Inflatable patient positioner with selectively engaging surface gripping zones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12564530-B2
Application number	US-202318242818-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2023
Priority date	Sep 6, 2023
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

A patient positioner includes an upper patient positioner surface coupled to a lower patient positioner surface along a perimeter. One or more baffles couple the upper patient positioner surface to the lower patient positioner surface interior to the perimeter so as to define a plurality of air chambers within the patient positioner. One or more selectively engaging surface gripping zones are attached to the lower patient positioner surface and are positioned centrally along the one or more baffles on a one-to-one basis such that the grippy feet extend distally beyond surfaces of the plurality of air chambers when in a deflated state and retract within concave lacuna situated beneath apices of the plurality of air chambers when in a deflated state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A patient positioner, comprising:
an upper patient positioner surface coupled to a lower patient positioner surface along a perimeter; one or more baffles coupling the upper patient positioner surface to the lower patient positioner surface interior of the perimeter with the one or more baffles defining a plurality of air chambers within the patient positioner; and one or more selectively engaging surface gripping zones attached to the lower patient positioner surface and positioned centrally along the one or more baffles such that grippy feet of the one or more selectively engaging surface gripping zones extend distally beyond surfaces of the plurality of air chambers when in a deflated state and retract within concave lacuna situated beneath apices of the plurality of air chambers when in an inflated state; wherein some of the grippy feet of each selectively engaging surface gripping zone of the one or more selectively engaging surface gripping zones situate on a first side of the concave lacuna when the plurality of air chambers are in the inflated state and some other of the grippy feet of the each selectively engaging surface gripping zone of the one or more selectively engaging surface gripping zones situate on a second side of the concave lacuna when the plurality of air chambers are in the inflated state.

2 . The patient positioner of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more selectively engaging surface gripping zones are positioned centrally along the one or more baffles on a one-to-one basis; and the grippy feet of the one or more selectively engaging surface gripping zones are configured to engage a procedure table upon which the patient positioner is placed when the plurality of air chambers is in the deflated state and disengage the procedure table when the plurality of air chambers is in the inflated state.

3 . The patient positioner of claim 1 , wherein the grippy feet are made of silicone.

4 . The patient positioner of claim 3 , wherein the grippy feet are arranged in alternating, offset rows along a length of each selectively engaging surface gripping zone of the one or more selectively engaging surface gripping zones.

5 . The patient positioner of claim 4 , wherein the alternating, offset rows each comprise three grippy feet.

6 . The patient positioner of claim 1 , wherein the lower patient positioner surface also defines a plurality of air exit holes.

7 . The patient positioner of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of air exit holes is centrally situated along the apices of the plurality of air chambers when in the inflated state.

8 . The patient positioner of claim 1 , wherein the patient positioner defines one or more slots situated within the one or more selectively engaging surface gripping zones.

9 . The patient positioner of claim 8 , wherein the one or more slots are centrally situated within the one or more selectively engaging surface gripping zones.

10 . The patient positioner of claim 1 , wherein the grippy feet have a diameter less than one tenth of an inch.

11 . The patient positioner of claim 1 , wherein the some of the grippy feet comprise half of the grippy feet of the each selectively engaging surface gripping zone of the one or more selectively engaging surface gripping zones and the some other of the grippy feet comprise another half of the grippy feet of the each selectively engaging surface gripping zone of the one or more selectively engaging surface gripping zones.

12 . A method of constructing a patient positioner, the method comprising:
attaching an upper patient positioner surface to a lower patient positioner surface; coupling baffles between the upper patient positioner surface and the lower patient positioner surface to define one or more air chambers between the upper patient positioner surface and the lower patient positioner surface; and attaching selectively engaging surface gripping zones of grippy feet to the lower patient positioner surface such that the selectively engaging surface gripping zones are centrally positioned atop the baffles with one or more first sets of the grippy feet situated in one or more regions that extend one or more first distances from a first side of one or more coupling baffles and one or more second sets of the grippy feet situated in one or more other regions that extend one or more second distances from a second side of the one or more coupling baffles.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the attaching the selectively engaging surface gripping zones occurs on a one-to-one basis relative to the baffles and comprises applying the grippy feet in alternating, offset rows along the baffles.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising configuring air exit holes in the lower patient positioner surface along the one or more air chambers between the selectively engaging surface gripping zones.

15 . A patient positioner, comprising:
an upper patient positioner surface; a lower patient positioner surface coupled to the upper patient positioner surface, the lower patient positioner surface configured to rest against a procedure table during a procedure; a plurality of stitched baffles defining a plurality of air chambers within the patient positioner; and a plurality of grippy feet attached to the lower patient positioner surface, wherein: the plurality of grippy feet engage the procedure table when the patient positioner is in a deflated state and disengage the procedure table when the patient positioner is in an inflated state; wherein plurality of grippy feet comprises a first set of grippy feet on one side of a stitched baffle and a second set of grippy feet on another side of the stitched baffle.

16 . The patient positioner of claim 15 , wherein:
the plurality of grippy feet is arranged in selectively engaging surface gripping zones; and the lower patient positioner surface defines a plurality of air exit holes situated between the selectively engaging surface gripping zones.

17 . The patient positioner of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of air exit holes is configured to create an air bearing between the procedure table and the patient positioner when the patient positioner is in the inflated state and the grippy feet are disengaged from the procedure table.

18 . The patient positioner of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of stitched baffles couples the upper patient positioner surface to the lower patient positioner surface.

19 . The patient positioner of claim 18 , wherein each selectively engaging surface gripping zone of the selectively engaging surface gripping zones are centrally positioned along the stitched baffle.

20 . The patient positioner of claim 19 , wherein the first set comprises three columns of the grippy feet and the second set comprises three other columns of the grippy feet.

Assignees

• Medline Industries Lp

Inventors

• Shackelford William
• Fuerste Cole
• Kurt Alyssa
• Phalen Drew
• Roldan Diana
• Szum David M

Classifications

• A61G13/1235

  Arms · CPC title

• A61G13/1265 Primary

  having inflatable chambers · CPC title