Apparatus for assisting in the movement of a body on a surface

Abstract

The present invention relates to a patient transfer apparatus for assisting in the movement of a patient on a supporting surface.

Claims

1. A patient transfer apparatus for assisting in the movement of an immobile patient on a supporting surface, the apparatus comprising: an elongate open-ended tube formed from at least one flexible sheet material such that when it is arranged flattened on the supporting surface it forms first and second tube portions having internal surfaces engaging each other and able to slide over one another; and a plurality of flap portions of the flexible sheet material comprising first upper and lower flap portions and second upper and lower flap portions, the flap portions extending from at least one open end of the open-ended tube, wherein the flexible sheet material is collapsible onto the supporting surface and a first partial circumference at a first end of the elongate open-ended tube extends into the first upper flap portion of the flexible sheet material and a second partial circumference at the first end of the elongate open-ended tube extends into the first lower flap portion of the flexible sheet material, wherein the first lower flap portion of the flexible sheet material extends beyond the first upper flap portion of the flexible sheet material and a third partial circumference at a second end of the elongate open-ended tube extends into the second upper flap portion of the flexible sheet material and a fourth partial circumference at the second end of the elongate open-ended tube extends into the second lower flap portion of the flexible sheet material, and wherein the second upper flap portion of the flexible sheet material extends beyond the second lower flap portion of the flexible sheet material, whereby when collapsed onto the supporting surface the first upper flap portion of the flexible sheet material and second upper flap portion of the flexible sheet material are substantially coplanar and patient-bearing and the first lower flap portion of the flexible sheet material and second lower flap portion of the flexible sheet material are substantially coplanar and supporting surface-bearing such that internal surfaces of the flexible sheet material are slidably engaged in an offset arrangement.

2. A patient transfer apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of the first partial circumference and second partial circumference is arcuate.

3. A patient transfer apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of the third partial circumference and fourth partial circumference is arcuate.

4. A patient transfer apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first upper flap portion of the flexible sheet material and first lower flap portion of the flexible sheet material are separated by a first pair of slits extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate open-ended tube.

5. A patient transfer apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the second upper flap portion of the flexible sheet material and second lower flap portion of the flexible sheet material are separated by a second pair of slits extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate open-ended tube.

6. A patient transfer apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the first and second pair of slits are substantially coplanar.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only in a non-limitative sense with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of slide sheets of the prior art;

(3) FIG. 2 is a series of schematic views showing slide sheets of the prior art in use;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the patient transfer apparatus of the present invention; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective partially expanded view of the embodiment of the patient transfer apparatus of the present invention.

(6) Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a patient transfer apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the invention is provided for assisting the movement of a patient on a bed 22. The patient is typically immobile and unable to move themselves on the bed 22.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) The patient transfer apparatus 20 has an elongate open-ended tube 24 which is an annulus of fabric. The tube 24 is formed from a single sheet of fabric folded to form a folded edge 26 and a bonded edge 28. The bonded edge 28 is formed from two edges of fabric sewn together.

(8) The tube 24 has open ends 30 and 32 where flap portions 34, 36, 38 and 40 are located. At the first open end 30 is a pair of flap portions 34 and 36. The flap portion 34 measured from open end 30 to the outermost edge 42 (D1) is longer than the flap portion 36 measured from the open end 30 to the outermost edge 44 (D2). At the second open end 32 is a pair of flap portions 38 and 40. The flap portion 38 measured from open end 32 to the outermost edge 46 (D3) is longer than the flap portion 40 measured from the open end 32 to the outermost edge 48 (D4).

(9) The flap portions 34, 36, 38 and 40 are arranged such that when the patient transfer apparatus 20 is flattened on a bed 22, the longer flap portion 34 at open end 30 extends from the underneath side and the shorter flap portion 36 at open end 30 extends from the uppermost side. As a result (see FIG. 3), the distance from edges 44 to 48 of the shorter flap portions 36 and 40 is slightly greater than the length of the bed 22 and the longer flap portions 34 and 38 extend further beyond the ends of the bed 22.

(10) To move a patient lying on the bed 22, the patient transfer apparatus 20 is placed underneath the patient (see FIG. 3) such that the edges 44 and 48 are aligned approximately with the head and foot ends of the bed 22 and the edges 26 and 28 are aligned with the long sides of the bed 22. The patient transfer apparatus 20 is positioned such that the edges 26 and 28 of the tube 24 are aligned with the edges of the flap portions 34, 36, 38 and 40. In other words, the edges 26 and 28 extend into the slit between the flap portions 34 and 36 and the flap portions 38 and 40. The shorter flap portion 36 on the uppermost side should be located adjacent the head of the patient and the longer flap portion 38 on the uppermost side should be located adjacent the patient's feet. The patient transfer apparatus 20 can then be used to perform any of the three standard patient movements. These are the lateral slide (where a patient is slid from the bed 22 to a trolley in direction L) and the patient turn (where a patient is turned onto or off their side whilst remaining in approximately the same position on bed 22). Both of these movements involve rotating the patient transfer apparatus 20 about an axis 50 of the tube 24.

(11) In order to move the patient up the bed 22, the slits 35, 39 between the flap portions 34, 36, 38 and 40 allow sufficient movement of the patient transfer apparatus 20 to move the patient in direction U. The corners of the flap portion 36 can be grasped allowing one or more healthcare workers to pull the upper part of the patient transfer apparatus 20.