TITLE

Safety devices

DESCRIPTION Technical Field

The present invention relates to safety devices, and in particular to safety devices incorporating a catching membrane that can be used to prevent a baby from being accidentally dropped on to the floor of a delivery room at the moment of birth.

Background Art

In the case of a normal hospital delivery, the maternity bed on which the birthing mother lies has the appearance of a conventional hospital bed. The birthing mother is attended to by a midwife and the baby is delivered directly onto the lower part of the bed or straight into the midwife's arms. However, in some cases it is necessary to intervene during the labour to facilitate the birth using instruments such as a vacuum extractor or forceps. If intervention is needed then the lower part of the maternity bed (i.e. that part that normally extends underneath the legs of the birthing mother) is dismantled to allow for greater accessibility and freedom of movement. The maternity bed may also be raised to a convenient working height for the doctor or midwife.

Although the dismantled maternity bed provides for more convenient access to the birthing mother, it also means that there is nothing to physically prevent the newborn baby from falling on to the floor of the delivery room as it exits the birth canal apart from the quick reactions of the midwife. This can present a serious hazard to the newborn baby in situations where the delivery is unexpectedly rapid or the midwife happens not to be present for any reason.

EP 0412213 describes a safety device for preventing a newborn baby from falling on the delivery floor. A safety net is secured to a freestanding, portable frame that includes a waste collection receptacle for the collection and hygienic disposal of body fluids and other materials incidental to the birthing process. The waste collection

receptacle is intended to replace the conventional maternity bin that is normally located at the foot of the maternity bed to collect the body fluids.

US 4823418 describes a five-sided flexible safety net that is attached to the maternity bed underneath the birthing mother using Velcro® tabs. A long edge of the safety net is located at the side of the midwife and is bound by an elastic material. The other edges are non-elastic.

These solutions both suffer from serious problems and disadvantages. It is important that the doctor or midwife has easy access to the birthing mother during intervention and this is simply not possible with the freestanding safety device described in EP 0412213. In practice, it would be impossible to get close enough to the birthing mother with the safety device in position and it would therefore have to be detached and moved out of the way.

The elasticated long edge of the safety net of US 4823418 would deflect slightly if a doctor or midwife pressed against it, but the safety net as a whole would still represent a serious obstacle during intervention. The requirement to secure each of the five corners of the safety net to a separate locating point on the maternity bed also requires time that might not be available in the case of a rapid delivery. Even if the long edge was made sufficiently compliant to allow good access to the birthing mother then it would not necessarily provide enough support to prevent a falling newborn baby from rolling off the safety net; since the other four sides are non-elastic, the long edge becomes the path of least resistance.

There is therefore a need for an improved safety device that does not significantly restrict access to the mother by the delivery personnel.

Summary of the Invention The present invention seeks to overcome the problems mentioned above and provides a safety device for a maternity bed, the safety device comprising a support member that remains stationary relative to the maternity bed in use, a movable member that is

mounted to the support member, a catching membrane secured (either directly or indirectly) to the support member and the moveable member, and a latching mechanism, wherein the movable member is movable relative to the support member between an open position in which the catching membrane is extended for use and a closed position where it can be temporarily locked by the latching mechanism, and wherein the movable member is biased to the open position and is moved against the bias towards the closed position by the weight of a baby falling on the catching membrane.

The support member may be releasably connectable to a part of the maternity bed and suitable fixing means such as brackets or the like may be provided on the support member for that purpose. The safety device may be connected to the maternity bed only when required and removed after use. However, it is generally preferred that the safety device remains connected to the maternity bed at all times but is capable of being moved underneath the maternity bed when it is not being used.

The safety device may be designed to be retrofitted to existing types of maternity bed or may be integrally formed as part of the maternity bed itself. In this case, the support member may be represented by structural parts of the maternity bed.

The movable member may be slidably or pivotably mounted to the support member. The movable member may be configured to slide or pivot in any direction relative to the main axis of the maternity bed with which the safety device is to be used. For example, the movable member may slide or pivot in a direction that is substantially parallel to the main axis of the maternity bed (i.e. backwards and forwards when viewed from the bottom end of the maternity bed) or in a direction that is substantially transverse to the main axis of the maternity bed (i.e. side to side when viewed from the bottom end of the maternity bed).

