Adjustable hospital bed and related method for positioning a patient laterally

Abstract

An adjustable hospital bed for positioning a patient laterally includes a support frame having an upper end and a lower end, a plurality of wheels fixed to the lower end of the support frame, and a body pad having a head end and a foot end and having a plurality of backrest pad slots around its perimeter. The bed also includes a backrest pad having an upper edge, a lower edge, and a plurality of backrest pad pins extending from the lower edge and removably inserted into the plurality of backrest pad slots of the body pad to support the backrest pad on its lower edge and inclined with respect to the body pad. In addition, the bed includes a linear actuator configured to lift the head end of the body pad and an inclination adjustment mechanism configured to tilt the body pad laterally.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of hospital beds, and more particularly to an adjustable hospital bed and related methods for positioning a patient laterally.

Background Art

[0002] Unfortunately, many people suffer from health disorders that affect their movement and muscle tension or posture. Thus, people with this type of disorder may have impaired movement and may have reduced range of motion in various joints due to muscle rigidity. In particular, lying on one's side, especially horizontally, is often beneficial for patients and helps improve their comfort and their health condition.

[0003] Attempts have been made to manufacture side-lying type beds that support the patient horizontally rather than supine. This helps, among other things, to alleviate pressure ulcers, thrombosis, and respiratory complications. Existing side-lying type beds are typically cumbersome to move or are fixed and otherwise insufficient to meet the needs of immobile patients.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved hospital bed that comfortably supports a patient laterally and secures the patient laterally and is also easy to operate within a medical or care facility.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] Disclosed is an adjustable hospital bed for positioning a patient laterally. The adjustable hospital bed includes a support frame having an upper end and a lower end, and a plurality of wheels fixed to the lower end of the support frame. The support frame includes a lower platform, an upper platform, and a plurality of vertical supports therebetween. The bed also includes a body pad having a head end and a foot end, and a plurality of backrest pad slots around its perimeter. The body pad is adjustably fixed to the upper end of the support frame. The bed also includes a backrest pad having an upper edge, a lower edge, and a plurality of backrest pad pins extending from the lower edge and removably inserted into the plurality of backrest pad slots of the body pad so as to be inclined with respect to the body pad and support the backrest pad on its lower edge. A backrest pad locking rod is configured to removably fix the backrest pad pins by sliding the backrest pad locking rod therethrough into the backrest pad slots. The plurality of backrest pad pins include a plurality of positioning openings configured to receive the backrest pad locking rod therethrough and fix the backrest pad at a desired angle with respect to the body pad.

[0006] In addition to this, the bed includes a linear actuator having a first end fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second end fixed to the lower surface of the body pad. The linear actuator is configured to lift the head end of the body pad. The support frame can have a power source that is in electrical communication with the linear actuator.

[0007] The bed includes an inclination adjustment mechanism having a first portion fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second overlapping portion communicating with the lower surface of the body pad. The second overlapping portion of the inclination adjustment mechanism is configured to rotate with respect to the first portion to tilt the body pad laterally with respect to the front or rear of the support frame. The inclination adjustment mechanism has a handle and a plurality of adjustment holes that cooperate to fix the body pad at a desired inclination angle with respect to the support frame.

[0008] The bed can also include an upper push handle and a lower push handle, where the upper push handle is fixed to the body pad and the lower push handle is fixed to the support frame. The rear surface of the backrest pad can have at least one backrest pad handle fixed thereto. In addition to this, the bed can have a foot pad extending from the foot-side end of the body pad, and the foot pad is configured to be rotated upward to align with the body pad and locked or unlocked to be rotated downward.

[0009] The bed also includes a removable harness including a torso pad and at least one strap, where the torso pad is configured to be placed adjacent to the patient's torso, and the at least one strap slides around the backrest pad and the torso pad to laterally secure the patient laterally with respect to the backrest pad.

[0010] In another specific aspect, a method for positioning a patient laterally using an adjustable hospital bed is disclosed. The adjustable hospital bed includes a support frame having an upper end and a lower end, and a body pad having a head side end, a foot side end, and a plurality of backrest pad slots around its perimeter, the body pad being adjustably fixed to the upper end of the support frame. A backrest pad having a plurality of backrest pad slots extending from its lower edge is removably inserted into the plurality of backrest pad slots of the body pad so as to be inclined with respect to the body pad and support the backrest pad on its lower edge. A linear actuator having a first end is fixed to the upper end of the support frame, a second end is fixed to the lower surface of the body pad, and a tilt adjustment mechanism is configured to rotate to tilt the body pad laterally with respect to the front or rear of the support frame. The method includes positioning the patient laterally on the body pad, placing the torso pad adjacent to the patient's torso, and sliding a strap attached to the torso pad around the backrest pad and the body pad to laterally fix the patient laterally with respect to the backrest pad. In addition, the method includes using the linear actuator and the tilt adjustment mechanism to fix the patient in a desired lateral position.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7A

Figure 7B

Figure 7C

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

[0012] Here, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown. However, the present invention can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. Similar numbers refer to similar elements throughout.

