Compact Treatment, Examination and Waiting Station

Abstract

A device that adapts/upgrades an existing, or new medical facility to provide a method of examining and treating occupants in a safe, efficient manner which is one quarter the size of conventional examination and treatment spaces through the use of a system that utilizes a modular frame and compartments to organize medical utilities, services and equipment to be more space efficient than conventional examination and treatment spaces. The frame and compartments have a shaped surface that focuses acoustic energy to increase intelligibility between a caregiver and the occupant and at the same time reduce ambient acoustic energy propagation. Additionally, the device can be disassembled, moved and reassembled easily. Further, the surface over the compartments creates a safety barrier between expensive and delicate utilities that mitigates tampering, accidental damage and reduces the possibility of infectious disease transmission.

Claims

1-24. (canceled)

25. A compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station disposed in a first location within a building, the station comprising: a frame assembly that is releasably attachable to a floor and wall or ceiling of the building and is selectively movable as a unit to a second location within the building or can be disassembled into components for relocation and reassembly, the frame assembly further comprising a plurality of cooperatively assembled frame members, poles, ribs, and struts; and a plurality of modular compartments releasably attachable to the frame assembly, wherein the frame assembly and modular compartments further comprise connection points for medical equipment and medical utilities at positions convenient for utilization by a medical care giver and provide accessible storage space for medical supplies and for personal amenities of an occupant.

26. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein medical equipment includes physiological monitoring equipment.

27. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein the frame assembly and modular compartments comprise outlets for AC and DC electrical power and internet access.

28. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein the medical utilities are selected from the group consisting of pressurized oxygen, suction, and treated natural air (medical air).

29. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein at least one of the modular compartments further comprises a door selectively controlling access to at least one of the medical utilities, medical equipment, or medical supplies.

30. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein the modular compartments are shaped to attenuate sound between an occupant in the station and an occupant in an adjacent station.

31. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein the modular compartments are shaped to focus speech passing between an occupant and another person present in the station.

32. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 further comprising at least one side wall divider proximal to the occupant, wherein the side wall divider supports controls for medical equipment or medical utilities selected from the group consisting of lights, nurse call alerts, 110-volt power, direct current power, USB power, television and internet.

33. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 32 wherein the at least one sidewall divider comprises piezo-electric glass.

34. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein the modular compartments comprise solid side walls.

35. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein the modular compartments comprise no side wall divider.

36. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein the medical equipment comprises I.V. pumps and computer terminal support arms.

37. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 32, wherein the at least one side wall divider further comprises a pull-down storage shelf.

38. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein the modular compartments comprise medical equipment, medical utilities and medical supplies useful in at least one of an emergency department, outpatient clinic, industrial medicine, and infusion service.

39. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein the frame assembly further comprises at least one component part useful for selectively positioning at least one of the medical utilities, medical equipment or medical supplies.

40. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein the frame assembly can be assembled to define spaces at least 5 feet wide and 7 feet 6 inches deep and can be expanded to adjust to dimensions from 5 feet wide to 8 feet wide and from 7 feet 6 inches deep to 10 feet deep.

41. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 in combination with a chair in which the occupant can recline and await or receive medical treatment inside the station.

42. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein the frame assembly comprises a plurality of selectively engageable, intersecting ribs and struts that cooperate to support the modular compartments to achieve desired dimensions, shape and acoustic properties for the station.

43. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 40 wherein the frame assembly further comprises at least one filler panel for use in adapting the frame assembly to fit various as-built widths in new or existing facilities.

44. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 comprising readily cleanable, smooth and durable materials selected from the group consisting of metal, dense wood product and dense plastic.

45. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 further comprising a modular compartment for temporary storage of waste.

46. The compact medical treatment and examination station of claim 25 wherein the frame assembly and modular compartments cooperate to focus sound in a desired direction.

47. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein the modular compartments comprise doors that cooperate to create a series of surfaces each angled to reflect acoustic energy to a similar point in space.

48. The compact medical treatment, examination and waiting station of claim 25 wherein at least one modular compartment comprises a lockable door to restrict access to at least one of medical equipment, medical supplies or medications.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the entire device

[0013] FIG. 2 is a side view of the device in the preferred configuration showing focused sound reflection from a caregiver to the surface of the frame to the seated occupant.

[0014] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the device in the preferred configuration as in FIG. 2 with reflected sound from the occupant focused to the floor outside the device.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a side view of another alternative embodiment of FIG. 2

[0016] FIG. 5 is a side view of another alternative embodiment of FIG. 2

[0017] FIG. 6 is a side view of another alternative embodiment of FIG. 2

[0018] FIG. 7 is a partial oblique view of the sidewall illustrating the pivoting device used to secure the computer tablet to the frame.

[0019] FIG. 8 is an oblique view of the structural support of the frame, the compartment configuration and shaping of frame surfaces and adaptation of the frame width to various sized environments.

[0020] FIG. 9 is an oblique view of attaching the struts to the ribs of the frame which allows for disassembly and reassembly.

REFERENCE NUMBERS IN THE DRAWINGS

[0021] 1 Frame [0022] 2 Typical modular compartment made of highly cleanable/seamless easily cleanable material [0023] 3 Modular compartment slide-up doors for. EKG and medical equipment compartment [0024] 4 Modular compartment door for medical supplies and gloves [0025] 5 Modular compartment door for compartment medical supplies [0026] 6 Modular compartment door for compartment medical supplies [0027] 7 Modular compartment door for occupant belongings [0028] 8 Modular compartment door for waste [0029] 9 Modular compartment door for device electronics [0030] 10 gloves container [0031] 11 tilt-down medical supply storage [0032] 12 Lights controlled by 18, 30, 31 [0033] 13 piezo electric glass switchable from clean to opaque for visual and acoustic privacy [0034] 14 Support pole [0035] 15 attachment to floor, ceiling and wall for stability [0036] 16 Outlets for 110 v, USB power [0037] 17 Pull-down occupant table [0038] 18 Control for lights [0039] 19 Infectious disease control surface [0040] 20 Occupant in reclining chair [0041] 21 Caregiver [0042] 22 Reflected sound waves [0043] 23 surface of frame reflecting sound [0044] 24 Floor, ceiling, wall of environment [0045] 25 Range of width of the device [0046] 26 Range of depth of the device [0047] 27 cubicle curtain and ceiling track which is designed to provide visual privacy [0048] 28 4-110 v, 4-USB power outlets [0049] 29 pivot in X and Y axis to adjust computer tablet 30,31 for occupant vision angle [0050] 30 metal security container for computer tablet 31 to protect against theft and damage [0051] 32 DC power for computer tablet 30,31 encased in 33 [0052] 33 side panel for mounting of 16, 17, 18, 28, 29, 30, 31 [0053] 34 AC/DC power from wall source to 16 encased in 33 [0054] 35 AC/DC power from wall source to 28 encased in 33 [0055] 36 metal support mullion to secure sidewall 13 to frame 1 [0056] 37 support rib [0057] 38 horizontal struts [0058] 39 ‘L’ brackets machine screwed (40) to 37 and 39 [0059] 40 machine screws used to connect 37, 38 and 39 [0060] 41 filler piece to adjust size

