CERVICAL COLLAR PERMITTING TRACHEOTOMY

MINERVE PERMETTANT DE PRATIQUER UNE TRACHEOTOMIE

English Abstract

CERVICAL COLLAR PERMITTING TRACHEOTOMY

Abstract of the Disclosure

A cervical collar having front 14 and rear 16 halves
removably connected together provides for the possibility
of a tracheotomy via an opening 22 in the front half so as
to permit access to a person's trachea. The collar provides
sufficient support so as to restrict the cervical region
without hyperextension of the neck thereby avoiding further
injury.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A cervical collar suitable for use with a
stabilizer having a connecting member with a tongue resiliently
connected thereto and a hole for receipt of a rivet, said
collar comprising:
first and second discrete collar halves, one of
said collar halves being a front half and the other being a
rear half, each collar half being U-shaped and having a
bight portion and side portions and being formed of a soft
flexible light-weight polymeric plastic material;
a first rigid support means secured to and located
adjacent a bight portion of the front collar half;
a second rigid support means secured to and located
adjacent the bight portion of the rear collar half;
means for removably interconnecting the free ends
of the collar halves in overlapping relation; and
each of said first and second rigid support means
including a lower portion adapted to releasably secure the
stabilizer thereto, each lower portion includes an alignment
means and a fastening means, said alignment means includes a
tab which is an extension of said lower portion, said tab
having a width less than said lower portion, said tab having
a slot extending into said tab, said slot adapted to
receive the tongue on said stabilizer, and said fastening
means includes an opening through said tab and spaced from
said slot and adapted to receive the rivet whereby when the
tongue engages said slot, the opening and hole are coaxially
aligned.
2. A cervical collar suitable for use with a
stabilizer having a connecting member with a tongue resiliently
connected thereto and a hole for receipt of a rivet, said
collar comprising:




first and second discrete collar halves, one of
said collar halves being a front half and the other being
a rear half, each collar half being U-shaped and having a
bight portion and side portions and being preformed from a
soft, flexible, light-weight polymeric plastic material;
a first rigid support means secured to and located
adjacent the bight portion of the front collar half and
including a widened upper portion extending across the bight
portion and terminating proximal the side portions;
a second rigid support means secured to and
located adjacent the bight portion of the rear collar half;
means for removably interconnecting the free
ends of the collar halves in overlapping relation; and
each of said first and second rigid support means
including a lower portion adapted to releasably secure the
stabilizer thereto, each lower portion includes an alignment
means and a fastening means, said alignment means includes
a tab which is an extension of said lower portion, said tab
having a width less than said lower portion, said tab
having a slot extending into said tab, said slot adapted to
receive the tongue on said stabilizer, and said fastening
means includes an opening through said tab and spaced from
said slot and adapted to receive the rivet whereby when the
tongue engages said slot, the opening and hole are coaxially
aligned.
3. The cervical collar according to claim 2 wherein
said front half is provided with an opening at the bight portion,
and said first rigid support means is provided with an opening
in juxtaposition with said opening in said front collar half
bight portion.
4. A cervical collar suitable for use with a stabilizer
having a connecting member with a tongue resiliently connected
thereto and a hole for receipt of a rivet, said collar comprising:




first and second discrete collar halves, one of
said collar halves being a front half and the other being
a rear half, each collar half being U-shaped and having a
bight portion and side portions and being preformed from
a soft, flexible light-weight polymeric plastic material,
said front collar half having an opening at said bight
portion;
a first rigid support means being secured to and
located adjacent said bight portion of said front collar
half and including a widened upper portion extending across
said bight portion and terminating proximal said side
portions, and a narrower central portion having an opening
circumscribing and larger than said opening in said front
collar half, a lower portion narrower than said upper and
central portions and adapted to releasably secure the
stabilizer thereto;
a second rigid support means being secured to and
located adjacent said bight portion of said rear collar
half, said second rigid support means having a lower portion
adapted to releasably secure the stabilizer thereto;
means for removably interconnecting the free ends
of said collar halves in overlapping relationship; and
each said lower portion includes a tab provided
with a slot adapted to receive a tongue on the stabilizer.
5. The cervical collar according to claim 4 wherein
each support means lower portion includes an opening adapted
to receive a rivet.
6. A cervical collar comprising:
first and second discrete collar halves, one of
said collar halves being a front half and the other being a
rear half, each collar half being U-shaped and having a
bight portion and side portions and being preformed of a
soft flexible light-weight polymeric material, said front
collar half having an opening at said bight portion;