[0013] Referring now to FIG. 1, an adjustable hospital bed ("bed") for positioning a patient laterally is shown and generally designated 100. The bed 100 includes a body pad 102 for the patient to lie on. Specifically, the body pad 102 is rectangular in size so that the patient can lie on their side. The bed 100 can also include an upper push handle 114 fixed to the body pad 102.

[0014] To create a vertical plane for supporting the back when the patient is lying on their side, the backrest pad 104 is fixed along either side of the body pad 102. The body pad 102 includes a head-side end which is the end where the patient places their head and a foot-side end which is the opposite end where the patient places their feet. The foot pad 106 is at the end of the foot-side end and can be rotated upward to extend the length of the body pad 102 and locked in place. Similarly, the foot pad 106 can be rotated downward when not needed to get out of the way.

[0015] Referring further to FIG. 1, the backrest pad 104 is fixed to the trailing edge of the body pad 102 so that the patient can lie on their left side with their back towards the backrest pad 104. The backrest pad 104 is fixed to the body pad 102 using dowel holes and dowels along the lower edge of the backrest pad 104. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of dowel holes 108a are shown along the leading edge of the body pad 102. Similarly, the trailing edge of the body pad 102 has similar dowel holes for receiving the dowels of the backrest pad 104. Thus, the backrest pad 104 can be removed from the trailing edge of the body pad 102 and fixed to the leading edge of the body pad 102 so that the patient can lie on their right side. The dowel holes and dowel connections between the body pad 102 and the backrest pad 104 allow for a strong and rigid structural connection to support the patient.

[0016] The body pad 102 is fixed to the upper part of the support frame 110. The support frame 110 is generally rectangular and can be moved by wheels 116. Thus, the bed 100 is movable and can easily move through corridors and other congested spaces where there is limited space for moving the patient. An upper push handle for facilitating pushing and turning during movement is fixed near the head-side end of the bed 102.

[0017] The front view of the bed 100 is shown in FIG. 3. The laptop tray 122 is positioned on the support frame 110 above the storage cabinet 112. The laptop tray 122 extends outward from the support frame so that a caregiver can place and work on the laptop if desired. The laptop tray 122 can be pushed back and stored when not needed. In addition, a lower push handle 118 is positioned on the support frame 110 and can be used when the body pad 104 is tilted as described below.

[0018] Referring now to FIG. 4, an upper view of the bed 100 without the backrest pad 104 is shown. A plurality of slots 108b can be seen at the trailing edge of the body pad 102. As will be well understood by those skilled in the art, pockets or other containers suitable for receiving each peg of the backrest pad 104 can be used in the same way as the slots.

[0019] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the backrest pad 104 is shown removed from the body pad 102 so that the pegs 124 of the backrest pad 104 can be seen. Also an important feature of the bed 100 is the function of tilting the head-side end of the body pad 102 upward as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. This lifts the patient's head and upper body as desired.

[0020] The linear actuator 120 has a first end coupled to the support cart 110 and a second end coupled to the lower surface of the body pad 102 proximate the head-side end through the head-side end ball joint 145. Thus, when the linear actuator 120 extends, the head-side end of the body pad 102 is lifted upward. The foot-side end ball joint 144 is fixed to the support frame 110 and the lower surface of the body pad 102 proximate the foot-side end. The foot-side end ball joint 144 allows the body pad 102 to rotate about it when the linear actuator 120 lifts or lowers the body pad 102.

[0021] Referring now to FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C, another important feature of the bed 100 is the ability to tilt the backrest pad 104 relative to the body pad 102. Thus, the backrest pad 104 can be perpendicular to the body pad 102 or tilted away from the body pad 102. This is accomplished by using alignment holes 128 that pass through a plurality of dowels 124 and a backrest pad locking rod 126. In addition to this, the rear surface of the backrest pad 104 can have at least one backrest pad handle 130 fixed thereto.

