The invention relates to a liguid collector, ' particularly for patients lying in bed or corresponding,

5 comprising a lying member of resilient material provided with a canal system.

Liquid secretions of patients lying in bed unable to move are nowadays most commonly removed by letting a diaper absorb the urine or by catheter i z ing .

10 Considerable inconveniences are caused by the diaper as moisture or odour in bed the diaper thus being unpleasent to the patient or those around him. The cathedre is inconvenient and often a cause of in lammations.

From a Finnish Patent Specifica ion 61993 15 there is previously known a lying member, wherein are formed parallel grooves or extensions and . therein or between thereof a re.τ:_vable part storing moisture is fitted. The lying member of this type has a disadvantage of not being applicable to heavy patients. Moisture is SO easily pressed back from the changeable part onto the surface of the lying member by ^' he weight of the body.

To eliminate this disadvantage in the Finnish patent specification 68000 there is described a solution, wherein the lying member is further provided with a S5 groove, comprising a moisture storing part or changeable receptacle into which the parallel grooves of the lying member are connected. The liquid secretions run through the parallel grooves into the receptacle, which is changed when necessary. As a disadvantage this lying 30 member has its complexity; it is complicated to make and thus expensive. The object of the invention is to provide a liquid secretion collector for small children, sick people or other unable to move and/or lying in bed, by 35 which the above mentioned disadvantages can be elimi¬ nated. In order to achieve this, the liquid collector of the invention is characterized by the features set

E forth in the claims.

The liquid collector of the invention comprises a lying member of resilient material such as rubber or plastic, which can be placed into a bed or typically under a patient. Inside the lying member there is a canal system and on the upper side of the lying member there is a perforation extending into the canal system. The canal system is connected through a collector tank to a suction system e.g. in the patient's room. Thus, the secretions coming onto the bed can be removed try sucking them through the lying member into the collector tank. The sucking can be performed at regular time intervals or when a secretion occurs. The drawbacks of the present methods a.re avoided by using the collector of the invention and as an additional advantage is achieved ventilation of the bed. The lying member can be easily cleaned and disinfected and it is very firm and long-lived.

In the following the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying draw¬ ings, wherein

Figure 1 shows a lying member of the invention in cross-section applicable to the liquid collector.

Figure E shows the lying member lengthwise laid open in the middle; and

Figure 3 shows a schematic illustration of a suction system.

The main idea of the invention is to place the resilient lying member 1 typically made of rubber or plastic onto the patient's bed, inside which lying member is located the canal system S and on the upper surface there are holes 3 extending into the canals, as can be seen in figures 1 and S. The lying member prefe¬ rably comprises two layers 4-, 5. The canal system is being formed between the layers by means of the grooves situated either in the upper layer - or the lower layer 5 or in both layers, when the layers ere placed one

upon the other. According to the figure Ξ the lying member can also be made of one piece with hinge-like bending point, wherefrom the halves are bent against each other. In each case the layers - and 5 are brought 5 together to provide adequate tightness and, however, the layers can be separated from each other for cleaning. The canal system Ξ extends to one o r more outlet openings 7, which are in connection with the laying member, through which opening the secretions are sucked off. A 10 thin cloth or equivalent,. wh..ich.-is h iqh ly liquid-perm¬ eable, but feels dry and pleasent on skin, can be placed upon the lying member 1.

Figure 3 illustrates a suction system, which can be connected to one or more lying members 1. The 15 lying member can be o f the type described above or equivalent provided with a canal system, wherein for example liquid secretions are brought tα a connecting channel EΞ with an outlet opening 7 through collecting channels El. The outlet opening 7 can be connected e.g. SO by fast connection 10 tα an outlet tube 9, which in turn is connected tα collector tank 8. This can be a changeable singleuse plastic bag, which now are typically used tα collect urine, situated in the bed or beside it, but also some other type of tank as to its location, S5 volume and even material can be thought of. The collec¬ tor tank 8 is further connected to a suction channel 13 and a suction device 14- through a tube o r a hose 11 and a controllable valve IS such as a solenoid valve.

