Hydraulic controls for ambulatory care chair

Details Hydraulic controls for ambulatory care chair Hydraulic controls for ambulatory care chair

2000-09-13

2004-04-27

Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)

Chairs and seats

Movable bottom

Interconnected with back for relative concurrent movement

C297S084000, C297S354130, C297S344190, C297S423190

Reexamination Certificate

active

06726279

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wheeled chair for use in a hospital or other health care facility, and particularly to an ambulatory care chair that converts between a chair and a table. More particularly, the present invention relates to a wheeled hospital chair having articulated patient-support sections that move relative to one another between a generally upright position and a generally horizontal table position and that can be tilted and elevated so that a patient can rest and be transported in the chair. The chair can be converted to a table for supporting the patient during medical procedures without having to transfer the patient between separate chairs and tables. The extension and retraction of the leg section of the chair and the hi-lo adjustment of the chair are accomplished using the same actuator for actuating drive mechanisms.
Carriers for transporting a patient in a hospital or other care facility from one location to another are well known in the art. Conventional wheelchairs may be used by a caregiver to transport the patient when the patient is conscious and capable of sitting in an upright position. Such wheelchairs may also be used in a hospital to transport patients between hospital stations for medical testing, therapy, or recreation. In addition, wheelchairs having features designed to aid in the transfer of a patient between the hospital bed and the wheelchair are known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,732 to Assanah et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,342 to Jones. Each of these references discloses a wheelchair having back, seat, and leg sections that are convertible to a horizontal stretcher configuration.
Conventional stretchers having flat patientsupport surfaces may also be used as a carrier to transport patients. For example, conventional stretchers may transport the patient before or after surgery is performed on the patient or when the patient is otherwise incapacitated or unable to sit upright. Conventional stretchers that raise and lower can be used to transfer patients from the stretcher to a surface of an operating table, a bed, or another patient surface by adjusting the height of the stretcher to the same height as the patient surface receiving the patient. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,242 to Schrager and U.S. Pat. No. 3,304,116 to Stryker, each of which discloses a stretcher having a patient-support surface that can be vertically adjusted.
Caregivers may wish to adjust the position of the patient supported by the carrier. In addition, a patient supported by the carrier may wish to adjust their own position for reasons of comfort. Carriers having articulated back, seat, and leg sections that assist patients in moving between a lying-down position and a sitting-up position are known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,113 to Foster et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,357 to Foster; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,529 to Peck, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Each of these references discloses a hospital bed that is convertible to a chair configuration.
Some hospital beds having patient-support decks including articulated patient-support sections also have mechanisms that adjust the height of the patientsupport deck relative to a base frame. In addition, these hospital beds may include mechanisms that tilt the patient-support deck relative to the base frame. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,562 to Borders et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,876 to Fenwick; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,529 to Peck, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Each of these references discloses a bed having an intermediate frame that is mounted to a base frame for vertical and tilting movement with respect thereto. Each reference also discloses an articulated patient-support deck carried by the intermediate frame and including patient-support sections that are movable relative to the intermediate frame.
What is desired is an ambulatory care chair that can be used both to transport the patient and as an operating chair or table when minor surgical procedures are to be performed on the patient. The ambulatory care chair should provide a comfortable and adjustable patient-support surface on which the patient can rest prior to such procedures, when recovering after such procedures, and at other times when desired. Such a chair should have articulated back, seat, and leg sections that are adjustable between a sitting-up position supporting the patient in a sitting position and a table position having the back, seat, and leg sections aligned and defining a generally planar upwardly-facing patient-support surface supporting the patient in a supine position. In addition, the ambulatory care chair should include mechanisms for raising and lowering the back, seat, and leg sections relative to a floor and mechanisms for tilting the back, seat, and leg sections.
According to the present invention, a chair is provided for supporting a patient above a floor. The chair includes a base frame and an intermediate frame coupled to the base frame for pivoting movement relative to the base frame about a generally horizontal transverse axis. An articulated patient support is mounted to the intermediate frame. The patient support has longitudinally spaced back and seat sections mounted to the intermediate frame for movement relative to one another and relative to the intermediate frame. The back and seat sections are movable relative to the base frame about the horizontal transverse axis of the intermediate frame.
In preferred embodiments, the ambulatory care chair includes an articulated patient support defining a patient-support surface. The patient support has back, seat, and leg sections that are mounted to the intermediate frame for movement between a sitting-up position carrying the patient in a sitting position and a table position carrying the patient in a supine position. The back, seat, and leg sections are lockable relative to the intermediate frame in an infinite number of positions between the sitting-up and table positions. In addition, the patient support can be tilted between a Trendelenburg position and a reverse Trendelenburg position when the sections of the patient support are in the table position. When the sections of the patient support are in the sitting-up position, the patient support can be tilted rearwardly to rock the patient to a leaned-back position or forwardly to assist with patient egress from the chair.
The ambulatory care chair includes a base frame including a staging frame mounted for vertical movement relative to a lower frame and an intermediate frame coupled to the base frame for pivoting movement relative to the base frame about a generally horizontal transverse axis. An articulated patient support including longitudinally spaced back, seat, and leg sections is mounted to the intermediate frame. The patient support is mounted to the intermediate frame for movement relative to one another and relative to the intermediate frame. The back, seat and leg sections are movable relative to the base frame about the horizontal transverse axis. The chair includes a hydraulic system having a first hydraulic cylinder actuating vertical movement of the staging frame relative to the lower frame, a second hydraulic cylinder actuating movement of the leg section relative to the seat section, and a pump actuating both the first and second hydraulic cylinders.
The ambulatory care chair also includes foot pedals that control upward and downward movement of the staging frame, the intermediate frame, and the articulated patient support relative to the lower frame. A recline release handle unlocks the back, seat, and leg sections of the patient support for movement between the sitting-up and table positions relative to the intermediate frame. In addition, a tilt handle can be provided for unlocking the intermediate frame from the staging frame of the base frame for forward and rearward tilting movement about the horizontal axis relative to the stagin

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