9) at the position of the hinged support (23).

5. 5. The mannequin (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the sensor (53) is an inductive sensor and the hinged support (23) further comprises a metal element (51).

6. 2. The mannequin (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the chest plate (11) has a width greater than the width of the compression plate (9) and fits within the chest opening (7).

7. The body (3) comprises a neck portion (83) to which a flexible air transfer joint (70) is attached; The flexible air transfer joint (70) a first joint part (71) having an inner flow passage (73) and an outer sliding surface (75); a second joint part (77) having a joint opening (81) and an inner sliding surface (79); Equipped with The outer sliding surface (75) and the inner sliding surface (79) have a coaxial or concentric curved shape and allow mutual pivoting movement around a pivot axis (87). A mannequin (1) according to claim 1.

8. The mask comprises a rear portion (5) and a detachable front portion (15), and when the front portion (15) is in a detached state, the lower opening (6) is configured to receive the upper body surface (10) and a portion of the side wall (8) of another body (3); The rear head portion (5) is configured to be partially received inside the rear head portion (5) attached to the other body (3), A mannequin (1) according to claim 2.

9. The body (3) further comprises a neck portion (83); The mannequin (1) further comprises a hinge connection (85) connecting the neck portion (83) and the back of the head (5) so as to pivot about a pivot axis (87); said rear portion (5) comprising a rear recess (93) adapted to receive a hinge connection (85) between a further neck portion (83) and the rear portion (5), A mannequin (1) according to claim 8.

10. 2. The mannequin (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the body (3) comprises a receiving recess (26) at the location of the sliding support (25), and one end of the compression plate (9) is received in the receiving recess (26).

11. A stack of manikins (1) for practicing resuscitation, Each mannequin comprises a body (3), a compression plate (9) extending across a chest opening (7) of said body (3), and an occipital area (5) attached to said body by a hinge connection (85), wherein the upper body surface (10) and side walls (8) of said body of the lower mannequin are received through a lower opening (6) defined by a lower rim (4) of said body of the upper mannequin (1); The back of the head (5) of the upper mannequin is received within the back of the head (5) of the lower mannequin. Stack of mannequins (1).

12. A mannequin (1) for practicing resuscitation, comprising a body (3) having a neck portion (83), a lung bag (13), a lung channel (17), and a posterior head portion (5) and a forehead portion (15) configured to pivot relative to the body (3) about a pivot axis (87); Further comprising a flexible air transfer joint (70); The flexible air transfer joint (70) comprises: a first joint part (71) having an outer sliding surface (75) and an inner flow passage (73); a second joint part (77) having an inner sliding surface (79) that slides against the outer sliding surface (75) and having a joint opening (81); Equipped with the first joint part (71) or the second joint part (77) is fixed to the neck part (83), and the second joint part (77) or the first joint part (71) is connected to the front part (15) or the back part (5), respectively. Mannequin (1).

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