Beds – Mattress – Having confined gas
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-20
2002-04-16
Grosz, Alexander (Department: 3628)
Beds
Mattress
Having confined gas
C005S713000, C005S654000, C005S710000, C297S314000, C297S337000, C297S452410
Reexamination Certificate
active
06370716
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an inflatable cushioning device for body supports such as a mattress, sofa, or chair cushion. In particular, the present invention relates to a body support for preventing the formation of pressure induced soft tissue damage. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an inflatable cushioning device providing controllable tilting and turning for a patient.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore, inflatable cushioning devices for use with body supports, such as a mattress, sofa, seat, or the like, typically included a plurality of air cells or bladders that are inflated to support a person. The air cells provide support to the person, and can be inflated to a desired pressure level to provide the person with a predetermined level of comfort and support.
In the medical field, cushioning devices including a plurality of air cells are often used to provide different levels of support under various portions of a patient's body. For example, a mattress may include separate air cells located in the upper, middle, and lower portions of the mattress. These air cells can be inflated to different pressures to support the upper, middle, and lower portions of the patient's body with different pressures.
In hospitals which provide care to patients confined to a bed for extended periods of time, the patients often suffer from the effects of excess pressure transmitted to their bodies. As known in the medical field, continuous pressure applied to a patient's body can cause soft tissue damage. When the external pressure exerted on the patient's skin causes blood carrying capillaries to close, soft tissue degeneration may occur. This soft tissue damage may lead to the formation of pressure sores. For example, continuous pressure applied to a patient's heel can cause a pressure sore to develop on the heel. The multi-cell cushioning devices described above can be used to relieve the pressure applied to a specific portion of a patient's body. In the case of a patient's heel, for example, this may be accomplished by inflating the air cell under the patient's leg so that the heel is lifted from the mattress. Thus, the continuous heel pressure is relieved and the formation of a bed sore on the heel is prevented.
Air cushion devices typically require an external pump to inflate the air cells in the device. Alternatively, the air cushion devices are pre-inflated in the manufacturing plant and are shipped to a field location for use. A problem may develop when the atmospheric pressure at the inflation location is different from the atmospheric pressure at the field location where the device is used. For example, if the field location atmospheric pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure at the inflation location, the air cells in the field will expand and become firmer.
Hospitals rate pressure relief support systems as “treatment products” if they sufficiently reduce the pressure upon a patient's body, reduce tissue trauma, and facilitate the healing of skin ailments, such as burns, pressure sores, etc. Typical pressure relief support systems which qualify as “treatment products” are embodied in beds which contain motors and pumps to vary the shape and pressure within the mattress. Such beds are very expensive and require the operator to undergo extensive training to learn how to use and operate the system. Furthermore, the “treatment products” often require extensive maintenance due to the failure of the numerous moving mechanical parts. Also, these complicated pressure relief support systems cannot be used on typical box spring mattress supports, and require specialized bed frames. The complicated design of these beds makes their repair very difficult, and often requires the complete replacement of the entire system for proper servicing. A further difficulty is that during power outages, these mattresses lose pressure leaving a patient on a hard surface to develop pressure sores if action is not taken.
The patient who is not able to move is difficult for a care giver to turn when the patient is lying on a bed. The patient who is not ambulatory may slump to one side while seated in a chair. Staying continuously slumped toward one side of the chair may cause continuous pressure on the same body regions which may lead to tissue damage. Continuous slumped seating may apply continuous pressure on the tail bone in the pelvic region which may lead to tail bone breakdown. At times, it is necessary for the care giver to move the patient's legs towards or away from each other, and this is difficult to achieve with a patient slumping in a chair. Furthermore, restraining belts may be required to keep some patients seated in a chair. The restraining belts prevent the patient from falling forward out of the chair. Additionally, restraining straps are often used to prevent an unattended patient from wandering away. Thus, a need exists to arrive at a body support which adequately addresses these disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a cushioning device for a mattress, seat, sofa, or the like where support is obtained from a fluid such as atmospheric air. The cushioning device has few moving parts, is user controllable, requires minimal maintenance, and is easily repairable. Furthermore, the cushioning device includes a tilting apparatus to provide easy rotation of a patient lying on a bed. When included in a chair cushioning device, the tilting apparatus provides many benefits. The tilting apparatus can tip a sideways or forward slumping patient into an upright position. In addition, the tilting apparatus allows the care giver to easily move the patient's legs towards or away form each other. Also, the tilting apparatus allows the care giver to tilt the patient in a backward direction in the chair. The cushioning device of the present invention includes a support system apparatus, a sleeve apparatus, a jacket, a topper cushion, a tilting apparatus, and an outer cover.
The tilting apparatus includes at least one lifting pod that is inflated with a fluid to lift a body located above the lifting pod. A pressure apparatus may include, for example, a hand pump, a powered pump, or a compressor to provide pressurized fluid to the lifting pod.
The support system apparatus includes at least one support cell for providing lifting support for a body. Each support cell includes an envelope containing a fluid. Application of an external load on an outer surface of the envelope causes the envelope to deform into a compressed form. The envelope includes a reforming element that is capable of providing a reforming force to the interior surface of the envelope, to return the envelope to its original unloaded form. The reforming element is preferably made from a resilient foam material, however, other resilient means can be used.
An intake valve and an exhaust valve are included in each support cell. The exhaust valve in each support cell is connected to an exhaust control system. The intake valve in each support cell is connected to an intake control system. Each intake valve includes an intake check valve allowing fluid to flow into the support cell, while preventing fluid from flowing out of the support cell. Each exhaust valve includes an exhaust check valve allowing fluid to flow out of the support cell, while preventing fluid from flowing into the support cell. The intake control system is connected to a fluid supply reservoir. The exhaust control system is connected to a fluid exhaust reservoir. Preferably, the fluid included in the supply and exhaust reservoirs is air, however, any suitable fluid, e.g., water or nitrogen, can be used. The fluid supply and exhaust reservoirs may comprise the same reservoir, and may comprise an ambient source of fluid such as atmospheric air.
In use, the weight of a body of a person, patient, or animal resting on the envelope deforms the envelope. For illustration purposes, a patient will be used as an example of a body resting on the
Grosz Alexander
Schmeiser Olsen & Watts
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