Inflatable patient positioning unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9259098-B2
Application number	US-201314098626-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2013
Priority date	Dec 6, 2013
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A patient support surface includes a cushion and an inflatable patient positioning unit. The cushion is adapted to support a patient. The inflatable patient positioning unit is arranged over a portion of a top side of the cushion at a foot end of the cushion. The inflatable patient positioning unit includes a plurality of positioner bladders shaped so that when inflated a distal end of each positioner bladder is taller than a proximal end of the positioner bladder.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A patient support surface comprising a cushion adapted to support a patient and an inflatable patient positioning unit arranged over a portion of a top side of the cushion at a foot end of the cushion, the inflatable patient positioning unit including a plurality of positioner bladders, wherein each positioner bladder is U-shaped opening toward a head end of the cushion when viewed from above.

2. The patient support surface of claim 1 , wherein positioner bladders of the inflatable patient positioning unit are arranged to overlap one another between a head end and a foot end of the inflatable patient positioning unit when the positioner bladders are deflated.

3. The patient support surface of claim 1 , wherein each positioner bladder includes a bottom panel, a top panel coupled to the bottom panel along the proximal end of the positioner bladder to hold the top panel in place relative to the bottom panel along the proximal end of the positioner bladder during inflation of the positioner bladder, and an expandable panel coupled between the top panel and the bottom panel along the distal end of the positioner bladder to accommodate movement of the top panel away from the bottom panel along the distal end of the positioner bladder during inflation of the positioner bladder.

4. The patient support surface of claim 3 , wherein the expandable panel is coupled between the top panel and the bottom panel along left and right sides of the positioner bladder to accommodate movement of the top panel away from the bottom panel along the left and right sides of the positioner bladder during inflation of the positioner bladder.

5. The patient support surface of claim 3 , wherein the expandable panel of each positioner bladder is formed to include at least one pleat to accommodate movement of the top panel away from the bottom panel along the foot end of the positioner bladder during inflation of the positioner bladder.

6. The patient support surface of claim 1 , wherein the cushion includes a plurality of support bladders arranged under the patient positioning unit.

7. The patient support surface of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of percussion bladders arranged over the plurality of support bladders included in the cushion and arranged between the patient positioning unit and the head end of the cushion.

8. The patient support surface of claim 6 , further comprising a ticking encasing the cushion and the patient positioning unit.

9. A patient support surface comprising a cushion adapted to support a patient and an inflatable patient positioning unit arranged over a portion of a top side of the cushion at a foot end of the cushion, the inflatable patient positioning unit including a plurality of positioner bladders shaped so that when inflated a distal end of each positioner bladder is taller than a proximal end of the positioner bladder, wherein each positioner bladder is U-shaped opening toward a head end of the cushion when viewed from above.

10. A patient support system comprising
a pressurized air source,
a support surface including a cushion adapted to support a patient, an inflatable patient positioning unit arranged over a portion of a top side of the cushion at a foot end of the cushion, and a plurality of percussion bladders coupled pneumatically to the pressurized air source and are arranged over the cushion between the patient positioning unit and the head end of the cushion,
the inflatable patient positioning unit including a plurality of positioner bladders coupled pneumatically to the pressurized air source, each of the plurality of positioner bladders, and
a controller coupled to the pressurized air source, the controller configured to operate the pressurized air source to inflate the positioner bladders included in the inflatable patient positioning unit, to inflate the positioner bladders included in the inflatable patient positioning unit in a generally sequential order so that the inflatable patient positioning unit creates a wave moving from the foot end of the inflatable patient positioning unit toward the head end of the inflatable patient positioning unit to push a patient lying on the support surface toward a head end of the cushion, and to operate the pressurized air source to inflate the plurality of percussion bladders in response to initiation of inflation of the positioner bladders included in the inflatable patient positioning unit in a generally sequential order so that the torso of a patient lying on the support surface vibrates relative to the cushion resulting in decreased static friction between the torso of the patient and the support surface.

11. The patient support system of claim 10 , further comprising a user interface coupled to the controller and adapted to receive user inputs, wherein the controller is configured operate the pressurized air source to inflate the positioner bladders included in the inflatable patient positioning unit in response to receipt of a user input from the user interface associated with a push up in bed operation.

12. The patient support surface of claim 10 , wherein the positioner bladders of the inflatable patient positioning unit are arranged to overlap one another between a head end and a foot end of the inflatable patient positioning unit when the positioner bladders are deflated.

13. The patient support surface of claim 10 , further comprising a user interface coupled to the controller and adapted to receive user inputs, wherein the controller is configured to operate the pressurized air source to inflate the positioner bladders and to inflate the plurality of percussion bladders in response to receipt of a user input from the user interface associated with a push up in bed function.

14. The patient support surface of claim 10 , wherein the support surface includes a ticking encasing the cushion, the inflatable patient positioning unit, and the plurality of percussion bladders.

15. The patient support system of claim 10 , further comprising a user interface coupled to the controller and adapted to receive user inputs, wherein the controller is configured to inflate the positioner bladders included in the inflatable patient positioning unit at generally the same time so that the patient positioning unit provides a hump adapted to reposition the lower leg and foot of a patient in a plane above the top side of the cushion in response to receipt of a user input from the user interface associated with a vascular position operation.

16. The patient support system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to inflate one of the positioner bladders included in the inflatable patient positioning unit arranged under a patient's lower legs so that the patient positioning unit supports the lower legs while the feet of the patient are unsupported to provide heel relief to the patient.

17. The patient support system of claim 16 , further comprising a user interface coupled to the controller and adapted to receive user inputs, wherein the controller is configured to inflate one of the positioner bladders included in the inflatable patient positioning unit in response to receipt of a user input from the user interface associated with a heel relief operation.

18. The patient support system of claim 16 , further comprising a sensor coupled to the controller and configured to determine a position of the feet of a patient supported on the support surface, wherein the controller is configured to inflate one of the positioner bladders included in the inflatable patient positioning unit in respons

Assignees

• Hill Rom Services Inc

Inventors

• Williams Joshua A
• Wiggermann Neal
• Receveur Timothy Joseph
• Branson Gregory W
• Lachenbruch Charles A
• Gibson Luke
• Williamson Rachel L
• Kerr Andrew R
• SMITH Kathryn
• Borgman Darrell
• Wuebker Bryan W

Classifications

• A61G7/012 Primary

  raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame (A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61G7/0755

  for the legs or feet · CPC title

• A61H23/00

  Percussion or vibration massage, e.g. using supersonic vibration; Suction-vibration massage; Massage with moving diaphragms {(apparatus for passive exercising A61H1/00; generating or transmitting mechanical vibrations in general B06B)} · CPC title

• A61G2210/70

  for cooling · CPC title

• A61G7/015

  divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position · CPC title