WO1992004003A1

WO1992004003A1 - A method and an apparatus for raising a patient

Info

Publication number: WO1992004003A1
Application number: PCT/SE1991/000580
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anders Sandell
Original assignee: Arjo Hospital Equipment AB
Current assignee: Arjo IP Holding AB
Priority date: 1990-09-06
Filing date: 1991-09-04
Publication date: 1992-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 1993-03-06
Also published as: SE467088B; AU8520391A; SE9002832L; SE9002832D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for raising a patient from a sitting to an upright position by means of a lifting device comprising a lifting arm arrangement (1). When the patient is raised, a sling (40) secured at the lifting arm arrangement is placed under the arms of the patient and behind the back of the patient, whereafter the lifting arm arrangement displaces the sling upwardly. To this end, the lifting arm arrangement is rotated in journals (12a) disposed in the upper region (33) of an upwardly directed carrier structure (3) at the same time as the upper region (33) of the carrier structure is spatially displaced upwardly. An apparatus according to the present invention includes an upwardly-directed carrier structure (3) with an upper region (33) in which the lifting arm arrangement (1) is journalled. This includes at least one anchorage device (10a) for fixedly retaining a sling (40). The lifting arm arrangement further includes mechanical devices (15) which are rotary in journals (12a) disposed in the upper region (33). Drive means are provided for, on the upwardly directed rotation of the mechanical devices, displacing the upper region along an upwardly directed path.

Description

A METHOD AND AN APPARATUS FOR RAISING A PATIENT

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for raising or lifting a patient from a sitting position to a substantially upright position according to the preambles of the independent claims.

BACKGROUND ART

There are considerable needs in the field of medical and geriatric care for aids which would assist in the work of the nursing staff in connection with raising or lifting patients from a sitting position to a substantially upright or standing position. Similarly, there are needs in this art for apparatuses which make possible both displace¬ ment of patients in a sitting position and raising of such patients.

An apparatus of the above-outlined type is known from Swedish patent specification 8402899-2. However, the apparatus described in this patent specification suffers from the drawback that the patient can not be brought to a fully upright position, but leans back somewhat even when the raising function of the apparatus has been completed. If the raising function of the apparatus shown in this patent specifica- tion is driven further, the patient will be lifted from the foot support shown in the apparatus and will be suspended in the harness of the apparatus. This defective function is because of the mutual placing of the foot support and the lifting arms and because the lifting arms, during the lifting movement of the apparatus, describe a rotary movement about a spatially fixed shaft. In addition, the apparatus according to this prior specification is relatively bulky and, in order to lift the patient, relatively large physical strength is required on the part of the nursing .staff involved.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus in which the above-outlined problems are obviated. This is achieved according to the technique disclosed in the characterizing clauses of the independent claims.

Expedient embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the accompanying subclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in greater detail hereinbelow, with particular reference to the acccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus according to the present invention in the initial position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation corresponding to that of Fig. 1 with the apparatus in the raised position; and

Fig 3 is a front elevation of the apparatus according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1-3 show one embodiment of the present invention with a chassis 2 on which is disposed an upwardly directed carrier structure 3 which is provided with a lifting arm arrangement 1 which projects out from the carrier structure.

The chassis 2 consists of a frame 20 which is generally of rectangular configuration and is fitted with wheels 21 at least at two of its corners. Forwardly, the frame has no cross beam, which permits free passage between two side beams in towards a foot support 22 disposed on the chassis, when a patient is placed with his feet on the foot support. In certain embodiments, the side beams are movably connected to the rear portion of the chassis in order to be capable of being turned outwardly from one another and thereby facilitate passage to the foot support. In certain embodiments, the chassis is of sub^¬ stantially V-shaped configuration, with the apex located in as¬ sociation with the rear region of the chassis. A knee support 23 with a substantially vertical abutment surface 24 is provided above the foot support 22 in a position where the abutment surface allows the lower part of the leg of a raised patient to assume a substantially vertical orientation. In other words, the abutment surface is located in the region of a^'vertical plane through the standing surface of the foot support in the area of the rear portion of the chassis. The knee support is positionally fixed to the chassis by means of a bracket 25.

