IT202300008187A1 - EQUIPMENT FOR RAPID ATTACHMENT OF BIOMEDICAL DEVICES TO THE FLOOR OF A TRANSPORT VEHICLE - Google Patents

Description

Description of a Patent for an Industrial Invention entitled:

?EQUIPMENT FOR QUICK ATTACHMENT OF BIOMEDICAL DEVICES TO THE FLOOR OF A TRANSPORT VEHICLE?.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the rapid fixing of biomedical devices to the floor of a transport vehicle.

Equipment is known for the transport, both in-hospital and out-of-hospital settings, of biomedical devices, such as devices for extracorporeal blood circulation, for example oxygenators and centrifugal pumps, or other devices used in hospital practice and in emergency situations.

More specifically, while these devices are widely used in hospital practice, it may happen that their use becomes necessary also in emergency situations, such as roadworks or in places far from equipped healthcare facilities.

In these situations it is therefore necessary to transport patients connected to biomedical devices using rescue vehicles such as, for example, ambulances or helicopter rescues.

This transport procedure is necessary, for example, to transport patients from the scene of an accident to a hospital facility or to move patients from one hospital to another that is more suitable to their needs.

On the one hand, such transport is often a necessary condition for the patient's survival, on the other hand, such transport entails a high risk for the patient himself.

During such transport operations, it is in fact essential that the connection between patients and biomedical devices is always maintained to avoid serious consequences on their health, especially when biomedical devices are used to support vital physiological functions.

In this regard, the use of equipment that allows for the rapid attachment of biomedical devices to the support platform mounted on emergency vehicles is well known.

Patent document EP4037598A1 describes a particular type of equipment for the rapid fixing of biomedical devices to the floor of a transport vehicle.

The equipment described in this patent document comprises a base element, fixable to the floor of a rescue vehicle and defining a sliding guide, and one or more anchoring elements, coupleable to the support structure of the biomedical devices and slidably insertable into the sliding guide.

This equipment is also provided with removable means of fixing the base element to the vehicle floor.

Once the base element has been solidified to the platform and the anchoring elements have been coupled to the support structure of the biomedical devices, the anchoring elements themselves are inserted inside the sliding guide and moved along one insertion direction.

This known type of equipment includes removable locking devices designed to block the sliding of the anchoring elements in an extraction direction opposite and parallel to the insertion direction.

Specifically, the locking means define a first stop surface that interacts with a first contact surface defined on the anchoring elements when a first predefined stop position is reached.

Since it is essential that biomedical devices are as stable and secure as possible during transport, the base element defines a second stop surface located downstream of the first stop surface with respect to the direction of insertion and designed to interact with a second contact surface defined on the anchoring elements when a second predefined stop position is reached.

In practice, the second stop surface defines the end of travel of the anchoring elements along the insertion direction.

When it is necessary to disconnect the biomedical devices from the vehicle floor, the locking devices are operated in such a way as to allow the anchoring elements to slide along the extraction direction.

However, the use of this type of equipment for the rapid fastening of known biomedical devices presents some drawbacks. In particular, the basic element that defines the sliding guide generally has predefined dimensions, while the anchoring elements are sized according to the support structure of the biomedical devices, so it may happen that they have different dimensions. In particular, it may happen that the support structure is compact and, therefore, that the anchoring elements are shorter than the length of the sliding guide.

In such conditions, since the second stop surface is defined at one end of the sliding guide and the locking means are positioned at the opposite end, the anchoring elements and, consequently, the biomedical devices associated with them, would be free to move between the two stop surfaces defined on the base element. This would obviously entail the risk that the biomedical devices become detached from the patient's body during transport.

Another drawback of this type of known equipment is related to the fact that the means of fixing the base element to the vehicle floor can interfere with the anchoring elements during their insertion inside the sliding guide, thus making this operation difficult.

