Medical limb rest

Details Medical limb rest Medical limb rest

1999-09-16

2001-10-02

Brown, Michael A. (Department: 3764)

Surgery

Body rests, supports or positioners for therapeutic purpose

C108S116000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06295987

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
this invention relates to a medical limb rest for elevating body parts, arms, shoulders, legs or head, for example, during medical or surgical procedures. Particularly to a medical limb rest that is adjustable as to height.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
In performing medical surgical procedures, it is often necessary to elevate limbs or other body appendages. Raising a body part is required for changing dressing, performing surgery, placing a cast or ease in bandaging. Elevation of a limb is sometimes necessary to facilitate healing or improved blood circulation. Hospitals and medical facilities have used various methods to raise and support a body appendage. The simplest method is having the doctor's assistant or surgical nurse holds the limb or appendage off the operating or examining table during the treatment. A “Chinese finger trap” is used in some hospitals. One end of the Chinese finger trap is attached to a finger or toe and the limb is raised off the table by a hook attached to the other end of the Chinese trap. Another device for raising a body part is a shoulder suspension kit. The shoulder suspension kit uses a mitten and a shoulder holder attached to a hook. A saw horse with rubber padding has also been used to hold up a leg or arm during a medical procedure such as changing a cast. During any of these procedures, and especially during surgery, it is critical that the limb be held firmly and steadily.
Adjustable tables are known and used for various industrial and consumer purposes. Tables with folding legs attached to a tabletop are well known, a card table, for example. Tables with two pairs of legs pivoting in a scissors-like action across or axial to each other are also well known, folding TV trays for example. Tisbo, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,901 disclose a foldable tray table of modular construction with a tray having an underside with a pair of first legs and second legs connected thereto. The upper end of each first leg has a journal pin adapted for being snap-fit between one pair of journal mountings formed on the underside of the tray. A chair mounted adjustable leg support is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,221 to Stander. An adjustable positioning device for industrial purposes utilizing screw mechanisms is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,138 to Hirose.
A height adjustable table with multiple pairs of cross-mounted legs and controlled by pivotally adjustable cross braces is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,528,717 to Kinnebrew. The height of the collapsible footrest is controlled by a latch mechanism, that when released, allows the footrest to spring upward. A scissor type mobile tool cart is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,749 to Collier. The height of the cart is controlled by a series of lock notches at the lower portion of the cart, allowing the bottom portion of one pair of leg ends to be moved. These legs pivotally adjust with a second group of legs pivotally attached to the bottom of the cart and to the bottom of the cart tray.
What is needed is a medical limb rest that can steadily and securely support a body part or limb in a raised positioned so that surgical or medical treatment can take place. A medical limb rest that can securely and firmly support the body appendage above the operating or examining table without adding stress to the limb would be beneficial.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
During surgery on a leg, arm, or body appendage, it is often necessary to have the limb raised off the operating table for intricate procedures. Raising the limb is also important while changing dressing or setting a cast. During any of these medical procedures, the limb or appendage, such as the arm, thigh or buttocks, must be held securely and steadily. Because a sterile environment is required for most medical procedures, especially surgery, the preferred medical limb rest for use in a medical office or surgical room is sterile.
The present invention is a medical limb rest that is adjustable to different heights, lightweight and easy to assemble, with one hand if necessary, during the hectic pace of surgery. Advantageously, the medical limb rest is manufactured from materials that are strong enough to provide secure support and capable of being sterilized. In one preferred embodiment, the medical limb rest for elevating a body limb is comprised of sterilized components. The sterilized components can comprise a support tray having a top surface and an underside. The top surface of the support tray forms a concave section for supporting the appendage. Preferably, the support tray can have a first edge, a second edge opposite the first edge, and two side edges. In one preferred embodiment, the first edge is curved towards the underside to define a first groove and the second edge is curved toward the underside to define a second groove. Other components of the medical limb rest comprise at least two pairs of legs, a first pair and a second pair, for example. Preferably, the first pair of legs comprise a first leg pivotally connected to a second leg and the second pair of legs comprise a third leg pivotally connected to a forth leg. In one aspect, each of the legs has a top end and a bottom end. Each pair of pivotally connected legs is attached to another pair of pivotally connected legs by one or more trusses. In one preferred embodiment, a first truss connects the top end of the first leg to the top end of the third leg and a second truss connects the top end of the second leg to the top end of the fourth leg. Preferably, the first truss and the second truss are precisionally machined to snugly fit within the grooves.
In another embodiment, the medical limb rest can comprise a support tray with a sterile pad positioned within the concave section of the tray to cushion the limb. In still another preferred embodiment, the medical limb rest further comprises a plate having a top surface and a bottom surface. Preferably, the top surface of the plate is securely attached to the underside of the support tray. The ends of the plate curve inward toward the bottom surface to form a first lip at one end and a second lip at the opposite end of the plate. The first lip and the second lip are precisionally machine to receive either the first truss or the second truss. In this way, the height of the medical limb rest can be adjusted depending on the positioning of the trusses. The height of the limb rest is greater when the trusses are positioned in the grooves of the plate. In one preferred embodiment, the height of the medical limb rest can vary within a range of from about one inch to about twelve inches. Preferably, the height can be within a range of from about two inches to eight inches.
In still another embodiment of the medical limb rest, each leg defines a pivot hole approximately intermediate to the top end and the bottom end of the leg. The limb rest further comprises two or more removable pivot pins configured to be positioned within the pivot holes so that one pivot pin pivotally connect the first leg to the second leg and the second pivot pin pivotally connects the third leg to the forth leg. each leg can define two or more pivot holes so that changing the pivot point can also change the height of the limb rest.


REFERENCES:
patent: 239876 (1881-04-01), Stark
patent: 600148 (1898-03-01), Hanger
patent: 1209679 (1916-12-01), Decker
patent: 1369944 (1921-03-01), Springer
patent: 1556172 (1925-10-01), Spear
patent: 2874003 (1959-02-01), Humphries
patent: 3528717 (1970-09-01), Kinnebrew
patent: 4249749 (1981-02-01), Collier
patent: 5111808 (1992-05-01), Meals
patent: 5287643 (1994-02-01), Arizpe-Gilmore
patent: 5449221 (1995-09-01), Stander
patent: 5483901 (1996-01-01), Tisbo et al.
patent: 5746138 (1998-05-01), Hirose
patent: 5865127 (1999-02-01), Carter

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