[0022] First, referring to FIG. 7B, the backrest pad locking rod 126 is shown in detail passing through the dowel hole 108b. The dowel 124 is pulled up from the dowel hole 108b, but when the dowel 124 seats within each dowel hole 108b, the backrest pad locking rod 126 is inserted through it to prevent the dowel 124 from being inadvertently pulled out of the dowel hole 108b.

[0023] Referring now to FIG. 7C, alignment holes 128a, 128b are shown. The alignment holes 128a, 128b are similarly positioned on each of the dowels 124 such that the rigid and straight backrest pad locking rod 126 can pass through a desired set of the alignment holes 128a, 128b. Each set of alignment holes includes the alignment hole 128a or 128b on each similarly positioned dowel 124. Thus, FIG. 7C is a representative view of two sets of alignment holes 128a, 128b. Thus, when the backrest pad 104 is vertically positioned, the first set of alignment holes 126a aligns with the opening 127 on each dowel hole 108b. When it is desired to tilt the backrest pad 104 rearwardly from the body pad 102, the second set of alignment holes 126b aligns with the opening 127 of each dowel hole 108a.

[0024] The body pad 102 also has the function of tilting laterally with respect to the support frame 110 using the tilt adjustment mechanism 132, as shown in FIG. 8. The support frame 110 can have a power source 142 that is in electrical communication with the linear actuator 120.

[0025] In addition to this, the support frame 110 includes a lower platform 152, an upper platform 154, and a plurality of vertical supports 156 therebetween. The tilt adjustment mechanism 132 includes a first portion 136 fixed to the upper end of the support frame 110 and a second overlapping portion 138 that communicates with the lower surface of the body pad 102. The second overlapping portion 138 of the tilt adjustment mechanism 132 is configured to rotate with respect to the first portion 136 to tilt the body pad 102 laterally with respect to the front or rear of the support frame 110. The tilt adjustment mechanism 132 includes a handle 140 and a plurality of adjustment holes 141 that cooperate to fix the body pad 102 at a desired tilt angle with respect to the support frame 110.

[0026] Therefore, it is important that both the head-side end ball joint 145 and the foot-side end ball joint 144 coupled to the linear actuator 120 are configured to accommodate movement in all directions when the body pad 102 tilts vertically and also laterally. As those skilled in the art can well understand, other types or combinations of connections can be used to accommodate movement in addition to the ball joints provided as an example in one aspect here.

[0027] To fix the patient to the bed 100, a removable harness 146 including a torso pad 143 and at least one strap 146 is provided, as shown in FIG. 9. The torso pad 143 is configured to be placed adjacent to the patient's torso, and at least one strap 146 slides around the backrest pad 104 and the body pad 102 to fix the patient 150 laterally and horizontally with respect to the backrest pad 104, as shown in FIG. 10.

[0028] Accordingly, a method of positioning a patient 150 laterally using the adjustable hospital bed 100 described above includes positioning the patient 150 laterally on the body pad 102. The method also includes placing the torso pad 143 adjacent to the torso of the patient 150 and sliding the strap 148 attached to the torso pad 143 around the backrest pad 104 and the body pad 102 to laterally secure the laterally positioned patient 150 relative to the backrest pad 104. In addition to this, the method includes using the linear actuator 120 and the tilt adjustment mechanism 132 to secure the patient 150 in a desired lateral position.

[0029] Many modifications of the present invention and other embodiments will come to mind to those skilled in the art who benefit from the teachings shown in the above description and the related drawings. Accordingly, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0030] 100 Bed 102 Body pad 104 Backrest pad 106 Foot pad 108a Dovetail groove

Claims

1. An adjustable hospital bed for positioning a patient laterally, comprising: a support frame having an upper end and a lower end; a plurality of wheels fixed to the lower end of the support frame; a body pad having a head end and a foot end, having a plurality of backrest pad through-holes around it, and the body pad adjustably fixed to the upper end of the support frame; a backrest pad having an upper edge, a lower edge, and a plurality of backrest pad pins extending from the lower edge so as to support the backrest pad at an angle with respect to the body pad and removably inserted into the plurality of backrest pad through-holes of the body pad; An adjustable hospital bed provided with the above.

2. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, further comprising a linear actuator having a first end fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second end fixed to the lower surface of the body pad, and configured to lift the head end of the body pad.

3. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, further comprising an inclination adjustment mechanism having a first portion fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second overlapping portion communicating with the lower surface of the body pad.

4. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 3, wherein the second overlapping portion of the inclination adjustment mechanism is configured to rotate with respect to the first portion to laterally incline the body pad with respect to the front or rear portion of the support frame.

5. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 4, wherein the inclination adjustment mechanism has a handle and a plurality of adjustment holes that cooperate to fix the body pad at a desired inclination angle with respect to the support frame.

6. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, further comprising an upper push handle and a lower push handle, wherein the upper push handle is fixed to the body pad and the lower push handle is fixed to the support frame.

7. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, wherein the rear surface of the backrest pad includes at least one backrest pad handle fixed thereto.

8. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, further comprising a foot pad extending from the foot end of the body pad, wherein the foot pad is configured to be rotated upward to align with the body pad and locked or unlocked and rotated downward.

9. further comprising a removable harness including a torso pad and at least one strap, wherein the torso pad is configured to be placed adjacent to the patient's torso, and the at least one strap is configured to slide around the backrest pad and the body pad to laterally fix the patient lying on the side towards the backrest pad. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1.

10. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, wherein the support frame further includes a power source that is electrically in communication with the linear actuator.

11. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, wherein the support frame includes a lower platform, an upper platform, and a plurality of vertical supports therebetween.

12. further comprising a backrest pad locking rod, wherein the backrest pad locking rod is configured to removably fix the backrest pad tenon to the backrest pad tenon hole by sliding the backrest pad locking rod through the backrest pad tenon hole. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1.

13. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of backrest pad tenons include a plurality of position openings configured to receive the backrest pad locking rod therethrough and fix the backrest pad at a desired angle with respect to the body pad.

14. An adjustable hospital bed for laterally positioning a patient, comprising: a support frame having an upper end and a lower end; a body pad having a head side end and a foot side end, having a plurality of backrest pad tenon holes around it, and the body pad adjustably fixed to the upper end of the support frame; a backrest pad having an upper edge, a lower edge, and a plurality of backrest pad tenons extending from the lower edge and removably inserted into the plurality of backrest pad tenon holes of the body pad to support the backrest pad at an angle with respect to the body pad; a linear actuator having a first end fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second end fixed to the lower surface of the body pad, and configured to lift the head side end of the body pad. An inclination adjustment mechanism having a first portion fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second overlapping portion communicating with the lower side of the body pad, wherein the second overlapping portion of the inclination adjustment mechanism rotates with respect to the first portion to laterally incline the body pad with respect to the front or rear portion of the support frame. The inclination adjustment mechanism is configured as such. An adjustable hospital bed including the above.

15. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 14, wherein the inclination adjustment mechanism includes a handle and a plurality of adjustment holes that cooperate to fix the body pad at a desired inclination angle with respect to the support frame.

16. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 14, wherein the rear surface of the backrest pad includes at least one backrest pad handle fixed thereto.

17. Further including a foot pad extending from the foot side end of the body pad, The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 14, wherein the foot pad is configured to be rotated upward to align with and locked to the body pad or unlocked and rotated downward.

18. Further including a removable harness including a torso pad and at least one strap, The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 14, wherein the torso pad is configured to be placed adjacent to the patient's torso, and the at least one strap slides around the backrest pad and the body pad to laterally fix the lateral patient toward the backrest pad.

19. Further including a backrest pad locking rod, the backrest pad locking rod is configured to removably fix the backrest pad slots to the backrest pad slot holes by sliding the backrest pad locking rod through the backrest pad slots, The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of backrest pad slots include a plurality of position openings configured to receive the backrest pad locking rod therethrough and fix the backrest pad at a desired angle with respect to the body pad.

20. A method of positioning a patient laterally using an adjustable hospital bed, the adjustable hospital bed comprising: a support frame having an upper end and a lower end; a body pad having a head end and a foot end, the body pad having a plurality of backrest pad slots around its perimeter, the body pad being adjustably fixed to the upper end of the support frame; a backrest pad having a plurality of backrest pad pins extending from the lower edge thereof to support the backrest pad at an angle with respect to the body pad and removably inserted into the plurality of backrest pad slots of the body pad; a linear actuator having a first end fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second end fixed to the lower surface of the body pad; and an inclination adjustment mechanism configured to rotate to tilt the body pad laterally with respect to the front or rear of the support frame. Positioning the patient laterally on the body pad. Placing a body pad adjacent to the patient's torso. Sliding a strap attached to the body pad around the backrest pad and the body pad to fix the patient lying laterally in a lateral direction with respect to the backrest pad. Using the linear actuator and the inclination adjustment mechanism to fix the patient in a desired lateral position. A method comprising the steps of.

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