DISPOSITIF POUR LE TRANSFERT DES PATIENTS

TRANSFERRING DEVICE FOR A PATIENT

Abrégé anglais

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
There is provided a device by which a patient may be
easily and conveniently transferred between one support such
as a bed and another support such as a transfer carriage using
a transfer support such as a sheet from the patient's bed.
The transfer device has an engaging member which pulls a rod
about which the transfer sheet or other support is wound,
passed or otherwise disposed.

Revendications

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THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A patient transfer device for transferring a
patient from one support, extending a first distance along
a side of the support, to another support having a
horizontal support element, comprising:
a rod extending substantially the distance of the
first support for engaging a one-piece flexible fabric,
having a fabric side extending the distance, on the one
support upon which the patient is positioned and for
engaging the fabric, substantially over the distance of
the fabric side;
an engaging member comprising first engagement
means for engaging a first portion of a mid-section of the
rod when the rod is engaged with the fabric and second
engagement means for engaging a second portion of a mid-
section of the rod and a rigid cross member separating the
first and second engagement means; and
a transferring device adapted to be placed on and
supported by the horizontal support element of the other
support for pulling the rod from the one support to the
other and comprising a first connecting line for
connecting to the first engagement means and a second
connecting line for connecting to the second engagement
means so that the fabric is pulled toward the transferring
device when the transferring device is operated.
2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the
engaging member consists of two hooks, and the cross
member is floatingly fastened to the first and second
connecting lines.
3. The device according to claim 2 wherein the hooks
of the engaging member are located apart from one another
a distance between 400 and 800 millimeters.

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4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the rod is
adapted for engaging the fabric through a tube formed in
the fabric along the side.
5. The device according to claim 4 wherein the
engaging member comprises hooks for attachment to the rod
through openings in the fabric.
6. The device according to claim 1 wherein the rod
comprises a telescoping rod.
7. The device according to claim 1 or 6 wherein the
rod has an extended configuration having a length between
120 and 200 centimeters.
8. The device according to claim 1 wherein the rod
comprise a bendable rod.
9. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the other
support comprises a movable support, an upwardly facing
surface on the support for supporting the patient and
first and second sides on the support wherein the first
side is relatively longer than the second and wherein the
transferring device is mounted at a midportion of the
first side of the movable support.
10. The device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the first
side and the transferring device have respective parallel
longitudinal dimensions and wherein the side longitudinal
dimension is substantially greater than the transferring
device's longitudinal dimension.
11. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
transferring device comprises first and second opposite
end portions, wherein the first and second connecting
lines each correspond to and pass from a respective end
portion of the transferring device and wherein the first

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and second connecting lines are connected to the engaging
member.
12. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the first
and second connecting lines are connected to respective
ends of the cross member.
13. A method for transferring a patient from one
support, extending a distance, to another support
comprising the steps of:
placing the one support adjacent the other support;
mounting on a horizontal support member of the
other support a patient transfer device having an engaging
member comprising a rigid cross member and means for
flexibly coupling the engaging member to the patient
transfer device;
engaging a rod with a side of a one-piece flexible
fabric extending substantially the distance of the one
support on which the patient is positioned, having a
distance substantially the distance of the side of the
fabric;
engaging the engaging member with the fabric-
engaged rod at a midpoint thereof; and
operating the patient transfer device to draw the
patient on the fabric from the one support toward the
patient transfer device through the flexible coupling
means and the engaging member.
14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the
fabric includes a tube along its side and wherein the step
of engaging comprises the step of passing the rod within
the tube.
15. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the tube
includes openings and wherein the step of engaging
includes the step of engaging the engaging member with the
rod through the openings.

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16. A patient transfer device for transferring a
patient from one support extending a first distance along
a side of the support, to another support having a
horizontal support element, comprising:
a rod extending substantially the distance of the
first support an amount approximately equal to the length
of the support for engaging a one-piece flexible fabric,
having a fabric side extending the distance, on the one
support upon which the patient is positioned and for
engaging the fabric, substantially over the distance of
the fabric side wherein the rod is a one-piece rod;
an engaging member comprising a rigid cross member
separating engagement means for engaging a mid-section of
the rod when the rod is engaged with the fabric; and
a transferring device adapted to be placed on and
supported by the horizontal support element of the other
support for pulling the rod from the one support to the
other support and comprising at least one connecting line
for connecting to the engaging member so that the fabric
is pulled toward the transferring device when the
transferring device is operated.

