EP3590486A1

EP3590486A1 - Treatment bed

Info

Publication number: EP3590486A1
Application number: EP18181707.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alexander Adrianus Van Leeuwen; Johannis Van Groningen; Joost VAN ZEIL
Original assignee: Enraf Nonius BV
Current assignee: Enraf Nonius BV
Priority date: 2018-07-04
Filing date: 2018-07-04
Publication date: 2020-01-08

Abstract

Treatment bed (1) having a face rest (4) provided with an opening (10) for keeping clear the face of a patient in a prone position. The opening is bordered by downwardly inclined face support surfaces (19, 20).

Description

The present disclosure relates to a treatment bed, in particular a treatment bed with a face rest for treating a person in a prone position. The treatment can for example be a therapeutic treatment, a massage treatment or beauty care treatment or any other treatment involving a person lying face down on the treatment table.
To improve comfort for a treated person, it has been proposed to provide a treatment bed having a face rest with an opening leaving the patient's face free. The border of the opening supports the outline of the patient's face and the patient can freely breath and look down during the treatment. Examples of such treatment tables are disclosed in US 7,676,867 and US 9,398,992 .
A drawback of such face rests is that the openings may be too small or too large for some persons, and are hardly ever optimally sized. Moreover, pressure on the patient's face concentrates at pressure points on the border of the opening, which is particularly disturbing if stitching is present at such points. Stitching is usually present at the edges and may come up and press against the patient's face if he lies face down.
It is an object of the invention to provide a treatment bed with a face rest providing improved comfort for a patient in a prone position.
The object of the invention is achieved with a treatment bed having a face rest provided with an opening for keeping clear the face of a patient in a prone position, wherein the opening is bordered by downwardly inclined face support surfaces. The downwardly inclined face support surfaces increase the face support area and avoid concentrated pressures of the patients face. This substantially contributes to the comfort of a person lying prone on the treatment bed. In this respect, downwardly inclined means that the support surfaces have an upper edge at the top surface of the face rest, a lower edge at a distance below the upper edge and a gradually sloping surface between the upper and lower edges.
In a specific embodiment the face rest has a first transverse side bordering a body support of the treatment bed and a second transverse side opposite to the first transverse side, the opening in the face rest being a slot extending at least partly between the first and second transverse sides.
Such a slot extends in a direction substantially parallel to, or coinciding with the longitudinal direction of a person lying on the treatment table. The slot may for example have an elongate rectangular geometry. The advantage of such a slot is that it can support a face of any length.
The slot may for example extend to the first transversal side and/or to the second transversal side of the face rest. In a specific embodiment the slot splits the face rest in two parts, e.g., two symmetrical parts, the slot being arranged centrally between the two parts.
In a specific embodiment, the slot is bordered by two symmetrically arranged, opposite sides with downwardly inclined face support surfaces, which may for example be substantially parallel in top view.
The face rest will typically be cushioned with a covering of sky leather, or a similar flexible covering material fixated by stitchings. By inclining the face support surfaces the stitching can be arranged in such a manner that it cannot contact the patient's face to form a concentrated pressure zone. The inclined face support surfaces are inclined under an angle in the range of 5 - 60 degrees relative to a top surface of the face rest. This angle is the smallest angle between the inclines face support surfaces and a horizontal top surface of the face rest, viewed in front view.
The patient's comfort is further improved if the inclined face support surfaces are free from stitching.
The slot should preferably have sufficient length to provide comfortable support for any person between the 5^th percentile adult female and the 95^th percentile adult male. The slot may for example have a length of at least 300 mm, e.g., at least 400 mm.
The inclined face support surfaces have an upper edge and a lower edge. The distance between the lower edges of the two oppositely arranged face support surfaces is for example at least 100 mm, e.g., at most 200 mm. The width of the inclined support surfaces are for example about 60 - 120 mm.
The body support and the face rest will typically be a substantially horizontal support surfaces of even height, that will usually be cushioned. Optionally, the face rest may make an adjustable angle with the body support.
In a specific embodiment, the downwardly inclined face support surfaces are defined by downwardly angled segments of the face rest. In most cases, the face rest comprises a base and a cushioning covering the base. The base is substantially horizontal in the normal position for use. The base may for instance have downwardly angled or tilted sections bordering the opening, where the cushioning defines the inclined face support surfaces. The angled base sections may for example be angled under an angle of 5 - 60 degrees, e.g., about 20 - 55 degrees with the horizontal top surface of the face rest. In general, the cushioning will have a substantially even thickness over all horizontal and inclined sections of the base.
The disclosure also relates to a treatment bed having a body support and a face rest provided with an opening for keeping clear the face of a patient in a prone position, wherein the opening is a longitudinal slot, extending in longitudinal direction of the treatment bed, e.g. along a central longitudinal axis of the treatment bed, e.g., being bordered by downwardly inclined support surfaces, e.g., as disclosed above.
The body support will typically be supported by a frame, such as a wheeled frame.
The above-described aspects will hereafter be more explained with further details and benefits with reference to the drawings showing an exemplary embodiment.

