1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a patient transfer system, and more particularly to a patient lifter device that includes intraoperative controlled heated or cooled air delivery that surrounds a patient resting thereon, maintaining desired body temperature during surgery.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Lateral transfer of patients is often problematic. This is especially the case in operating rooms. Back injuries, as well as a plethora of other injuries, are oftentimes encountered by the person/persons lifting the patient, and generally make up the most common work-related injury to hospital personnel. In addition, during lateral movement the patient is at risk of being dropped, falling or being placed in a way that can result in injury. Air lifters, which are similar to a hovercraft, have been provided to help transfer patients. On many occasions, temperature regulation of patients is required to provide for comfort and to maintain proper body temperature. Various devices have been provided in the way of heating/cooling mattresses for maintaining patient temperature.

Examples of patient support systems and/or transporters include:

U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,776 to Brock discloses a collapsible telescoping stretcher including a plurality of flexible straps attached to the stretcher adapted to tie down the legs and torso of the patient to the stretcher. U.S. Pat. No. 3,644,950 to Lindsay et al. discloses a patient support system. Included with the system is a bed for supporting and treating a hospital patient. U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,073 to Renfroe discloses a patient transporter. U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,777 to Dee discloses a bed support. U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,366 to Sacher discloses a cushion for preventing and alleviating bedsores. U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,851 to Howorth discloses a mattress for use in treating a patient who has undergone extensive surgery or who has been severely burned. U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,425 to Scales discloses an inflatable support appliance. U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,044 to Douglas discloses a fluid support system for a medical patient. U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,009 to Schild et al. discloses a ventilated body support. U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,110 to Stroh discloses a low air loss mattress. U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,560 to Uetake discloses a ventilated air mattress with alternately inflatable air cells having communicated upper and lower air chambers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,539 to Strell discloses a body supporting device such as a mattress, box spring, cushion or car seat having an inner coil spring structure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,589 to Stroh et al. discloses a pressure reduction air mattress and overlay. U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,318 to Loadsman discloses an air cushion support. U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,935 to Nieh discloses a surface air conditioning device including a plurality of passages through a support surface which overlies a closed volume in which temperature conditioned air is supplied; each passage is provided with a pressure-actuated flow control valve which is normally closed to prevent loss of conditioned air through the associated passage. U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,709 to Foster et al. discloses a low air loss mattress with rigid internal bladder and lower air pallet. It is not disposable and is primarily a thick mattress. U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,873 to Weedling discloses an air chamber-type patient mover air pallet with multiple control features. U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,428 to Roter discloses an air pressurized person supporting device with ventilation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,987 to Fujita discloses a decubitus ulcer prevention device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,943 to Moenning et al. discloses a medical table and method for moving a patient from a first position to a second position. This medical table includes a base. U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,291 to Davis discloses an improved inflatable medical patient transfer apparatus having a combination of transverse partition members and a raised perimeter section that reduces deleterious ballooning and uneven inflation as well as quick emergency deflation and provides additional security for a patient supported upon such transfer apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,166 to Sharrock discloses a support cushion for a person in a lateral decubitus position, comprising a base, two lateral structural supports, and a central concavity. U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,576 to Lin discloses the structure of a ventilated mattress with a cooling and warming effect. U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,692 to Augustine et al. discloses a thermal blanket. The blanket lies above the patient, rather than below. U.S. Pat. No. 7,114,204 to Patrick discloses a method and apparatus for transferring patients. U.S. Pat. No. 7,627,910 to Davis discloses a transfer mattress including an upper mattress having three longitudinally oriented plenums and three separate inlet/outlet valves that are each arranged in airflow communication with their respective plenum. U.S. Pat. No. 7,278,179 to Schneider describes an inflatable mat with vent structures controlled by heat sensors. U.S. Pat. No. 7,565,709 to Davis discloses a double-chambered transfer mattress capable of partial deflation, and which includes a top inflatable mattress and a bottom inflatable mattress that are separated by a common wall from one another. U.S. Pat. No. 7,735,164 to Patrick discloses a disposable patient transfer mattress, including a rectangular top sheet, a rectangular bottom sheet, internal baffles, and a receptacle configured to receive a connector for supplying air to inflate the mattress. U.S. Pat. No. 7,914,611 to Vrzalik discloses a support system including a multi-layer cover sheet with a number of layers. U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,555,440 and 9,381,127 to Lewis disclose a dual function patient lifter with temperature control. The lifter is a three-layer construct, formed into a top compartment and a bottom compartment separated by a membrane. U.S. Pub. Pat. App. No. 2008/0000030 to Wang discloses an inflatable mattress designed for more than one body to be supported on its surface. U.S. Pub. Pat. App. No. 2009/0320211 to Lau discloses an inflatable bed assembly having a plurality of inflatable cushion cells disposed on the top of the inflatable bed. Foreign Patent Publication No. JP2002000669 to Masato et al. discloses a bed and chair for nursing and care. The bed or chair is lifted upwards by pumping air into an air pad. “AirMatt—Patient Transfer System” at web location http://www.midmed.com.au/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=2&pid=55& header=1 discloses Airmatt|Lateral Air Transfer System. “AirPal-Patient Air Lift” at web location http://www.airpal.com/manual1.pdf discloses a patient transfer system. “Hover Tech International-HoverMatt” is found at web location http://www.hovermatt.com/. The brochure is available at http://www.hovermatt.com/media_pdf/HoverMatt_Brochure.pdf.

