| CPC A61G 5/006 (2013.01) [A61G 5/1075 (2013.01)] | 21 Claims |
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1. A transport wheelchair configured for non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), comprising:
a frame comprising a chair base movably carried by a wheel base displaceable on a set of wheels;
a seat, a backrest and a legrest carried by the chair base of the frame;
the set of wheels comprising a pair of fixed wheels configured to rotate around a laterally-oriented rotational axis and to roll longitudinally;
the chair base having at least two elevations, including:
a raised elevation in which the chair base with the seat, the backrest and the legrest are elevated; and
a lowered elevation in which the chair base with the seat, the backrest and the legrest are lowered;
a manual actuator coupled between the wheel base and the chair base, and configured to selectively elevate the seat, the backrest and the legrest;
a first actuator pedal operatively coupled to the manual actuator to operate the manual actuator to elevate the chair base with the seat, the backrest and the legrest;
the backrest and the legrest being pivotal with respect to the seat, and the seat, the backrest and the legrest having at least two configurations, including:
a chair configuration in which the backrest and the legrest are upright with respect to the seat; and
a reclined configuration in which the backrest is laid-back with respect to the seat, and the legrest is raised with respect to the seat so that the backrest, the seat and the legrest are substantially horizontal;
a pair of armrests removably coupled with respect to the seat and each having an attached position on a lateral side of the seat and a removed position away from the seat;
securement points carried by the frame and configured to be engaged by fasteners to secure the wheelchair in a vehicle;
the wheelchair having at least three configurations, including:
a patient acquisition configuration in which at least one of the pair of armrests is in the removed position; the seat, the backrest and the legrest are in the reclined configuration; and the chair base with the seat, the backrest and the legrest are in the raised elevation, configured to transfer a patient to the wheelchair;
a patient transport configuration in which the pair of armrests is in the attached position; the seat, the backrest and the legrest are in the chair configuration; and the chair base with the seat, the backrest and the legrest are in the lowered elevation, configured to transport the patient with the wheelchair; and
a patient passenger configuration in which the wheelchair with the patient thereon is positioned in a motor vehicle; the securement points of the wheelchair are coupled to the motor vehicle; the pair of armrests is in the attached position; and the chair base with the seat, the backrest and the legrest are in the lowered elevation, configured to transport the patient with the motor vehicle with the patient in the wheelchair; and
a pivot wheel coupled to the frame and oriented perpendicular to the pair of fixed wheels and configured to rotate around a longitudinally-oriented rotational axis; and
the pivot wheel being selectively positionable between:
an elevated position higher than a bottom of the pair of fixed wheels and off of the ground; and
a lowered position lower than the bottom of the pair of fixed wheels with the pair of fixed wheels elevated off of the ground and the pivot wheel configured to roll laterally.
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