Specially adapted vehicles (e.g. ambulances, wheelchairs), handling apparatus (e.g., wheelchair lifts), or methods or devices (e.g., stretchers) for moving patients or disabled persons or deceased who are passive participants in their relocation (e.g., the persons are handled in a manner similar to loads) [also including user-propelled wheelchairs].

Personal conveyances

Specially adapted structures (e.g., hospital or treatment rooms for medical purposes, baby incubators) or devices (e.g., bedpans, hospital beds, trapeze or pull-up bars) used:

by patients or disabled persons for their personal physical needs and convenience or

for controlling the local environment of patients or disabled persons during treatment or recovery.

Specially adapted supporting surfaces for sustaining patients in a recumbent or seated position during recovery, surgery, dental work, or similar types of medical treatment.

Funeral devices

(e.g., coffins, caskets, urns, and associated attachments and accessories thereof)

Auxiliary appliances (e.g., trolleys for medicine) or accessories specially adapted for use with the other invention information covered by this subclass.

General relationship of A61G with subclasses for care or alteration of the human body

A61G does not cover apparatus or methods that are directly used on an individual's body to perform medical care and therapy or to alter it after death. The types of medical care, therapy, and body alterations not covered by A61G consist of:

treating a part of the body (e.g., filling teeth - A61C),

monitoring the body (e.g., eye testing - A61B),

determining a medical condition or illness of the body (e.g., radiation diagnosis – A61B),

investigating the body (e.g., autopsy equipment – A61B),

physically correcting or altering the body of living individuals (e.g., cataract surgery – A61F), and

physically preparing or altering the body of deceased individuals (e.g., embalming equipment - A01N, cremation furnaces – F23G).

Subclasses A01N, A61B, A61C, A61F, A61H, A61K, A61M, A61N, and F23G provide appropriately for apparatus or methods for medical care, therapy, or body alterations of these types. The specific classifications that are of interest for search purposes are specified in the references of A61G or its groups.

However, A61G does provide for specific structural modifications that merely facilitate the use of apparatus or methods of these types for medical care or therapy when in combination with subject matter that is otherwise appropriate for this subclass (e.g., special supports for patients with burns). A61G also provides for life supporting or sustaining devices that control the local environment during treatment or recovery of patients (e.g., baby incubators).

General relationship of A61G with vehicles adapted for use by disabled

A61G covers personal conveyances and "vehicle-like" conveyances (e.g., wheelchairs, stretchers) that are explicitly designed for use by only a single patient or disabled person and intended to normally travel relatively short distances along the ground or similar support surface (e.g., hallway).

The subclass for a specific type of standard roadway vehicle (i.e., vehicles designed and intended for general thoroughfare (roads) usage over long distances, such as B62K for cycles) covers their vehicles that have been specially adapted for use by a disabled operator.

The subclass for a specific type of "special-utility" vehicle (i.e., vehicles that have another primary purpose other than transport, such as riding lawn mowers or forklifts) covers their vehicles that have been specially adapted for use by a disabled operator.

The class A61G uses for all sub-classes, groups and sub-groups a set of sub-groups which identify the following (additional) information:

Information related to the kind of patient or his position A61G 2200/00-A61G2200/99

General characteristics of devices A61G 2203/00-A61G2203/99

General identification or selection means A61G 2205/00-A61G2205/99

Devices for specific treatment or diagnosis A61G 2210/00-A61G2210/99

Adaptions of particular transporting means A61G 2220/00-A61G2220/99

Stretchers are used to transport patients or to support them for a short time (less than 24h).

Example of a stretcher of the break-away type [GB2122501A]:

Stretchers with skis etc. instead of wheels.

Stretchers having a supporting surface made of skis or accessories have to be classified in A61G 1/00-A61G 1/06 depending on disclosed features (at least to classify the use as stretcher, possibly classified as additional information) and also in A63C 11/002.

Sheets (fabric-like or other flexible material) used as stretchers, like: [US2012272451]

Sheets as an accessory to stretchers, like: [US8141555]

Also loading and transporting patients on stretchers, unused stretchers.

Supports for stretchers are classified in the groups A61G 3/02 and A61G 3/08, as well as their subgroups, if they have elements fixed to the vehicle. Stretcher supports without connection to a vehicle are classified in A61G 1/06.

Supports for sitting patients or disabled people

All chairs having a standing-up function are classified and searched in A61G 5/14

For conveyances other than wheelchairs applies the following:

Between the fields B62K 5/00, A61G 5/00, B62D and B60L the following was agreed (flexibility please):

1) Electric vehicle (or open vehicle where the user sit on it rather than in it) for elderly and invalid having a handlebar and three or more wheels will be classified in B62K 5/00 and possibly in A61G 5/00. They will be in principle searched in B62K 5/00.

2) Arrangement of components, both in electric vehicle as in wheelchairs, like battery or transmission, will be classified and searched in B60K.

3) Aspects of controls and monitoring of motors or battery and electric braking classified and searched in B60L 7/00 or B60L 50/00 - B60L 58/00.

4) Electric vehicles where the user sits in should be classified and searched in B62D 21/00-B62D21/67.

5) Other aspects could of course be classified in different groups according to circumstances: B62M, A61G etc.

6) Relating classes:

Patient supports for periods longer than 24 hours; used in a hospital, nursing or other medical setting

Lifting devices used for nursing and transfer devices (between two supports).

also deployable wheels, propulsion of beds

Cleaning devices are covered insofar they are adapted to be used to clean bed-pans, urinals or sanitary devices

Hospital equipment that ill or premature babies lie in to be kept warm and given treatment.

Operating tables with wheels are classified in A61G 13/10

Example of a dental workstand: [US2010159415]

Example of a holder for dental workpieces: [EP2189143]

Coffins and urns and directly connected accessories; Enclosings for corpses

Transport or accommodation for patients, operating tables or chairs, chairs for dentistry or funeral devices not provided for in other groups of this subclass