The carrier structure 3 is secured to the chassis in connection with the rear region of the chassis and such that the carrier structure is located more proximal the rear side of the chassis than the knee support 23. In the Figures, the carrier structure is shown in one embodiment in which it is composed of a cylinder 30 and a piston 31 which is movable within the cylinder 30. By displacing the piston in relation to the cylinder, the length of the upwardly directed carrier structure is changed from the minimum length of the carrier structure as shown in the initial position in Fig. 1, to the greatest length of the carrier structure as shown in the raised position in Fig. 2. The Figures further intimate a prime mover 32 which caters for displace¬ ment of the piston in the cylinder 30.

At its upper region 33, the upwardly directed carrier structure is provided with journals 12a, 12b for the lifting arm arrangement 1. In the embodiment shown on the drawings, this comprises two arms 15a, 15b each journalled in their one end in the journals 12a, 12b and each merging at their other ends in anchorage devices 10a, 10b for a sling 40 which passes from the one arm to the other arm. Both of the arms are provided with sling connection points 11a, 11b which are laterally displaced in relation to one another and in which the sling passes into the anchorage devices, and from which the sling depends down¬ wardly when the lifting apparatus is not being used. As a rule, the anchorage devices are provided with positional fixing members (not shown on the drawings), for example button-like means for fixedly retaining the sling in the adjusted position. Hereby, the size of the sling which interconnects the sling connecting points will be regulat^¬ ed. As a rule, the sling is upholstered in that region 41 which is located outside the anchorage devices 10a, 10b.

The arms 15a, 15b are provided with journals 18a, 18b, hereinafter generally designated upper journals, in which a support member 16 connects the arms to a drive body 17 which is displaceable in a path along the longitudinal direction of the upwardly directed carrier structure. The connection between the support member 16 and the drive body 17 consists of a journal 19, hereinafter generally designated lower journal.

In the Figures, the support member 16 is shown, in one embodiment, in which it has the form of a fork and is composed of a lower region 13 formed by a single arm which merges into an upper region 50 composed of two arms 14a, 14b, forming the fork of the support member. In the transitional region between the upper and lower portions of the support member, the support member is inclined at an angle such that its lower portion makes a smaller angle with the vertical than its upper portion. It will be obvious to a person skilled in this art that corresponding properties of the support member will, in certain practical applications, be achieved in that the support member is of arched/bent configuration. Since the lower portion of the support member makes a relatively small angle with the vertical, it will be ensured that the drive body 17 can be displaced downwardly to a position close to the chassis of the lifting apparatus without coming into contact with the knee support 23.

When the lifting apparatus is put into use, the feet of a patient are placed on the foot support 22. The sling (the harness) 40 is passed under the arms of the patient and behind the back of the patient, the length of the sling being adapted to the bodily size of the patient. In such instance, the lifting apparatus is disposed in the initial position corresponding to the position illustrated in Fig. 1. The drive body 17 is displaced by drive means (not shown on the drawing) in the longitudinal direction of the carrier structure, whereby the arms 15a, 15b are rotated in the journals 12a, 12b. The prime mover 32 is also operational, implying that the upwardly directed carrier structure is extended, which in turn implies that its upper region 33 is displaced upwardly in the Figure. As a result of the combined displacement of the support member 16 and the upper region 33 of the carrier structure, the anchorage devices 10a, 10b (and therewith the sling connection points 11a, 11b) describe an upwardly directed movement towards the rear side of the apparatus, bringing the patient to a standing position. At this instance, the sling connection points are, as a rule, displaced to a position substantially straight above the foot support, making it easier for the patient to stand upright.

By adapting the speed of displacement of the drive body 17 to the speed of extension of the carrier structure, the configuration of that path described by the sling connection 11a, lib of the anchorage devices 10 will be controlled. In certain practical applications, for example the movement of the drive body 17 and/or the extension of the carrier structure is caused to cease for shorter or longer time intervals in order to ensure a displacement of the sling connection points in a path which entails that those forces with which the sling acts upon the patient will, to the greatest possible extent, displace the patient in a path which approximates that pattern of movement displayed by a healthy person on movement from the sitting to the standing position. It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the above-described lifting apparatus encompasses embodiments in which nursing staff will be given the possibility of adapting the path of movement of the sling connecting points to accommodate the physical constitution and particular handicaps of any given patient. In certain embodiments, separate drive means are employed for displacement of the drive body and for extension of the carrier structure, while, in other embodiments, a common drive means is employed. As a rule, a higher speed is selected for displacement of the drive body than for exten¬ sion of the carrier structure.

