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  Thermoplastics spine board with ergonomic featuresUSPTO Application #: 20070240815Title: Thermoplastics spine board with ergonomic features Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing a foam-filled thermoplastic spine board. An upper surface of the spine board has a cradle configuration to assist in more comfortably positioning a patient. The spine board includes hand holds for transporting the patient. Being free from metallic parts, the spine board is X-ray translucent and/or radio translucent. (end of abstract) Agent: Rader Fishman & Grauer PLLC - Washington, DC, US Inventor: George S. Panton USPTO Applicaton #: 20070240815 - Class: 156281000 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070240815. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/395,333 filed Jul. 12, 2002. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates generally to spine boards used for carrying persons usually in emergency situations. More particularly, this invention relates to a light-weight, foam-filled, thermoplastic spine board with a number of features attractive to firefighters, emergency medical service (EMS) personnel, lifeguards, and the like. Still more particularly, this invention relates to such a spine board, sometimes referred to as a back board, with a plurality of features and a method for making the same. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART [0004] A number of stretcher-like structures are known in the art for transporting persons in distress caused by trauma, injuries, catastrophic illness, or the like. In such emergency situations, the time between the situation and diagnosis and/or treatment is essential. Therefore, it is a concern for such patient-transporting structures to attend to minute detail with an eye toward saving time. [0005] Known are back boards having a patient portion, or spine boards, with a variety of carriers for manually grasping hand holds for the spine boards and transporting the patient from an emergency site to a rescue vehicle, for example. One such type of spine board, with a plurality of hand holds and a neck restraining device, usually referred to as a head immobilizer, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,393. A feature for newly-emerging improved spine boards that would be desirable is an ability to adapt existing head immobilizers currently known to the market. [0006] Some spine boards known to the art are made of wood. However, those boards are sometimes not satisfactory because of their tendency to chip and splinter in rough handling, thus increasing the possibility for further injury to a patient. More importantly, with the rise in a risk of serious infectious disease from the unintended transfer of body fluids from one patient to another, wood is losing its favor as product suitable for manufacture. Wood, in its worst scenario, can become a carrier for such infectious pathogens from a first patient to a second patient using the same carrier without any knowledge or awareness for the second patient. [0007] Efforts to make such spine boards from plastic have not been totally successful because of a need for lateral and longitudinal strength to handle heavy patients, perhaps up to about 600 pounds. In addition, provision must be made in such plastic spine boards to insure buoyancy. In general, the interior of such plastic spine boards is not filled, to preserve buoyancy. [0008] An apparent known method of making such a plastic spine board includes a step of making individual parts of plastic and assembling such parts. This method is labor intensive and costly, while risking inadvertent disassembly during emergency usage. Another apparent known method includes a step of molding a plastic in a suitable shape to form a board-like structure. But no effort is made to insure structural integrity, buoyancy, and an absence of infectious growth sites. [0009] Thus, it is an overall object of this invention to provide an improved spine board with a number of ergonomic features attractive to firefighters, emergency medical service (EMS) providers, and others, such as are explained further in this disclosure. Moreover, a method of making such a spine board is also disclosed. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] It is an overall object of this invention to provide a thermoplastic spine board that has ergonomic features addressing current need of emergency personnel in this art. [0011] It is another overall object of this invention to provide a formed thermoplastic spine board that is filled with foam to inhibit infectious growth sites. [0012] It is another general object of this invention to provide a method for making a vacuum-formed, foam-filled, thermoplastic spine board that is unitary and integral. [0013] Directed to achieving these and other general objects, and addressing ergonomic needs in the art, the invention relates generally to a spine board having a sealed unitary board structure defining a board structurally adapted to transport a patient and having at least two pair of hand holds. The unitary board structure is hollow. The unitary board structure is made from opposed, mating top and bottom portions, or halves, secured to each other by thermoplastic welding to define the board. This thermoplastic welding includes thermo-welding or pressure thermo-welding. The interior side of each panel is corrugated or rough textured in such a manner that when foam is injected into the finished part, the bond of the foam to the plastic interlocks to minimize delamination. Foam completely fills the interior of the board and bonds exceptionally well to the corrugated or rough textured interior shell. [0014] Preferably, the board contains a plurality of submersion-assisting slots to assist in submerging the board during aquatic rescues. The board further includes a plurality of side hand holds having pins molded therein for receiving quick-connecting clips. The pins are preferably barbell-shaped to center the clips at a center of the pin. A bottom surface of the board defines ribs extended therefrom to provide a rest for the board when placed on a surface. The tail end of the board is preferably downwardly tapered. The ribs thus extend downwardly at least as much as the distal end of the downwardly-extending portion lies beneath a plane of the bottom surface of the board. [0015] The board is characterized as being free from metallic parts, so that the board is X-ray translucent and/or radio translucent. Preferably an upper surface of the board has a cradle configuration to assist in more comfortably positioning a patient. [0016] A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for making a spine board according to the invention. A first step of forming, such as by vacuum forming a thermoplastic material, opposing, mating board portions together defining the board. Next, the opposed mating portions are thermo-welded or pressure thermo-welded to one another to form a hollow unitary board structure. A step of injecting foam, such as urethane foam, into an interior of the unitary board structure, follows, through an ingress opening, while allowing for egress of air from the interior to assure complete filling of the structure. The injected foam is preferably urethane foam. The structure is then sealed. The method further includes a step, prior to injecting the foam, of securing the thermo-welded or pressure thermo-welded unitary board structure within a secondary mold. [0017] These and other features of the invention, in each of its aspects, will become apparent from a detailed review of the written description of the invention and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] In the drawings: [0019] FIG. 1 is a top, perspective view of the spine board according to an embodiment of the invention. [0020] FIG. 2 is a top, plan view of the spine board according to an embodiment of the invention. Continue reading... Full patent description for Thermoplastics spine board with ergonomic features Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Thermoplastics spine board with ergonomic features patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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