Beds – Mattress – Ventilated or permitting substantial air passage
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-01
2002-12-03
Santos, Robert G. (Department: 3673)
Beds
Mattress
Ventilated or permitting substantial air passage
C005S423000, C005S706000, C005S710000, C005S714000, C005S911000, C005S699000, C005S737000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06487739
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to cushioning devices, in particular to a mattress comprised of an air cell mattress with a plurality of apertures extending through the base of the air cell mattress, a plurality of air channel mats residing beneath the air cell mattress, a top and bottom cover, and an air pump with a controller. The air pump communicates with the air channel mats to provide a flow of air to the bottom of the air cell mattress which flows upwardly through the plurality of apertures and through the top cover to remove moisture. These cushioning devices are typically used in a hospital setting for users that are severely disabled or debilitated and readily cannot move.
(ii) Description of the Related Art
Over the years various mattresses for use in therapeutic care and the prevention of pressure ulcers on the user of the mattress have been developed. Pressure ulcers are red areas or open sores on the skin, often accompanied by indications that the skin and surrounding tissue is in the process of dying and decomposing. Pressure ulcers are caused by restricted blood flow causing damage to the body's soft tissue in areas where bone is close to the skin. Pressure ulcers, also known as bed sores, can occur over any boney part of the body such as the heels, hips and back. Users who are severely disabled, diabetic or debilitated and cannot move are ideal candidates for developing pressure ulcers. These users are apt to lie or sit motionless in one position for long periods of time (hours). The major causes of pressure ulcers include (1) oxygen and nutrient starvation of the soft tissue; (2) pressure; (3) friction and skin shear; (4) excess moisture or moisture build-up at the skin; and (5) heat build-up in the tissue. Pressure at the user-mattress interface can constrict capillary blood flow due to soft tissue deformation and starve body tissue of oxygen and nutrients. The starvation of the tissue causes the tissue to began to die and decompose, causing the formation of a pressure ulcer.
While the interface pressure is very important, other factors also contribute to developing pressure ulcers. Friction and skin shear forces intensify the damaging effects of interface pressure. Friction results in abrasion damage to the skin surface. Skin shear is the horizontal force between the user and the mattress surface that produces tearing forces within deeper tissues. Skin shear can occur when a user is positioned or slides on a bed surface, stretching and damaging skin, connective-tissue, muscle and blood vessels. Excess moisture or moisture build-up at the user-mattress interface can be absorbed through the skin and possibly result in over-hydration of the skin. Over-hydration of the skin dramatically reduces soft tissue strength and increases the potential for friction/shear damage. Excess moisture on the mattress also raises the drag friction of the user-mattress interface due to liquid surface tension and can greatly increase friction and shear damage. Another factor contributing to the development of pressure ulcers is heat build-up in the tissue. Elevated tissue temperatures increase cellular metabolism and the subsequent need for oxygen and nutrients. Typically, the prior art mattresses designed to prevent pressure ulcers employ some type of air cell mattress wherein the individual air cells communicate with one another so as to evenly distribute the supporting force over the body of the user of the mattress. While the use of mattresses that provide a uniform supporting force reduces the possibility of developing pressure ulcers, other factors need to be addressed in order to further diminish the possibility of a user developing pressure ulcers.
For example, excess moisture or moisture build-up at the user-mattress interface can result in over-hydration (or maceration)of the skin along with an increase in the friction and skin shear forces experienced by the user, which greatly enhance the potential for developing pressure ulcers. To overcome the excess moisture build-up, prior art mattresses have employed methods of providing a flow of air through the mattress and along the user-mattress interface to remove any built-up moisture and minimize the potential for moisture to build-up. These mattresses included the use of an air pump to supply a flow of air to an air distribution member residing beneath the mattress which flows between the air distribution member and the mattress and then upwardly through the mattress to the user-mattress interface. These prior art mattresses use a single air distribution member to provide the flow of air to the mattress. However, these mattresses had a drawback in that, the use of a single air distribution member does not provide the flexibility to custom tailor the flow of air to different parts of the mattress to provide different levels of comfort and moisture removal for the user of the mattress.
Typical prior art mattresses also employ a single air pump to supply air to both the air cells and the air distribution member. The use of a single pump to provide air to the air cells of the air cell mattress and to provide a flow of air to the mattress air distribution member to remove moisture increases the complexity and cost of the air supply system and prevents the use of other manufacture's air cell mattresses. The complexity of the air supply system for both the mattress air cells and the air distribution member may also be difficult for a user to understand and control.
Some prior art mattresses utilize air from the air cells to provide a flow of air from the mattress to remove moisture. A typical mattress of this type uses low air loss air cells wherein the air cells are constantly venting a small amount of air out of the air cells as new air is being continuously pumped into the air cells. The air venting from the air cells provides the air flow to the mattress to remove the moisture. Additionally, other mattresses systematically inflate and deflate some of the air cells of the air cell mattress in order to relieve pressure on the user of the mattress. The deflation of the air cells provides an exhaust flow of air that is routed from the mattress to remove moisture therefrom.
Some prior art mattresses also utilize drainage holes in the mattress to remove large amounts of liquid that may be excreted by a user of the mattress, such as urine. While this aids in the removal of the liquid moisture, it does not remove moisture vapor and allows for a potentially unsanitary and non-hygenic mattress.
The use of this type of mattress requires the mattress to be cleaned and disinfected after having been contaminated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes shortcomings of prior art mattresses by providing a cushion that provides a uniform supporting force over a large area, an air channel mat for supplying air to the mattress to dry moisture vapor, and a cover that provides a smooth surface for the user to lay on that is vapor permeable and liquid impermeable. Furthermore, the present invention provides for a plurality of air channel mats that are supplied with a flow of air from an air pump that can selectively control which parts of the mattress are supplied with a flow of air to dry moisture vapor.
An effective therapeutic mattress that minimizes the possibility of pressure ulcers will (1) distribute pressure as evenly as possible along a user's body minimizing or eliminating the potential of soft tissue deformation; (2) have a low friction user-mattress interface that minimizes the skin shear forces; and (3) actively removes excess user-mattress moisture.
The moisture drying mattress is comprised of at least one cushion that has opposite top and bottom surfaces and a plurality of apertures that extend through the cushion from the bottom surface to the top surface. An air channel mat is positioned below the cushion. The air channel mat is adapted and dimensioned to fit beneath the cushion and support the cushion bottom surface in a spaced relati
Crown Therapeutics, Inc.
Polster Lieder Woodruff & Lucchesi L.C.
Santos Robert G.
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