CN102727355B - lifting sling - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a lifting sling device, wherein fabrics in a sling are made of biodegradable non-woven polymer materials and comprise polylactic acid, a blend of which the main part is polylactic acid and a small part of polyhydroxyalkanoate, a blend of which the main part is polylactic acid and a small part is polyhydroxyalkanoate and polybutylene adipate-terephthalate, a blend of which the main part is polylactic acid and a small part is polyhydroxyalkanoate, polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate, a blend of which the main part is polylactic acid and a small part is polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate, or a blend of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate. The lifting sling device can avoid cross infection caused by use among different patients, and can not cause negative influence on the environment after being discarded because the lifting sling device is biodegradable.

Description

lifting sling

technical field

The invention relates to a lifting device, in particular to a lifting sling device.

Background technique

Lifting sling assemblies are generally used for carrying patients or people with reduced mobility. The key issues in using lifting sling devices are to prevent accidents and to avoid cross-infection between patients. The earliest lifting slings were made of textile fabrics, which were expensive and prone to cross-contamination. Patent CN1184628A discloses a disposable or limited use lifting device (equivalent to the lifting sling device here) made of nonwoven material. Since the price of non-woven materials is a fraction of the price of textile materials and has the same load-carrying capacity, the hoisting device can be dedicated to a specific person, thereby avoiding the risk of cross-infection. But a new problem arises from this, how to dispose of the discarded lifting devices. Discarded lifting devices are usually landfilled or incinerated. The gas generated during incineration can pollute the environment, and if the lifting device is not biodegradable, landfilling will also cause damage to the environment.

Among the current common biodegradable polymers, the advantage of polylactic acid (PLA) in the field of biodegradable/compostable polymers for plastics and fabrics is that although PLA is extracted from natural and renewable materials, However, it is thermoplastic and can be melt-extruded to produce plastic products, fibers and fabrics, and similar materials based on petroleum synthesis, such as polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene) and polyester (polyethylene terephthalate) Compared with alcohol esters and polyethylene terephthalate), PLA products have good mechanical strength, toughness and flexibility. PLA is made from lactic acid, a by-product of fermentation extracted from corn, wheat, grains or sugar beets. When polymerized, lactic acid forms aliphatic polyesters with dimer repeat units shown below:

It has been discovered that poly(polyhydroxyalkanoate) (PHA) can be produced by the natural synthesis of various bacteria as an intracellular storage material of carbon and energy. Wherein the copolyester repeating unit of P(3HB-co-4HB) is as follows:

Polybutylene adipate-terephthalate (PBAT), a biodegradable polymer, cannot currently be produced from bacterial sources, but can be produced synthetically from petroleum-based products. Although the melting point of PBAT is 120°C, which is lower than that of PLA, PBAT has higher elasticity, excellent impact strength and good melt processability than PLA. While PLA has good melt processability, strength and biodegradability/compostability, it suffers from poor elasticity and impact strength. The blend of PBAT and PLA has enhanced elasticity, flexibility and impact strength. The chemical structure of PBAT is shown below:

Polybutylene succinate (PBS) can be synthesized by polycondensation of ethylene glycol. The chemical structure of PBS is shown below:

Contents of the invention

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a biodegradable lifting sling device in view of the defect that discarding the unused lifting sling will pollute the environment in the prior art. And can avoid cross-infection between patients.

The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem is: build a hoisting sling device, including a sling device and a lifting device, the patient in the sling device is lifted by the lifting device, and the sling device is lifted by the lifting device. The sling device includes a body portion for supporting the patient's body, and the fabric in the sling is a biodegradable fabric.

In the present invention, the fabric in the sling is made of thermally bonded biodegradable random fibers.

In the present invention, the fabric in the sling is made of fabric bonded with biodegradable chemicals, and the chemicals include latex adhesives or adhesives.

In the present invention, the biodegradable fabric in the sling is prepared by hydroentangling or needling.