The main aim of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the rapid attachment of biomedical devices to the floor of a transport vehicle which allows the biomedical devices to be quickly and safely attached to a support floor regardless of the shape and/or size of the support structure of the biomedical devices themselves.

Within the scope of this task, the present invention aims to devise an apparatus that allows biomedical devices to be stably fixed to the floor of a transport vehicle even when they are mounted on a compact support structure.

Another object of the present invention is to devise an apparatus for the rapid fixing of biomedical devices to the floor of a transport vehicle which allows the anchoring elements associated with the load-bearing structure to be easily introduced and removed inside the relative sliding guide.

Another purpose of the present invention is to devise an apparatus for the rapid fixing of biomedical devices to the floor of a transport vehicle which allows the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art to be overcome within the scope of a simple, rational, easy and effective solution which is low cost.

The above-mentioned purposes are achieved by the present equipment for the rapid fixing of biomedical devices to the floor of a transport vehicle having the characteristics of claim 1.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of an apparatus for the rapid fastening of biomedical devices to the floor of a transport vehicle, illustrated by way of example but not of limitation in the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 is an axonometric view of an apparatus for the rapid fastening of biomedical devices to the floor of a transport vehicle according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an axonometric view of the equipment in Figure 1 in partial exploded view;

Figure 3 is an axonometric top view of the equipment in Figure 1 during the insertion of the anchoring elements into the sliding guide;

Figure 4 is an axonometric top view of the equipment in Figure 1 with the anchoring elements inserted in the sliding guide;

Figure 5 is a rear elevation view of the equipment of Figure 1; Figure 6 is an axonometric view from below of the anchoring elements of the equipment of Figure 1.

With particular reference to these figures, the reference number 1 globally indicates an equipment for the rapid fixing of biomedical devices to the floor of a transport vehicle.

The equipment 1 comprises at least one base element 2 which can be associated with the floor S of a transport vehicle and defines a guide seat 3 which extends along a sliding direction 4.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the base element 2 comprises a load-bearing element 5, which can be associated with the platform S, and a guide element 6, which is firmly associated with the load-bearing element 5 and defines the guide seat 3.

In detail, the load-bearing element 5 has a substantially plate-like shape and develops substantially parallel to the sliding direction 4.

With particular reference to the embodiment shown in the figures, the guide element 6 comprises at least a base portion 7, having a substantially flat shape and directly associated with the load-bearing element 5, and at least one protruding portion 8 arranged transversely to the base portion 7.

The base portion 7 and the protruding portions 8 delimit the guide seat 3.

More specifically, the guide element 6 defines at least one support surface 24 and at least one anchoring surface 25 arranged facing the support surface 24.

In use, the support surface 24 is facing upwards and the anchoring surface 25 is facing downwards.

The guide seat 3 is therefore substantially C-shaped and is delimited at the bottom and top, respectively, by the support surface 24 and the anchoring surface 25.

In detail, the base portion 7 defines the support surface 24 arranged in a substantially horizontal position and the protruding portion 8 protrudes vertically with respect to the base portion 7 and defines the anchoring surface 25.

More precisely, the guide element 6 comprises two protruding portions 8 associated with two respective opposite sides of the base portion 7.

The S platform, for example, consists of the platform of a transport vehicle such as an ambulance, a helicopter or other motorized rescue vehicles.

In use, the direction of flow 4 is substantially parallel to the floor S.

Equipment 1 comprises removable means 9 for fixing the base element 2 to the platform S.

Preferably, the fastening means 9 comprise one or more slots 10 extending along an adjustment direction and one or more engagement elements 11 inserted slidingly inside the slots 10 to fasten the base element 2 to the platform S.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, two slots 10 are provided, defined on the base element 2 and arranged on opposite sides of the guide element 6. More precisely, the slots 10 are defined on the load-bearing element 5.

Generally, fastening bars F are applied to the floor S of the rescue vehicle, arranged parallel to each other, to which the fastening means 9 of the equipment 1 are associated.

