Patient weight reliever apparatus

Patient weight reliever apparatus for at least partially lifting a patient from a support structure, such as a bed or wheelchair, comprising:

• a support frame including first and second spaced apart upright supports, an overhead support member connecting the upper ends of said upright supports and means for supporting said upright supports in a generally vertical attitude;
• vertical lift means mounted to said overhead support member including an eccentric roller pivotally mounted to said overhead support member at a pivot point and a lift line connected to the roller at one end and to said sling at another end, said roller adapted to wind a portion of said lift line onto and off of a cam surface thereof when said eccentric roller pivots about said pivot point;
• a patient sling adapted to at least partially surround the patient and to support the patient when lifted by said lift means at points other than normal bedsore contact points between the patient and the support structure;
• means for selectively coupling said lift means and said sling;
• and
• means for actuating said lift means to raise said sling and patient a desired distance to relieve pressure on the patient's contact points.

Patient weight reliever apparatus for at least partially lifting a patient from a support structure, such as a bed, comprising:

• a support frame including first and second spaced apart upright supports, an overhead support member connecting the upper ends of said upright supports and means for supporting said upright supports in a generally vertical attitude;
• vertical lift means mounted to said overhead support member;
• a patient sling adapted to at least partially surround the patient and to support the patient when lifted by said lift means at points other then normal bedsore contact points between the patient and the support structure, said sling being adapted for use wth a bedridden patient and including a pair of relatively stiff elongate sides, rigid side separators mounted between the sides to keep the sides spaced apart one from the other when said sling is lifted by said lift means, and patient support straps attached to said sides to support the patient's body;
• means for selectively coupling said lift means and said sling;
• and
• means for actuating said lift means to raise said sling and patient a desired distance to relieve pressure on the patient's contact points.

A patient sling for lifting a generally horizontal patient, said patient having bedsore contact points, comprising:

• a pair of relatively stiff elongate sides, said sides having means for providing lift points for raising said sides;
• rigid side separators mounted between said sides to keep said sides spaced apart one from the other when said sling is lifted at said lift points;
• and
• patient support straps attached to said sides to support the patient's body, said straps adapted for supporting the patient at points other than the bedsore contact points so that when the patient is lifted by the sling, pressure on the contact points is relieved.