Personal care module

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/293,949, filed May 25, 2001, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a personal care module. The personal care module is disclosed in the context of being useful for a patient within a room of a healthcare facility. The personal care module is believed to be useful in other applications as well.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

Patients in healthcare facilities, such as hospitals and nursing homes, sometimes have limited mobility. Ambulating to obtain basic personal care services, such as, for example, access to a sink and faucet, a toilet, and a bed pan washer, may be difficult for these individuals without the assistance of a caregiver who may not be available immediately. Such personal services are sometimes located in a restroom attached to the patient's room. This may require the patient to maneuver around one or more beds, furniture, and hospital equipment to reach the restroom. Some patients having limited mobility may prefer easier access to personal care services.

According to this disclosure, a personal care module for use by a patient within a room of a healthcare facility comprises a toilet, a washing station, and a housing coupled to the toilet and the washing station. The washing station has either a sink and a faucet or a bed pan washer. Illustratively, the housing is movable between a first position extending alongside a wall of the room and a second position extending alongside a bed in the room.

Further illustratively, the housing has a first portion and a second portion. The washing station is coupled to the first portion. The toilet is coupled to the second portion. The first portion and the second portion are relatively movable between a third position to cover the toilet and a fourth position to uncover the toilet.

According to another aspect of this disclosure, a personal care module for use by a patient within a room of a healthcare facility comprises a toilet, a washing station having a sink and a faucet, a bed pan washer, and a housing coupled to the toilet, the washing station, and the bed pan washer.

According to another aspect of this disclosure, a personal care module for use by a patient within a room of a healthcare facility comprises a first washing station, a second washing station, and a housing coupled to the first washing station and the second washing station. Illustratively, the first washing station has a sink and a faucet, and the second washing station has a bed pan washer.

Additional features will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a personal care module positioned in a first position extending alongside a wall of a patient's room, the personal care module comprising a first washing station having a sink and a faucet and a second washing station having a bed pan washer;

FIG. 2

is a perspective view of the personal care module which is movable along the floor of the room about a pivot axis between the first position (shown in dashed lines) and a second position (shown in solid lines) extending alongside a bed in the room for ready access by the patient;

FIG. 3

is a perspective view of the personal care module having a toilet uncovered by an upper portion of a housing of the personal care module upon movement of the upper portion in the direction of the dashed arrow; and

FIG. 4

is a diagrammatic view of the personal care module showing a pivot coupling between the housing and the floor, a control panel coupled to the bed pan washer and the toilet, and supply and drain lines coupled to the first washing station, the bed pan washer, and the toilet and routed through the interior of the housing to the floor of the room.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A personal care module

10

configured for use by a patient

12

in a healthcare facility such as, for example, a hospital or a nursing home is illustrated in

FIGS. 1-4

. Module

10

is configured to be conveniently located in a room

14

of the healthcare facility for ready access by patient

12

who may have limited mobility. Module

10

is movable along a room floor

15

about a vertical pivot axis

17

in opposite directions indicated by double-head dashed arrow

27

in

FIG. 2

between a first position (

FIG. 1

,

FIG. 2

in phantom) extending alongside a room wall

19

and a second position (

FIG. 2

in solid,

FIG. 3

) extending alongside a bed

21

in room

14

.

Personal care module

10

provides a variety of services for patient

12

. Module

10

has a first washing station

16

(FIGS.

1

-

4

), a second washing station

18

(FIGS.

1

and

4

), and a toilet

20

(FIGS.

3

and

4

). Station

16

has a faucet

24

for dispensing water and a sink

22

for draining the water. Station

18

has an automatic bed pan washer

23

for washing a bed pan

25

. It is within the scope of this disclosure for module

10

to provide one or more other services in addition to or in place of stations

16

,

18

and toilet

20

. Such other services include a water purification system, dialysis connections, and urine sampling equipment.

Faucet

24

has a spout

26

, a hot water control

28

, and a cold water control

30

. Other types of faucets are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, in alternative embodiments, the faucet has a single temperature control for hot and cold water. In other alternative embodiments, the spout has a removable nozzle coupled to a flexible tube to dispense water from a variety of positions. A hot water supply line

32

provides hot water to hot water control

28

while a cold water supply line

34

provides cold water to cold water control

30

as shown diagrammatically in

FIG. 4. A

drain line

36

is coupled to an aperture of a bottom portion of sink

22

to drain water therefrom.

Washer

23

of station

18

has a receptacle

40

for receiving bed pan

25

in an interior region

42

thereof, as illustrated in

FIGS. 1 and 4

. Washer

23

also has one or more dispensers

44

, shown diagrammatically in

FIG. 4

, for dispensing a cleaning agent such as water and/or a disinfectant into interior region

42

to wash a bed pan

25

positioned therein. Receptacle

40

is movable about a pivot axis

46

between an opened position (

FIG. 1

) and a closed position (FIG.