The movable member may be a substantially rigid member that is slidably or pivotably mounted to the support member by suitable means. Alternatively, the movable member may take the form of a flexible member (e.g. a fibreglass or metal

strip) that is fixedly secured at one end to the support member and which preferably has rigidity in one plane. The other end of the flexible member would therefore be able to bend relative to the support member.

The movable member may include a pair of spaced arms. The arms may optionally be connected together at one end so that the moveable member is substantially U- shaped and the spaced arms will move together in register.

The spaced arms may be slidably mounted on a sliding member of the support member or pivotably mounted to a fixed arm of the support member. In the case of a pivotable mounting this may be achieved in practice by the use of a simple pivot mechanism (pivotable axis or shaft), a mechanical hinge or a region of bending or flexure, for example.

The safety device may have two support members. In this case, each of the spaced arms may be mounted to its own support member that remains stationary relative to the maternity bed in use. Each of the spaced arms may be slidably mounted on a sliding member of its corresponding support member or pivotably mounted to a fixed arm of its corresponding support member.

The spaced arms may be independently mounted so that they can move independently of each other. The spaced arms can also be independently temporarily locked by the latching mechanism.

The movable member can be manually moved against the bias towards the closed position. For example, the movable member can be moved by delivery personnel to the closed position so that it can be temporarily locked by the latching mechanism. The movable member can also be moved by the body of one of the delivery personnel as they approach the maternity bed. The latching mechanism may optionally be configured such that it cannot be accidentally released. In other words, the latching mechanism may require deliberate manual manipulation by one of the delivery personnel before the movable member is released.

The catching membrane is preferably releasably secured to the support member and the movable member so that it can removed after use. Any suitable method of releasably securing the catching membrane can be used. For example, the catching membrane can be provided with tabs or openings that are simply slid over corresponding hooks on the support member and the movable member.

The catching membrane can be made of any suitable material, but will preferably allow body fluids to pass through it so that they can be collected by a conventional maternity bin. For example, the catching membrane can be made of a netting material, an open weave fabric or a plastic sheet in which one or more drainage holes have been provided.

The movable member is preferably biased by a suitable biasing member.

The present invention also provides a maternity bed incorporating a safety device according to any preceding claim.

In use, the safety device is located such that the catching membrane is directly underneath the birth canal of the birthing mother. If the safety device is designed to be releasably connectable to the maternity bed then it will preferably be assembled to the maternity bed once the lower part of the bed has been removed in the usual way.

The movable member is biased to the open position where the catching membrane is extended for use and can catch the baby in the event that it is not delivered safely into the arms of the waiting doctor or midwife. The weight of a baby falling on the catching membrane net will cause the movable arms to slide or pivot against the bias towards the closed position. The immediate movement of the movable member towards the closed position results in the baby being safely enveloped by the catching membrane. This helps to suppress the baby's natural 'Moro' reflex (startle reflex) which might otherwise cause the baby to roll off of the catching membrane and on to the floor of the delivery room. Any body fluids will pass through the catching

membrane to be collected by the maternity bin. The movable arms can be manually moved towards the open position so that the baby can be retrieved from the catching membrane.

If one of the delivery personnel needs access to the birthing mother then the application of light pressure by their body will cause the movable member to slide or to pivot against the bias towards the closed position. In the closed position the catching membrane is folded away and is no longer extended but the space taken up by the movable member in front of the maternity bed is considerably reduced and the delivery personnel has improved access to the birth canal. In the arrangement where the movable member is slidably mounted to the support member, it is generally preferred that the movable member is substantially located underneath the maternity bed when in the closed position. The lower part of the dismantled maternity bed may sometimes include a substantially V-shaped recess. In this case, the movable member may be positioned on one side of the V-shaped recess such that at least a part of the movable member is still located underneath the maternity bed when it is in the open position.

The movable member may be temporarily locked in the closed position by the latching mechanism.

If the movable member is not temporarily locked in the closed position by the latching mechanism then the movable member will be biased back to the open position as soon as the light pressure is no longer applied.

The physical dimensions of the catching membrane (and hence the movable member and support member to which it is secured) will be sufficient to make sure that a baby is properly and safely caught by the catching membrane in the event of an accident.

