SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Hospital evacuations during Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina captured headlines and demonstrated the importance of emergency preparedness, as well as the need for rapid evacuation equipment that is readily accessible near non-ambulatory patients. But challenges relating to storage, cost, sanitation, and other factors continue to stymie hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care institutions.

This invention is a cost-effective, simple-to-use storage device that mounts an evacuation stretcher (transport sheet) to a hospital bed so that it can be utilized quickly and efficiently during an emergency. Significantly, this device is compliant with Joint Commission regulations and it already has been installed on roughly 300 beds at Memorial Sloan Kettering.

A small, box-like design permits the evacuation sheet to be stored in the same location in all hospital rooms, which minimizes confusion or delay during an emergency. The storage device is transparent and it does not interfere with normal bed movement or any electronics that a hospital bed might contain. It is also both waterproof and sanitary. Under conditions in which mounting on a hospital bed is not preferable, this device can be wall-mounted instead.

ADVANTAGES

This device provides a standard, convenient location for storage of evacuation equipment close to the patient. A custom-designed lock-tag on the device allows staff to easily see that evacuation equipment is in place and has not been tampered with.

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

There are 3.5 million hospital and nursing home beds in the US. Assuming a price per box of $150, the potential market size is $525M. 

AREAS OF APPLICATION

Emergency response and evacuation

STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT

Ready for use

PATENT INFORMATION

US Patent 9,173,790 issued November, 2015

LEAD INVESTIGATOR

Linda Reissman, MS, Director of Emergency Management, Memorial Sloan Kettering

CONTACT INFORMATION

Benjamin Mumford, MS, Licensing Manager

Tel # 332-229-0487

E-mail: [email protected]