Since the mutual distance between the fixing bars F can vary depending on the case, the engagement elements 11 are made to slide along the slots 10 so as to adapt to the position of the fixing bars F.

In the particular embodiment shown in the figures, the direction of development of the fixing bars F is substantially orthogonal to the sliding direction 4.

Therefore, in order to allow engagement with the fixing bars F, the adjustment direction is substantially parallel to the sliding direction 4.

The equipment 1 then comprises auxiliary fastening means 12 to the platform S, for example, of the type of auxiliary engagement elements that can be moved manually between an engagement position and a release position. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the auxiliary fastening means 12 are associated with the base element 2 and, more precisely, with the load-bearing element 5.

The arrangement of the slots 10 on the side of the guide element 6 and their orientation parallel to the sliding direction 4 prevents the fastening means 9 from interfering with the anchoring elements 13 during their insertion into the guide seat 3.

The equipment 1 comprises at least one anchoring element 13 which can be associated with one or more biomedical devices O, P and which can be inserted in translation into the guide seat 3.

Biomedical devices O, P include, for example, an oxygenator O and the related pumping unit P for extracorporeal blood circulation and are mounted on a support structure C.

The anchoring element 13 can be associated with the support structure C in correspondence with a relative back wall.

The equipment 1 also comprises removable locking means 14 for the anchoring element 13 associated with the base element 2 and provided with at least a first stop surface 15 suitable for interacting with the anchoring element 13 upon reaching a first predefined stop position to prevent its movement along a first direction of the sliding direction 4.

In detail, the locking means 14 are associated with the guide element 6 and, more precisely, with the base portion 7.

Usefully, the locking means 14 comprise at least one locking element 16 that can be moved between a locking position, in which it is able to interact with the anchoring element 13 to prevent its movement along the first direction, and an unlocking position, in which it allows the anchoring element 13 to be moved along the first direction of the sliding direction 4, i.e. in extraction from the guide seat 3.

The first stop surface 15 is defined on the locking element 16. Conveniently, the locking means 14 comprise elastic means 17 suitable for counteracting the movement of the locking element 16 from the locking position towards the unlocking position.

More specifically, the locking element 16 is capable of moving from the locked position to the unlocked position as a result of the sliding of the anchoring element 13 towards the first predefined stop position and is capable of moving, as a result of the action of the elastic means 17, from the unlocked position to the locking position following the reaching of the first predefined stop position. Advantageously, the locking element 16 has at least one contact surface 16a arranged inclined with respect to the sliding direction 4 and capable of interacting with the anchoring element 13 during its movement towards the first predefined stop position.

The contact surface 16a is arranged inclined to the first stop surface 15.

According to the invention, the base element 2 defines a second stop surface 18 suitable for interacting with the anchoring element 13 upon reaching a second predefined stop position, so as to prevent the movement of the anchoring element itself along a second direction of the sliding direction 4 opposite to the first direction, where the second stop surface 18 is arranged upstream of the first stop surface 15 with respect to the second direction.

The anchoring element 13 is moved along the second direction during its insertion into the guide seat 3 and is moved along the first direction during its extraction from the guide seat 3.

The second stop surface 18 is defined on the guide element 6.

More specifically, the second stop surface 18 is defined on a lateral face of the base portion 7.

Preferably, the stop surfaces 15, 18 are arranged transversely to the sliding direction 4.

Usefully, the anchoring element 13 comprises at least a first contact surface 19 and at least a second contact surface 20 suitable for interacting, respectively, with the first stop surface 15 and with the second stop surface 18.

The second contact surface 20 is arranged upstream of the first contact surface 19 with respect to the second direction.

The first contact surface 19 and the second contact surface 20 are arranged, in use (i.e. during sliding of the anchoring element 13 in the guide seat 3), transversely to the sliding direction 4.

