Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Enclosed compartment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-02
2001-01-30
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Enclosed compartment
C052S036100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179358
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mobile hospital system adapted to quickly provide comprehensive diagnoses and medical treatments to a relatively large number of patients in an area stricken by a large natural disaster or a harsh military dispute or in an extremely remote area where medical facilities are not available.
2. Prior Art
A large number of casualties can be given rise to in areas hit by devastating natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods caused by a prolonged rain fall or volcanic eruptions and the hospitals in the neighboring areas may normally have only a limited capacity for diagnoses and medical treatments so that many of the patients may be left uncared-for. If large hospitals are found in the neighboring areas. They may find themselves hopeless in providing medical care to the patients when the services of public utilities including the supply of electricity, water and fuel gas are disrupted.
When a large natural disaster occurs, medical tents are normally set up as appropriate locations near the disaster-stricken area and attended by doctors ad nurses, who provide medical care to casualties on a first aid basis, the hardest-hit having the highest priority of treatment. However, the medical staff will then have to take care of a large number of patients with limited staff members and therefore many of the patients will not be adequately treated. Additionally, the patients who need long term medical care will have to be moved to a hospital remote from the disaster-stricken are if no medical facilities are available in nearby areas to accommodate the patients.
In countries at war, medical aid will be provided typically by the international Red Cross so that wounded soldiers may be moved to casualty clearing stations while wounded civilians may be sent to emergency medical facilities for medical treatment. However, as pointed out above, the medical care provided by these facilities are mostly on a first aid basis and they may not be adapted to sophisticated surgical operations because they are not medically equipped in a sufficient and satisfactory fashion.
As described above, in areas stricken by a large natural disaster or a harsh military dispute or in an extremely remote area, many patients who need medical care are left without being sufficiently taken care of because of insufficient medical staff and medical facilities particularly when a large number of patients are produced. Thus, patients who are not seriously wounded can eventually a suffer from chronic diseases and after-effects of diseases because their diseases are not completely cured, although then could be satisfactorily cured if the patients were medically treated in a satisfactory fashion. Therefore, there is a strong need for hospital facilities that can cope with a situation where a large number of patients are produced by a disaster.
Thus, in view of the above identified problem, it is therefore the object of the invention to provide a mobile hospital system that can be moved by means of tractors, helicopters, railway locomotives and/or sea vessels and adapted to provide comprehensive diagnoses and medical treatments to causalities and patients having various symptoms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention, the above object is achieved by providing a mobile hospital system comprising a plurality of container wagons adapted to functionally operate as part of a hospital and be moved appropriately by transportation means including tractors and helicopters so as to be able to set up a comprehensive hospital by connecting the plurality of container wagons on site, some of the container wagons being provided with a water supply means for supplying water, a power generation means for supplying electric power and an oil supply means for supplying fuel oils to the power generation means.
Preferably, each of the plurality of container wagons has a connecting opening at least on one of its four lateral sides so that any adjacently located two of the container wagons may be held in communication with each other by way of their respective connecting openings.
Preferably, the plurality of container wagons include at least a consulting room for treatments by a doctor, a surgical operation room for surgical operations and a medical instrument room equipped with various medical instruments.
Desirably, the surgical operation room is provided with an air cleaning apparatus for keeping it as clean room.
If the surgical operation room is provided with an air cleaning apparatus, it has an air duct arranged above the ceiling of the room and the ceiling has a plurality of air blow-in holes held in communication with the air duct, the air cleaning apparatus being adapted to draw air from a lower portion of the surgical operation room and blow in clean air to the air duct.
Desirably, the plurality of container wagons further include a ward, a canteen, a staff room and a staff bed room.
Preferably, at least one of the container wagons is airtightly sealed and isolated from ambient air.
Preferably, a mobile hospital system according to the invention further comprises a water purifying apparatus for purifying the natural water caught by it to the quality level of drinking water.
Still preferably, a mobile hospital system according to the invention further comprises an incinerator for burning the wastes produced from the container wagons.
Still preferably, for a mobile hospital system according to the invention, rails are laid sequentially in the intended area of operation for railroads and the container wagons are moved to the setup site by locomotives, where the container wagons on the rails are connected with each other to set up the hospital system.
Preferably, at least one of the plurality of container wagons is provided with drive means for driving the container wagon to move by itself.
Thus, according to the invention, a mobile hospital system comprising a plurality of container wagons adapted to functionally operate as part of a hospital is moved to an intended area by transportation means including tractors and helicopters so as to be able to set up a comprehensive hospital by connecting the plurality of container wagons on site. Each of the container wagons can be connected to a water supply means with ease by way of a piping kit and flexible pipes. Each of the container wagons can be connected to a power generation means by means of wires and cables. Then, each of the container wagons is supplied with power for lighting and driving medical instruments and also with drinking water and water to be used for medical treatments.
Additionally, wards equipped with beds are arranged for patients and accommodations are provided for the medical staff so that the mobile hospital system may remain on site for a prolonged period of time and operate to provide medical care comparable to a large hospital to eliminate the need of transporting heavily injured patients to remote hospitals.
When a certain period of time has elapsed from the disaster and the mobile hospital system is no longer needed, it can be disassembled with ease by disconnecting the water supply pipes and the electric wires to move to some other area, which may be a storage area.
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Hirayama Kensuke
Hirota Nobuhiko
Hirayama Setsubi Kabushiki Kaisha
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran
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