HK1177136B - A lifting sling - Google Patents

Description

Lifting sling device

Technical Field

The invention relates to a lifting device, in particular to a lifting sling device.

Background

Lifting sling devices are commonly used to carry patients or persons with impaired mobility. A key issue in using a lifting sling device is to prevent accidents and to avoid cross-contamination between patients. The earliest lifting sling devices were made of textile fabrics, which were expensive to manufacture and prone to cross-contamination. Patent CN1184628A discloses a disposable or limited-use sling device (equivalent to the lifting sling device herein) made of non-woven material. Since the price of the non-woven material is a fraction of the price of the woven material and has the same load-bearing capacity, the special use of the sling by a person dedicated to the sling is achieved, thereby avoiding the risk of cross-infection. But this has given rise to a new problem of how to dispose of the discarded sling device. The discarded sling devices are typically disposed of in landfills or incinerators, where the gases generated during the incineration process can contaminate the environment, which can also be harmful if the sling devices are not biodegradable.

Among the currently common biodegradable polymers, polylactic acid (PLA) has an advantage in the field of biodegradable/compostable polymers for plastics and fabrics in that although PLA is extracted from natural and renewable materials, it has thermoplasticity and can be melt extruded to produce plastic articles, fibers and fabrics, which have good mechanical strength, toughness and softness compared to similar materials made based on petroleum synthesis, such as polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene) and polyesters (polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate). PLA is made from lactic acid, a fermentation by-product extracted from corn, wheat, grains, or sugar beets. When polymerized, lactic acid forms an aliphatic polyester having dimer repeat units shown below:

it has been found that poly (polyhydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) can be produced by the natural synthesis of a variety of bacteria that serve as intracellular storage materials for both a source of carbon and a source of energy. Wherein the copolyester repeating unit of P (3HB-co-4HB) is shown as follows:

polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), a biodegradable polymer that is not currently produced from bacterial sources, but can be synthetically produced from petroleum-based products. Although the melting point of PBAT is 120 ℃ lower than that of PLA, PBAT has higher elasticity, superior impact strength, and good melt processability than PLA. Although PLA has good melt processability, strength and biodegradability/compostability, its elasticity and impact strength are poor. While blends of PBAT and PLA have enhanced elasticity, flexibility and impact strength. The chemical structure of PBAT is shown below:

the polybutylene succinate (PBS) can be synthesized by the polycondensation reaction of ethylene glycol. The chemical structure of PBS is shown below:

disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to solve the technical problem that the discarded lifting sling pollutes the environment in the prior art, and provides a biodegradable lifting sling device which also has corresponding bearing capacity and can avoid cross infection among patients.

The technical scheme adopted by the invention for solving the technical problems is as follows: a lifting sling device is constructed comprising a sling device and a lifting device by which a patient positioned in the sling device is lifted, the sling device including a body portion for supporting the body of the patient, the fabric in the sling being a biodegradable fabric.

In the present invention, the fabric in the sling is made of thermally bonded biodegradable non-oriented fibres.

In the invention, the fabric in the sling is made of fabric bonded by biodegradable chemicals, and the chemicals comprise latex adhesive or bonding agent.

In the present invention, the biodegradable fabric in the sling is prepared by hydroentanglement or needle punching.

In the present invention, the fabric of the main body part is made of a biodegradable non-woven polymer material, and the biodegradable non-woven polymer material includes polylactic acid, a blend of which a main part is polylactic acid and a small part of polyhydroxyalkanoate, a blend of which a main part is polylactic acid and a small part is polyhydroxyalkanoate and polybutylene adipate-terephthalate, a blend of which a main part is polylactic acid and a small part is polyhydroxyalkanoate, polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate, a blend of which a main part is polylactic acid and a small part is polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate, or a blend of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate.

In the present invention, breathable or non-breathable biodegradable films are attached to one or more sides of the fabric in the sling device.

In the present invention, the biodegradable film is attached to one side or both sides of the body portion.

In the present invention, the biodegradable film is bonded to one side or both sides of the body portion using a biodegradable adhesive or a biodegradable hot melt adhesive.

In the present invention, a biodegradable film is extrusion coated directly onto one or both sides of the body portion without an adhesive treatment.

In the present invention, the biodegradable film is made of a material including polybutylene adipate-terephthalate, polybutylene succinate, a blend of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polylactic acid, a blend of polybutylene succinate and polylactic acid, and a blend of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate, polylactic acid and polybutylene succinate.

