EP3883513B1

EP3883513B1 - Multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system, multi-purpose bed and mobile sitting device

Info

Publication number: EP3883513B1
Application number: EP19887495.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ka Shek Neville Lee; Sing-kwong Samuel HUI
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-11-21
Filing date: 2019-11-19
Publication date: 2024-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 2039-11-19
Also published as: WO2020103837A1; CN113286570A; PL3883513T3; EP3883513C0; EP3883513A4; CN113286570B; EP3883513A1

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/770,195 filed on November 21, 2018 , titled "Multi-purpose Automatic Patient Transfer System".

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to a multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system for transferring a person between a bed and a mobile sitting device, a multi-purpose bed and a mobile sitting device.

BACKGROUND

Traditional methods of moving a mobility impaired individual from a bed to another wheelchair typically involves a lot of manual labour. The most typical approach is to rely on a caregiver's strength to lift a user off the bed and onto a wheelchair.
A second approach is to use a patient hoist, whether mobile or ceiling mounted, with a harness that first relies on a caregiver's assistance to put on and then relies on the caregiver to move to a nearby wheelchair. This approach, while lessening the strength requirement of the caregiver, generally takes a long time and does not give the patient true independence. Moreover, while the strength requirements for putting the harness on, are much less than lifting a user off the bed manually, this strength requirement is still considerable.
To solve this issue, the concept of an automatic patient transfer system was introduced in US provisional patent 62642607 .However, real-life situations introduce a number of additional constraints that make this design expensive or difficult to implement with so many corresponding tracks or rails needing alignment. For example, the floor could be crooked, or the wheelchair could deform slightly making alignment off for just one of the tracks. Another patient transfer system is known from US 7752687 B1 .
In another important aspect, a more hygienic approach for transfer would be preferable. Under certain use-cases, like going to the washroom, it may be preferably not to sit and sleep on the same cushions.
Thus, it is the intention of the present application to address the aforementioned issues in order to create an automatic patient transfer system that eliminates such a complex alignment scenario, is more hygienic and is safer.

SUMMARY

The invention is set out in the appended set of claims.
Disclosed is a multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system for transferring a person between a bed and a mobile sitting device, said multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system includes said bed and said mobile sitting device;

said bed includes:
an interleaf structure of cushions and padding, said padding being raiseable, expandable, lowerable, or contractible,
an extendible elongate supporting means for supporting said padding, supporting weight of a person and transferring the person sideways to said mobile sitting device;
said mobile sitting device includes:
alternating cushions and slots running across a width of its seat;
whereupon patient transfer, said bed is adapted into an upright sitting position, said mobile sitting device aligns alongside it and is secured, the patient is lifted above or adopts a relatively lifted position to a resting surface of the bed by raising or expansion of said padding or the lowering of other paddings, and the elongate supporting means is used to move the patient sideways where the patient is then shifted, transferred or lowered onto the cushions or seat of said mobile sitting device by the relative lowering or contraction of said padding and the elongate supporting means is retracted back to the bed.

