Protective system for a patient transport apparatus
A protective system for a patient transport apparatus includes the patient transport apparatus with a base arranged for movement along floor surfaces and an intermediate frame coupled to the base and supporting a patient support deck. A mattress is disposed on the patient support deck. The protective system further includes a keeper coupled to the intermediate frame and further includes a cover having a first side configured to absorb fluid and a second side configured to at least partially limit fluid from transferring through the cover towards the first side. The cover is movable by a caregiver between three positions: (i) a stowed position secured within the keeper, (ii) an environmental deployed position with the first side facing towards the mattress, and (iii) a patient deployed position with the first side facing away from the mattress.
1. A protective system for a patient transport apparatus, the protective system comprising:
a patient transport apparatus including:
a base arranged for movement along floor surfaces;
an intermediate frame coupled to the base and supporting a patient support deck for supporting a patient; and
a mattress disposed on the patient support deck;
a keeper coupled to the intermediate frame; and
a cover for protecting the patient transport apparatus, the cover having a first side configured to absorb fluid and a second side opposite the first side and configured to at least partially limit fluid from transferring through the cover towards the first side, the cover being movable by a caregiver between:
a stowed position secured within the keeper;
an environmental deployed position defined by the cover spanning at least a portion of the mattress with the first side facing towards the mattress and the second side facing away from the mattress to at least partially limit fluid from transferring through the cover towards the mattress and prevent absorption of the fluid by the first side of the cover; and
a patient deployed position defined by the cover spanning at least a portion of the mattress with the first side facing away from the mattress and the second side facing towards the mattress for collecting fluid emitted by the patient.
2. The protective system of claim 1 , wherein the cover further includes a panel defining the first side and the second side, and a retainer operatively attached to the panel and arranged to secure the cover to the patient transport apparatus in the environmental deployed position.
3. The protective system of claim 2 , wherein the panel defines a panel periphery, and wherein the retainer is operatively attached to the panel periphery.
4. The protective system of claim 3 , wherein the retainer comprises an elastic band to at least partially hold the cover around the mattress in the environmental deployed position.
5. The protective system of claim 2 , wherein the retainer is further arranged to secure the cover to the patient transport apparatus in the patient deployed position.
6. The protective system of claim 5 , wherein the retainer comprises a strap to secure the panel to the intermediate frame in the patient deployed position.
7. The protective system of claim 6 , wherein the panel defines a panel periphery; and
wherein the retainer is operatively attached to the panel periphery and comprises an elastic band to at least partially cinch the panel around a portion of the patient in the patient deployed position to retain fluid.
8. The protective system of claim 1 , wherein the patient transport apparatus further includes a side rail operatively attached to the intermediate frame; and
wherein the cover includes a sleeve shaped to receive the side rail in the patient deployed position to limit movement of the cover relative to the patient transport apparatus.
9. The protective system of claim 1 , wherein the keeper includes a keeper body to secure the cover in the stowed position, and a limiter operatively attached to the keeper body and being operable between:
a limit mode to inhibit movement of the cover in the stowed position, and
a deploy mode to permit movement of the cover in the stowed position.
10. The protective system of claim 9 , wherein the limiter cooperates with the keeper body to limit exposure to the first side of the cover to fluids.
11. The protective system of claim 10 , wherein the limiter is a lid configured to pivot about the keeper body.
12. The protective system of claim 3 , wherein the retainer orients at least a portion of the periphery of the panel away from the mattress to collect fluid.
13. The protective system of claim 9 , wherein the intermediate frame defines a head end and a foot end opposite the head end, and wherein the keeper is disposed about the foot end of the intermediate frame.
14. The protective system of claim 1 , wherein the cover is further defined as a first cover and is removably coupled to a second cover in the stowed position that is substantially the same as the first cover.
15. The protective system of claim 14 , wherein the first and second covers are removably coupled at a perforated boundary to facilitate separation of the first and second covers.
16. The protective system of claim 1 , wherein the keeper is configured to stow the cover while in the stowed position and further configured to stow a storage container.
17. The protective system of claim 16 , wherein the keeper includes a first compartment to stow the cover and a second compartment to stow the storage container.
18. The protective system of claim 17 , wherein the storage container is further defined as a bag for storing personal belongings of a patient.
19. The protective system of claim 18 , wherein the bag includes a region configured to allow the caregiver to label the bag.
20. The protective system of claim 19 , wherein the bag is further defined as a first bag and is removable coupled to a second bag that is substantially the same as the first bag, and wherein the first and second bags are removably coupled at a perforated boundary to facilitate separation of the first and second bags.