In the present invention, a suspension band is sewn to the lower end of the body portion in an outer region of the sling device corresponding to the patient's leg, and a band loop is provided so that the suspension band can be folded back and passed through the band loop when not in use.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method is constructed for preventing cross-infection between patients lifted in biodegradable body-supporting slings, each patient having a dedicated sling made of a biodegradable non-woven material.

The invention has the following beneficial effects: the use of the lifting sling device according to the invention not only avoids cross-contamination due to use between different patients, but also does not have a negative impact on the environment because the discarded lifting sling device is biodegradable.

Drawings

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a lifting sling device and a patient according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, the present invention is described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

The present invention relates to a body supporting lifting sling in which the fabric of the lifting sling is made of a biodegradable polymeric material, which prevents cross-contamination between patients, and which is biodegradable and/or compostable so that the body supporting lifting sling which is discarded after use does not contaminate the environment. Because the sling device supports the back and thighs of a patient, the patient is suspended from the hoist by a removable suspension member such as a sling or the like.

The sling device is preferably a one-piece body support sling device capable of supporting the back and thighs of a patient. The suspension member is required to be attached at least at four points, two of which are located at the sides of the sling device in the region of the corresponding shoulder and two of which are located at the bottom end of the sling device between the patient's legs. Two further optional additional hangers are located at the bottom of the sling device and outside the fabric of the sling device in the region corresponding to each leg of the patient, with their attachment points on each side of the sling device, but preferably not too close to the patient's leg to avoid touching the patient's leg during lifting, which can be used to enhance safety during lifting of the patient, while giving the patient a greater sense of safety. If the patient's leg is too wide, or too delicate or sore, to risk contact with the optional external suspension elements, the two optional suspension elements will not be used, but each will be folded back and threaded into the strap loop. The hanger preferably comprises a body portion for supporting the person and lower end portions of the depending legs which extend downwardly and downwardly, respectively, between the patient's thighs. The sling also has a head support extension at an upper end. In this case the sling may also have two further attachment points in the head region, or may have one or more reinforcing members extending substantially across the extension and at a distance beyond the line connecting the attachment points of the sling device in the corresponding shoulder region of the sling device.

The sling is also provided with a dart-shaped part or other shapes so that the sling can better conform to the body shape of a human body during lifting. Reinforcement and/or padding may also be applied in the area.

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a lifting sling device and a patient according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 1, there is shown a single piece sling device 10 including a body portion 11, the body portion 11 having a lower depending leg support portion 12 and an upper head support extension 13. The body portion 11 supports the back and shoulders of a suspended patient I by the support portions 12 of the depending legs extending downwardly and upwardly, respectively, between the patient's two thighs and the head H of the patient being supported by the head support extensions 13. A short extension strap 14 provided with a suspension member is stitched in the region corresponding to the patient's shoulder and a suspension strap 15 is similarly stitched to the end of the support portion 12 of the suspension leg. In addition, an optional suspension strap 25 is attached to the lower end of the body portion 11, outside the fabric of the sling device for each leg of the patient, to ensure safety about the pivot 12. If the suspension straps 25 are not used, they are folded back and passed through the strap loop 26.

The sling device 10 is preferably provided with a raised pattern formed by rolling (calendering) to give it the appearance of a woven fabric. The sling device 10 may be reinforced by an attachment fabric layer in the region of which the suspension straps 14, 15 and optionally 25 are stitched to the sling device, and the support portion 12 of the depending leg may have a cushion between the two layers of the non-woven lifting arm to increase patient comfort. These slings are a fraction of the cost of a textile sling and if the sling device is used a limited number of times, the device can be made personal to prevent cross-contamination.

To support the head support extensions 13, the sling device may have one or more reinforcements on the base plate that extend over the entire extension 13 and that extend a distance from a line connecting those locations on the extension strap 11. Alternatively, there may be a corresponding region of the head from which two suspension straps (not shown in FIG. 1) are connected.

As shown in fig. 1, the body support lifting sling arrangement further comprises a lifting device 20, fig. 1 showing the outer end of a lifting arm 21, to which arm a spreader 22 is attached by means of a forked connector, the attachment device 23 being housed in a bearing 24, the bearing 24 and the end of the arm 21 being provided with a vertical pivot, and the pivot being attached to the spreader 22 at a location 23 a. I.e. the boom 22 can pivot at the outer end of the arm 21 about a rigid vertical axis pivot axis, and the boom 22 and the connector 23 pivot as a unit about a vertical axis, and the boom 22 can pivot on the connector 23 about a transverse horizontal axis defined by pivot location 23 a.

The sling device herein has been able to withstand 50 trials lifting 250kg of weight and 50 more times lifting 190kg of weight and has proved to be free of any signs of wear.

