Medical isolation transport system—MITS

Abstract

A flexible rapid deployable system that may be used create an isolated space within a medical transport vehicle for use when transporting infected or contaminated patients, including a flexible tent-like liner that creates a room inside the vehicle where both the patient and medical personnel can be isolated and that isolates contaminants within and a filtration system capable of producing the required air flow to maintain a negative pressurized isolated environment, sized to effectively accomplish this for the isolated cubic space.

Claims

1. A medical isolation transport system comprising: a collapsible flexible liner, having a top, a floor, walls, and a closable entry point, sized and tailored to fit inside and line an interior of a medical emergency transport vehicle while all doors of said medical emergency transport vehicle are closed, wherein at least one of the top and the walls of the collapsible flexible liner contact the interior of the medical emergency transport vehicle; wherein said collapsible flexible liner, including said top, said floor, said walls, and said closable entry point, is configured as a medical isolation chamber in said interior of said medical emergency transport vehicle while said doors of said medical emergency transport vehicle are closed and said medical emergency transport vehicle is moving, said closable entry point sized to permit entry and exit of a patient and medical personnel; an air circulation system configured to create negative pressure in an interior of said medical isolation chamber, said air circulation system comprising a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) medical filtration system; said medical isolation transport system including make-up air vents located in the at least one of the top and the walls of the collapsible flexible liner and configured to allow heated or cooled air to flow from HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) ducts of the medical emergency transport vehicle into the medical isolation chamber; a support system sufficient to maintain said collapsible flexible liner in an erected state notwithstanding said negative pressure in said interior of said medical isolation chamber; and said support system comprising a plurality of integral inflatable support tubes located and arranged to support the top and walls of said collapsible flexible liner against a force of said negative pressure in said interior of said medical isolation chamber.

2. The medical isolation transport system according to claim 1, wherein said collapsible flexible liner is sized to permit both the patient and the medical personnel to be in said medical emergency transport vehicle while said medical emergency transport vehicle is moving, but isolated from a driver's cabin and/or other areas in the medical emergency transport vehicle outside the flexible liner.

3. A medical isolation transport system comprising: a collapsible flexible liner, having a top, a floor, walls, and a closable entry point, sized and tailored to fit inside and line an interior of a medical emergency transport vehicle while all doors of said medical emergency transport vehicle are closed, wherein said collapsible flexible liner, including said top, said floor, said walls, and said closable entry point, is configured as a medical isolation chamber in said interior of said medical emergency transport vehicle while said doors of said medical emergency transport vehicle are closed and said medical emergency transport vehicle is moving, said closable entry point sized to permit entry and exit of a patient and medical personnel; an air circulation system configured to create negative pressure in an interior of said medical isolation chamber, said air circulation system comprising a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) medical filtration system; said medical isolation transport system including make-up air vents configured to be placed adjacent HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) ducts of the medical emergency transport vehicle allowing heated or cooled air to flow from the medical emergency transport vehicle into the medical isolation chamber; a support system sufficient to maintain said collapsible flexible liner in an erected state notwithstanding said negative pressure in said interior of said medical isolation chamber; and said support system comprising a plurality of integral inflatable support tubes located and arranged to support the top and walls of said collapsible flexible liner against a force of said negative pressure in said interior of said medical isolation chamber.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The subsequent description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention refers to the attached drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flexible tent-like liner with inflatable support tubes, inflation, and air circulation/filtration systems, according to an embodiment of the invention

(3) FIG. 2 is a rear view of an embodiment of the MITS of the invention deployed inside of a standard ambulance/rescue squad vehicle.

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the MITS of the invention deployed inside of a standard ambulance/rescue squad vehicle.

(5) FIG. 4 is a rear view of another embodiment of the MITS of the invention deployed inside of a standard ambulance/rescue squad vehicle.

(6) FIG. 5 is cut-away cross-section view of an embodiment of the MITS of the invention deployed inside of a standard ambulance/rescue squad vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) Referring to the figures, an exemplary MITS according to the invention may have the following components: Flexible tent like liner made to fit into and create a treatment-space enclosure inside an emergency vehicle; A separate or integrated structure system to maintain the tented space At least one zippered entrance A filtration system capable of producing the required air flow to maintain a negative pressurized isolated environment, sized to effectively accomplish this for the isolated cubic space.

(8) The MITS is a flexible cost effective system to create an isolated space within a medical transport vehicle. The system is easily deployed and installed within minutes within the vehicle. The liner allows for a stretcher to be placed and locked for safe transport. The system will allow for medical personnel to be with the patient in a controlled environment. The isolated environment ensures safety to others as well as protecting the vehicle from contamination, which reduces the need for costly and time consuming decontamination. The system will make it possible to transport contaminated patients and contain the hazards associated with doing so. The MITS is compact and lightweight when stored. Most if not all of the liner system will be made with clear materials, allowing light form the vehicle to illuminate the isolated environment. Make-Up Air vent(s) will be placed near the vehicle HVAC ducts so heated or cooled air can flow from the vehicle into the isolated tent like negative pressure environment. The integrated and sealed floor will be capable of containing bodily or other spilled fluids. The mechanical systems consisting of the filtration system and, in the case of the preferred embodiment, an inflator system to erect the tubular structure will be reusable. The tent like isolated environment will be deemed disposable. Connections between the transport isolation room and the filtration system as well as the air hoses for the inflatable support structure in the preferred embodiment will be with flexible ducting and hoses allowing for easy placement of the filtration system and the air pump.