In the present invention, the fabric of the main body is made of a biodegradable non-woven polymer material, the biodegradable non-woven polymer material includes polylactic acid, the main part is polylactic acid and a small part of polyhydroxyalkyl A blend of esters, the main part is polylactic acid and a small part is a blend of polyhydroxyalkanoate and polybutylene adipate-terephthalate, the main part is polylactic acid and a small part is poly Hydroxyalkanoate, blend of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate, major part polylactic acid with minor part polyadipate-terephthalic acid A blend of butylene glycol ester and polybutylene succinate, or a blend of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate.

In the present invention, a breathable or non-breathable biodegradable film is attached to one or more sides of the fabric in the sling.

In the present invention, the biodegradable film is attached to one or both sides of the body portion.

In the present invention, the biodegradable film is bonded to one or both sides of the main body portion using a biodegradable adhesive or a biodegradable hot melt adhesive.

In the present invention, a biodegradable film is extrusion coated directly onto one or both sides of the body portion without an adhesive treatment.

In the present invention, the material for making the biodegradable film includes polybutylene adipate-terephthalate, polybutylene succinate, polybutylene adipate-terephthalate Blends with polybutylene succinate, blends of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polylactic acid, blends of polybutylene succinate and polylactic acid, and Blend of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate, polylactic acid and polybutylene succinate.

In the present invention, in the outer area of the sling device corresponding to the patient's leg, a suspending belt is sewn to the lower end of the main body part, and a belt loop is provided so that the suspending belt is not in use. Can be folded back and passed through the belt loop.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for preventing cross-infection between patients lifted in a biodegradable body support sling is constructed, each patient has a Special sling.

The beneficial effects produced by the present invention are: the use of the lifting sling device according to the present invention can avoid the cross-infection caused by the use between different patients, and because the discarded lifting sling device is biodegradable, there is no need to can have a negative impact on the environment.

Description of drawings

The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with accompanying drawing and embodiment, in the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a lifting sling assembly and a patient in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

detailed description

In order to make the object, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the present invention, not to limit the present invention.

The present invention relates to a lifting sling for body support, wherein the fabric in the lifting sling is made of biodegradable polymer material, which can prevent cross infection between patients and can also improve the health of the lifting sling due to body support. The sling is biodegradable and/or compostable so that the discarded body support lifting sling does not pollute the environment after use. Because the sling arrangement supports the patient's back and thighs, the patient is suspended from the hoist by a detachable suspension such as a sling or the like.

The sling is preferably a one-piece body support sling capable of supporting the patient's back and thighs. At least four points of attachment of the suspension are required, two at the sides of the sling in the corresponding shoulder region and two at the bottom end of the sling between the patient's legs. Two additional optional additional hangers are located at the bottom of the sling and outside the fabric of the sling in the area of each of the patient's legs, with attachment points on each side of the sling, but preferably without Too close to the patient's legs, so as not to touch the patient's legs during the lifting process, the use of this additional suspension can enhance the safety of the patient's lifting process, and at the same time give the patient a stronger sense of security. If the patient's legs are too wide, or too delicate or sore, to risk any contact with the optional external suspension, the two optional external suspensions will not be used and each suspension will be folded back and thread into the belt loop. The hanger preferably includes a lower end portion for supporting the main body portion of the person and the depending legs, the lower end portions extending downwardly and downwardly respectively between the patient's thighs. The sling also has an upper head support extension. In this case, the sling may also have two further attachment points in the head area, or may have one or more reinforcements, extending substantially through The line corresponding to the attachment point of the rigging in the shoulder area.

The sling is also provided with a javelin-shaped part or other shapes, so that it can better conform to the body shape of the human body during lifting. Reinforcement and/or padding may also be performed in areas.

Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a lifting sling assembly and a patient in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, there is shown a one-piece sling assembly 10 comprising a main body portion 11 having a depending leg support portion 12 at a lower end and a head support extension 13 at an upper end. The support portion 12 of the hanging leg extends downward and upward respectively between the two thighs of the patient, and the head H of the patient is supported by the head support extension 13, and the main body portion 11 supports the back and shoulders of the suspended patient 1. . A short extension strap 14 providing the suspension is stitched in the corresponding area of the patient's shoulder, and a suspension strap 15 is similarly stitched to the end of the support portion 12 of the depending leg. Additionally, optional suspension straps 25 are attached to the lower end of the main body portion 11 and outside the fabric of the sling set for each of the patient's legs for safety around the pivot 12 . If the suspension straps 25 are not used, they are folded back and passed through the strap loops 26 .

The sling device 10 is preferably provided with a raised pattern formed by rolling (calendering) to give it the appearance of a woven fabric. The sling device 10 can be reinforced by an accessory fabric layer in the region of which the suspension straps 14, 15 and the optional suspension strap 25 are stitched to the sling device and the support portion 12 of the depending leg can be There is a cushion between the two layers of the non-woven lifting arm for added patient comfort. The cost of these slings is a fraction of the cost of textile slings, and if the sling device is used for a limited number of times, the device can be set for personal use to prevent cross-infection.

To support said head support extension 13 , the sling may have one or more reinforcements on the base plate extending over the entire extension 13 and the line connecting those positions on the extension strap 11 extending for a certain distance. Optionally, there may also be an area corresponding to the head where two suspension straps (not shown in FIG. 1 ) are connected.

As shown in Figure 1, the body support lifting sling device also includes a lifting device 20, Figure 1 shows the outer end of the lifting arm 21, the hanger 22 is connected to the arm by a fork connector, the connection The device 23 is mounted in a bearing 24, and the end of the bearing 24 and arm 21 is provided with a vertical pivot and is pivotally connected to the hanger 22 at position 23a. That is, the hanger 22 can pivot around a rigid vertical axis at the outer end of the arm 21, and the hanger 22 and the connector 23 rotate around the vertical axis as a whole, and the hanger 22 can be pivoted around the connector 23. The axis position 23a determines the rotation of the transverse horizontal axis pivot.

The sling device here has been able to withstand 50 lifts of a 250 kg load and 50 lifts of a 190 kg load without any signs of wear.

Ideally the sling arrangement cannot be washed, which would avoid re-use. For this purpose it is assumed that the stitching is secure and the suspension strap is connected to the sling with a thread that can be untied so that if cleaning is attempted the sling will detach.

The present invention is not limited to single-piece lifting sling arrangements, but may be used with other lifting sling arrangements. Also, a one-piece lifting sling arrangement will not always have a support head extension 13 .

A breathable or non-breathable film may also be laminated to one or both sides of the biodegradable nonwoven fabric of the sling to be able to trap any bodily fluids of the patient during lifting and carrying.

In order that the discarded lifting sling that is no longer used will not have a negative impact on the environment, the fabric in the sling is biodegradable and/or compostable. The aforementioned biodegradable and/or compostable fabrics are discussed below. The biodegradable material used in the present invention can not only ensure that the sling device has a corresponding bearing capacity and prevent accidents during lifting; Special lifting sling device to avoid cross-infection.

Although P(3HB-co-4HB) products have been shown to readily biodegrade in soil, sludge and seawater, the rate of biodegradation in water is very slow due to the absence of microorganisms in water (Saito, Yuji, Shigeo Nakamura, Masaya Hiramitsu and Yoshiharu Doi , "Microbial Synthesis and Properties of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)," Polymer International 39(1996), 169-174). Therefore the shelf life of the P(3HB-co-4HB) product should be very good in clean environments such as dry storage in airtight packaging, cleaning solutions, and the like. However, discarded P(3HB-co-4HB) fabrics, films, and packaging materials, when placed in dirty environments containing microorganisms such as soil, river water, river mud, seawater, and composts of manure and sand, sludge, and seawater Should be readily degradable. It should be noted that polylactic acid (PLA) does not readily biodegrade in the above dirty environments and ambient temperatures, but must be composted. First, the heat and humidity in the compost heap must break down the PLA polymers into smaller polymer chains and finally into lactic acid. Microorganisms in the compost and soil consumed the smaller polymer fragments and lactic acid as nutrients. Therefore, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) blends such as P(3HB-co-4HB) products with PLA should enhance the degradation of products made from blends of PHAs-PLA. Additionally, products made from blends of PHA and PLA should have enhanced shelf life in clean environments. However, in the past 10 years, the price of PLA has dropped drastically to be only slightly higher than that of synthetic polymers such as polypropylene and PET polyester; meanwhile, the price of PHAs continues to remain 2 to 3 times, the PLA can be synthesized from lactic acid on a large scale. PHAs are made by bacteria with a specific carbon source and must be extracted from the bacteria using a solvent. Therefore, it is commercially impossible to blend more than 25% of PHA with PLA to melt-extrude to form products such as woven fabrics, knitted and non-woven fabrics, films, food packaging containers, and the like.

