Surgery – Body protecting or restraining devices for patients or infants – Restrainers and immobilizers
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-17
2001-06-12
Brown, Michael A. (Department: 3764)
Surgery
Body protecting or restraining devices for patients or infants
Restrainers and immobilizers
C128S870000, C005S637000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244270
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
Present invention relates, in general, to head immobilization apparatus and, more specifically, to head immobilization apparatus which are attachable to spine or back boards.
2. Description of the Art
In accidents involving apparent injury to the head, neck and/or spine, the head and cervical spine areas of the accident victim are routinely immobilized to prevent further injury during transport to a medical care facility. Rigid spine or back boards are typically used to support the victim who is lifted or transferred onto the board. Stiff pillows or blocks are placed tightly on either side of the victim's head. One or more head and/or chin straps are then tightly secured over the pillows to fixedly hold the victim's head in place. The pillows or blocks can be selectively placed on the spine or back board at variable spacings to accommodate different sized victims' heads.
One typical prior art head immobilizer used with a conventional spine or back board is shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The head immobilizer
10
includes a substantially rigid base panel
12
formed of a rigid foam and vinyl material. A pad or raised center portion
14
is mounted centrally on the base panel
12
. A plurality of hook and loop fastening strips
16
are attached to the base panel
12
and extend laterally from the raised center portion
14
. A pair of straps
17
, each with a D-hook
18
at one end, are stitched or otherwise securely mounted to the underside of the base panel
12
. The D-hooks
18
interact with the ends of anchor straps
20
attached to the underside of the opposite end of the base panel
12
to secure the base panel
12
about one end of a spine or back board
23
. The straps
17
or
20
may pass through apertures
24
formed along the sides of the spine board
23
.
A pair of pillows
26
, each with an ear aperture
28
, have a generally wedge shape and are provided with mating hook or loop VELCRO-type fasteners on the underside for engagement with the fastener strips
16
on the underside of the base panel
12
. This enables the pillows
26
to be wedged tightly against opposite sides of the victim's head. The pillows
26
are typically formed of a PVN foam having a PVC or vinyl coating applied to the exterior surface of the foam.
A pair of head straps
32
, each carrying a D-hook
32
at an outer end, are secured to the underside of the base panel
12
adjacent one end of the base panel
12
. The D-hooks
32
interact with opposite ends of a head strap
34
which extends through a central pad
36
. The pad
36
is engaged with the victim's forehead and the straps
34
tightened through the D-hooks
32
. A similar pair of chin straps
38
, each also having a D-hook
40
at an outer end, interact with opposite ends of a chin strap
42
which extends outward from opposite ends of a chin pad
44
. The straps
42
are tightened through the D-hooks
40
to securely hold the victim's chin between the pillows
26
.
Serious injuries frequently involve the discharge of blood and other fluids from a victim which can contaminate the spine board
23
as well as various components of the head immobilizing apparatus
10
. It then becomes necessary to sanitize both the spine board
23
and all of the components of the head immobilizing apparatus
10
. This is difficult for the rather large spine board as well as the various flexible straps and large pillows employed on the head immobilizing apparatus.
While this particular head immobilizing apparatus and spine board can effectively immobilize a victim's head, it is not without deficiencies relating to cost of manufacture, easy reuse, and easy cleaning or sanitizing after each use.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a head immobilizing apparatus for use with a spine or back board which overcomes the deficiencies of previously devised head immobilizing apparatus. It would also be desirable to provide a head immobilizing apparatus which can be manufactured with a sufficiently low cost so as to make a one time use and subsequent discarding cost effective. At the same time, it would be desirable to provide a head immobilizing apparatus which can be easily cleaned and sanitized, if necessary. It would also be desirable to provide a head immobilizing apparatus which can be quickly and easily attached to a spine board.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a head immobilizing apparatus for use with a spine or back board.
In one aspect, the head immobilizer apparatus includes a base plate having opposed top and bottom surfaces and spaced side edges. A pair of head pads are removably attachable to the top surface of the base plate in registry with opposed sides of a victim's head for restricting movement of the victim's head relative to the spine board. For added immobilization, one or more straps extend across the head pads for immobilizing the patient's head between the head pads. Finally, mounting members, unitarily carried on the base plate, releasably attach the base plate to the spine board through apertures in the spine or back board.
Preferably, the base plate is concave in shape between the opposed side edges to provide a spring force in conjunction with the mounting members to securely fix the base plate on the spine board.
Mating hook and loop material strips are mounted on the top surface of the base plate and the bottom surface of the head pads for releasably securing the head pads to the base plate in any selected spaced position to fit the head pads snugly against opposite sides of a victim's head to immobilize the head.
The straps preferably comprise at least one and preferably two straps carrying hook and loop material strips at opposite ends which are releasably engagable with hook and loop strips carried on the outer surfaces of the head pads.
The mounting members, in one aspect of the invention, preferably comprise at least one clip cantilevered from each side edge of the base plate and, optionally, from one end edge of the base plate. In one embodiment, a pair of clips are mounted on each side edge of the base plate. Each clip is formed of a first leg unitarily attached to and depending from a side edge of the base plate. A second leg extends angularly from the first leg, preferably, at an acute, upward angle.
A flange projects unitarily from the base plate adjacent to each clip and cooperates with each clip to fixedly secure the base plate to a spine board by sandwiching the spine board between each cooperating flange and clip pair.
In another aspect of the present invention, the base plate remains concave in shape between opposed side edges or at least upward angled at the side edges with respect to a center portion of the base plate to provide a spring force allowing movement of the side edge portions of the base plate and the mounting members carried thereon as well as separate movement of a mounting member mounted on the top end of the base plate. In this aspect of the invention, the mounting members are formed as hooks including a leg depending, preferably integrally, from the bottom surface of the base plate and terminating in an inboard extending projection at the end of the leg, which projection extends toward the center longitudinal axis of the base plate. The mounting member on the top end of the base plate has a similar hook shape formed of a depending leg and a projection extending toward the opposed bottom end of the base plate.
The mounting members are insertable through apertures along the side edges and at the top end of a spine board and engage the inner edge of the spine board adjacent to each aperture. The over bending of the concave or angled base plate causes the hooks to be biased into the spine board to securely mount the base plate on the spine board; while at the same time enabling its easy removal for cleaning, replacement, etc., after each use.
The head immobilizer apparatus of the present invention provides significant advantages over previously devised head immobilizer apparatus ut
Gallatin Raymond
Kahn Harold
Lutian Kent L.
Bremen Corporation
Brown Michael A.
Young & Basile PC
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