Also disclosed is a multi-purpose bed for transferring a person to and from a mobile sitting device, said bed includes elongate transfer means to lift a user, transfer the user sideways to said mobile sitting device and lower them onto a seat, whereupon said elongate transfer means retracts itself through slots in seat of said mobile sitting device.
Also disclosed is a mobile sitting device for transferring a person to and from a multi-purpose bed, said mobile sitting device includes alternating cushions and slots running across a width of its seat, whereupon said cushions are configured to form an interleaf structure with elongate transfer means of said multi-purpose bed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present application will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1a to 1 care structure diagrams ofan automatic patient transfer system in different states according to an embodiment of a prior art;
FIG. 2a to 2c te2e are structure diagrams ofa multi-purpose bed in different states according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 3a to 3d are structure diagrams of a multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system in different states according toan embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 4a to 4b are structure diagrams of a mobile sitting device in different states according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 5a to 5d are structure diagrams of a telescopic armaccording in different views and states according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 6 is a structure diagram showing an anti-tipping mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 7 is a structure diagram showing a matrix of air bags of the bed according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 8a to 8b are structure diagrams of a multi-purpose bed in different states according to another embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 9a to 9b are structure diagrams showing a handlebar in different states according to an embodiment of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In US provisional patent 62642607 , an automatic patient transfer system was introduced, for transferring a person between a reclinable bed 100 and a mobile sitting device 200.
In Fig. 1a to 1c, the reclinable bed 100 includes an interleaf structure of cushions 102 and platforms 120, the platform 120 including a detachable padding 122, a rail 124, and means for transferring the padding 122 and a patient 300 along the rail 124 to a receiving rail 224 on the mobile sitting device 200.
This creates a few unwanted scenarios, for example, if the cushions are wet it will be transferred back to the bed as well.
The present application solves this issue and adds many additional benefits for relieving pressure and adjusting the position of a user.
In the present application, we depicted the concept of a bed and a purposefully designed mobile sitting device, the bed being adaptable to a seated arrangement and including an interleaf structure of cushions and platforms. A user sitting on the bed cushions can be transferred along tracks on both devices to the mobile sitting device or back.
Other aspects of the present application include pressure-point relief, body turning and positional adjustment.
The present application involves a multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system for transferring a person between a bed and a mobile sitting device. The bed includes an interleaf structure of cushions and padding which is raiseable, expandable, inflatable, lowerable, contractible or deflate-able. The bed also includes an extendible elongate supporting means for supporting the weight of a person and transferring them sideways to a mobile sitting device. The mobile sitting device further includes alternating cushions and slots running across a width of its seat.
Upon transfer the bed is adapted into an upright sitting position and the mobile sitting device is aligned alongside it and secured. The patient is lifted above or adopts a relatively lifted position to a resting surface of the bed by the raising or expansion of the padding or lowering of others and the elongate supporting means is used to move the patient sideways. The patient is then shifted, transferred or lowered onto the cushions or seat of said mobile sitting device by the relative lowering or contraction of the padding and the elongate supporting means is retracted back to the bed.
Unlike our previous invention, Fig. 2a to 2c depict an alternative approach using an extendible elongate supporting means 130 that is preferably retractable and not left with the mobile sitting device 200. The weight of the patient during transferring is supported by the elongate supporting means 130. The padding 122a is not detachable and will be retracted along with the elongate supporting means 130, so that the user will not go to the bathroom while sitting on the same padding and the padding remains hygienic.
This design differs from the prior art in that it does not need to be as closely constrained to a rail 124 or track and thus alignment needs are drastically reduced. In Figs. 2a to 2c, the padding 122a consists of an air bag or other raisable padding set in an interleaf structure with regular cushions 102.
In Fig. 2a, the bed 100 is in a reclined position, however, in Fig. 2b, the reclinable bed 100 adapts an upright sitting position. Fig. 2c shows how the padding 122a can be raised or inflated (in the base of an air bag).
Figs. 3a to 3d show how the extendible elongate supporting means 130 can be used to move a user 300 from a bed 100 to a mobile sitting device 200 and vice versa. The weight of the user is borne on the extendible elongate supporting means 130. For a narrow bed, a telescopic arm 130a may be preferable such that the weight is not entirely born by a short section of the extendible elongate supporting means 130 remaining on the bed.
In Fig. 3a, a person 300 is resting on a reclinable bed 100 that is adapted into an upright position as in Fig. 2b. In Fig. 3b, a wheelchair 200 or other mobile seated device is pushed alongside the bed 100, aligned and secured. Afterwards, the padding 122a or air bags are raised or inflated lifting the user above the cushions 102. The user is then carried over to the wheelchair 200 by an extendible elongate supporting means 130 or telescopic arm 130a (forming an interleaf structure with the cushions 202 of the mobile seated device 200).
The padding 122a or air bags are then deflated or lowered leaving the user sitting on the cushions 202 of the mobile sitting device 200 as in Figs. 3c. In Fig. 3d, the extendible elongate supporting means 130 or telescopic arm 130a are retracted and the mobile seated device 200 or wheelchair is free to move away.
There are inflatable cushions 202b with an air valve that can be inflated to make the seat 210 of the mobile sitting device 200 more comfortable as in Fig. 4b (they are deflated in Fig. 4a). More optionally, the means of inflation or deflation of the cushions 202b includes an air pump and this air pump is preferably located on the bed, connected to a valve on the cushions 202b during transfer and disconnected after transfer.
Figs. 5a to 5d depict one embodiment of a telescopic arm 130a that would be compatible with the design in Figs. 3a to 3d. Fig. 5a depicts a cross-section alongside the short-side of the telescopic arm 130a. In Fig. 5b there is a cross-section of the same telescopic arm cut along its length. Preferably a padding 122a consisting of an air bag is mounted in a cavity or at the top of the telescopic arm 130a. More preferably the padding 122a or air bag is inflatable as in Fig. 5c and the telescopic arm 130a is extendible as in Fig. 5d. Optionally, for safety purposes there is means for sensing collision 140 on the end of the extendible elongate supporting means 130 or telescopic arm 130a. The means for sensing collision can be used to stop the movement of extendible elongate supporting means 130 and may include an ultrasound sensor, other optical sensor or physical button.
A user 300 can thus be transported from a bed 100 to a wheelchair or mobile sitting device 200 as in Figs. 3a to 3d.
Fig. 6 depicts an anti-tipping mechanism 150 that extends from the bottom of the bed 100 in the direction of transferring. When the weight of the user 300 is on the extendible elongate supporting means 130, when the user leaves the bed, there will be considerable force that will want to cause the bed to tip over. Preferably an extendible anti-tipping mechanism 150 extends from the bottom of the bed alongside the extendible elongate support means 130 to prevent this phenomenon.
In another aspect of the present application, the extendible elongate supporting means 130 and raiseable or expandable padding 122a can be used to shift the position of a user 300 on the bed. For example, if the user is sleeping on a far side of the bed away from the side where transfer occurs, the padding 122a can be used to lift the user through raising or expanding. The user can then be shifted sideways by the movement or extension of the extendible elongate supporting means 130 and then be placed down again on the cushions 102 by the lowering or contraction of the padding 122a.
Alternatively, if the user is sleeping at the side closer to where a transfer to a mobile sitting device might occur, the extendible elongate support can be lowered or deflated below a normal resting surface of the bed, extended to go under the body of the user, lifted or inflated to lift the user 300, retracted to bring the user back towards the center and lowered or deflated to lower the user into a resting position.
It should be noted that not all of the extendible elongate supporting means 130 have to move in the same direction. In fact, differential movement speed or direction could aid in the turning of an individual 300.
Furthermore, the padding 122a and cushions 102 of a bed can be arranged into a matrix of air bags as in Fig. 7. These air bags can be alternately inflated or deflated to relieve pressure for a bed-ridden person or can be used in conjunction with differential movement of the extendible support means 130 to turn or shift the position of a user.
Figs. 8a and 8b depict another aspect of the present application in which the bending point of the bed 100 is elevated to a top surface of the padding 122a or cushions 102. In Figs. 2a and 2b it can be seen that one of the cushions 102a is distorted or crushed when the bed 100 adapts a sitting position. In Figs. 8a and 8b, there is an addition of a basket or "ski-lift structure" 180 mounted on either side of a bed and controlling the pivoting point of the bed so that it is higher.
In another aspect of the present application preferably there is a handlebar 190 that is transferred along with the user as seen in Figs. 9a and 9b. The handlebar 190 includes means of locking and unlocking wherein during transfer the handlebar is locked to the extendible elongate supporting means 130 and when the user 300 reaches the mobile sitting device the handlebar 190 is unlocked from the extendible elongate supporting means 130 and locked onto the wheelchair. The means of locking and unlocking can be similar to a key lock where turning in one direction will cause the bolt to go one direction and turning it the other way will cause the bolt to go in the opposite direction.
It should be noted that the mobile sitting device may be a wheelchair, shower chair, AGV wheelchair, mobile commode, stretcher or another bed.