In general, the temperature control and alternating pressure devices previously disclosed are composed of heavy mattresses. Their thick supporting structures are designed for longer-term or continuous usage, and not for the short term, transient application of patient transfer. Except for Lewis, none of the devices provides an inter-operative pad that delivers clean air to lift the patient. Most of the devices are not practical for single usage and disposal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a system and method to lift and laterally transfer a patient that also delivers warm air or employs a heated surface that directly transfers heat, maintaining body temperature during surgery. The lifter/transfer portion of the device (second interlocking chamber) is inflated to achieve transfer of the patient and is otherwise collapsed; it is not a static mattress. The ambient air second interlocking chamber of the patient lifter is inflatable for use to transfer the patient to a different support structure, such as a mattress, stretcher, or other surface.

The system of the present invention provides a patient lifter with heating and/or cooling, comprising an air-inflated pad having a top surface and a bottom surface formed by way of a first interlocking chamber and a second interlocking chamber laterally fused together. The first interlocking chamber is formed as a comb-type structure having a main spine with two or more prongs alternately separated by valleys. The second interlocking chamber is formed as a mirror comb-type structure to the comb-type structure of the first interlocking chamber with two or more opposing prongs alternatively separated by opposing valleys. The first interlocking chamber includes an inlet appointed to be supplied with a regulated, controlled low pressure and controlled temperature heated or cooled air. The second interlocking chamber has a plurality of air venting apertures located in the bottom surface of the air-inflated pad. An inlet provided in the second interlocking chamber is appointed to be supplied with ambient air at a regulated, controlled pressure to facilitate lifting and lateral displacement during patient transfer. The heated air or cooled air is circulated through the first interlocking chamber, and formation of an air cushion from the second interlocking chamber facilitates lateral translation on a flat or irregular surface and reduces stress on both patient and hospital personnel.

Preferably, each of said first and said second interlocking chambers is laterally fused so that each of said first and said second interlocking chambers makes up a portion of said top and said bottom surface of said air-inflated pad. Preferably, the subject patient lifter includes handles. The patient lifter is preferably constructed of two-layer polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, or other plastic material.

In one embodiment, the first interlocking chamber includes apertures or holes for air escape. In another embodiment, the first interlocking chamber does not include any apertures or holes for air escape on said top surface of said air-inflated pad. The second interlocking chamber preferably substantially entirely laterally surrounds said first interlocking chamber. Preferably each interlocking chamber is a single continuous chamber free from springs or barriers therein.

The patient lifter may comprise a single blower/motor with variable (high/low) air output and a heater that can be switched on or off, wherein high pressure/volume air flow without heat is appointed to be delivered to said second interlocking chamber for transfer function and low pressure with heated (or potentially cooled) air in said first interlocking chamber being appointed for either distributing warm air or radiating heat to maintain correct patient temperature, depending on whether or not the chamber has apertures or holes for air escape. Preferably, the second interlocking chamber is a single continuous chamber free from springs or barriers therein. The patient lifter may be fabricated from a thin, flexible disposable material for single use.

Significant advantages are incorporated into the design of the patient lifter. Configured as a single layer construct, the patient lifter comprises two independent interlocking compartments produced by controlled welding of two plastic layers. This interlocking design saves as much as 50% of the material needed to fabricate the device. The resulting lifter is much more compact. Storage is facilitated and manufacturing costs are significantly reduced. The lifter can readily be employed as an alternating pressure mattress to facilitate transfer of the patient to a different support structure, such as a mattress, stretcher, or other surface.