Drawinfis

Figure IA is a side view of a safety device of the present invention in an open position;

Figure 1 B is a side view of the safety device of the present invention in a closed position;

Figure 2 is a cross-section view through the safety device of the present invention along the line 2-2; Figure 3A is a top view of the safety device of the present invention in the open position of Figure IA;

Figure 3B is a top view of the safety device of the present invention in the closed position of Figure IB;

Figure 4 is a top view of the safety device of the present invention in an intermediate position where the safety device has been used to catch a newborn baby; and

Figure 5 is a side view of the safety device of the present invention in the intermediate position of Figure 4.

A safety device 1 according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the Figures.

Tubular arms 2a and 2b are independently mounted on a support member 4 that is fixedly secured to a supporting structure S of a maternity bed MB by a suitable fixing means (not shown) such as a mounting bracket or the like. The safety device 1 shown in the Figures is intended to be retrofitted to an existing maternity bed but in some cases the safety device can be provided as an integral part of the maternity bed itself.

The support member 4 includes a pair of mounting brackets 6a and 6b that extend through axial slots 8 (Figure T) provided in the tubular arms 2a and 2b. The mounting brackets 6a and 6b terminate in runners 1 Oa and 1 Ob over which the tubular arms 2a and 2b can slide. In other words, the tubular arms 2a and 2b are free to slide, independently of each other, in the axial direction relative to the support member 4 and the maternity bed MB. Stopping means (such as blind ends of the axial slots 8) may limit the axial movement of the tubular arms 2a and 2b in both directions and . retain the tubular arms on the mounting brackets 6a and 6b. It will be readily appreciated that other means of slidably mounting the tubular arms 2a and 2b to the support member 4 may be used in place of the runners 10a and 10b.

Each of the tubular arms 2a and 2b is biased away from the support member 4 to an open position shown in Figures IA and 3 A. A biasing member is represented schematically in the Figures by a compression spring 12, but it will be readily appreciated that any suitable means of biasing the tubular arms 2a and 2b can be used. Examples might include resilient members, spring-loading, torsion springs, pneumatic devices etc. To reduce the risk of injury, the safety device 1 may optionally include some sort of damping mechanism to slow the speed at which the tubular arms 2a and 2b move towards the open position under the action of the biasing member.

The tubular arms 2a and 2b may be moved against the bias towards a closed position shown in Figures IB and 3B. In the closed position the tubular arms 2a and 2b are neatly stowed underneath the maternity bed MB so that the delivery personnel have unobstructed access to the -birthing mother. The tubular arms 2a and 2b can be temporarily locked, independently of each other, in the closed position by means of a latching mechanism (not shown). The tubular arms 2a and 2b will normally be locked in the closed position when the safety device 1 is not in use. The safety device 1 can then be deployed at the appropriate time during the delivery by manually releasing the latching mechanism (not shown) to allow the tubular arms 2a and 2b to be biased to the open position. The latching mechanism (not shown) may be such that the tubular arms 2a and 2b are automatically locked once they reach the closed position and then unlocked by manually releasing the latching mechanism.

The bias provided by the biasing member must be selected such that the tubular arms 2a and 2b move fully to the open position without the need for any manual assistance.

However, the bias must also be low enough that the tubular arms 2a and 2b will move towards the closed position against the bias if light pressure is applied. This light pressure may be applied manually if the tubular arms 2a and 2b are to be temporarily locked in the closed position by the latching mechanism (not shown) or by the body of one of the delivery personnel as they approach the maternity bed.

A rectangular catching membrane 14 is made of a netting material or open weave fabric that is strong enough to safely support the weight of a newborn baby and has tabs (not shown) at each of its four corners. Hooks 16 are provided on the tubular arms 2a and 2b and on the support member 4 and the catching membrane 14 is releasably secured to the tubular arms and the support member by passing the hooks through the tabs (not shown). More particularly, a first hook 16a is provided on a free end of the tubular arm 2a, a second hook 16b is provided on a free end of the tubular arm 2b and a pair of hooks 16c and 16d are provided on the support member 4. It will be readily appreciated that other means of releasably securing the catching membrane 14 to the tubular arms 2a and 2b and the support member 4 may be used in place of the tabs (not shown) and hooks 16.