Table 1 shows biodegradable nonwoven fabrics, biodegradable films, and laminated structures of nonwoven fabrics and biodegradable films. Pure PBAT films with 9 micrometers ([mu]m) and 9 [mu]m PBAT films with 20% calcium carbonate are available from suppliers in China. Meltblown (MB) containing 20% polypropylene (PP) (non-biodegradable) is available from Biax-Fiberfilm, USA (non-biodegradable). Black spunbond (SB) PLA with carbon black is available in a typical mass of 80 ^g /m2 from Saxon Textile Research Institute in Germany. In separate tests, neat PBAT films and PBAT films with 20% calcium carbonate were laminated to Vistamaxx MB and black SB PLA containing 20% PP using 5-13 ^g /m2 hot melt adhesive. Typically 0.5-12 g/ ^m2 of hot melt and preferably 1-7 g/ ^m2 of hot melt should be used. Alternatively, two layers of SB PLA were laminated and bonded using a fusion adhesive. The weight, thickness, tenacity, elongation at break, tear strength, burst strength, water vapor transmission rate (MVT) and hydrohead tested for all raw materials and laminated structures are shown in FIG. 1 . It should be noted that these are just a few examples of different embodiments of the invention and that melt application is used to bond together different layers of: PBAT film or other biodegradable/compostable film that can be applied directly by extrusion coating substrate without the need for adhesives. The laminated structures can be joined or bonded together by, but not limited to, hot spot calendering, bulk calendering, or ultrasonic welding. Additionally, instead of melt adhesives, glue or water or solvent based adhesives or latexes have been used to bond laminated structures together.

Table 1 Strength and barrier properties of polymers

*DSN: Indicates that it has not been broken due to high elasticity

As shown in Table 1, a 9 μm pure (100%) PBAT film (Sample 1) has good elongation in MD direction and a high elongation at break of more than 300% in CD direction. Burst strength testing could not be performed on samples 1 to 5 because all of these films and laminate structures were very elastic, did not break during the test and did not exhibit deformation after the test. The water vapor transmission rate of sample 1 is quite good at 3380 g/m2 per ²⁴ hours with a static head of 549 mm. The PBAT film with 20% calcium carbonate (CaCO3) (Sample ₂ ) had similar data to Sample 1, with relatively lower WVTR and water head. PBAT films similar to Samples 1 and 2 and having a smaller thickness of 6 μm or less are also expected to have good elongation and higher WVTR, although the water head may be lower. Melt blown sample 3 contained 80% of (Vistamaxx polyolefin based polymer with high elasticity and made by ExxonMobil) and 20% PP, since the fabric is moderately open, it has about 300% MD and CD elongation and 8816 g/m per 24 hours High WVTR of ² . Although MB Vistamaxx fabric is not biodegradable, it is an example of a type of elastic nonwoven material that is possible to make from biodegradable polymers such as PBAT which has very high elongation and deformation recovery capabilities. and other biodegradable polymers. Sample 3 had a fairly high head of 1043 mm, indicating good barrier properties. It should be noted that 20% PP was added to the Vistamaxx polymer pellets and the blend was physically mixed and melted before the blend was fed into the MB extruder so that the Vistamaxx MB fabric was not too sticky. If 100% Vistamaxx is melt blown, it will be very sticky and may clump during rolling and be difficult to un-wind for subsequent lamination or use.