a first rigid support means being secured to and
located adjacent said bight portion of said front collar
half and including a widened upper portion extending across
said bight portion and terminating proximal said side
portions, and a narrow central portion having an opening
circumscribing and larger than said opening in said front
collar half, and a lower portion narrower than said upper
and central portions and adapted to releasably secure a
stabilizer thereto;
a second rigid support means being secured to and
located adjacent said bight portion of said rear collar
half, said second rigid support means including a lower
portion adapted to releasably secure said stabilizer
thereto;
means for removably interconnecting the free
ends of said collar halves in overlapping relation;
said stabilizer for said collar adapted for
preventing any movement of a patient's head, said stabilzer
including a front piece adapted to overlie a part of a
person's chest and a rear piece adapted to overlie a part
of a person's back;
means on the upper end of said stabilizer for
releasably interconnecting the upper end of the front piece
with said first support means and means on said upper end of
said rear piece for removably interconnecting the rear piece
with the second support means, said means including a
connecting member with a tongue resiliently connected thereto
and a hole for receipt of said rivet; and
each lower portion of said first and second rigid
support means includes an alignment means and a fastening
means, said alignment means includes a tab which is an
extension of said lower portion, said tab having a width less
than a tab which is an extension of said lower portion, said
tab having a width less than said lower portion, said tab
having a slot extending into said tab, said slot adapted to
receive the tongue on said stabilizer, and said fastening

11


means includes an opening through said tab and spaced
from said slot and adapted to receive the rivet whereby
when the tongue engages said slot, the opening and hole are
coaxially aligned.

12

Description

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CERVICAL COLLAR PERMITTI~G TRACHEOTOM~

Background of the Invention
Cervical collars are well-known. See U.S. Patent
3,756,226 dated September 4, 1973. The collar disclosed
in said patent is comprised of body halves removably
coupled together. At the center of the front half of the
collar disclosed in said patent, there is provided a rigid
reinforcing support member directly opposite a person's
trachea~ Hence, in the event that an emergency tracheotomy
is called for, there is no way to have access to the
trachea without removing the front half of the collar.
The present invention is direc-ted to a solution of
the problem oE how to provide a cervical collar which pro-
vides sufficient support so as to restrict the cervical
region of a patient at the scene of an accident without
hyperextension of the neck and permits a tracheotomy
without otherwise interfering with the provision of rigid
reinforcing members on the collar halves.
Summarv of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a cervical collar
which permits a tracheotomy. The cervical collar is com-
prised of first and second discrete body halves. Each body
half is generally U-shaped and preormed from a soft flexi-
ble, light weight foam polymeric material, A strap means
is provided for releasably interconnecting the free ends of
the halves in overlapping relation. Each half has a rigid

