A restraint comprises a multiplicity of flexible bubbles which are encased in an air-tight envelope of film material. The bubbles are soft, having a Shore A Durometer rating of 10 or less. When air inside the envelope is withdrawn, the restraint molds to the shape of the animate or inanimate object which it surrounds. The restraint becomes surprising rigid but remains soft and pliable. Another embodiment of the invention is particularly designed as an infant carrier.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 06/910,682, filed Sept. 23, 1986 now abandoned.
This invention relates to a technique for protecting a body, animate or inanimate, during transit.
The problem is to provide a soft cushioned environment or enclosure for objects or people which vary in size and shape. Broadly, the approach is to provide a carrier or mat which can be shaped at the point of use to conform, more or less, to the object or person being handled. More specifically, the invention uses flexible bubbles encased in an impermeable film material which allows the device to mold to the shape of the object it encloses affording a protective cushion as air is evacuated from the device. Because the bubbles are themselves soft, the device remains soft even when the air is evacuated from the envelope containing the bubbles.
When manufactured in vacuum mat application, this invention protects animate and inanimate objects which need special care in transfer and handling. The device may be disposable or reuseable.
When manufactured as an infant restraint with the addition of a built in backboard, and used with either a basic closure or a harness, the device of this invention becomes a protective environment for premature infants, neonates and other types of patients. As such, this invention has application as a transport restraint and as a medical restraint for invasive and noninvasive procedures. The transparent material allows the constant visual monitoring of skin color of the limbs and the open center allows access to the trunk, head, neck and groin of the patient for emergency medical procedures. Other advantages of this invention include a thermal insulating quality, due to the cellular inner construction of the device, which helps maintain body temperature. As a patient handling device, it reduces the amount of direct handling required in caring for the patient, thereby reducing exposure of the patient to hospital acquired infections and reducing other patient complications resulting from handling stress. In addition, the same properties which provide thermal insulation also provide sound deadening properties which reduces patient stress from noise exposure. The built in backboard of the infant restraint makes anti-shock positioning possible, i.e. the patient's feet can be placed above the heart and head.
Optional pockets on the center bladder in the upper right and left side may contain a continuous loop recording of the mother's body sounds and voice to soothe an infant. Another pocket may contain a dosimeter for X-rays as the transparent properties of the device allows X-rays and other similar tests of the infant while in the restraint system.
With some minor adaptation, the device of this invention can be used to transport and restrain infant airplane passengers
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved technique for handling and/or transporting animate and inanimate objects.
A more specific object of this invention is to provide a body cushioning device comprising a multiplicity of soft gas filled bubbles enclosed in an impermeable evacuable membrane. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more fully apparent as this description continues, reference being made to the accompanying drawings and appended claims.
Massage and relief bandage device for persons vulnerable to bedsores (decuibitus ulcer), having a bag device of a flexible material, particularly cloth, which is filled with foamed plastic beads. The cloth material is a porous material, permeable to air, and the bag device has a plurality of chambers divided by non-filled parts that extend to the edges of the bandage device. The amount of filling material in the chambers is low to allow displacement of the granular material without particular outside pressure.
This invention relates to a chafing device for obese individuals having a plurality of tubular body portions with air holes therethrough; a plurality of webbed portions connecting said plurality of tubular body portions, respectively, and fasteners for fastening the shield between rubbing parts of the individuals so as to minimize chafing between the rubbing parts and permit passage of air through the air holes.
A supporting device (1) such as, for instance, a cushion, comprising a space (3) formed by a flexible envelope (2) and filled with a plurality of elements (4). The elements (4) in the space (3) are movable relative to each other and each consist of a gas-filled, flexible and thin-walled covering of gastight design, so that the elements are deformable for distributing a load over the supporting device. The covering of a number of elements is manufactured from at least substantially nonelastic material. These elements are each filled with the gas for 50-98 percent of their maximum volume and have a volume of from 10 cm.sup.3 to 100 cm.sup.3.
A combined long spine board and vacuum mattress device is disclosed that is designed to extricate, immobilize, and transport accident victims in emergency situations in which potential spinal injury is suspected. The superior extrication features of a rigid board are combined with the improved comfort and immobilization attributes of vacuum splint technology in a single device. Large wing vacuum mattresses that partially enclose the chest to knee region of a patient and small wings used to secure the patient's head are attached to the main vacuum mattress. Vacuum mattresses are airtight, flexible casings containing small beads and air. Evacuating these mattresses creates a semi-rigid bed conforming to the patient's body which immobilizes the patient in relative comfort. The large wings fold under the narrow main vacuum mattress/rigid board to present a narrow profile for extrication maneuvers. The full length rigid board facilitates extrication and transport.
Emergency support for stabilization of individual limbs or body parts for transport or for performance of surgical-treatment measures, including a granulate-filled cushion (1) which is provided with a valve (2) for purposes of alternating evacuation and filling, and which allows at least partial surrounding of the limb or body part, made of two lengths of airtight flexible material which are connected on their edges, in which within the cushion interior which contains the granulate there are chokes (7) to prevent the free flow of granulate and the cushion in the middle area of its outer surface which faces away from the body after application is provided with a Velcro strip border (8) as part of a Velcro-pile connector, for fixation on a solid structure. The cushion on the inside and on the outside is provided with Velcro or pile spots (9, 10) of a Velcro-pile connector for fastening of another auxiliary element provided with a corresponding opposite border, especially a chin support and/or the filter system of a respirator.