Advantageously, the anchoring element 13 comprises at least one sliding body 21, which can be slidably inserted into the guide seat 3 and defines the first contact surface 19, and at least one locking body 22, rigidly associated with the sliding body 21, arranged, in use, externally to the guide seat 3 and defining the second contact surface 20.

With particular reference to the embodiment shown in the figures, the sliding body 21 has a substantially sheet-like shape and, in use, is arranged to rest on the base portion 7.

The sliding body 21 comprises at least a first lateral wall 21a, substantially orthogonal to the sliding direction 4 and defining the first abutment surface 19, and at least a second lateral wall 21b, substantially orthogonal to the first lateral wall 21a, parallel to the sliding direction 4 and suitable for interacting with the locking means 14 during the movement of the anchoring element 13 along the sliding direction 4.

Precisely the second side wall 21b interacts with the contact surface 16a.

The locking means 14 are therefore able to move from the locked position to the unlocked position due to the interaction of the locking body 22 with the contact surface 16a.

The locking body 22 comprises at least one locking wall 22a arranged substantially orthogonal to the sliding direction 4 and defining the second abutment surface 20.

With particular reference to the particular embodiment shown in the figures, the locking body 22 comprises at least one coupling portion 22b provided with the locking wall 22a and which can be slidably associated with the guide element 6 during the movement of the anchoring element 13 along the sliding direction 4.

In more detail, the coupling portion 22b can be slidably coupled with at least one of the protruding portions 8 of the guide element 6.

With particular reference to the embodiment shown in the figures, the locking body 22 comprises an auxiliary coupling portion 22c arranged downstream of the coupling portion 22b with respect to the second direction of the sliding direction 4 and suitable for slidingly coupling with the protruding portion 8 of the guide element 6 to which the coupling portion 22b is coupled.

The coupling portion 22b and the auxiliary coupling portion 22c are rigidly associated with the sliding body 21 at two opposite points along the longitudinal development axis of the latter in order to facilitate their movement along the sliding direction 4.

The locking body 22 comprises a connecting portion 22d interposed between the coupling portion 22b and the auxiliary coupling portion 22c and designed to connect the latter together.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the locking means 14 comprise at least two locking elements 16, which are separated from each other in the locking position with respect to the unlocking position.

The elastic means 17 are interposed between the locking elements 16 and are designed to push them towards the relative locking positions.

Conveniently, the contact surfaces 16a of the locking elements 16 are arranged so that they diverge outwards from each other as they approach the first predefined stop position.

Conveniently, the locking elements 16 are arranged in correspondence with a median zone of the base element 2 to define two sliding lanes 23 extending along the sliding direction 4.

Each of the sliding lanes 23 is therefore delimited by the base portion 7, by one of the locking elements 16 and by one of the protruding portions 8.

Conveniently, each of the sliding lanes 23 has its relative axial ends open and arranged along said sliding direction 4. In this embodiment, the equipment 1 comprises two anchoring elements 13 spaced transversely from each other with respect to the sliding direction 4.

Each anchoring element 13 therefore has a relative first contact surface 19 suitable for interacting with a respective first stop surface 15 and a relative second contact surface 20 suitable for interacting with the second stop surface 18.

The support surface 24 is therefore suitable for supporting the sliding bodies 21 and the guide seat 3 is suitable, by means of the anchoring surface 25, for preventing, in use, the lifting of the sliding bodies 21 from the base element 2.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the guide seat 3 defines two anchoring surfaces 25 arranged on opposite sides of the base element 2 with respect to the sliding direction 4 and each partially delimiting a relative sliding lane 23 to prevent the lifting of the relative sliding body 21.

In more detail, the support surface 24 is defined on the base portion 7 and each of the anchoring surfaces 25 is defined on a respective protruding portion 8.

Advantageously, the base element 2 defines two auxiliary anchoring surfaces 26 arranged facing the support surface 24, each of which partially delimits a relative sliding lane 23 on the opposite side of the anchoring surfaces 25.