Laminations of pure PBAT with Vistamaxx and PBAT containing ₂₀ % CaCO3 using hot-melt adhesives significantly increased MD and CD toughness compared to Vistamaxx alone. The samples also had very high MD elongation and especially high CD elongation (390% for sample 4 and 542% for sample 5). Samples 4 and 5 also had significantly high MVTR values of 1671 and 1189 g/m2 per ²⁴ hours, respectively, and high water heads of 339 and 926 mm water, respectively. Again it should be noted that PBAT films have been extrusion coated directly onto MB 100% Vistamaxx or MBVistamaxx with some PP with or without hot melt adhesive and extrusion coating has allowed thinner gauges PBAT films, down to 4 or 5 μm, thus have higher MVTR, but possibly lower water head.

The black SB PLA had a target weight of 80 g/m ² , a MD toughness of 104N and a CD toughness of 31N, but had a lower MD elongation at break of 3.6% and a high CD elongation of 30.7%. The burst strength was 177KN/m ² and the WVTR was quite high at 8322g/m ² per 24 hours and the water head was quite significant at 109mm. The MD and CD toughness of 80 gsm black SB PLA laminated to pure PBAT with hot melt adhesive is higher than pure SB PLA, which are 107 and 39 N, respectively, but the CD elongation is only 9.8%. But the PBAT laminated with SB PLA has a higher burst strength of 220KN/m ² . But the air permeability is still excellent, the WVTR is 2459g/m ² per 24 hours, and it has a very high water head, which is 3115mm of water. SB PLA laminated with PBAT containing ₂₀ % CaCO3 had similar properties to sample 8, except for a lower hydraulic head, although still as high as 2600 mm water. SBPLA laminate structures with thinner PBAT films and especially with thinner PBAT films deposited by extrusion coating, can produce protective clothing for medical, industrial or sports applications with high MVTR, because they can be worn comfortably and Has a high net head for barrier protection. Barrier protection can be further enhanced by applying a finish (fluorosilicone or other type of finish) either on the PBAT film side or on the SB PLA on either side, before or after lamination of the film. Barrier protection can also be enhanced by laminating MB PLA with SB PLA either before or after lamination of the film. It is also possible to add finishing agents to the polymer melts used to make eg PBAT films, SB or MB PLA.

When two layers of SB PLA were melt-bonded together to form Sample 9, the MD and CD toughness and burst strength were substantially double those of Sample 6, which was a one-layer construction. Target MD and CD tenacities corresponding to elongation at break (% elongation) of patient lifting slings produced from 110 g/m ² SB PP are at least 200 and 140 N per 5 cm, respectively, with elongation values in MD and CD of at least Both are 40%. As shown in Table 1, the MD toughness of two adhesively bonded SB PLA layers was 215N, but the CD toughness was only 50% of the required grade. Also the elongation at break in MD and CD is much lower than the required minimum of 40%. The MD and CD elongation of SB PLA can be enhanced by blending PLA with 5 to 60% PBAT or preferably 20 to 50% PBAT prior to SB fabric extrusion. Additionally, PBAT and PBS can be blended with PLA to obtain fabrics with desired MD and CD tenacity and elongation values and stability after heat exposure. In addition, the SB filament web can be bonded by non-hot spot calendering to obtain greater multi-directional strength and elongation to include hydroentangling and needle punching. Needlepunched SB PLA of 110 g/ ^m2 and greater can be produced without the need to laminate or bond two or more SB PLA fabrics together to obtain the desired strength and elongation values.

