Adjustable adduction stabilizer

Abstract

An adjustable adduction stabilizer for use on a wheelchair to support a patient's leg against the leg rest panel of the wheelchair. The stabilizer device is made from a thermoplastic material such as Orthoplast in which holes are formed so that the patient's leg can breathe to prevent skin irritation or bacteria growth. The stabilizer device includes a front curved portion that can be reshaped using a hand held heat gun to fit various sizes of legs. The stabilizer device wraps around the front of the leg to prevent the leg from sliding off of the leg rest panel in both sideways direction. A Velcro strap is sued to secure the stabilizer device to the wheelchair for easy removal and installation.

Description

FEDERAL RESEARCH STATEMENT

None.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a wheel chair for carrying a patient, and more specifically to an attachment for a leg rest of a wheelchair that will secure a patient's leg to the leg rest.

2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

A wheelchair includes a leg rest for each foot of a patient being carried in the wheelchair. Some patients are so incapacitated that they cannot control their legs or feet such that they stay in place on the leg rest. A patient's foot may slide off from the leg rest and rub against the floor or get caught in the wheelchair frame or wheels and cause serious injury. Without such a restraint, a person in the wheelchair must voluntarily and consciously maintain her leg upon the leg rest during transport. Or, the patient's legs must be tied to the leg rest during transport, and thus restraining the leg to the leg rest.

One prior art reference, U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,984 issued to Sickels on Feb. 4, 1975 and entitled LEG-SUPPORTED-AND-RETAINING DEVICE ATTACHABLE TO AN ELEVATABLE LEGREST OF A WHEEL CHAIR, is shown in FIGS. 1-3 and discloses a leg supporting and retaining device 10 that is removably attached to a frame 30 of a wheelchair 20 and adjacent to the leg rest panel 22 and the footrest panel 24 that acts to hold the patient's leg from sliding in a sideways direction from the footrest panel. FIG. 2 shows the prior art leg supporting and retaining device 10 that includes a minor curved portion 14 that snaps onto a tubular member 23 of the wheelchair 20, a flat body portion 12 and a major curved portion 16. FIG. 3 shows the patient's leg 31 rested on the leg rest panel 22 and the foot resting on the foot rest panel 24. The major curved portion 16 prevents the leg from sliding toward the inward direction. The Sickels patent is incorporated herein by reference.

One major problem with the prior art leg supporting and retaining device of the Sickels patent is the device is formed from a non-breathable sheet material that will cause skin irritation and bacteria growth in the patient's leg if it remains against the surface for a long period of time. Another problem with the Sickels patent is that the device is stiff and fixed in its shape so that it cannot be adapted to different sizes and shapes of legs. Still, another problem with the Sickels patent device is that it does not retain the patient's leg in both sideways directions.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide for a wheelchair that will retain a patient's leg on the leg rest in both sideways directions.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for a wheelchair that will retain a patient's leg against the leg rest while allowing for the leg to breathe so as not to cause skin irritation or bacteria growth.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for a wheelchair that includes a leg rest that can be varied is size and shape so as to fit different sized legs.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for a leg supporting and retaining device that can be easily secured onto a wheelchair to retain a patient's leg from sliding off in both sideways directions.

The present invention is an adjustable adduction stabilizer that is readily attachable to an elevating leg rest of a wheelchair that is made from a breathable material that includes a front portion that can wrap around the patient's leg to secure the leg to the leg rest panel in all three directions. The adjustable adduction stabilizer is formed of orthoplast material with holes formed it is to provide for a breathable device. The adjustable adduction stabilizer includes two holes for Velcro straps that are used to secure the stabilizer to the leg rest frame of the wheelchair. The stabilizer is also formed from a thermoplastic material so that the shape can be reconfigured with a heat gun so fit any sized and shaped leg.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a leg supporting and retaining device of the prior art.

FIG. 2 shows the prior art leg supporting and retaining device of FIG. 1 secured in place on a wheelchair.

FIG. 3 shows a leg being supported on a leg rest panel using the prior art leg supporting and retaining device.

FIG. 4 shows the leg supporting and retaining device of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The adjustable adduction stabilizer (leg supporting and retaining device) of the present invention is shown in FIG. 4 and is used on a wheelchair similar to the prior art leg supporting and retaining device shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the adjustable adduction stabilizer 40 includes a narrow constricted portion 41, a minor curved portion 42, a flat body portion 43 that rests against the leg rest panel of the wheelchair, a major curved portion 44 and a wide constricted portion 45 which forms a S-shaped curved when looking at the cross section. The wide constricted portion 45 wraps over the front of the leg to retain the leg against movement away from the leg rest panel 22 and curves slightly inward toward the leg rest panel 22 to hold the leg against sideways movement outward from the wheelchair. As in the prior art device, the minor curved portion 41 is sized to wrap around the tubular member of the wheelchair, but unlike the prior art device is held in place by Velcro straps. The stabilizer is so shaped that it can be used on both the left side leg rest and the right side leg rest as in the prior art device.