2

). Bed pan

25

can be inserted in direction of arrow

47

through an opening of receptacle

40

into interior region

42

when receptacle

40

is positioned in its opened position. Bed pan washer

23

washes bed pan

25

after receptacle

40

is pivoted to its closed position. A supply line

48

is coupled to dispensers

44

to provide the cleaning agent thereto. A drain line

50

is coupled to a bottom aperture of receptacle

40

to drain receptacle

40

.

Dispensers

44

extend downwardly from an upper wall

51

of bed pan washer

23

into interior region

42

of receptacle

40

, as shown diagrammatically in FIG.

4

. It is within the scope of this disclosure for a rear wall

52

of receptacle

40

, shown in

FIG. 1

, to have an opening sized to permit passage of dispensers

44

therethrough to accommodate movement of receptacle

40

between its opened and closed positions. In some embodiments, dispensers

44

are movable from an extended position wherein dispensers

44

extend downwardly from upper wall

51

into interior region

42

to wash bed pan

25

and a retracted position wherein dispensers

44

are retracted into corresponding openings in upper wall

53

to accommodate movement of receptacle

40

between its opened and closed positions. In other embodiments, dispensers

44

remain in such a retracted position even during operation of bed pan washer

23

. It is within the scope of this disclosure for dispensers

44

to be fixed or movable, such as being rotatable, relative to receptacle

40

during operation of bed pan washer

23

.

Toilet

20

has a seat

56

for patient

12

and a receptacle

58

, as illustrated in

FIG. 3. A

water supply line

60

is coupled to toilet

20

to provide water thereto. A drain line

62

is coupled to toilet

20

to drain waste therefrom.

Personal care module

10

has a housing

66

, as illustrated in

FIGS. 1-4

. Housing

66

has a proximal end portion

78

and a distal end portion

80

. A longitudinal axis

81

of module

10

extends horizontally through proximal end portion

78

and distal end portion

80

. Housing

66

also has a lower housing portion

82

, a first upper housing portion

84

, and a second upper housing portion

86

. Lower housing portion

82

supports upper housing portions

84

,

86

for movement therewith as module

10

is pivoted between its first, wall position and its second, bed position. First upper housing portion

84

is movable relative to lower housing portion

82

and second upper housing portion

86

between a toilet-covering, extended position (

FIGS. 1

,

2

, and

4

) to cover toilet

20

and a toilet-uncovering, retracted position (

FIG. 3

) to uncover toilet

20

, as discussed in more detail below.

Proximal end portion

78

of lower housing portion

82

has an outer sleeve

68

, as illustrated in FIG.

4

. An inner sleeve

70

is coupled to floor

15

via fasteners

72

and is positioned inside of first sleeve

68

. A bearing

74

engages sleeves

68

and

70

so that module

10

can move about vertical pivot axis

17

between the first, wall position and second, bed position. Thus, sleeves

68

and

70

and bearing

74

cooperate to define a pivot coupling

75

between module

10

and floor

15

. Floor-engaging elements

76

, such as wheels or casters, are coupled to lower housing portion

82

to facilitate movement of module

10

along floor

15

, as illustrated in

FIGS. 1-4

. In alternative embodiments, lower housing portion

82

has a skirt that hangs downwardly to shield casters

76

from view.

Lines

32

,

34

,

36

,

48

,

50

,

60

, and

62

are routed through an interior region

88

of housing

66

and through inner sleeve

70

. Lines

32

,

34

,

36

,

48

,

50

,

60

, and

62

are then coupled to corresponding plumbing lines represented by box

90

and routed through floor

15

. Alternatively, lines

32

,

34

,

36

,

48

,

50

,

60

, and

62

are coupled to a headwall mounted to wall

19

. At least some portions of lines

32

,

34

,

36

,

48

,

50

,

60

, and

62

are flexible to accommodate the pivoting movement of module

10

between its first, wall position and second, bed position and to accommodate the movement of first upper housing portion

84

between its extended and retracted positions. In some embodiments, drain line

36

includes a rigid portion providing an S-shaped trap that traps solid objects dropped inadvertently into sink

22

.

Lower housing portion

82

contains second washing station

18

(

FIG. 1

) and toilet

20

(FIG.

3

). Second washing station

18

is positioned adjacent to proximal end portion

78

. Toilet

20

is positioned adjacent to distal end portion

80

. Toilet seat

56

is coupled to an upper wall

91

of portion

82

. Portion

82

also has side walls

99

and end walls

100

coupled to side walls

99

. Side walls

99

and end walls

100

are coupled to upper wall

91

. Receptacle

40

of bed pan washer

23

pivots outwardly relative to one of side walls

99

to its opened position (

FIG. 1

) and pivots inwardly relative thereto to its closed position.

