Fluid handling – Line condition change responsive valves – Pilot or servo controlled
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-08
2004-11-23
Krishnamurthy, Ramesh (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Line condition change responsive valves
Pilot or servo controlled
C137S624110, C137S624150, C137S102000, C005S713000, C005S915000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06820640
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therapeutic percussors and vibrators are known and used to stimulate expectoration of mucous from the lungs. It has been found that by applying undulating or vibratory action to the area of the body adjacent to the thoracic cavity, postural draining or coughing up of sputum is induced thereby reducing the amount of mucous that lines the inner walls of the alveoli.
Various pneumatic and mechanical types of percussors are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,107 to Strom et al. discloses a pneumatic percussor for stimulating the expectoration of mucous. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,563 to Maione discloses a pneumatic percussor useful in the therapeutic treatment of cystic fibrosis and other lung disorders.
Low air loss patient support structures or beds are also known in the medical field. The structures essentially consist of a plurality of inflatable sacs disposed on a frame structure. The patient's weight is uniformly distributed over the supporting surface area of the inflatable sacs. Low air loss beds are known in the art claiming therapeutic value in pulmonary and circulatory care. Low air loss beds are also considered helpful in preventing and treating pressure sores. Exemplary low air loss beds relating to wound care management and prevention include the Flexicair and Restcue beds provided by Support Systems International, Inc.
Alternating pressure low air loss beds are also known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,029 to Vrzalik discloses a low air loss bed having first and second sets of air bags alternating positioned in an interdigitated fashion. Valves and circuitry are provided for alternately changing the pressure in each of the sets of bags to selectable maximum and minimum pressure above and below a predetermined baseline pressure in repetitive and cyclical fashion. Low air loss beds are also known for turning or rotating a patient from side to side in a cyclic fashion, for instance the Biodyne bed by Kinetic Concepts, Inc.
Support Systems International, Inc. markets the Restcue bed having the ability to operate in a first static mode, a second pulsation mode, and a third patient turning mode. The Restcue Bed employs a uniquely designed inflatable sac, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,414, to operate in any one of the three modes.
Until now, the vibratory therapeutic treatment of lung disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, has not been combined with the benefits of low air loss technology. Previously, a patient restricted to a low air loss bed, such as the Restcue bed, who also required percussive chest therapy to induce mucociliary clearance required an external mechanical or pneumatic type vibrator, such as the Strom device. This device would be applied directly to the patient's upper torso to loosen the mucous.
It is also known in the art to provide vibratory pads or similar supports upon which a patient can lie or sit. U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,225 to Vogel, for example, discloses an oscillator plate on which a body can sit, lie, or stand. The oscillator plate is made to oscillate by sound waves. U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,255 to Mogaki et al. discloses a massage mat having a plurality of juxtaposed air chambers. A repeated rhythmic wave motion is induced over the entire surface of the mat or in a local surface by repeating a succession of feeding and discharging of compressed air into and from the air chambers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,874 to Matsumura et al. discloses a similar pneumatic massage mat.
The patient care industry has become sensitive to the rising cost of health care in this country. Sophisticated therapy devices such as the low air loss beds described, although very effective in their method, can amount to significant expense if the patient requires sustained use of the bed. The more versatile these beds can be made, the more the expense of the bed can be spread among a wider patient basis. For example, a low air loss bed also incorporating a vibratory therapy mode of operation could be used to treat a first patient suffering from pressure ulcers and a second patient suffering from a lung disorder. The present invention provides such a unique and versatile patient support system and marks a significant advance in the art of low air loss specialty hospital beds.
In accordance with the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the vibratory patient support system of the present invention preferably includes a rigid support frame that carries the other components of the system. The frame is mounted on castors for ease of movement and preferably has a plurality of articulatable sections that can be lifted by conventional hydraulic lifting mechanisms and articulated by conventional articulation devices.
In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of inflatable sacs are supported upon the rigid support frame. The sacs are preferably disposed transversely across the patient support system but, may be disposed lengthwise thereto. Each sac may comprise a single internal chamber but preferably has four uniquely defined chambers, including two opposite end chambers and two intermediate chambers. The inflatable sacs of the present invention are uniquely designed so that the patient support system can operate in any one of three operational modes with at least one portion or region of the inflatable sacs having a vibratory capability.
The present invention further comprises means for pressurizing and maintaining the inflatable sacs at a predetermined pressure. The predetermined pressure may be a patient height and weight specific profile which can be varied or adjusted accordingly. Vibrating means are further provided separate from the pressurizing and maintaining means. The vibrating means are for vibrating at least a portion of the patient support surface of the system in a frequency range of, for example, 1 Hz to 50 Hz. The frequency range may be as high as desired. The vibrating means are separate from the pressurizing means in that the inflatable sacs can be maintained at the predetermined pressure profile and operate in any mode while a portion of the patient support surface is simultaneously vibrated at a predetermined frequency within the frequency range. Means for variably controlling the vibrating means are also provided which may include, for example, varying the frequency and magnitude or amplitude of vibrations imparted to the patient support surface.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the support frame is articulatable in sections with at least one of the sections corresponding to the general area of the patient's chest. In this embodiment, the vibrating means are disposed within at least one of the inflatable sacs located in the section corresponding to the patient's chest. In this manner, the vibrating forces are localized so as to be applied to the general area of the upper torso of a patient, thereby providing respiratory therapy.
The means for pressurizing and maintaining the inflatable sacs at a predetermined pressure preferably comprises means for pressurizing the inflatable sacs in a first constant pressure mode so that the inflatable sacs are maintained at a relatively constant predetermined pressure whereby a patient resting upon the patient support surface is supported at a predetermined relatively static pressure. Preferably, means are further provided for pressurizing the inflatable sacs in a second pulsation mode whereby at least two alternate sets of the inflatable sacs are alternately inflated and deflated so as to provide alternating pressure point relief to a patient resting upon the support surface. Means are also preferably provided for pressurizing the inflatable sacs in a third turning mode whereby generally disposed portions of each inflatable sac are alternately inflated and deflated so that a patient resting upon the sacs can be automatically tilted from side to side. In this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the patient support system is switchable from any one of said modes of operation to a
Chambers Kenith W.
Hand Barry D.
Novack Robert C.
Stolpmann James R.
Williamson Donald E.
Hill-Rom Services Inc.
Krishnamurthy Ramesh
Rose McKinney & Evans LLP
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