The stabilizer 40 includes slots 46 formed around the two side that form the minor curved portion in which the Velcro straps pass through to enable the Velcro straps to tightly secure the stabilizer 40 to the tubular member. The stabilizer also includes holes 47 formed in the material in the locations at least where the stabilizer would come into contact with the leg so as to allow for the leg to breathe when the stabilizer 40 is wrapped around the patient's leg.

The adjustable adduction stabilizer 40 is made from orthoplast, a medical material, which is a thermoplastic material. As such, the shape of the stabilizer can be changed to fit different sized legs by using a hand held heat gun on the stabilizer to deform it into the desired shape. The stabilizer 40 can be reshaped off from the patient by visual observation and then, after it has solidified, placed onto the patient's leg or leg's. The stabilizer device can be shaped to bend inward toward the leg rest panel 22 so that the patient's leg will not slide sideways away from the major curved portion 44 when it is hardened again. Then, because the stabilizer device is not too rigid, it can be bent open so that it can be fitted around the leg and then allowed to bend back into place so that the wide constricted portion 45 wraps over the front of the leg far enough to restrain the leg in both sideways directions.

The universal stabilizer is readily attachable to the elevating leg rest of the wheelchair. The stabilizer supports and retains the leg without restraining it, eliminating adduction from occurring yet allowing elevation of the leg rest to take place if needed. The adjustable adduction stabilizer 40 is made of the orthoplast material which universally and easily fits the elevating leg rest by its configured S-shape and removable elastic Velcro straps. The material allows the skin of the patient's leg to breathe and rest comfortably in the stabilizer 40 against the leg rest of the wheelchair.

Claims

1. An adjustable adduction stabilizer device that is attachable to a tubular frame of a wheelchair adjacent to a leg rest panel of the wheelchair, the adjustable adduction stabilizer device comprising:

A flat body portion shaped to rest on the leg rest panel of the wheelchair;

A major curved portion extending from the flat body portion shaped to bend around a leg; and,

A wide constricted portion extending from the major curved portion and shaped to wrap around a front portion of the leg.

2. The adjustable adduction stabilizer device of claim 1, and further comprising:

A minor curved portion extending from the flat body portion;

A narrow constricted portion extending from the minor curved portion; and,

Means to secure the minor curved portion to the tubular frame of the wheelchair.

3. The adjustable adduction stabilizer device of claim 2, and further comprising:

At least two slots formed in the adjustable adduction stabilizer positioned to receive a Velcro strap in order to secure the adjustable adduction stabilizer device to the tubular frame of the wheelchair.

4. The adjustable adduction stabilizer device of claim 1, and further comprising:

At least two slots formed in the adjustable adduction stabilizer device positioned to receive a Velcro strap in order to secure the adjustable adduction stabilizer device to the tubular frame of the wheelchair.

5. The adjustable adduction stabilizer device of claim 1, and further comprising:

An end of the wide constricted portion bends inward toward the leg rest panel.

6. The adjustable adduction stabilizer device of claim 1, and further comprising:

The adjustable adduction stabilizer device is made from Orthoplast.

7. The adjustable adduction stabilizer device of claim 1, and further comprising:

The adjustable adduction stabilizer device includes a plurality of holes to allow for the device to be breathable.

8. The adjustable adduction stabilizer device of claim 1, and further comprising:

The adjustable adduction stabilizer device is made from a thermoplastic material.

9. A wheelchair comprising:

A leg rest to support a patient's leg;

A foot rest to support the patient's foot; and,

The adjustable adduction stabilizer device of claim 1 secure to the wheelchair to hold the patient's leg against the leg rest panel to prevent both sideways motions with respect to the leg rest panel.

10. A process for comfortably securing a patient's leg to a leg rest panel of a wheelchair, the wheelchair comprising the leg rest panel and a foot rest panel, the process comprising the steps of:

Applying heat to an adjustable adduction stabilizer device of claim 1 to soften the stabilizer device;

Bending the stabilizer device into a shape that will comfortably fit around a patient's leg to be rested on the leg rest panel;

Allowing for the stabilizer device to reharden;

Place the stabilizer device around the patient's leg; and,

Secure the stabilizer device to the wheelchair.

11. The process for comfortably securing a patient's leg to a leg rest panel of a wheelchair of claim 10, and further comprising the step of:

The step of applying heat includes using a hand held heat gun.

12. The process for comfortably securing a patient's leg to a leg rest panel of a wheelchair of claim 10, and further comprising the step of:

The step of securing the stabilizer device to the wheelchair includes inserting a Velcro strap through slots in the stabilizer device.