Beds – Field stretcher – Combined or convertible
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-03
2001-10-02
Grosz, Alexander (Department: 3628)
Beds
Field stretcher
Combined or convertible
C005S624000, C005S651000, C128S845000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295672
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for restraining trauma victims, and more particularly to such devices which provide foot support and vertical stability where the trauma involves spinal injury.
2. Description Relative to the Prior Art
Spine board, or backboards, are commonly used by rescue personnel to restrain and carry victims of spinal and trauma. When such spinal injury occurs, is important that the victim be immobilized for transport to a treatment center, so that the victim does not suffer further injury during movement and transportation to the treatment center. This is especially important in cases of injuries to the cervical area, where relatively small movements of the head may result in permanent injury to the spinal column.
In many instances the approved procedure involving patients encountered standing at the scene of an accident is to fit the victim with a cervical collar, and secure the victim at the head, pelvis, and feet to the spine board while till in the standing position. The victim may then be put into a horizontal position.
In other cases the victim may be encountered at the accident scene in a horizontal position. The victim must be first have the cervical collar attached, and then be slid onto the spine board, being finally strapped down.
The most commonly-used spine board, as shown in
FIG. 1
, is a flat piece of plywood or plastic
2
, an inch or two in cross-section, with hand-holes
4
located along the sides, and with restraining straps
6
provided for restraint.
A common problem in the use of such a board, however, is the lack of restraint in the vertical, or major body axis, direction. When the victim is placed on the board standing up, it is critical than he not slide, relative to the spine board, when the board is tilted onto a vertical orientation.
Even after the victim is placed in a horizontal position, he is often not carried in a such a strictly horizontal position. It is often necessary to tilt the spine board, even sometimes into the vertical position. Furthermore, acceleration or deceleration in the ambulance, or other rescue vehicle, can exert vertical forces on the victim. Under such circumstances the victim may tend to slide vertically with respect to the spine board, thus defeating the purpose of the other restraints.
Attempts have been made to remedy this situation by providing a foot rest at one end of the spine board. A number of inventions have described folding brackets attached to the spine board, which can be folded up after the victim is on the spine board. These folding foot rests suffer from the problem that they prevent sliding of the victim along the length of the spine board, since they project off the surface.
Other attempts have been made to offer a removable foot rest which may be attached after the victim is on the spine board. In particular, the inventions of Ferreira, U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,089, and Hein, U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,982, describe such removable foot rests.
The present invention is an improvement over such prior-art removable foot rests, as it is inexpensive, simple to use, and may be tethered to the spine board so that it is not lost or misplaced when needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the current invention to provide a spine board with a foot rest which may be attached when required to the board, but removed from the board at other times when its presence may inhibit proper use of the board.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a device for immobilizing and transporting trauma victims includes a spine board and a bracket having an L-shaped cross section. The L-shaped bracket further includes a horizontal member and a vertical member, with the vertical member rigidly attached at a right angle to the horizontal member, and there are a multiplicity of pins, affixed at one end of the vertical member.
The spine board has a multiplicity of sleeves formed into the board at one end, into which the pins are inserted. In this way the pins removeably attach the foot support to mating holes in the sleeves.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the device further includes locking means to secure the pins in the mating holes in the sleeves.
According to a third aspect of the invention, the bracket, pins, and sleeves are all fabricated from stainless steel.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the pins are affixed to the L-shaped bracket by welding, and the horizontal member is affixed to the vertical member by welding.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, the locking means further includes detents.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, the locking means further includes cotter pins.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there are included clip means for securing the bracket to the spine board when the bracket is not attached by means of the pins and sleeves.
According to a final aspect of the invention, the bracket and sleeves are provided as a kit to modify existing spine boards.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2911657 (1959-11-01), Streeter, III
patent: 3523311 (1970-08-01), Ricke
patent: 3609778 (1971-10-01), Zeiner
patent: 4369982 (1983-01-01), Hein et al.
patent: 5154186 (1992-10-01), Laurin et al.
patent: 5201089 (1993-04-01), Ferreira
patent: 5342290 (1994-08-01), Schuellein
patent: 5673447 (1997-10-01), White et al.
patent: 5871220 (1999-02-01), Lombard
patent: 6000399 (1999-12-01), Choy
patent: 6032309 (2000-03-01), Michelson
Grosz Alexander
White Mark P.
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