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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to medical equipment, and more
particularly to a novel protective covering that prevents the spread of
infection by gurneys and other nonsterile patient bearing structures.
Medical facilities utilize gurneys and other various stationary and mobile
patient bearing structures, such as carts, beds, and tables, to examine
and/or transport patients within the facility. Infectious biological
fluids, for example, blood and mucus, inevitably accumulate on such
patient bearing structures, thereby increasing susceptibility to infection
for occupants, as well as for medical practitioners and facility
personnel.
Emergency room gurneys are particularly vulnerable to contamination.
Emergency rooms must accommodate a high volume of patients and, as a
practical matter, emergency room gurneys are seldom washed yet are
continually occupied by patients who are often bleeding or discharging
other potentially infectious biological fluids. Emergency room gurney
railings provide an especially high risk for infection because such
railings are often chronically contaminated with dried infectious
biological fluids, which may then be communicated to the medical facility
staff.
Fresh linen is typically placed onto mattresses of patient bearing
structures prior to each new patient's occupancy thereof, but washing or
cleaning of patient bearing structures is considerably less frequent.
Manual cleaning often consumes valuable nursing time and also removes the
patient bearing structure from service for an extended period of time.
Chemicals and other materials necessary for cleaning generate additional
expenses. Further, manual cleaning is not sufficiently reliable because
contaminated stains are seldom completely eliminated, and thus the risk of
transferring pathogens still exists.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aforesaid problems are solved, in accordance with a preferred
constructed embodiment of the present invention, by a protective cover for
a patient bearing structure. The cover is made of a flexible, fluid
impervious material and may be provided with an absorbent pad thereon. The
cover is adapted to conform to the shape and configuration of the patent
bearing structure.
In further accordance with the present invention, the cover is provided
with flaps to accommodate raising or lowering of one or more patent
bearing structure railings without creating stress on the cover. The cover
is attached to each railing by an attachment means, such as adhesive
strips, which allow for selective attachment or detachment of the cover to
each railing.
The present invention will be more fully understood upon reading the
following detailed description of the preferred embodiment in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a gurney prior to attachment of a protective cover
thereon;
FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the flat protective cover, in
accordance with the present invention, prior to attachment onto the
gurney;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the protective cover disposed about the
gurney wherein side railings of said gurney are in a raised position;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrow 4 of
FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the protective cover secured to the gurney
wherein one side railing is in a lowered position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a gurney 10 illustrates one
application where the instant invention has particular utility. The gurney
10 is of conventional construction and comprises a mattress 12, a pair of
side railings 14 and 16, a head end railing 18, and a foot end railing 20.
In accordance with the present invention, and as seen in FIGS. 2-5, a
protective cover 22 is disposed about the gurney 10 so as to minimize
transfer of potentially infectious biological fluids, e.g., blood and
mucus, onto the gurney 10. The cover 22 is made of a flexible, fluid
impervious material, for example, a thin, transparent polymer membrane. As
best seen in FIG. 4, the cover 22 is preferably provided with an absorbent
pad 24, which is integrated onto a base portion 26 thereof.
As best seen in FIG. 2, the cover 22 is preferably manufactured as a
singular flat sheet and roughly configured but larger than the dimensions
of the gurney 10. As seen in FIGS. 3-5, the base portion 26 of the cover
22, with the absorbent pad 24 attached thereon, extends over the surface
of the gurney mattress 12. A pair of side portions 28 and 30 of the cover
22 overlie the inner surface of each side railing 14 and 16, respectively.
Similarly, a head end portion 32 and a foot end portion 34 of the cover 22
overlie the inner surfaces of the head end railing 18 and the foot end
railing 20, respectively.
The side and end portions 28, 30, 32 and 34 of the cover 22 are each folded
about an uppermost end of each corresponding railing 14, 16, 18 and 20,
respectively, thereby defining an outer attachment end 36, 38, 40, and 42,
respectively, on the outer surface of each railing 14, 16, 18, and 20. The
outer attachment ends 36, 38, 40 and 42 protect at least a portion of the
outside surfaces of the railings 14, 16, 18, and 20 from contamination.
Each outer attachment end 36, 38, 40 and 42 of the cover 22 is provided
with an attachment means, e.g. a plurality of adhesive strips 44. The
adhesive strips are utilized to periodically attach or detach the cover 22
to the outer surface of each railing 14, 16, 18 and 20 of the gurney 10,
as desired.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the cover 22
is provided with corner flaps 46, 48, 50 and 52, respectively, which serve
to contiguously connect each side portion 28 and 30 of the cover 22 with
each corresponding adjacent end portion 32 and 34 of cover 22. When the
cover 22 is secured to the gurney 10, the flaps 46, 48, 50 and 52 provide
excess material in the respective corners of the cover 22, thereby
alleviating stress on the cover 22 when one or more gurney railings 14,
16, 18 and 20 are raised or lowered, as seen in FIGS. 4-5. As best seen in
FIG. 2, the corner flaps 46, 48, 50 and 52 each preferably have a membrane
boundary defined by a substantially straight line extending between the
uppermost edge of each side portion, e.g. 28, and the uppermost edge of
each corresponding adjacent end portion, e.g. 34.
It is noted that the number of side portions, end portions, and flaps of
the cover can be manufactured responsive to the number of corresponding
railings present on the gurney. Each side or end portion present on the
cover is provided with excess membrane material in the form of a flap. In
operation, the flaps accommodate raising or lowering of each railing
without tearing the cover or requiring the cover to be unfastened.
Further, the advantages and features of the present invention are
similarly applicable to other types of patient bearing structures,
including but not limited to, carts, tables, beds, and the like.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it
should be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of modification
without departing from the scope of the following claims.
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