Claims

A multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system for transferring a person between a bed (100) and a mobile sitting device (200),
said multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system comprising said bed and said mobile sitting device;

said bed comprising an interleaf structure of first cushions (102) and padding (122a), said padding being raiseable, expandable, lowerable, or contractible;

characterized in that

said bed is a reclinable bed adaptable into an upright sitting position and further comprises:
an extendible elongate supporting means (130) for supporting said padding (122a), supporting the weight of a person, and transferring the person sideways to said mobile sitting device;

wherein said mobile sitting device comprises alternating second cushions (202) and at least one slot running across a width of its seat, wherein said mobile sitting device further comprises inflatable cushions (202b) with an air valve, wherein said inflatable cushions (202b) are mounted in said at least one slot, whereupon said second cushions (202) are configured to form an interleaf structure with the extendible elongate supporting means of said multi-purpose bed.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said mobile sitting device is a wheelchair, commode, AGV wheelchair, stretcher, bed, or shower chair.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said bed comprises an anti-tipping mechanism, wherein said anti-tipping mechanism comprises an extendible leg which extends along with or prior to the elongate supporting means.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said padding comprises air bags with a valve.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said padding and first cushions of said bed are arranged into a matrix of air bags.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 5, wherein selectively inflating or deflating air bags in the matrix and/or differential movement of the elongate supporting means is used to relieve pressure and/or to turn a body.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the position of a user is shifted on the bed by inflating the air bags or raising the first cushions to raise them up, through the movement of the elongate supporting means and then lowering the user down on the bed through the deflation of the air bags or lowering of the cushions.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said padding comprises an air bag, and said extendible elongate supporting means comprises a telescopic arm or extendible platform, wherein said telescopic arm or extendible platform has a cavity in which the air bag is mounted.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said extendible elongate supporting means comprises means for collision detection such as an optical sensor, ultrasound sensor, or physical button, whereupon the extendible elongate supporting means will stop extending when an imminent collision is detected.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 1, said bed comprising means to adjust a pivoting point of said bed when adapted into an upright sitting arrangement to a higher spot on a mattress or bed, wherein said means to adjust the pivoting point of said bed comprises a basket or "ski-lift structure" mounted on either side of said bed.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 1, comprising a handlebar that is transferred along with the patient, wherein said handlebar is configured to be locked or unlocked from said extendible elongate supporting means or said mobile sitting device.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said elongate transfer means comprises an air bag with valve, and wherein said extendible elongate supporting means retracts itself through slots in the seat of said mobile sitting device.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 12, wherein said extendible elongate supporting means is configured to extend itself through slots in the mobile sitting device, lift the user and retract itself back to the bed, where it lowers the user back onto the bed.
The multi-purpose automatic patient transfer system as claimed in Claim 12, comprising collision detection means such as an optical sensor, ultrasound sensor or physical button, whereupon the extendible elongate supporting means will stop extending when an imminent collision is detected.