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support member fixedly secured thereto adjacent the bight.
The rigid support member on the front half is positioned
so as to expose a hole at the bight of the front half fo~
permitting a tracheotomy without interfering with the
interconnection between the halves when worn by a patient.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a
novel ce~vical colla- which may be used with o- without a
stabilizer fo- providing any necessary support and while
permitting a tracheotomy without removing the collar.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.
For ~he purpose of illustrating the invention, there
is shown in the drawings a form which is presently pre-
ferred; it being understood, however, that this invention
is not limited to the p-ecise arrangements and instrumen-
talities shown.
Figu-e l is a ?erspective view of a person wearing a
stabilized cervical collar in accordance with the present
invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the stabilized
collar shown in Figure l~
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3
in Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4
in Figure 3~
Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view o~ the col-
la- shown in figure l without the stabi~izer.
Detailed Description
Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like
numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in Figure l
a cervical collar designated generally as 10 which may be
utilized with or without a stabilizer designated generall~
as 12. Colla- 10 without the stabilizer is shown in
figure 5. The collar 10 is comprised of a front half 14
and a rear half 16. Fach collar half is generally U-shaped
and preformed from a soft, flexible, light-weight closed
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cell foam polymeric plastic material. The halves overlap
one another as shown more clearly in Figures 2-4 and may
have air holes 17 therethrough.
The front half 14 has a chin cavity 18 at the bight.
The chin cavity 18 is preferably covered with a material
such as moleskin which is adhesively or otherwise secured
to the cavity 18. The front half 14 is provided with a
rigid reinforcing support member 20 at the bight. Member
20 has an opening 22 which surrounds a smaller diameter
opening 24 in the front half at the bight thereof. Opening
24 has a preferred diameter of about one and one half
inches (3~8cm). Opening 24 is positioned so as to be
directly opposite the trachea when collar 10 is worn by a
patient as shown in Figure 1.
The member 20 is secured to the front half 14 by a
plurality of plastic rivets 26. As shown more clearly in
Figure 4, the member 20 is arcuate so as to conform to the
arcuate surface of the front half 14 adjacent its bight.
As shown in Figures 2 and 4, along one side edge of the
member 20, there is provided a slot through which extends
one end portion of a strap 30. The strap 30 extends along
the front half 14 to the free end thereof wherein the
strap is stitched to the front half 14. On other side of
the member 20, there is provided a similar slot 32 through
which extends one end portion of a strap 34. The other
end of the strap 34 is stitched to a free end of the front
half 14.
As shown more clearly in Figure 4, at the bight of
the rear half 16, there is provided a rigid reinforcing
support member 36 attached thereto by a plastic rivet 40.
A strap 38 is also attached to the rear half 16 by said
rivet 40.
A strip 42 is attached to one end of the strap 38
and is adapted to overlie a portion of the strap 30 in the
assembled relationship of the collar 10. A strip 44 is
attached to the other end of strap 38 and is adapted to
overlie a portion of strap 34 in the assembled position of

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the collar lO. The outer surface o~ straps 30, 34 and the
inner surface of the strips 42, 44 have mating structure
adapted for releasable engagement. Such mating structure
may be of the type which is sold commercially under the
trademark VELCRO.
The stabilizer 12 includes a front piece 46 adapted
to overlie part of a persons's chest and a rear piece 4~
adapted to overlie a person's back. The front piece and
the rear piece are identical except as will be made clear
hereinafter. Hence, only the front piece 46 will be des-
cribed in detail. Corresponding prime numerals are pro-
~ided on the rear piece 48.
The front piece 46 includes a substrate 50 of rigid
materially having a generally T-shape. The substrate 50
is preferably made from a rigid polymeric plastic material
such as ABS. A liner 52 is adhesively or otherwise secured
to the curved innersurface of substrate 50. The liner 52
is preferably made from a closed cell of foam material such
as polyethylene so as to have the following attributes:
uniform thickness, non-toxic, low specific gravity of about
.04, non-corrosive, and will not burn but will melt. The
shape of liner 52 corresponds to the shape of substrate 50.
A connecting member 54 is fixedly connected to the
center leg of substrate 50 in any convenient manner such as
by plastic rivets 56. The connecting member 54 is pre-
ferably made from a softer or more flexible plastic mater-
ial than the substrate 50 such as polyethylene.
Member 54 is arcuate at its lower end and channel-
shaped at its upper end. Member 54 is telescoped over a
downwardly extending extension member 58 on the member 20
until a tongue on member 60 snaps into a slot on member 58.
~ember 60 acts like a hinge and is integral at one end only
with the member 54.
It is desirable to removably interconnect the front
and rsar pieces 46, 48 to the halves of the collar lO in
a manner so that stabilizer 12 is not readily removable by
the patient. In this regard, at least one and preferably