First upper housing portion

84

carries first washing station

16

, as illustrated in

FIGS. 1-3

. Sink

22

, spout

26

, and hot and cold water controls

28

,

30

are mounted to an upper wall

92

of first upper housing portion

84

. Portion

84

further has a pair of opposing side walls

94

and an end wall

96

coupled to side walls

94

. Side walls

94

and end wall

96

are coupled to upper wall

92

. Upper wall

92

and side walls

94

cooperate to define an edge

98

that defines an opening into an interior region of portion

84

. The majority of sink

22

is positioned in the interior region of portion

84

between side walls

94

.

Second upper housing portion

86

has side walls

110

, an end wall

112

coupled to side walls

110

, and a pair of doors

114

, as illustrated in

FIGS. 1-3

. Control panel

118

is mounted to one of side walls

110

. Each door

114

is coupled to a top portion of one of side walls

110

for movement, such as by pivoting, between a raised position (

FIGS. 1 and 2

) wherein doors

114

are positioned to lie in generally horizontal, co-planar relation with one another and a lowered position wherein each door

114

extends downwardly alongside the respective side wall

110

.

First upper housing portion

84

is movable on lower housing portion

82

along longitudinal axis

81

between its toilet-covering, extended position

FIGS. 1

,

2

, and

4

) and its toilet-uncovering, retracted position (FIG.

3

). Housing portions

84

and

86

are arranged in telescoping relation with one another. Housing portion

84

is slightly larger than housing portion

86

so that a majority of housing portion

86

is positioned to lie in the interior region of housing portion

84

when housing portion

84

is positioned in its retracted position. Thus, housing portion

84

covers housing portion

86

when housing portion

84

is positioned in its retracted position.

During movement of housing portion

84

from its extended position to its retracted position in a direction indicated by arrow

115

(FIG.

3

), doors

114

move automatically from their raised position to their lowered position to allow sink

22

to move into a space between doors

114

. When housing portion

84

returns to its extended position, doors

114

move automatically from their lowered position to their raised position. It is within the scope of this disclosure for suitable devices, such as cables, linkages, or cam mechanisms, to be used to couple the movement of housing portion

84

to doors

114

.

In some embodiments, side walls

94

of first upper housing portion

84

are configured to mate with corresponding tracks (not shown) mounted on upper wall

91

or upper portions of side walls

99

to allow movement of first upper housing portion

84

between its extended and retracted positions. In other embodiments, rollers (not shown) are coupled to a bottom portion of each side wall

94

to ride on the tracks.

First washing station

16

and toilet

20

are aligned vertically with one another such that first washing station

16

is positioned above toilet

20

when first upper housing portion

84

is positioned in its extended position. First washing station

16

and toilet

20

are offset vertically from one another when first upper housing portion

84

is positioned in its retracted position. First washing station

16

and second washing station

18

are aligned vertically with one another such that first washing station

16

is positioned above second washing station

18

when first upper housing portion

84

is positioned in its retracted position.

A control panel

118

for controlling module

10

is coupled to one of side walls

110

of second upper housing portion

86

, as illustrated in FIG.

1

. Control panel

118

has user inputs

120

that are engaged to control various functions of module

10

. Control panel

118

is coupled to bed pan washer

23

via an electrical conductor

54

to control its washing cycles. It is within the scope of this disclosure for module

10

to have sensors (not shown) coupled to control panel

118

to sense the presence of bed pan

25

in receptacle

40

and to sense the position of receptacle

40

so that bed pan

25

is washed automatically upon movement of receptacle

40

to its closed position. Control panel

118

further controls flushing of toilet

20

via electrical conductor

64

in response to, for example, one of user inputs

120

or a proximity sensor (not shown) mounted to sense when toilet

20

is no longer being used. Alternatively, toilet

20

is flushed manually via a mechanical lever. It is also within the scope of this disclosure for one or more of user inputs

120

to control powered movement of module

10

between its first, wall position and its second, bed position and one or more of user inputs

120

to control movement of first upper housing portion

84

between its extended and retracted positions.

Personal care module

10

is operable in both its first, wall position and its second, bed position or in positions therebetween. When module

10

is in its first, wall position, patient

12

can use first and second washing stations

16

,

18

(

FIG. 1

) and can use toilet

20

upon retraction of first upper housing portion

84

. When module

10

is in its second, bed position, patient

12

sitting on bed

21

is able to use first washing station

16

for hand washing or to obtain water for drinking without having to exit bed

21

, as illustrated in FIG.

2

. In addition, when module

10

is in its second, bed position, patient

12

sitting on bed

21

is able to move first upper housing portion

84

toward wall

19

of room in a direction indicated by a dashed arrow

115

from its extended position to its retracted position to expose toilet

20

. Patient

12

is then able to move a short distance from a seated position on bed

21

to a seated position on toilet seat

56

. During movement from bed

21

to toilet seat

56

, a patient having limited mobility may steady himself or herself by holding to portions of module

10

as illustrated in FIG.

3

.

Although certain illustrative embodiments have been disclosed in detail, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention as described and defined in the following claims.