Ideally the sling device cannot be cleaned, which would avoid repeated use. For this reason, it is envisaged that the stitching is strong and the suspension strap is connected to the sling device with a releasable thread, so that if cleaning is attempted, the sling device will separate.

The invention is not limited to a single piece lifting sling device but may be used with other lifting sling devices. Also, a single piece lifting sling device may not always have a supporting head extension 13.

Breathable or non-breathable films may also be laminated to one or both sides of the biodegradable nonwoven fabric of the sling to contain any body fluids of the patient during lifting and handling.

In order that the discarded lifting sling device, which is no longer in use, does not have a negative environmental impact, the fabric in the sling device is a biodegradable and/or compostable fabric. The biodegradable and/or compostable fabrics discussed above will be discussed below. The biodegradable material adopted in the invention can ensure that the sling device has corresponding bearing capacity and prevent accidents in lifting; meanwhile, the manufacturing cost of the sling device cannot be increased, so that a patient can bear the special sling device for a special person, and the occurrence of cross infection is avoided.

Although P (3HB-co-4HB) products have been shown to be readily biodegradable in soil, sludge and seawater, the rate of biodegradation in water is very slow due to the lack of microorganisms in the water (Saito, Yuji, Shigeo Nakamura, Masayahiramitsu and Yoshiharu Doi, "Microbial Synthesis and Properties of Poly (3-hydroxybutyl-co-4-hydroxybutyl)," Polymer International 39 (1996); 169-. The shelf life of P (3HB-co-4HB) products should therefore be very good in clean environments such as dry storage in sealed packages, cleaning solutions, and the like. However, discarded P (3HB-co-4HB) fabrics, films, and packaging materials should be susceptible to degradation when placed in dirty environments containing microorganisms such as soil, river water, river mud, sea water, and compost of manure and sand, sludge, and sea water. It should be noted that polylactic acid (PLA) is not readily biodegradable in the above dirty environments and ambient temperatures, but must be composted. First, the heat and humidity in the compost heap must break down the PLA polymer into smaller polymer chains and finally into lactic acid. Microorganisms in compost and soil consume smaller polymer fragments and lactic acid as nutrients. Thus, Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) mixtures such as P (3HB-co-4HB) products with PLA should enhance the degradation of products made from blends of PHAs-PLA. In addition, products made from blends of PHA and PLA should have enhanced shelf life in a clean environment. However, in the last 10 years, the price of PLA has been reduced substantially to only a little higher than synthetic polymers such as polypropylene and PET polyesters; at the same time, the price of PHAs continues to remain 2 to 3 times higher than that of PLA, which can be synthesized on a large scale from lactic acid. PHAs are made from bacteria having a specific carbon source and must be extracted from the bacteria using a solvent. Therefore, blending more than 25% PHA with PLA to melt extrude and form products such as woven, knitted and non-woven fabrics, films, food packaging containers, and the like, is not commercially feasible.

The biodegradable nonwoven fabric, the biodegradable film and the laminate structure of the nonwoven fabric and the biodegradable film are shown in table 1. Pure PBAT films with 9 micrometers (μm) and 9 μm PBAT films with 20% calcium carbonate are available from suppliers in china. Melt Blown (MB) containing 20% polypropylene (PP) (non-biodegradable) is available from Biax-Fiberfilm corporation, USA(non-biodegradable). A typical mass of 80g/m is available from the Saxon Textile research structure in Germany²Black Spunbond (SB) PLA with carbon black. In separate tests, 5-13g/m were used²The pure PBAT film and PBAT film with 20% calcium carbonate were laminated to Vistamaxx MB and black SB PLA containing 20% PP. In general, 0.5 to 12g/m should be used²Preferably 1 to 7g/m²Hot melt-bonding. In addition, two layers of SB PLA were laminated and bonded using a melt adhesive. The weight, thickness, toughness, elongation at break, tear strength, burst strength, water vapor transmission rate (MVT), and hydrohead (hydrohead) tested for all raw materials and laminate structures are shown in fig. 1. It should be noted that these are only some examples of different embodiments of the invention, and that the following different layers of materials are bonded together using a melt application: PBAT films, or other biodegradable/compostable films, can be applied directly to a substrate by extrusion coating without the need for adhesives. The laminate structure can be joined or bonded together by, but not limited to, hot spot calendering, integral calendering, or ultrasonic welding. In addition, instead of melt adhesives, adhesives or latexes based on glue or water or solvents have been used to bond the laminated structures together.