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0061] FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the entire device assembly, the supporting frame 1, its connection to the wall, floor and ceiling 15, the modular compartments 3, 4,5,6,7,8,9; lift doors covering compartments 3. Compartments 3 are located to provide optimum height and size for services such as physiological monitors, nurse sharps container, supplies to be used in conjunction with the physiologic monitors, Pressurized medical gasses: oxygen, vacuum, medical air, extensible exam light; 110 v power for said devices. Compartments 3 all have lift doors that are either manual or motorized to provide safety and protection from infectious diseases. Compartment 4 contains sub-drawers 11 for common medical supplies: bandages, tape, scissors, a locked drawer for controlled medications, three sub drawers for three sizes of gloves 10. Compartments 5, 6 is for back-up medical supplies and future yet to be devised devices and has tilt-down hinged locked doors. Compartment 7 is for occupant personal belongings such as, clothing, computers, mobile devices and has 110 v and USB power within it. Compartment 8 is non-infectious waste and compartment 9 is for infectious waste. Both are protected from occupants by tilt down hinged doors. Piezo electric privacy glass on each side 13 of the frame 1, a typical modular easily cleanable compartment for housing supplies and equipment 2, vertical and lateral stability supports 14, lights 12, that are controlled via a touch-pad, or on a tilt out computer tablet 18, that also displays occupant distraction programs such as educational material or movies. As all contemporary tablets also have a self facing camera and networking capability built in, that same tablet could be used for communication to a translator or other medical providers 18, A pull-down table for occupant belongings such as beverages, mobile devices and small personal items such as keys, wallet 17, Power outlets (110v, USB), emergency call button, network connectors for staff devices 16, specially treated surfaces that are anti-microbial to avoid nosocomial infectious disease transfer to staff and occupants 19, may be achieved by multiple methods utilizing commercially available materials such as copper infused metals, laser etched patterns in dense plastic, near ultraviolet light shining on the surface and area that is high-touch 19, The width of the device is determined by the space required to position a recliner/exam chair and a caregiver in the proper position to conduct medical examinations or procedures which is a minimum of 5 feet to a maximum of 8 feet 25, the depth is determined by providing enough space for a recliner/exam chair to be fully extended horizontally and still have the cubicle curtain close to provide visual privacy to the occupant which is a range of between 7 feet 6 inches to 10 feet. The range of sizes is accomplished through a filler panel added to each side of the frame 41 to adapt to as-built sizes.

[0062] FIG. 2 depicts a side view of the occupant facing surface of the device (the support frame is omitted for clarity) 23, sound waves are shown reflecting from the caregiver 21, to the occupant 20, depicting that sound from the caregiver is effectively focused to the occupant to improve intelligibility and the wall, floor and ceiling are shown as item 24.

[0063] FIG. 3. illustrates how sound from the occupant 20, is reflected towards the floor to attenuate the propagation of sound between occupants 22.

[0064] FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are alternative embodiment examples of different methods of achieving the desirable reflection of acoustic energy 22, from the occupant 20.

[0065] FIG. 7. is a partial view of the sidewall 13 depicting a housing for a pivot-out computer tablet 18,30,31 that is capable of rotating in the ‘X’ and ‘Y’ directions to adjust the computer tablet 18,30,31 to an angle suitable to the occupant.

[0066] FIG. 8. is an oblique angle view of frame 1, illustrating the basic structural system which is a series of ribs 37 separated by struts 38 which are connected by brackets 39 with machine screws 40. Filler panels 41 are used to facilitate the frames ability to adapt to fit various as-built widths in existing and new facilities. Modular compartments are inserted between the ribs to house various medical utilities and services along with occupant amenities as in FIG. 1.

[0067] FIG. 9. is an exploded view of a typical connection at the intersection of the structural ribs and the struts which are joined together by an ‘L’ clip machine screwed together using 37,38,39 and 40.

[0068] Although the preceding description contains significant detail, it should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but rather as providing illustrations of the preferred embodiments of the invention. As an example, acoustic energy features illustrated could take many different forms as in FIGS. 2, 3, 4,5 and 6. Alternative methods of attaching to the existing building and treatment platforms could take many different forms to accomplish the same purpose. The physical shape of the frame may vary to allow for adaption to various medical treatment platforms and construction materials. Such variations would not materially alter the nature of the invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be fixed by the following claims rather than any specific example provided.