Beds – Mattress – With distinct movable sections
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-05
2003-02-11
Trettel, Michael F. (Department: 3673)
Beds
Mattress
With distinct movable sections
C005S727000, C005S730000, C005S724000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06516481
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mattress structured to effectively and comfortably support a patient during a period of recovery from surgery or other invasive procedures, wherein the mattress comprises a support platform having an opening formed therein and disposed, dimensioned, and configured to at least partially receive and protect a predetermined portion of a patient's body, which is directly related to the surgical procedure, such as prostate surgery, from which the patient is recovering. The predetermined body portion, and particularly any external body parts associated therewith, are maintained out of forced engagement or supported contact with adjacent portions of the support platform or other objects.
2. Description of the Related Art
Virtually all health care facilities including hospitals, clinics, out-patient emergency rooms, etc. utilize substantially conventional mattresses intended for use with a hospital bed, gurney, stretcher, etc. These medical-type mattress are typically designed to include an elongated support platform of generally standard length and width, dependent upon whether the support platform is to be mounted on a hospital bed or gurney, stretcher, etc. More specifically, conventional hospital mattresses, particularly of the type designed to be mounted on an electrically powered, mechanically adjustable hospital bed have a length of substantially 80 inches and a somewhat standard width or transverse dimension of substantially 36 inches. The support platform normally includes two primary outer walls, each of which may include a supporting surface. One of the supporting surfaces is disposed in supporting relation to the frame of the hospital bed and the other is disposed in supporting relation to the patient. In addition, the interior structures of such mattresses typically include a number of coils or springs alone or in combination with a compressible, foam or other cushion like material, in order to provide a predetermined amount of support to the patient's body while at the same time allowing the mattress to be selectively disposed between a complete horizontal or flat orientation and a partially inclined orientation. The latter orientation of the support platform is typically defined by the head or proximal end of the mattress being oriented at any one of a plurality of inclined angles, which serves to orient the head, shoulders, and generally upper torso region of the patient's body in an upwardly, partially inclined position. This inclined orientation of the upper portion of the patient's body is frequently accomplished to make the patient more comfortable or to allow the patient to better view his or her surroundings and to communicate with medical personnel, visitors, etc. There are, however, a few situations wherein the patient is instructed to maintain as much as possible, the upwardly, inclined orientation described above, in order to help alleviate swelling, assist with drainage of a wound, etc.
As mentioned above, the mattresses used in hospitals or like health care facilities usually comprise a standard structure which is intended to provide adequate support to the patient while resting or sleeping in a fully reclined position or in an at least partially inclined position, as set forth above. However, it is believed that medical institutions have never provided a mattress or like support platform, which is structurally adapted to more readily accommodate certain medical conditions for which the patient is being treated.
More specifically, patients which have been involved in surgery or other invasive procedures frequently must remain in the hospital or like medical facility during a somewhat prolonged period of recovery. During such a recovery period the patient often experiences considerable pain or discomfort, directly associated with the surgical procedure. Such discomfort is experienced until the healing of the patient's body progresses at least to a sufficient degree to where pain is no longer an acute problem. In typical fashion, a patient recovering from surgery is placed on a conventional hospital mattress and oriented in either a fully reclined or partially reclined position, as set forth above. However, it is well known by medical personnel that forced engagement with the supporting surface of the mattress or direct contact of certain portions of the patient's body, which are directly associated with the attendant surgical procedure, frequently results in considerable pain. Because of the generally standardized design of medical type mattresses, as set forth above, the patient is forced to be oriented into a position which almost certainly results in added and oftentimes unnecessary discomfort. This is particularly true when the portion of the patient's body directly related to the surgery comes in direct supported engagement with an adjacently disposed portion of the support platform of the medical mattress on which the patient is disposed.
As set forth above, a large number of hospital beds are electrically powered and capable of being selectively adjusted, such that the head or proximal end thereof may be oriented at an upwardly inclined angle. The adjustment of a hospital bed in the manner set forth above, is normally done to make the patient more comfortable. However, the movement of the support platform of the mattress into and out of the partially inclined position can cause forced engagement or contact of the support platform with the portion of the patient's body associated with the surgery, thereby adding to the extreme discomfort of the patient, as set forth above. Movement or adjustment of the hospital bed may be particularly problematic when, during a recuperative period of the patient, he or she is required to be periodically or continuously oriented in the aforementioned upwardly inclined position.
At least one particular medical condition following a surgical procedure frequently requires a recovery period prone to the problems of the type set forth above. In particular, it is commonly recognized by the medical profession that prostate cancer in middle age to elderly male patients occurs with such frequency to affect a significant portion of the male population. While treatment of prostate cancer frequently includes the use of chemotherapy or radiation, prostate surgery, including the removal of the prostate gland, is oftentimes a preferred method of treatment. It is equally well accepted in the medical profession that patients having undergone prostate surgery must be subjected to a recovery period involving extensive bed rest. Because of the nature of the surgical procedure involved in the removal of the prostate gland, the associated area of the patient's body, generally the groin area, is subjected to extreme pain when disposed into supported engagement with any object, such as and including a hospital mattress on which the patient is supported. The patient's discomfort is often increased by the fact that the patient is usually instructed to maintain himself in an at least partially inclined orientation, with the head, shoulders, back and generally upper torso region of the patient's body being supported in the aforementioned angularly inclined orientation. More in particular, the utilization of a conventional hospital mattress mounted on an electrically powered, mechanically adjustable hospital bed necessitates the physical, mechanical movement of the head portion of the mattress into the angularly inclined position, with that movement causing some compression of the mattress at a mid-region thereof. It is almost precisely at that general location on the mattress, however, that the wounded area of a patient recovering from prostate surgery rests, such that the movement of the mattress and/or the orientation or adjustment of the patient's body thereon, will invariably subject the patient to extreme pain, and most especially during the time period immediately following prostate surgery.
According
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