Into the collector in connection with the 0 lying member 1 there is arranged a moisture detector 15. Associated with the collector tank 8 can be for instance a liquid surface height detector 16 such as a capasitive sensor, by means of which the filling up of the tank 8 is detected. To facilitate the changing of 5 the collector tank 8 the outlet hose 9 is preferably provided with a sealing valve 19. The suction system further comprises a control unit 17, preferably a data

processing unit such as a microprocessor with i s inter¬ face and memory cirquits. The moisture detector 15, the liquid surface detector 16, the solenoid valve IE, the suction device 1 , and possibly the sealing valve 19 are connected to the control unit 17, The operation of the suction system, comprising one or more lying members 1, is monitored and controlled by the control unit 17. The control unit 17 is connected to a display unit 18 or equivalent in a patient control room. In princip.le,. the. liq.uid _.c-o11-ec. oπ p-f the invention operates in the following manner. When the control unit 17 receives a signal from the moisture detector 15 according to which the moisture of the collector lying member 1 has considerably increased, this activates the suction device 14, unless it already is in operation, and opens the valve IS. An underpressure caused by the suction device 1 is transmitted through the channels 13 and 14 tα the collector tank 8, and further to the hose 9 and tα the canal system E; EΞ, El of the collector through a connector 10 and the outlet opening 7. The liquid discharg'ed to the canal system Ξ e. g. through the perforation 3, moves under the influ¬ ence of the underpressure to the collector tank 8 through the outlet opening 7 and the hose 9. Since an end of the hose 11 connected to the tank 8 is located above a respective end of the hose 9, the liquid is not allowed to be sucked either into the hose 11 or the suction device 14 despite of the diminished pressure, but all liquid remains in the collector tank 8. After the liquids have been sucked from the canal system Ξ, the lying member starts to be ventilated and its moisture content decreases. The signal indicating, that the moisture content of the lying member has decreased to a normal level, is received from the moisture detector 15 by the control unit 17. The control unit 17 closes the valve IE and possibly disconnects the suction device 14 from operation.

The liquid is removed from the tank 8 at regular time intervals or when necessery. If the tank has been filled up unexpectedly, the signal indicating this is received by the control unit 17 through the liquid surface or other filling detector 16, which performs an alarm to the display unit 18, or equivalent, in the control room. When required, the display unit also receives the signal indicating disturbances or defects in the system. The cleaning of the patient can also be done in the bed provided with the collector of the invention. Bedclothes are removed from the bed and the washing is performed on the lying member, and the wash- water is sucked into the collector tank through the lying member 1 and the canal system. Primarily, the invention has been described above with reference to one embodiment of the invention, but it will be apparent, that the invention can be varied in many ways without deviating the scope of the invention set forth in the attached patent claims. Thus, the suction device 14 can be any suitable under¬ pressure pump, which can be connected to one or more lying members or collector tanks. Each lying member can comprise several outlet openings 7, preferably connected through hoses 9 to one common collector tank. The sealing valve 19 can be manually closed, if such being provid¬ ed. The common collector tank can be used for several lying members. The effect of the underpressure on each lying member is now produced e.g. by controlling the valve 19. The control unit 17 can be replaced by a simple control device; when liquid/moisture is detected in the lying member 1 by the moisture detector 15, the control unit will open the valve IE, whereat the underpressure existing in the channel 13 begins tα effect and will suck out the liquid and the extra moisture in the canal system S of the lying member 1. By means of the moisture detector 15 another signal is received when the mois-

ture content has decreased under a preset value and the valve IE is closed by the control unit. If the liquid collector αf the invention is applied to domestic use, the control unit 17 can be connected outside home e. g. tα a nearby public helth care central, where the funct¬ ions of the patient can be monitored.

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