Beds – Mattress – Having confined gas
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-13
2001-05-01
Melius, Terry Lee (Department: 3628)
Beds
Mattress
Having confined gas
C005S706000, C005S710000, C005S739000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223369
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to improved patient support surfaces and more particularly to combinations of foam and air technologies which are selected so as to lend themselves to certain common modular assembly features, in the context of improved performance and/or costs.
Healthcare costs generally as well as patient well being may be greatly effected by the degree of pressure relief for patients confined to beds for significant periods of time. Pressure sores (e.g. decubitus ulcers), potentially leading to infections and other worsened conditions or complications can occur from prolonged pressure exposure, such as experienced by those confined to beds, whether in a hospital, nursing home, or private residence. Considerable efforts have been made to provide mattress systems or patient support surfaces which effectively redistribute and equalize pressure forces at the interactions between the patient and the support surface. Generally speaking, the more sophisticated techniques for achieving such pressure reductions are relatively more involved and therefore more expensive to manufacture and/or use. Certain generally effective techniques involve the use of elongated air tubes or cylinders variously combined with foam pieces. Examples of embodiments having four generally longitudinal elongated air tubes are set forth in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,070,560 and 5,412,821. Such patents include the use of relatively stiffened lateral slats to help convey and redistribute forces laterally from one air tube to another. Such redistribution takes place over relatively limited areas of contact between the respective elements. While such approach is generally effective, one aspect of the present invention seeks to improve on the redistribution and equalization of pressure forces in the context of using such elongated air tubes and to otherwise improve the function thereof.
Another aspect of patient support surfaces generally relates to patient safety. Specifically, through either voluntary or involuntary movement (such as during sleep), patients may tend to move around on a support surface, including movement towards the edge of such surface. Many bed systems have large metal rails or other similar devices to help prevent accidental injury in the event that a patient inadvertently rolls off of the patient support surface. Such barriers or other buildups may prove awkward and obstructive whenever it is otherwise desired to assist a patient with entry to or egress from a bed.
Another aspect of patient safe interaction involves a potential tendency for some air mattress systems to “roll” or boost a patient forward as they are seated on the edge of a support surface. Such situation could cause a patient to tend to lose balance if they egress from a bed unassisted. Again, obstructions or buildups put in place to help prevent such occurrences otherwise interfere with desired patient transfers or edge-of-bed sitting.
Still another particular aspect of patient support surfaces relates to the relatively high degree of pressure forces which are placed on the heels of a patient. The relatively excessive pressures focused on the heels are often difficult forces to be effectively accommodated by many existing patient support systems. Such is particularly true where a system seeks to address total comfort from a balanced perspective, as opposed to focusing on heel pressure reduction. Hence, excessive or undesired heel pressure levels remain, resulting in patient discomfort and/or negative health consequences.
Another general limitation of static non-powered air tube technology relates to potential tube air loss. Ordinarily, there are no mechanisms for compensating for any air losses or other causes of pressure/inflation changes from the original specifications established by the manufacturer.
The disclosure of all U.S. patents noted in this application, above or hereinafter, are fully incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention recognizes and addresses various of the foregoing problems, and others, concerning patient support surfaces. Thus, broadly speaking, a principal object of this invention is improved patient support surfaces. More particularly, a main concern is improved patient support surfaces of the type involving combinations of foam and air technology.
It is therefore another particular object of the present invention to provide an overall construction for a grouping of different patient support surfaces involving combinations of foam and air technology which are facilitated by modular assembly components.
It is another general object of the present invention to provide perimeter foam construction techniques which cooperate with improved tube/foam interface components to collectively improve combined foam and air technology construction for both improved comfort and maximized structural integrity.
Another general object of the present invention is to provide improved patient support surfaces with reference to patient safety. More specifically, it is an object to facilitate safer transfers and more stable edge-of-bed sitting. In such context, it is an object to provide patient support surfaces which gently prompt a patient towards the center of the bed without requiring awkward buildups or structures which would otherwise obstruct entry to or egress from such patient support surfaces.
Still a further more particular object of the present invention is to provide inner bolster and foam topper constructions which work in concert with integrated air tubes or cylinders. More specifically, it is an object to provide interlocking, integrated designs which provide flexible, progressive support while maximizing structural integrity of the overall patient support surface.
It is another object to provide improved heel comfort by redistributing and equalizing loads to more relatively pressure-tolerant lower legs and calves. It is a particular object to achieve such improved heel comfort and improved patient health by providing particular sloping heel pressure relief sections incorporated into various embodiments of foam mattress toppers integrally built into different embodiments of patient support surfaces in accordance with this invention.
Yet another present object is to provide an embodiment of static non-powered patient support surface which is nonetheless able to be “recharged” in the field. In other words, it is an object to achieve recalibration of static air cylinders in the field at various periodic intervals of use (such as a certain number of months), to return their inflation specifications to the original manufacturer specs.
It is another object to provide a modular assembly chassis which may be used in common with a number of different embodiments of patient support surfaces (such as involving progressively sophisticated technologies) for creating a line of surface products based on the efficiency of common features. In such context, it is an object to formulate constructions which inherently provide improved patient protection against unintended rolling near the edge of the patient support surface or unintended forward pitching from the edge of the support surface during entry thereto or egress therefrom.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in, or will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from, the detailed description herein. Also, it should be further appreciated that modifications and variations to the specifically illustrated and discussed features and steps or materials and devices hereof may be practiced in various embodiments and uses of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, by virtue of present reference thereto. Such variations may include, but are not limited to, substitution of equivalent means and features, materials, or steps for those shown or discussed, and the functional or positional reversal of various parts, features, steps, or the like.
Still further, it is to be understood that different embodiments, as well as diff
Chastain Mark D.
Maier Edmund K.
Raburn Richard W.
Dority & Manning PA
Hewitt James M
Melius Terry Lee
Span-America Medical Systems, Inc.
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