Systems and methods for securing mobile medical equipment supporter systems to patient transporters

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for securing a mobile medical equipment supporter system, such as an infusion pump pole, to a mobile patient transporter, such as a gurney, thereby enhancing patient and attendant safety. The supporter system includes a primary support structure, one or more attachment points configured to secure medical delivery device(s) and/or medical monitoring device(s), a wheeled mobility assembly, and a hitcher assembly having a hitcher coupler configured to operatively mate with a corresponding hitchee coupler of the mobile patient transporter. In some embodiments, the mobility assembly includes a carousel with three or more rotatably attached wheeled extensions. The coupling process starts by decreasing the height of the patient transporter. Next, the hitcher coupler is aligned to the hitchee coupler. The hitcher coupler is then secured to the hitchee coupler by increasing the height of the patient transporter, thereby enabling the patient transporter to be propelled without a need to separately propel the supporter system. The supporter system footprint can also be reduced by further increasing the height of the patient transporter, thereby enhancing maneuverability.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method for operatively coupling a mobile medical equipment supporter system to a mobile patient transporter of a patient, the supporter system having a main support structure and a wheeled base, and wherein the supporter system is configured to support a medical delivery device or a medical monitoring device for the patient, the method comprising:
 prepping a mobile medical equipment supporter system and a mobile patient transporter by increasing a relative height between the supporter system and the patient transporter;   aligning a hitcher coupler of the supporter system to a hitchee coupler of the patient transporter along a substantially vertical axis; and   engaging the hitcher coupler to the hitchee coupler by decreasing the relative height between the supporter system and the patient transporter, thereby enabling the patient transporter to be propelled without a need to separately propel the supporter system.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein prepping the patient transporter includes lowering a height of the patient transporter, and wherein engaging the hitcher coupler to the hitchee coupler includes raising the height of the patient transporter. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising further raising the height of patient transporter to reduce a footprint of the supporter system. 
     
     
         18 . The method  claim 15  wherein the hitcher coupler is male and the hitchee coupler is female. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein prepping the supporter system includes raising a height of the supporter system, and wherein engaging the hitcher coupler to the hitchee coupler includes lowering the height of the supporter system. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein both the hitcher coupler and the hitchee coupler have circular cross-sectional profiles.