Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – Device with applicator having specific movement
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-06
2004-02-10
DeMille, Danton D. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
Device with applicator having specific movement
C601S134000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06689077
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for alleviating or preventing excessive pressure, and therefore pressure sores, from developing on a contacted body area.
BACKGROUND ART
A pressure sore is any lesion caused by excessive, unrelieved pressure on an area of the body. When pressures above normal homeostatic pressure are applied to a body region and its associated blood vessels, the blood vessels can partially or fully collapse, thereby disrupting normal circulation. As a result, the affected area becomes devoid of blood supply, which prohibits oxygen and nutrients from being delivered to the surrounding tissue. Pressure sores often occur over bony prominences, and can range in severity from partial thickness skin loss to full thickness skin loss with tissue necrosis and damage to underlying muscle and bone.
Pressure sores are a common and costly problem in bed and chair-bound individuals, as well as in patients having an impaired ability to reposition themselves, such as those on ventilators or under anesthesia. In such individuals, various areas of the body may be permanently or almost permanently in contact with the support surface of the bed or chair, resulting in excessive pressure, lack of air circulation, and often increased shear between the contacted body area and the support surface.
Various systems have been proposed to reduce or prevent pressure sores. Among the most common prevention systems are mattresses, cushions, or pads that include some type of raised members extending from a flat base as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,956 issued to Nold. The raised members are spaced apart and designed to contact the body at numerous points in an attempt to lower the pressure between the affected body area and the support surface and equalize the pressure over the entire surface of the body. In order to be effective in this capacity, the raised members are designed to be of a height sufficient to maintain the body away from the base. However, upon the application of pressure by contact with the body, the raised members tend to bend and collapse into contact with the base, such that the body is resting against a substantially flat surface with broad points of contact. This action negates any lowering of pressure of the affected area, while also decreasing aeration and increasing the potential for shear between the body member and the pad.
Another problem for bed or chair bound persons is maintaining a comfortable temperature for body surfaces that are in contact with a supporting surface. In particular, when ambient temperatures are hot, persons confined to a bed or wheelchair may sweat profusely on a supporting surface. If ambient temperatures are cool persons with poor circulation may be uncomfortable if they must lie or sit on an unheated supporting surface for an extended period of time.
Persons riding in vehicles for extended periods of time may also suffer from unrelieved pressure that may compress or restrict blood vessels in localized areas. Vehicle seats may also be uncomfortable at high or low temperatures if the seat has no temperature control system. It is known to provide resistance heating elements in vehicle seats to warm the seats in cold weather. However, cooling seats during warm weather has proven to be a difficult problem. No single system for heating and cooling vehicle seats is known that permits efficient and effective heating and cooling that may be controlled and operated in conjunction with the vehicle heating and air conditioning system.
These and other problems and drawbacks attendant to the prior art are addressed by this application as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention relates in view of the following description and attached drawings as summarized below.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object according to the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for pressure management, including alleviating or preventing excessive pressure development on a contacted body area.
It is a further object according to the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for alleviating or preventing excessive pressure development on a body area that function reliably regardless of the pressure applied by the contacted body area.
It is a still further object according to the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for alleviating or preventing excessive pressure development on a body area wherein the apparatus is embodied in a cushion or the like.
Still another object according to the present invention is to provide an apparatus for alleviating pressure which incorporates a member having a first end for exerting focused pressure upon the body area.
Yet another object according to the present invention is to provide a breathable cover for an apparatus for alleviating excessive pressure wherein the breathable cover shields the apparatus from unwanted foreign agents and is easy to clean and store.
A further object according to the present invention is to combine a hospital appliance such as a chair or bed with differently sized covered apparatus usable across various areas of the appliance to accommodate different portions of a user's body.
An additional object according to the present invention is to provide a supporting surface for a person that alleviates excessive pressure and provides for heating or cooling of the surface.
According to yet another object of the invention, a vehicle seat is provided that has a seating surface on the seat back or seat base that alleviates excessive pressure. The vehicle seat may also provides for heating or cooling of the surface.
Accordingly, a cushion apparatus for alleviating, and preferably preventing, excessive pressure development on a body area is provided. The cushion includes a first, bottom surface and a second, top surface which is spaced from the first surface, and where the first surface has a plurality of holes formed therethrough. A compressible inner layer is disposed between the first and second surfaces, and a plurality of elongate members are supported by the inner layer and disposed at least partially within the holes. The members have distal ends that extend at least partially through the holes to project beyond the first surface, and in the absence of pressure the members are located at a neutral position. In operation, pressure applied to the distal ends by contact with the body area cause the members to be displaced axially along the holes away from the neutral position and toward the bottom surface without deformation. A cover encloses the cushion and includes an upper layer that engages the distal ends of the members.
The cushion apparatus may include a heating and cooling system that directs either warm or cool air between the first surface of the cushion and upper layer of the cover.
The cushion apparatus may also be placed upon or incorporated into a vehicle seat. Either the seat back or seat base could have the cushion. The vehicle seat could also incorporate air ducts for directing HVAC air through the cushion.
In a preferred embodiment, the members are longer than the distance between the top and bottom surfaces, such that the members extend beyond the top surface independent of the applied pressure in order to maintain a plurality of point pressures on a body area. In addition, the members include second ends located beneath the top surface, where each second end preferably includes an enlarged base operable to limit the distance that each member projects beyond the top surface. These second ends can be attached to the inner layer, which is preferably operable to return the members to the neutral position upon removal of the applied pressure.
In further accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the members have rounded first ends for added comfort when in contact with the body area. At least a subset of the channels are preferably densely spaced in order to provide a plurality of point pressures to the contacted body area. In terms of materials, th
Brooks & Kushman P.C.
DeMille Danton D.
Yu Justine
LandOfFree
Apparatus and method for pressure management having... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus and method for pressure management having..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus and method for pressure management having... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3344322