US Patent 7568241 Emergency patient support and transport system

An emergency patient support and transport apparatus that is designed to be used in emergency response situations to treat patients that have been exposed to hazardous biological, chemical or radioactive materials. The patient support and transport apparatus is in the form of a rail system that allows a patient and the patient's support bed to be transported across the rails to a medical treatment zone, such as a decontamination zone, where decontamination of the patient and support bed occurs. The support and transport apparatus is formed of a patient support track formed of individual track sections that are collapsible for ease of transport and storage. The individual track sections are adapted to be interconnected to form at least two continuous rail surfaces. The patient support track is used in combination with a patient gurney having a base portion and a removable stretcher portion for supporting the patient. The stretcher portion of the patient gurney is adapted to be releasably secured to the base portion. The base portion of the patient gurney includes a pair of support rails that can be connected to either the first or second end of the continuous rails of the patient support track. The stretcher portion of the patient gurney includes a plurality of rollers and guides that permits the stretcher to roll from the support rails of the base portion to the two continuous rails of the patient support track. This allows the patient and the stretcher portion to be treated in the medical treatment zone, and then advanced to the second end of the continuous rails of the patient support track where the stretcher and patient are rolled onto an aligned second gurney base portion.