Table 1 strength and barrier properties of the polymers

DSN: indicating that it has not been burst due to high elasticity

As shown in table 1, a 9 μm pure (100%) PBAT film (sample 1) had good elongation in the MD direction and elongation at break in the CD direction as high as 300% or more. Burst strength tests could not be performed on samples 1 to 5 because all of these films and laminate structures were very elastic, did not break during testing and did not exhibit deformation after testing. The water vapor transmission rate of sample 1 was quite good, 3380g/m per 24 hours²While the static head is 549 mm. With 20% calcium carbonate (CaCO)₃) The PBAT film of (sample 2) had similar data as sample 1, with both the WVTR and the hydrohead being relatively lower. PBAT films similar to samples 1 and 2 and having a thickness of 6 μm or less are also expected to have good elongation and higher WVTR, although the hydrohead may be lower. Meltblown sample 3 contained 80% of(Vistamaxx polyolefin based polymers are highly elastic and made by ExxonMobil) and 20% PP, since the fabric is moderately open, thus having MD and CD elongation of about 300% and 8816g/m per 24 hours²High WVTR. Although MB Vistamaxx fabric is not biodegradable, it is an example of an elastic nonwoven material that is possible to make from biodegradable polymers such as PBAT and other biodegradable polymers with very high elongation and deformation recovery capabilities. The head of sample 3 was quite high, 1043mm, indicating that it has good barrier properties. It should be noted that 20% PP was added to Vistamaxx polymer granules and physically mixed before the blend was fed to the MB extruder and melted so that Vistamaxx MB fabric was not too sticky. If 100% Vistamaxx is melt blown, it will be very sticky and may clump during rolling and be difficult to spread out (un-wind) in subsequent lamination or use.

With Vistamaxx only phaseIn contrast, pure PBAT with Vistamaxx and containing 20% CaCO using a hot melt adhesive₃The laminated structure of PBAT of (a) significantly increases MD and CD toughness. This sample also had very high MD elongation and especially high CD elongation (390% for sample 4 and 542% for sample 5). Samples 4 and 5 also had significantly high MVTR values, 1671 and 1189g/m per 24 hours, respectively²And has a high head of 339 and 926mm of water, respectively. It should again be noted that PBAT films have been able to be extrusion coated directly onto MB 100% Vistamaxx or MBVistamaxx with some PP with or without hot melt adhesives, and extrusion coating has allowed the use of thinner gauge PBAT films, as low as 4 or 5 μm, and thus higher MVTR, but possibly lower hydrohead.

The target weight of black SB PLA was 80g/m²The MD toughness was 104N and CD toughness was 31N, but with a lower MD elongation at break of 3.6% and a high CD elongation of 30.7%. The bursting strength is 177KN/m²And the WVTR is quite high, 8322g/m per 24 hours²And the head is quite obvious, 109 mm. The MD and CD toughness of 80gsm black SB PLA laminated to pure PBAT with a hot melt adhesive were higher than pure SB PLA, respectively, 107 and 39N, respectively, but the CD elongation was only 9.8%. However, the PBAT laminated with SB PLA had a higher burst strength of 220KN/m². But the air permeability still remains excellent, WVTR is 2459g/m per 24 hours²And has a very high head of 3115mm of water. Laminated with 20% CaCO₃The SB PLA of PBAT of (a) has similar properties as sample 8, except that the head is relatively low, although still up to 2600mm water. SBPLA laminates with thinner PBAT films, and in particular thinner PBAT films formed by extrusion coating deposition, can produce protective garments for medical, industrial, or sports applications with high MVTR because they are comfortable to wear and have a high water purification head for barrier protection. Barrier protection can be further enhanced by applying a finish (fluorosilicone or other type of finish) on the SB PLA either on the PBAT film side or on either side, either before or after lamination of the film. It is also possible to use the film before or after laminationMB PLA is combined with SB PLA lamination to enhance barrier protection. It is also possible to add a finish to the polymer melt used for the preparation of, for example, PBAT films, SB or MB PLA.

When two layers of SB PLA were fusion bonded together to form sample 9, the MD and CD toughness and burst strength were essentially twice that of sample 6, which was a one-layer structure. Corresponding to 110g/m²The target MD and CD toughness values for the elongation at break (% elongation) of a patient lifting sling produced by SB PP are at least 200 and 140N per 5cm, respectively, with elongation values in both MD and CD of at least 40%. As shown in table 1, the MD toughness of the two adhesively bonded SB PLA layers was 215N, but the CD toughness was only 50% of the desired rating. And the elongation at break of MD and CD is much lower than the desired minimum of 40%. MD and CD elongation of SB PLA can be enhanced by blending PLA with 5 to 60% PBAT or preferably 20 to 50% PBAT prior to extrusion of the SB fabric. Additionally, PBAT and PBS can be blended with PLA to obtain a fabric with desired MD and CD toughness and elongation values, as well as stability after heat exposure. Additionally, SB webs can be bonded by a process other than hot spot calendering to achieve greater multidirectional strength and elongation to include hydroentanglement and needle punching. Can generate 110g/m²And greater weight of needle punched SB PLA without the need to laminate or adhesively bond two or more SB PLA fabrics together to achieve the desired strength and elongation values.