The above detailed description has referred to but a limited number of embodiments of the present invention, but it will be readily perceived by the person skilled in this art that the present invention encompas¬ ses a large number of embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of raising a patient from a sitting to a substantially upright position by means of a lifting apparatus comprising a lifting arm arrangement (1) which, by means of journals (12a,12b), is connected to an upper region (33) of an upwardly directed carrier structure and is provided with laterally disposed and mutually spaced connecting points (11a, lib) for a sling (40) suitable for supporting and/or carrying the patient when the lifting arm arrangement, at least during a part of the raising of the patient, is rotated in said journals for displacement of the connecting points (11a, lib) upwardly in a path constituting a portion in a circle periphery whose centre is in an axis through the journals (12a, 12b), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that in connection with raising of the patient, the upper region (33) is spatially displaced upwardly.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the upper portion (33) is displaced upwardly during but part of displacement of the sling connecting points (11a, lib) in the path whose centre is in the axis through the journals (12a, 12b).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the upper region (33) describes a part of the upwardly- directed displacement, at the same time as the sling connecting points (11a, lib) are located in a stationary position in the path with a centre in the axis through the journals (12a, 12b).

4. A lifting apparatus for a patient, comprising an upwardly directed carrier structure (3) disposed on a chassis (2), the construction being provided with a lifting arm arrangement (1) which projects outwardly from the carrier structure, in which the lifting arm arrangement is provided with at least one anchorage device (10a, 10b) for fixedly retaining a sling (40) suitable for supporting and/or carrying the patient, in which the lifting arm arrangement includes mechanical devices (15) which are provided with laterally disposed and mutually spaced-apart sling connecting points (11a, lib) in which the sling connects with the lifting arm arrangement, in which the mechanical devices are rotatably connected to the carrier structure (3) in journals (12a, 12b) about which said mechanical devices are rotary for upward displacement of the sling connecting points in connection with raising and/or lifting of the patient, in which the sling connecting points describe, in the just-mentioned displacement, a path in relation to the journals constituting a part of a circular periphery whose centre is in an axis through the journals (12a, 12b) and in which the journals are disposed in an upper region (33) of the upwardly directed carrier structure (3), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the upper region (33) is movable in relation to the chassis (2); a n d t h a t drive means (32) are provided for displacing, in con¬ nection with raising and/or lifting of the patient, the upper region (33) in an upwardly directed path.

5. The lifting apparatus as claimed in claim 4, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the upper region (33) is disposed, on raising and/or lifting of the patient, to describe a movement which is upwardly directed in relation to the chassis only during a part of the displacement of the sling connecting points along said arcuate line.

6. The lifting apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the upper region (33) is disposed to describe a part of the movement which is upwardly directed in relation to the chassis (2), without simultaneous displacement of the sling connecting points (11a, lib) in the arcuate line with its centre in the journals (12a, 12b).

7. The lifting apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4-6 c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the carrier structure (3) includes a drive body (17) vertically displaceable along a path and being, via a support member (16), connected to the mechanical devices (15) in order, on displacement of the drive body, to rotate the mechanical devices about the journals (12a, 12b) for displacement of the sling connecting points (11a, lib) in said arcuate line with a centre in said journals (12a, 12b).

8. The lifting apparatus as claimed in claim 7, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the drive body (17) is disposed, on raising and/or l fting of the patient, to be displaced in its path at a higher speed than the remaining movable part (33) of the carrier structure.

9. The lifting apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4-8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the chassis (2) is provided with wheels (21) which are preferably lockable.

10. The lifting apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4-9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the chassis (2) is provided with a foot support (22) disposed to be fixed in relation to the chassis and dimensioned so as to support the patient in the raised position.

11. The lifting apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4-10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the lifting apparatus (1) includes a knee support (33) with a substantially vertical abutment surface (24).

12. The lifting apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4-11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the drive body (17) is disposed to assume, in its lowermost position, a position between the carrier structure (3) and the knee support (23).

13. The lifting apparatus as claimed in claim 12, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the support member (16) is of bent or elbow configuration in order, in its position most proximal the drive body (17), to be of substantially vertical direction, making possible the displacement of the drive body (17) to its lowermost position between the carrier structure (3) and the knee support (23).