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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to devices having utility in the health
care industry. More particularly, it relates to a device that enables a
patient to lie face down without turning of the neck by supporting the
patient's face about its periphery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a person is lying in the prone position, i.e., on the stomach, the
head is normally turned to one side so that breathing is not inhibited by
the pillow or other object that supports the head. However, a patient
recovering from neck or back injury or surgery may not be able to
comfortably turn his or her head to the side when lying on the stomach.
This can cause a serious problem, especially if the patient cannot rest
comfortably on his or her back.
Means are needed, therefore, that will enable a person whose head cannot be
turned comfortably to lie on his or her stomach while awake or sleeping
without inhibiting the breathing process.
Several pillow-like devices have been developed and patented that
facilitate face down breathing. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 5,095,569 to Glenn, 5,044,026 to Matthews, and 4,908,893 to Smit.
Foreign patents disclosing special pillows include United Kingdom patent
Nos. 1,048,632 and 1,199,533. A common shortcoming of all of these devices
is that they do not stabilize the neck and head of the person using them.
Thus, they may be suitable for use by uninjured people, but they cannot be
relied upon by people with injured necks who require a stable support
surface. More specifically, the earlier devices were designed to allow
substantially unrestricted breathing of an uninjured individual sleeping
in the prone position, but such devices were not designed to prevent the
sleeping individual from moving his or her head and neck during sleep.
In view of the prior art as a whole at the time the present invention was
made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill how the limitations of
the prior art devices could be overcome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The longstanding but heretofore unfulfilled need for a device that enables
face down breathing when the head cannot be turned, and which supports the
head in such a way that it will not turn, is now met. The device includes
a face-receiving frame that is padded about its periphery to comfortably
support the periphery of a patient's face, and a rigid, convex open mesh
means is connected to the frame to space the patient's face above a
support surface while permitting airflow so that the patient may breath
without restriction.
A base member having an adjustable effective height is adjustably connected
to the frame and is disposed beneath the patient's chest to hold the frame
against movement when in use. But for the base, the frame would rock due
to the convex shape of the open mesh means which overlies the support
surface when the device is in use.
More particularly, the novel medical device includes a frame having a size
and shape that substantially conforms to a human face and a rigid convex
open mesh means attached to said frame. A cushioning means is disposed in
overlying relation to said frame but not to said open mesh means so that
the periphery of a persons's face may rest atop said cushioning means in
the substantial absence of discomfort.
The novel device further includes a cushioned, transversely extending base
of adjustable height, and an adjustable interconnecting means for
interconnecting said frame and said base so that a person using said
device overlies said base to hold the frame against movement, so that the
convexity spaces the patient's face above the support surface upon which
the device is positioned, so that airflow to the patient is not
substantially restricted, and so that the patient's neck and head are
immobilized by the device.
The primary object of this invention is to advance the art of health care
by providing a device that enables neck or back patients to lie face down
without turning their head and without restricting breathing.
A more specific object is to provide such a device in an inexpensive manner
so that it is economical to manufacture and affordable to consumers.
Another very important object is to provide a head and neck supporting
device that enables a patient with a neck injury to sleep through the
night without fear of experiencing pain from neck movement.
These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the
invention will become apparent as this description proceeds.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,
combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified
in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention
will be indicated in the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,
reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in
connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the top or inside of an exemplary
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof;
FIG. 3 is an end view thereof;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view thereof; and
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIG. 1, it will there be seen that an illustrative
embodiment of the invention is denoted as a whole by the reference numeral
10.
Support device 10, to be sold commercially under the trademark REST-EZ
medical appliance, includes a frame 12, a base 14, and a slidable,
adjustable interconnecting means 16 to provide spatial adjustment between
frame 12 and base 14.
More specifically, frame 12 includes an oval or face-shaped metal or
plastic frame 12A that is covered by a padding means 18 such as sponge
material, foam rubber, or other suitable cushioning means. A rigid open
mesh screen 20, also made of metal or plastic, is formed integrally with
the frame and has a convex configuration as depicted in the Figure. Note
that in this particular embodiment, there are five generally convex
members, collectively denoted 22, that extend transversely and a plurality
of longitudinally aligned, straight brace members, collectively denoted
24, that serve as brace means. Brace members 24 serve to enhance the
structural integrity of the device.
Metal or plastic base 14 includes an inflatable accordion pleated bellows
26, as best understood in connection with FIGS. 3-5. The bellows include
valves, not shown, so that they are orally inflatable in the well-known
way. Pads 28, 28, provide padding for opposite sides of base 14.
A pair of generally diagonally disposed brace members, collectively denoted
30, are positioned at opposite sides of base 14; brace members 30 serve to
stabilize the bellows 26 as the patient lies thereatop. Each brace has a
first end that is pivotally secured to base 14 as depicted, and a slotted
second end that receives a pin and which slides with respect thereto as
the bellows expands and contracts, thereby increasing and decreasing the
effective height of base 14, respectively. The bellows does not expand and
contract after it has been inflated to a preselected inflation.
It should be understood that all mechanical means for adjusting the
effective height of base 14 are within the scope of this invention, i.e.,
the bellows arrangement is one among many mechanical means for
accomplishing the desired adjustment.
Connecting means 16 includes a pair of parallel, longitudinally aligned
rods which are clamped as at 24A, 24B to two of the earlier-mentioned
longitudinal brace members 24. The inboard part of each clamp securely
grips the generally "U" shaped part of the frame as perhaps best
understood in connection with FIG. 2, but the respective outboards parts
thereof slidingly engage their associated longitudinal braces 24 so that
the distance between the frame and base may be adjusted as indicated by
the double-headed directional arrow in FIG. 2.
To use device 10, as best understood in connection with FIG. 5, the patient
lies down with his or her face down and positioned within frame 12. The
patient's chest overlies base 14 so that frame 12 cannot rock or otherwise
move in any direction. The convexity of the open mesh 20 spaces the
patient's face upwardly of the support surface upon which device 10 is
positioned by a distance sufficient to not inhibit airflow to the patient,
i.e., the curvature of open mesh 20 is sufficient to space the patient's
nose above the support surface.
Interconnecting means 16 is also preferably formed of rigid material and,
being adjustable as previously described, allows the patient to adjust the
spacing between frame 12 and base 14 until the most comfortable spacing is
found. Similarly, the effective height of base 14 is adjusted by inflation
or deflation of the bellows until the most comfortable height of the base
is determined.
The frame and other components may be constructed of any suitably rigid,
preferably light-in-weight material and could take numerous other
structural forms, all which are within the scope of this invention.
Moreover, the REST-EZ medical device could be supplied in adult and
pediatric sizes.
Note that facial support padding 18 is open at the sides thereof as at 18A
and 18B to allow the patient's face to turn in either direction as well as
straight down. Padding 18 does not interfere with the patient's nose
during these variations in head positions.
A patient using this device may breath without restriction while in the
prone position and sleep or rest without being disturbed by pain arising
from head or neck movement. The weight of the patient's body immobilizes
the device and the device immobilizes the patient's head and neck.
This invention is clearly new and useful. Moreover, it was not obvious to
those of ordinary skill in this art at the time it was made.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made
apparent by the preceding description, are efficiently attained and since
certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing
from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained
in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall
be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover
all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein
described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a
matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
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