Description

5~
A Transferrin~ Device for a Patient
The invention concerns a device for -transferrirlg incapacitated
persons rom a bed like support to another. The device lncludes
a transferring arrangement, engaging means for the same, and a
transferring support~ For transporting support, a support
separately designed for this purpose may be used, or a bed sheet
used by the patient. The support is pulled by means of the
transferring engaged to the edge o~ another bed lika support,
and the sheet or the transferring supportis engaged by means of
a supporting rod and a pull unit.
Transferring an incapacitated patient from the bed on a trans
port su~port constitutes a frequently existing problem in
hospitals and asylums. In practice, the auxiliary devices mostly
used are different levers which have turned out to be inconvenient.
Also for lateral transfer of a patient, several devices are
developed. The problem here is to obtain a suitable transferring
device between the incapacitated patient and the mattress/
without causing pain to the patient. In the US ~atent 2665 432
a method is presented, however, according to which reinforced
cloth or canvas is used under the patient to serve as a trans-
ferring support. But the device being used hereis big-sized in
the form presented, and very inconvenient to handle, requiring
several persons for transferring the device from one working
object to another.
The device according to the invention permits transferring the
patient from the bed or other resting support to another, for
instance to the operating table and a variety of seating
~arrangements very conveniently compared to devices generally
used. In comparison with the device according to the US patent
2665 432, the clevice according to the invention is exceedingly
more handy in operation to the end that the care-taker hardly
without stress, is able to transfer it~henever necessary ~o
any point of u~e when the object o~ care is changing.

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The method according to the invention is mainly characterized
in that the engagin~ means of the transferring device is
pulling a rod about whlch the transferring suppor-t, or the
sheet functioning as such, is wound, passed, or otherwise
fixed.
The device according to the invention includes a transferring
device, a support,and means of engagement in the bed as well as
the resting support.
The invention is described below further with reference to the
enclosed drawings, where
Fig. 1 presents one mode of application of the invention in
engagement with a transfer carriage for transferring the patient
from the bed to the carriage.
Fig. ~ presents the device according to the invention in using
a separate transferring support.
Fig. 3 presents the device according to the invention in using
a sheet as a transferring support
Fig. 4 presents a bed engaging member of the device.
Fig. 1 shows an incapacitated patient lying in bed (1). Beside
the bed (1) a care table ~2) which is vertically adjustable,
and onto which the patient is to be transferred.
The patient transferring device (4) is fastened to the edge of
the care table (2), either into fastening holes in the sidesr
or by separate fasteners.In using the patient's sheet (3) as
transferring support the edges of the sheet (3) are detached
from under the mattress, and the edge near the care table is
wound a few tlmes about the rod (13). The engaging member (14)
is fastened to the rod (13) surrounded by the sheet (3). The
engaging member consists of 2 hooks (18j with a pipe (19)
~nbetween, its length being 400 - 800 mm.
The height of the care table is adjusted somewhat lower than
the height o~ the bed. The motor of the transferring device, or
in the case of a hand~driven transferring device, a hand-crank
ls used for starting. The strings or cables of the transferring
devlce then are pullin~ t:he engaglng member (14) followed by

the rod (13), the sheet (3), and the pa-tient onto the t~ans-
ferring device.
The tranfer of the patient from the care-taking support, or
the like, i5 takiny place in the corresponding manner. The
transferring device then is naturally fastened to the edge of
the bed.
For transferring a patient a separate support (3) may also be
used as a support, at which tubes (15) are sewn to its edges~
and into which tubes the rod (13) will be pushed~ The tubes
are provided with openings (16) from which the engaging member
(14) is engaging the rod (13). If necessary, the tube may
consistof two parts, the rod then being bare at the middle.
For engaging the transferring device with the above presented
hospital furnishings and devices, the transferring device is
provided with a fastening member (12), or turnable taps (17).
fixing piece consisting of two longish pieces (7, 8) may be
attached to edge pipe of the mentioned furnishings and devices.
This fixing piece is fastened to the edge pipe by means of
brackets or screws (9), so that the inside opening (10) corres-
ponds to edge pipe/ and the outer side becomes rectangular in
shape. In order to facilitate transport, the fastenin~ rocl (13)
is preferably made telescope like or bendable so as to obtain
a length of 120 200 cm in open position.
In tests perfor~ed the transEerring device presented above has
turned out to be extremely gentle from the patient's poin-t of
view compared to other conventional devices in use. The patient's
sense of security is clearly hetter, on account of the patient
all the time be:Lng in contact with the underlying support.
Due to the circumstance that the transfer device is pressing
against both supports, the operating table and the bed, no
~astening system whatsoever has been needed in the performed
tests between them, but if needed of course, they can be locked
together for the tlme of transfer.
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If called for, the sheet used in transfer may be removed, and
replaced by a new one, easily by turning the patient irst in
j one direction and then in the other.
llhe invention is not restricted entirely to the details presented
above, in particular not as far as transferring supports are
concerned, and it can be applied for all transferring situations,
where the patient can be brought in just about horizontal
position, and in exceptional cases even in sitting position.
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