Figure 1: shows an exemplary embodiment of a treatment table;
Figure 2: shows in perspective view a face rest of the treatment table of Figure 1;
Figure 3: shows the face rest of Figure 1 in front view;
Figure 4: shows the face rest of Figure 1 in top view.

Figure 1 shows a treatment bed or treatment table 1 supporting a schematically represented head of a person 3 lying face down. The treatment bed 1 has a body support 2 and a face rest 4. The body support 4 is supported by a frame 5. Figure 2 shows the face rest 4, which has a first transverse side 6 bordering the body support and a second transverse side 7 opposite to the first transverse side 6. The second transverse side 7 forms the outer end of the treatment bed 1. The face rest 4 has a horizontal top surface 8 and a central opening 10. The central opening is a slot extending between the first and second transverse sides 6, 7. The slot 10 divides the face rest 4 into two symmetrically arranged face rest parts 13, 14 between two arm rests 15, 16. The face rest parts 13, 14 and the arm rests 15, 16 are parallel to the slot 10 and parallel to each other.
Both face rest parts 13, 14 have a horizontal part 17, 18 next to the respective arm rest 15, 16, and an angled section 17a, 18a defining an inclined face support surface 19, 20, respectively. The horizontal parts 17, 18 are levelled with the adjacent arm rests 15, 16. The inclined face support surfaces 19, 20 make an angle α of about 45 degrees with the horizontal top surface 8 of the face rest 4 to define the slot 10 having a width narrowing down in downward direction.
The body support and the face rest 4 have a base 23 covered by a cushioning 24. The base 23 of the face rest 4 comprises substantially horizontal sections 23a and downwardly angled sections 23b bordering the opening. The cushioning 24 covering the angled sections 23b of the base 23 defines the inclined face support surfaces 19, 20. In the shown embodiment the cushioning has a substantially even thickness over all horizontal and inclined sections of the base.
The upholstery material of the cushioning 24 is usually sky leather or a similar material, usually stitched at the vertical edges of the cushioned parts. Due to the inclination of the support faces 19, 20, any stitching 21 at the adjacent edge parts 22 is turned away from the patient's face so it cannot contact the patient's face.
The person 3 lies face down on the treatment table 1, his or her head resting on the inclined face support surfaces 19, 20. The person's nose points downward through the open slot 10. The face rest 4 supports the cheeks, temples and side parts of the jaws of the person 3 over a relatively wide area, so concentrated pressures are avoided. The eyes of the person 3 remain free so the person can freely look downward.
The terms "upward", "downward", "below", "above", "horizontal", "vertical" and the like relate to the embodiments as oriented in the drawings, unless otherwise specified.
The disclosure is not restricted to the above described embodiments which can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the claims.

Claims

Treatment bed (1) having a face rest (4) provided with an opening (10) for keeping clear the face of a patient in a prone position, wherein the opening is bordered by downwardly inclined face support surfaces (19, 20).
Treatment bed according to claim 1, the face rest (4) having a first transverse side (6) bordering a body support of the treatment bed and a second transverse side (7) opposite to the first transverse side, wherein the opening is a slot (10) extending at least partly between the first and second transverse sides.
Treatment bed according to claim 2, wherein the slot (10) splits the face rest in two separate parts, e.g., two symmetrical parts.
Treatment bed according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the slot is bordered by two symmetrically arranged, e.g., substantially parallel in top view, opposite sides providing said downwardly inclined face support surfaces.
Treatment table according to claim 4, wherein the inclined face support surfaces (19, 20) are inclined under an angle in the range of 5 - 60 degrees relative to a top surface of the face rest.
Treatment table according to any preceding claim, wherein the inclined face support surfaces (19, 20) are free from stitching.
Treatment table according to any preceding claim, wherein the inclination angle is adjustable.
Treatment table according to any preceding claim, the opening being a slot (10) extending in a longitudinal direction of the treatment bed (1) and having a length of at least 300 mm.
Treatment table according to any preceding claim, the opening being a slot (10) extending in a longitudinal direction of the treatment bed (1) and having a width of at least 100 mm.
Treatment table according to any preceding claim, wherein the downwardly inclined face support surfaces are defined by downwardly angled segments of the face rest.
Treatment table according to claim 10, wherein the face rest comprises a substantially horizontal base and a cushioning covering the base,
wherein the downwardly angled segments of the face rest are defined by downwardly angled sections of the base bordering the opening, where the cushioning defines the inclined face support surfaces.
Treatment table according to claim 10, wherein the cushioning has a substantially even thickness over all horizontal and inclined sections of the base.