Apparatus and system for boosting, transferring, turning and positioning a patient

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12220366-B2
Application number	US-202318220639-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2023
Priority date	Aug 18, 2015
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

An inflatable device includes a top sheet, a bottom sheet, a cavity formed by the top sheet and the bottom sheet, wherein the top sheet and the bottom sheet are coupled together along a peripheral edge, a port in communication with the cavity and with an exterior of the device, and a valve, including a pocket located in a cavity having an entrance opening and an exit opening to deliver air to the cavity. The pocket is formed by a first and a second layer of material and is positioned along a first portion of the peripheral edge. The device further includes a second port in communication with the cavity, and a second valve in communication with the second port and the cavity. The second valve comprises a second pocket located within the cavity and positioned along at least a second portion of the peripheral edge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inflatable patient transfer device comprising:
a top sheet;
a bottom sheet coupled to the top sheet along a peripheral edge of the inflatable patient transfer device, the bottom sheet cooperating with the top sheet to form a cavity;
a first port in fluid communication with the cavity and an exterior of the inflatable patient transfer device;
a first valve comprising:
a first pocket located in the cavity, the first pocket having a first branch and a second branch, the first pocket formed by a first layer of material and a second layer of material, the first pocket comprising:
a first entrance opening coupled to the first port at a first end of the first pocket, the first entrance opening being in fluid communication with the first port, and
a first exit opening at a second end of the first pocket, the first exit opening being in fluid communication with the cavity, the first exit opening being a first aperture formed in at least one of the first layer of material or the second layer of material of the first branch,
wherein the second end of the first pocket is not directly coupled to the bottom sheet;

a second port in fluid communication with the cavity and with the exterior of the inflatable patient transfer device; and
a second valve comprising:
a second pocket located in the cavity, the second pocket formed by a third layer of material and a fourth layer of material, the second pocket comprising:
a second entrance opening coupled to the second port at a first end of the second pocket, the second entrance opening being in fluid communication with the second port, and
a second exit opening at a second end of the second pocket, the second exit opening being in fluid communication with the cavity, the second exit opening being a second aperture formed in at least one of the third layer or the fourth layer of material,
wherein the second end of the second pocket is not directly coupled to the bottom sheet; and

wherein the first pocket is configured to compress when airflow is not provided into the first entrance opening such that airflow from the cavity into the first exit opening is resisted or prevented when the first pocket is compressed; and
wherein the second pocket is configured to compress when airflow is not provided into the second entrance opening such that airflow from the cavity into the second exit opening is resisted or prevented when the second pocket is compressed.

2. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the second exit opening is spaced from the second entrance opening so as to facilitate airflow through the second port through the second valve by flowing from the second entrance opening, through the second pocket, and out through the second exit opening and into the cavity.

3. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the second valve is configured such that when an air output is in fluid communication with the second port, the second valve is in an open configuration to facilitate airflow through the second valve and the first valve is in a closed configuration to prevent airflow from passing through the first valve.

4. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the first aperture is positioned entirely within the at least one of the first layer of material or the second layer of material.

5. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the first layer of material comprises the first aperture and the second layer of material comprises a third aperture.

6. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 5 , wherein the first aperture is positioned entirely within the first layer of material and wherein the third aperture is positioned entirely within the second layer of material.

7. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the first pocket is formed by a sheet of material folded to form the first layer of material and the second layer of material.

8. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 1 , further comprising a first plurality of apertures in the first layer of material and a second plurality of apertures in the second layer of material.

9. A method of using an inflatable patient transfer device for turning and positioning a person on a support surface, the method comprising:
placing above a supporting surface the inflatable patient transfer device of claim 1 ;
placing a patient above the inflatable patient transfer device;
inserting an air output of an air pump into fluid communication with the first entrance opening; and
inflating the inflatable patient transfer device using the air pump.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first aperture is positioned entirely within the first layer of material.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second aperture is positioned entirely within the third layer of material.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first valve and the second valve are configured such that when the air output is in communication with the first entrance opening of the first valve, air flows through the first pocket and the second pocket is closed, and when the air output is in communication with the second entrance opening of the second valve, air flows through the second pocket and the first pocket is closed.

13. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the first exit opening is spaced from the first entrance opening so as to facilitate airflow through the first port through the first valve by flowing from the first entrance opening, through the first pocket, and out through the first exit opening and into the cavity.

14. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the second pocket comprises:
a third branch extending from the first end of the second pocket to the second end of the second pocket; and
a fourth branch extending from the first end of the second pocket to a third end of the second pocket.

15. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the first branch is oriented perpendicularly to the second branch of the first pocket.

16. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the first port further comprises a retainer extending outwardly from the peripheral edge.

17. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 16 , wherein the retainer extends from the peripheral edge at a first section of the first port and passes through a retainer aperture in the peripheral edge at a second section of the first port.

18. The inflatable patient transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the first branch extends along at least a portion of a side of the peripheral edge of the inflatable patient transfer device, and the second branch extends away from the first branch along at least a portion of a bottom of the peripheral edge of the inflatable patient transfer device.

19. An inflatable patient transfer device comprising:
a top sheet;
a bottom sheet coupled to the top sheet along a peripheral edge of the inflatable patient transfer device, the bottom sheet cooperating with the top sheet to form a cavity;
a port in fluid communication with the cavity and with an exterior of the inflatable patient transfer device; and
a valve comprising:
a pocket located in the cavity, the pocket formed by a first layer of material and a second layer of material, the pocket comprising:
an entrance opening coupled to the port at a first end of the pocket, the entrance opening being in fluid communication with the port,
an exit opening at a second end of the pocket, the second end of the pocket extending int

Assignees

• Sage Products Llc

Inventors

• Rigoni Michael J
• Fowler Paul M

Classifications

• F16K15/20

  specially designed for inflatable bodies, e.g. tyres (connecting valves to inflatable bodies B60C29/00) · CPC title

• A61G1/01

  Sheets specially adapted for use as or with stretchers (restraining devices used in nursing A61F5/37) · CPC title

• A61F2013/15154

  for hospitalised patients · CPC title

• A61G7/05769

  with inflatable chambers · CPC title

• A61G7/001

  with means for turning-over the patient · CPC title