It has also been shown that slings made from biodegradable/compostable fabrics such as PLA produce much lower greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide from the raw material stage to polymer formation in factories. For example, the production of PLA polymer produces 1.3 kg of CO2 per kg of polymer, correspondingly, the production of PP produces 1.9 kg of CO2 and the production of PET produces 3.4 kg of CO2. And PLA uses less non-renewable energy in production from the raw material stage to the polymer plant, producing Ingeo brand PLA uses 42 megajoules of non-renewable energy per kilogram of polymer compared to PP production , using 77 MJ of non-renewable energy per kilogram of polymer, and 87 MJ of non-renewable energy per kilogram of polymer used in PET production (“The Ingeo ^TM Journey, Nature Works LLC BrochureCopyright 2009).

The sling is made of a non-woven biodegradable/compostable material, typically PLA, or a blend of major PLA with a small amount of PHA, or a major PLA with minor amounts of PHA and PBAT A blend, or a blend of PLA plus a small amount of PHA, PBAT and PBS, or a blend of PLA plus a small amount of PBAT and PBS, or a blend of PBAT and PBS. The sling is cut to conform to the body shape of the patient 1 more, and for making the patient feel more comfortable, a javelin-shaped part 16 is also provided with in the sling 10.

Typically, the slings are made by thermobonding randomly oriented biodegradable/compostable polymer fibers, but can also be made from dry-laid, chemically bonded (with biodegradable adhesives) fabrics, Or made from dry-laid or spunlace (spunlace entangled) fabrics. The material is usually breathable (unless a non-breathable biodegradable film is adhered to it) but impermeable to water and may require perforations in the sling for lowering the patient's access to the bath.

It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make improvements or changes based on the above description, and all these improvements and changes should fall within the protection scope of the appended claims of the present invention.

Claims (9)

1. A lifting sling device, comprising a sling device (10) and a lifting device (20), the patient (1) who is positioned in the sling device (10) is promoted by the lifting device (20), The sling device (10) includes a body part (11) for supporting the body of the patient (1), characterized in that the fabric in the sling (10) is a biodegradable fabric; The fabric of the main body part (11) is made of a biodegradable non-woven polymer material comprising a co-polymer with a major part of polylactic acid and a small part of polyhydroxyalkanoate. Blend, the main part is polylactic acid and a small part is a blend of polyhydroxyalkanoate and polybutylene adipate-terephthalate, the main part is polylactic acid and a small part is polyhydroxyalkanoic acid ester, a blend of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate, the main part being polylactic acid plus a small part of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene adipate-terephthalate A blend of polybutylene succinate, or a blend of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate; A breathable or non-breathable biodegradable film is attached to one or more faces of the fabric in the sling device (10); the material from which the biodegradable film is made includes polyadipate-para Butylene phthalate, polybutylene succinate, polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and blends of polybutylene succinate, polybutylene adipate-terephthalate Blends of butylene formate and polylactic acid, blends of polybutylene succinate and polylactic acid and polybutylene adipate-terephthalate, polylactic acid and polybutylene succinate Blends of Alcohol Esters. 2. Lifting sling arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the fabric in the sling (10) is made of thermally bonded biodegradable random fibers. 3. The lifting sling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the fabric in the sling (10) is made of fabric bonded with biodegradable chemicals, the chemicals comprising Latex adhesive or adhesive. 4. Lifting sling arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the biodegradable fabric in the sling (10) is prepared by hydroentangling or needling. 5. Lifting sling arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the biodegradable film is attached to one or both sides of the body part (11). 6. Lifting sling assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the biodegradable film is bonded to the body part using a biodegradable adhesive or a biodegradable hot melt adhesive ( 11) on one or both sides. 7. Lifting sling device according to claim 6, characterized in that a biodegradable film is extrusion coated directly onto one or both sides of the body part (11) without bonding deal with. 8. Lifting sling device according to claim 1, characterized in that in the outer region of the sling device (10) corresponding to the leg of the patient (1) a suspension strap (25) is sewn to the lower end of the main body portion (11) and a belt loop (26) is provided so that the suspension strap (25) can be folded back and passed through the belt loop (26) when not in use. 9. A method for preventing cross-infection between patients lifted in a biodegradable body support sling, characterized in that each patient has a biodegradable non-woven material as claimed in claim The lifting sling device described in any one of 1-8.