In detail, the base element 2 comprises at least one auxiliary retaining body 27 placed between the sliding lanes 23 and defining the auxiliary anchoring surfaces 26.

The auxiliary retaining body 27 is associated with the guide element 6 and is arranged substantially aligned with the locking means 14 along the sliding direction 4, downstream of the same with respect to the second direction. Advantageously, the sliding bodies 21 each comprise at least one recess 28 facing, in use, towards the support surface 24 and suitable for facilitating the sliding of the sliding bodies 21 in the guide seat 3.

Thanks to the presence of the recess 28, for example of the type of a recess, the surface area of the sliding bodies 21 placed in contact with the support surface 24 is reduced, thus reducing the friction between them.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the recess 28 extends longitudinally in a manner substantially parallel to the longitudinal development axis of the relative sliding body 21 and for the entire length of the latter. However, different geometries of the recess 28 are not excluded.

The operation of the invention is as follows.

First of all, the base element 2 is fixed to the platform S using the fixing means 9.

In particular, once the load-bearing element 5 has been arranged above the fixing bars F, the position of the engagement elements 11 is adjusted along the slots 10 so as to bring them into correspondence with the fixing bars themselves and then carry out the reciprocal engagement.

Once the engagement elements 11 have been fixed to the fixing bars F, the auxiliary fixing means 12 must also be worked on.

Subsequently, the support structure C of the biomedical devices O, P is fixed to the base element 2 by coupling the locking bodies 22 to the same support structure C so that the sliding bodies 21 are mutually aligned.

At this point, the sliding bodies 21 are each inserted into a respective sliding lane 23 through a respective open end and the sliding bodies 21 themselves are moved forward along the second direction of the sliding direction 4.

The sliding bodies 21 then interact with the locking elements 16 until the first predefined stop position is reached, in which the locking means 14 are positioned in the locking position by the action of the elastic means 17.

At this point the first contact surface 19 of each sliding body 21 interacts with a respective first stop surface 15, preventing the sliding bodies 21 from moving in the first direction of the sliding direction 4.

At the same time, the anchoring surfaces 25 and the auxiliary anchoring surfaces 26 prevent the sliding bodies 21 from lifting.

At the same time as the sliding bodies 21 are inserted into the sliding lanes 23, the auxiliary coupling portion 22c of each locking body 22 is coupled to a respective protruding portion 8 and made to slide with respect to the latter following the sliding of the anchoring element 13.

The anchoring element 13 is then moved along the sliding direction 4 until the second contact surfaces 20 contact the second stop surface 18, thus reaching the second predefined stop position.

In the event that it is necessary to remove or move the biomedical devices O, P with respect to the base element 2, the locking elements 16 are manually operated by moving them from the locking position to the unlocking position so as to be able to move the sliding bodies 21 along the first direction of the sliding direction 4 away from the first predefined stop position and from the second predefined stop position.

In practice, it has been found that the described invention achieves the proposed purposes and in particular the equipment according to the invention allows the biomedical devices to be quickly and easily associated with a support platform regardless of the shape and/or dimensions of the support structure of the biomedical devices themselves. In particular, the equipment according to the invention allows the biomedical devices supported by compact support structures to be easily and rapidly associated with a platform.

In fact, the particular technical solution that involves obtaining the second stop surface upstream of the first stop surface allows the anchoring elements to be blocked to the base element even if they are much shorter than the sliding guide.

In this way it is also possible to limit the movement of biomedical devices with respect to the platform of the rescue vehicle, especially during the movement of the latter.

Furthermore, the fact of providing locking slots that develop in a manner substantially parallel to the direction of development of the driving seat allows the engagement elements and the vehicle fastening bars not to get in the way during the insertion maneuvers of the anchoring elements into the driving seat.