Slings made of biodegradable/compostable fabric such as PLA have also been shown to produce much lower greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide from the raw material stage to the polymer formation of the plant. For example, in producing PLA polymer, 1.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide are produced per kilogram of polymer, correspondingly, 1.9 kilograms of carbon dioxide will be produced per kilogram of PP and 3.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide will be produced per kilogram of PET. Also, PLA uses less non-renewable energy from the feed stage to the polymer plant, and 42 megajoules of non-renewable energy per kilogram of polymer in the production of Ingeo brand PLA compared to 77 megajoules of non-renewable energy per kilogram of polymer in the production of PP and 87 megajoules per kilogram of polymer in the production of PETNon-renewable energy of (The Ingeo)^TMJourney，Nature Works LLC BrochureCopyright 2009)。

The sling device is made of a non-woven biodegradable/compostable material, typically PLA, or a blend of a major portion of PLA plus a minor amount of PHA and PBAT, or a blend of a major portion of PLA plus a minor amount of PHA, PBAT and PBS, or a blend of a major portion of PLA plus a minor amount of PBAT and PBS, or a blend of PBAT and PBS. The sling 10 is also provided with a dart-shaped portion 16 to make it more comfortable for the patient I to cut into a sling that more closely conforms to the body shape of the patient.

The slings are typically made by thermally bonding randomly oriented biodegradable/composted polymeric fibers, but may also be made from dry-laid, chemically bonded (using a biodegradable adhesive), or dry-laid or hydroentangled (hydroentangled) fabrics. The material is generally breathable (unless a non-breathable biodegradable film is adhered thereto) but does not pass through water, and perforations may need to be provided in the sling for reducing patient access to the bath.

It will be understood that modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings and all such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (9)

1. A lifting sling device comprising a sling device (10) and a lifting device (20), by means of which lifting device (20) a patient (I) positioned in the sling device (10) is lifted, the sling device (10) comprising a body portion (11) for supporting the body of the patient (I), characterised in that the fabric in the sling (10) is a biodegradable fabric;

the fabric of the main body part (11) is made of a biodegradable non-woven polymer material, and the biodegradable non-woven polymer material comprises a blend of which the main part is polylactic acid and a small part of polyhydroxyalkanoate, a blend of which the main part is polylactic acid and a small part is polyhydroxyalkanoate and polybutylene adipate-terephthalate, a blend of which the main part is polylactic acid and a small part is polyhydroxyalkanoate, polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate, a blend of which the main part is polylactic acid and a small part is polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate, or a blend of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polybutylene succinate;

attaching breathable or non-breathable biodegradable films to one or more faces of the fabric in the sling device (10); the biodegradable film is made of materials including polybutylene adipate-terephthalate, polybutylene succinate, a blend of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate and polylactic acid, a blend of polybutylene succinate and polylactic acid, and a blend of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate, polylactic acid and polybutylene succinate.

2. A lifting sling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fabric in the sling (10) is made of thermally bonded biodegradable non-oriented fibres.

3. A lifting sling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fabric in the sling (10) is made of fabric bonded using a biodegradable chemical, including a latex adhesive or bonding agent.

4. A lifting sling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biodegradable fabric in the sling (10) is prepared by hydroentanglement or needling.

5. A lifting sling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biodegradable film is attached to one or both sides of the body portion (11).

6. A lifting sling device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the biodegradable film is bonded to one or both sides of the body portion (11) using a biodegradable adhesive or a biodegradable hot melt adhesive.

7. A lifting sling device as claimed in claim 6, wherein a biodegradable film is extrusion coated directly onto one or both sides of the body portion (11) without an adhesive treatment.

8. A lifting sling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a suspension band (25) is sewn to the lower end of the body portion (11) in an outer region of the sling device (10) corresponding to the leg of the patient (I), and a loop (26) is provided to enable the suspension band (25) to be folded back and through the loop (26) when not in use.

9. A method for preventing cross-contamination between patients lifted in biodegradable body support slings, wherein each patient has a lifting sling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 made from a biodegradable non-woven material.