When the tubular arms 2a and 2b are in the open position, the catching membrane 14 is stretched to cover substantially all of the area bounded by the tubular arms and the mounting member 4 and provides a sufficiently large catching surface in the event that the baby is not properly received by the waiting doctor or midwife. At least the front edge 14a (Figure 3A) of the catching membrane 14 may be stiffened slightly by passing a stiffening member (e.g. a flexible fibreglass strip) through a channel or pocket in the catching membrane or by incorporating a non-elastic material. This helps the catching membrane 14 to properly catch and envelop the baby if it falls on the catching membrane during the delivery.

During the delivery, light pressure against the tubular arms 2a and 2b or the front edge 14a of the catching membrane 14 by the body of one of the delivery personnel will move the tubular arms against the bias towards the closed position. The tubular arms 2a and 2b move underneath the maternity bed to provide the delivery personnel with unobstructed access to the birthing mother during intervention. As soon as the light pressure is removed, the tubular arms 2a and 2b will be biased out to the open position where the catching membrane 14 is fully extended. If the delivery personnel believe that access to the birthing mother will be needed for a period of time then the tubular arms 2a and 2b may be moved manually to the closed position and then temporarily locked there by means of the latching mechanism (not shown). The

safety device 1 can then be deployed at the appropriate time by releasing the latching mechanism (not shown) to allow the tubular arms 2a and 2b to be biased to the open position,

Figures 4 and 5 show the safety device 1 in a situation where a baby B has been caught by the catching membrane 14. The weight of the baby landing on the catching membrane 14 will cause the tubular arms 2a and 2b to move against the bias towards the closed position. In other words, because the catching membrane 14 is secured between the tubular arms 2a and 2b and the fixed support member 4, any downward pressure applied by the newborn baby will cause the tubular arms to move towards the support member 4 against the bias provided by the biasing members. In Figures 4 and 5 the tubular arms 2a and 2b have reached an intermediate position, between the open and closed positions, where the baby B is safely enveloped in the catching membrane 14. The enveloping action of the catching membrane 14 helps to suppress the baby's natural startle or 'Moro' reflex and the baby will remain safe until the tubular arms 2a and 2b are manually moved back towards the open position by delivery personnel. Any body fluids etc. will pass through the catching membrane 14 and are collected by a conventional maternity bin (not shown) located on the floor underneath the safety device 1.

The safety device shown in the Figures has two tubular arms 2a and 2b that are independently mounted on a single support member 4. This means that one of the tubular arms may move in either axial direction while the other remains stationary. When a catching membrane is secured in position then it will be readily appreciated that the tubular arms are connected together by the catching membrane and that movement of one of the tubular arms will eventually cause the other to move in the same direction. Independent movement of the tubular arms may occur if only one of the tubular arms is moved manually or by the body of one of the delivery personnel, if the body of one of the delivery personnel presses against the front edge 14a of the catching membrane at a location closer to one tubular arm than the other, or if the baby happens to fall onto a peripheral part of the catching membrane. Independent movement may be preferred in some situations because it enables the tubular arms 2a

and 2b to react differently to the applied pressure. However, means may be provided to selectively connect or secure the tubular arms 2a and 2b together so that they move together in register. This may be useful if the tubular arms are to be stowed underneath the maternity bed and locked in the closed position since in that case it would only be necessary to manually move one of the tubular arms. It would also only be necessary to provide a single latching mechanism because locking one of the tubular arms in the closed position would also lock the other.

Each tubular arm may have its own individual support member that is fixedly secured to the supporting structure of a maternity bed by a suitable fixing means (not shown) or formed an as integral part of the maternity bed itself. The rear edge of the catching membrane would then preferably be releasably secured to both of the support members.

The tubular arms may be replaced by any suitable movable member that is slidably or pivotally mounted to one or more support members that remain fixed relative to the maternity bed in use. For example, a single U-shaped member may be slidably mounted on one or more support members. In this case, the connecting part of the U- shaped member would lie in front of the front edge of the catching membrane while the spaced arm parts would correspond generally to the tubular arms shown in the Figures.

The substantially rigid parts of the safety device (e.g. tubular arms, support means, brackets etc.) may be constructed of any suitable material such as metal or rigid plastics. All parts will generally be designed and constructed with the aim of keeping the safety device as clean and as hygienic as possible to minimise the risk of infection. Particular care must be taken to prevent the ingress of fluids and other debris - hence the reason why the runners 10a and 10b are mounted in slots 8 formed in the bottom of the tubular arms 2a and 2b. The catching membrane will normally be disposed of after use or removed for sterilisation and subsequent re-use.