Claims (14)

1) Equipment (1) for the rapid attachment of biomedical devices to the floor of a transport vehicle, comprising: - at least one base element (2) associable with a platform (S) and defining a guide seat (3) developing along a sliding direction (4); - removable fixing means (9) of said base element (2) to the floor (S); - at least one anchoring element (13) that can be associated with one or more biomedical devices (O, P) and can be inserted in translation into said guide seat (3); - removable locking means (14) of said anchoring element (13) associated with said base element (2) and provided with at least a first stop surface (15) capable of interacting with said anchoring element (13) upon reaching a first predefined stop position to prevent its movement along a first direction of said sliding direction (4); characterised in that said base element (2) defines a second stop surface (18) suitable for interacting with said anchoring element (13) upon reaching a second predefined stop position, so as to prevent the movement of the anchoring element itself along a second direction of said sliding direction (4) opposite to said first direction, where said second stop surface (18) is arranged upstream of said first stop surface (15) with respect to said second direction. 2) Equipment (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said anchoring element (13) comprises at least a first contact surface (19) and at least a second contact surface (20) suitable for interacting, respectively, with said first stop surface (15) and with said second stop surface (18), where said second contact surface (20) is arranged upstream of said first contact surface (19) with respect to said second direction. 3) Equipment (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that said stop surfaces (15, 18) are arranged transversely to said sliding direction (4). 4) Equipment (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said at least one anchoring element (13) comprises at least one sliding body (21), which can be slidably inserted into said guide seat (3) and defining said first contact surface (19), and at least one locking body (22), rigidly associated with said sliding body (21), arranged, in use, externally to said guide seat (3) and defining said second contact surface (20). 5) Equipment (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said locking means (14) are arranged in correspondence with a median zone of said base element (2) to define two sliding lanes (23) extending along said sliding direction (4) and in that said at least one anchoring element (13) comprises two of said sliding bodies (21), each of which can be inserted inside a relative said sliding lane (23), and two of said locking bodies (22) each of which is rigidly associated with a relative said sliding body (21). 6) Equipment (1) according to claim 5 characterised in that each of said sliding lanes (23) has its relative axial ends open and arranged along said sliding direction (4). 7) Equipment (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said base element (2) defines at least one support surface (24) substantially parallel to said sliding direction (4) and suitable for supporting said sliding bodies (21) and in that said guide seat (3) defines at least one anchoring surface (25) arranged facing said support surface (24) and suitable, in use, to prevent the lifting of said sliding bodies (21) from said base element (2). 8) Equipment (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that said guide seat (3) defines two of said anchoring surfaces (25) arranged on opposite sides of said base element (2) with respect to said sliding direction (4) and each partially delimiting a relative said sliding lane (23) to prevent the lifting of the relative said sliding body (21). 9) Equipment (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said base element (2) defines two auxiliary anchoring surfaces (26) arranged facing said support surface (24), each of which partially delimits a relative sliding lane (23) on the opposite side of said anchoring surfaces (25). 10) Equipment (1) according to claim 9, characterised in that said base element (2) comprises at least one auxiliary retaining body (27) interposed between said sliding lanes (23) and defining said auxiliary anchoring surfaces (26). 11) Equipment (1) according to claim 10, characterised in that said auxiliary retaining body (27) is arranged substantially aligned with said locking means (14) along said sliding direction (4) and is arranged downstream of the same with respect to said second direction. 12) Equipment (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said sliding bodies (21) each comprise at least one recess (28) facing, in use, towards said support surface (24) and capable of facilitating the sliding of said sliding bodies (21) in said guide seat (3). 13) Equipment (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said fixing means (9) comprise one or more slots (10) extending along an adjustment direction and one or more engagement elements (11) inserted slidingly inside said slots (10) to fasten said base element (2) to said platform (S). 14) Equipment (1) according to claim 13, characterised in that said adjustment direction is substantially parallel to said sliding direction (4).