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two plastic rivets 62 are carried by member 54 by way of a
flexible string. The rivets 62 are easily pushed and
snapped into aligned holes on members 54 and 58. Each
rivet prefera~ly is provided with a head having flats on
opposite sides thereof and split shanks. The rivets 62 are
easily force-fit into the aligned holes by application of
finger pressure. However, a tool such as a pair oE pliers
is needed to pull out the rivets. Rivets 62 are designed
so that they cannot be removed by the patient and should
only be removed when authorized by a physician. When the
rivets 62 are removed, members 54 and 58 are easily sepa-
rated by pulling on the member 60 so as to cause removal
of its tongue from the slot in member 58. The channel-
shape a-t the upper end of member 54 assures that the tongue
of member 60 will be aligned with the mating slot in member
58.
The rear piece 48 is identical with the front piece
46 except as follows. Corresponding elements are provided
with corresponding primed numerals. Member 54' is thinner
and therefore more flexible than member 54. Greater
rigidity is needed on the front peice 46 as compared with
the rear piece 48. The upper end of member 54 is remov-
ably connected to the reinforcing support member 36 on the
rear half 16 in the same manner as described above.
A strap 64 has one end fixedly secured to the sub-
strate on the rear piece 48 by a plastic rivet 68. The
strap 64 extends through a plastic loop 66 on the front
piece 46 and then overlies itself. Juxtaposed surfaces of
the strap 64 are provided with adjustable fasteners which
are preferably of the VELCRO type.
A strap 70 is similarly provided to interconnect
the front and rear pieces 46, 48 on the opposite side from
strap 64. One end of strap 70 is fixedly secured to the
substrate on the rear piece 48 by a plastic rive-t 74. An
intermediate portion of strap 70 extends through a plastic
loop 72 on the front piece 46 and then overlies itselfO

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Juxtaposed surfaces on strap 70 are provided with adjust-
able fasteners as described above.
The collar 10 may be worn by a patient when required
due to a particular injury and with advice of a physician.
If the particular injury requires inc-eased stabilization
of the collar 10, so as to prevent hyperextending the
patient's nec~, the stabilizer 12 is removably connected
to the reinforcing members on the front half 14 and rear
half 16. When no longer required, the stabilizer 12 may
be removed while collar 10 remains on the patient. When
an injury requi-es wea-ing of the collar 10 and requi-es a
tracheotomy, the trachea is readily accessible through the
opening 24. If the opening 24 is too small o~ is not
aligned with the trachea, the foam of front half 14 may be
readily cut at the scene of an accident and enlarged up to
the size of the opening 22. The opening 24 facilitates a
tracheotomy without removing the colla- 10 and regardless
of whether or or not the stabilizer 12 is removably attached
to the collar 10.
Since patients come in different sizes, the collar
10 is preferably made in different sizes such as small,
medium and large. All of the rivets described above and
shown in drawings are preferably made from plastic whereby
a patient may be X-rayed with the collar of the present
invention mounted on the patient. There are no metal
parts which will show up on X-rays and interfere with
evaluation of the X-rays.
An advantage of the collar 10 is that it can facili-
tate a life-saving tracheotomy at the scene of an accident.
When additional support is needed, stabilizer 12 can be
removably attached to the collar 10 at the scene of the
accident or later at a hospital with removing collar 10~
The bight on the front half of the collar has been suffi-
ciently reinforced to provide the necessary support without
interfering with the access hole needed for tracheotomy.

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Thus, there is provided a versatile device for use in
an emergency by a paramedic in the field. Colla- 10 pro-
vides the required support in the cervical region and can
be applied quickly without the necessity of any tools.
The present invention may be embodied in other spe-
cific forms without departing from the spirit or essential
attributes thereof and accordingly, reference should be
made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing
specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.




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