Patient transport arrangement in an aircraft

Details Patient transport arrangement in an aircraft Patient transport arrangement in an aircraft

1999-06-21

2001-08-14

Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)

Aeronautics and astronautics

Aircraft structure

Passenger or crew accommodation

C244S137200, C244S118100, C244S118600

Reexamination Certificate

active

06273366

ABSTRACT:

PRIORITY CLAIM
This application is based on and claims the priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of German Patent Application 198 27 275.8, filed on Jun. 19, 1998, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an arrangement for transporting a sick or injured patient in an aircraft, whereby the arrangement can be installed within the passenger cabin of the aircraft and be embodied as a patient transport unit, which comprises at least medical supplies and treatment devices as well as a patient supporting stretcher.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Previously it has been typical to use specially chartered ambulance aircraft for retrieving and returning an ill or injured person from a location of injury or illness back to his or her home location for treatment. However, such specially chartered air ambulance flights are extremely expensive, so that such medical return or recovery services have only been available to a rather limited range of people who had the financial resources or appropriate insurance to pay for such a service. In any event, such a service is cost intensive for the insurers providing such travel insurance covering illnesses, injuries or other medical emergencies of a person while traveling.
The publication “Aero International” August 1996, beginning on page 56, describes a patient transport system (PTS) with which it is possible to transport patients in ordinary commercial airline aircraft, and especially long haul aircraft. Such a patient transport system with the corresponding appropriate medical devices is provided for the observation and care of accident victims and seriously ill patients. It is embodied as a cabin which can be selectively installed in a passenger cabin of an aircraft as needed. However, to achieve this, twelve economy class passenger seats must be removed from the passenger cabin. Such a loss of passenger seats is sometimes not accept able to the airline for economic reasons.
For example, in the event of a fully booked flight, it is not possible to remove from the passenger cabin any passenger seats that have already been fully “paid for”. In this case, it would not be possible to install and use a patient transport system on short notice, and thus the transport of the accident victim or the like would have to be delayed until a flight with available unsold seats is scheduled. This is problematic, because accident victims or seriously ill patients often require immediate transportation to an appropriate medical facility, as a matter of life or death.
Furthermore, up to the present time, it has not been possible to provide an adequate level of care for emergency or accident victims during a flight. If a medical emergency or other medical incident occurs during a flight, and medical care or treatment is necessary, the typical procedure is that the aircraft simply flies to the next available airport. Such an unscheduled intermediary landing and take-off causes several disadvantages or problems, for example that fuel may have to be dumped i.e. jettisoned, and that additional airport fees will have to be paid. Also, of course, a great inconvenience arises for all the passengers who suffer an increased delay and waiting time, and possibly missed connecting flights and the like. For these reasons, such a procedure necessarily involves additional costs for the airline.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, it is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement for transporting a patient in an aircraft, which flexibly and economically provides the respective needed patient transport capacity, while also meeting all the needs of a modern medical rescue service. The invention further aims to avoid or overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, and to achieve additional advantages, as apparent from the present specification.
The above objects have been achieved according to the invention in an arrangement for transporting a patient in an aircraft, which is embodied as a patient transport unit that can be selectively and adjustably installed in an aircraft passenger cabin, and that includes at least medical supplies and/or medical devices, as well as a patient supporting stretcher or the like. Especially according to the invention, the patient transport unit is installed in the aircraft adjacent to or neighboring the doorway clearance area of the passenger cabin of the aircraft. The patient transport unit is selectively coupleable and interfaceable with a useable space within a compartment such as a toilet or restroom compartment, or a storage compartment or closet near the aircraft door. The patient transport unit is so configured and arranged that the patient stretcher occupies at least a portion of the doorway clearance area during flight, but is moved out of the doorway clearance area during take-off, landing, boarding, and deplaning operations. Also, the stretcher may be arranged at least partially within the restroom compartment, for example during take-off, landing, boarding and deplaning.
It is especially advantageous that the inventive arrangement provides a very economical and adaptable system for transporting one or more patients on any given flight of a passenger aircraft.
The arrangement is flexibly deployable so that it is only used by the airline when it is needed for the transport of a patient, and it occupies only a minimum of space in the aircraft that would otherwise be available for ordinary passengers. This efficient use of space within the aircraft is especially achieved since the doorway clearance area in front of and around the aircraft door is generally “wasted space”, i.e. non-utilized space, during a flight, because this area is only used for the boarding and deplaning of passengers. Thus, during a flight, this area can efficiently be used for receiving the patient stretcher therein.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4115884 (1978-09-01), Keough
patent: 4458864 (1984-07-01), Colombo et al.
patent: 5259575 (1993-11-01), Cabrera
patent: 5383629 (1995-01-01), Morgan
patent: 5577358 (1996-11-01), Franke
patent: 5615848 (1997-04-01), Ceriani
patent: 5813629 (1998-09-01), Cabrera
H. Siegmund, article entitled “Intensivstation für Flugzeuge”, in publication “Aero International”, Aug. 1996, pp. 56 et. seq.
F. Kahrt, article entitled “Checklist-Gerüstet für alle Fälle”, in publication Lufthansa Bordbuch, Apr. 1997, p. 12.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Patient transport arrangement in an aircraft does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Patient transport arrangement in an aircraft, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Patient transport arrangement in an aircraft will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2451130