Dynamic cellular person support surface

• US 20060085919A1
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Borgman, Douglas E., Wilcox, Reed N., Kramer, Kenneth L., Dahneke, Marshall S., Ulrich, David J., Biondo, John P., Miller, John D., Ulrich, Daniel J., Schwanemann, David T,
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/713
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/082 with non-manual inflation, e.g. with electric pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/083 with pressure control, e.g. with pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/10 with two or more independently-fillable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/029 of non-adjustable shape adapted to a user contour or ergonomic seating positions
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/32 lying
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/325 prone
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/34 sitting
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/32 for force
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/40 for distance
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2210/70 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2210/90 for heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/045 Rear wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05776 with at least two groups of alternately inflated chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1021 Inflatable cushions
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/103 : Transfer boards
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1046 : Mobile bases, e.g. having wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/16 : converting a lying surface into a chair
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/165 : Chair detachable from bed
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0134 : Cushion or similar support
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0138 : incorporated in furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0207 : heated
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0214 : cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/025 : by direct air flow on the patient's body
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1215 : Rotary drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1246 : by piston-cylinder systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/149 : rotation-linear or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1664 : linear
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5002 : Means for controlling a set of similar massage devices acting in sequence at different locations on a patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5061 : Force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5071 : Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5082 : Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0078 : with intermittent or alternately inflated bladders or cuffs mattresses for preventing bed-sores with alternated pressurized chambers A61G7/05776

Abstract

A person support surface comprises a multitude of inflatable cells. The cells are inflated and deflated to adjust an interface pressure between the person support surface and a person supported by the surface.

Claims

1. A person support surface comprising

a plurality of inflatable cells,

a plurality of pressure sensors, each pressure sensor being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of inflatable cells and sensing a pressure at which the corresponding inflatable cell is inflated, and

a plurality of drivers, each driver being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of inflatable cells, each driver being operable to individually inflate the corresponding inflatable cell.

2. The person support surface of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inflatable cells each have an interior region in which the associated pressure sensor is situated.

3. The person support surface of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of drivers is situated in the interior region of the corresponding inflatable cell.

4. The person support surface of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inflatable cells each have an interior region in which the associated driver is situated.

5. The person support surface of claim 1, wherein the plurality of drivers are configured so that pressurized air in the plurality of cells is ventable out of the plurality of cells through the associated driver.

6. The person support surface of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inflatable cells comprise a plurality of upstanding cylindrical cells.

7. The person support surface of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to each of the plurality of pressure sensors to receive pressure data therefrom, the controller being coupled to each of the plurality of drivers, and the controller being operable to signal the plurality of drivers to further inflate the corresponding inflatable cell.

8. The person support surface of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of temperature sensors to sense the temperature of a portion of each of the plurality of inflatable cells, each temperature sensor being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of inflatable cells.

9. The person support surface of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of foam pads, each foam pad being situated adjacent a top of a corresponding one of the plurality of inflatable cells.

10. The person support surface of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of temperature sensors, each temperature sensor being embedded within a corresponding one of the plurality of foam pads.

11. The person support surface of claim 9, further comprising a controller coupled to the plurality of pressure sensors and to the plurality of drivers and the controller being operable to command the operation of the drivers to inflate and deflate the inflatable cells to raise and lower, respectively, the foam pads so as to alter an interface pressure between the foam pads and a person supported thereabove.

12. The person support surface of claim 1, wherein each inflatable cell of the plurality of inflatable cells comprises an upper inflatable chamber and a lower inflatable chamber and each of the plurality of drivers is operable to separately inflate the upper and lower inflatable chambers of the corresponding inflatable cell.

13. The person support surface of claim 12, wherein each of the drivers is situated within the lower inflatable chamber of the corresponding inflatable cell.

14. The person support surface of claim 12, wherein the lower inflatable chamber of each of the inflatable cells is configured as a bellows that is expandable and retractable to raise and lower, respectively, the corresponding upper inflatable chamber.

15. The person support surface of claim 12, further comprising a controller coupled to the plurality of pressure sensors and to the plurality of drivers and the controller being operable to command the operation of the drivers to inflate and deflate the lower inflatable chambers to raise and lower, respectively, the upper inflatable chambers so as to alter an interface pressure between the upper inflatable chambers and a person supported thereabove.

16. The person support surface of claim 1, wherein at least some of the inflatable cells comprises a top surface having at least one opening through which pressurized air is expelled upwardly.

17. The person support surface of claim 1, wherein at least some of the inflatable cells comprises a bottom surface having at least one opening through which pressurized air is expelled downwardly.

18. The person support surface of claim 1, further comprising a topper covering the plurality of inflatable cells.

19. The person support surface of claim 18, wherein the topper comprises foam.

20. The person support surface of claim 18, wherein the topper comprises an undulated mesh material.

21. The person support surface of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inflatable cells are arranged in an array of rows and columns.

22. The person support surface of claim 21, further comprising at least one controller commanding the plurality of drivers to inflate and deflate each of the plurality of inflatable cells in a preprogrammed manner.

23. The person support surface of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of inflatable cells has an upper surface and further comprising at least one controller commanding the plurality of drivers to inflate and deflate each of the plurality of inflatable cells to raise and lower, respectively, the upper surfaces of the inflatable cells in a preprogrammed manner.

24. The person support surface of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the plurality of pressure sensors and to the plurality of drivers, the controller being operable to determine which of the plurality of inflatable cells is supporting a person based on data received from the pressure sensors, and the controller being operable to command the operation of the drivers so as to substantially equalize the pressures in those inflatable cells of the plurality of inflatable cells which have been determined to be supporting the person.

25. The person support surface of claim 1, further comprising a second plurality of inflatable cells, the second plurality of inflatable cells being inflated and deflated as a group.

26. A person support surface comprising

a plurality of inflatable cells arranged in an array of rows and columns, a first group of the rows having a first subset of the inflatable cells and a second subset of the inflatable cells, a second group of the rows having a third subset of the inflatable cells and a fourth subset of the inflatable cells, the rows of the first group of rows alternating with the rows of the second group of rows, and

an inflation control system operable to selectively inflate and deflate the plurality of inflatable cells, the inflation control system having an alternating pressure mode in which each of the inflatable cells of the first, second, third, and fourth subsets of inflatable cells are sequentially deflated and then re-inflated substantially as a group such that during the alternating pressure mode various ones of the first, second, third, and fourth subsets of inflatable cells are deflated while the other three of the first, second, third, and fourth subsets of inflatable cells are inflated.

27. The person support surface of claim 26, further comprising a topper overlying the plurality of inflatable cells.

28. The person support surface of claim 27, wherein the topper comprises foam.

29. The person support surface of claim 27, wherein the topper comprises an undulated mesh material.

30. The person support apparatus of claim 27, further comprising an inflatable lumbar bladder situated between the topper and at least some of the plurality of inflatable cells.

32. The person support apparatus of claim 26, wherein the plurality of inflatable cells are formed by first and second sheets of material which are coupled together along a plurality of longitudinal seams and a plurality of lateral seams.

33. The person support apparatus of claim 32, wherein the longitudinal seams and the lateral seams comprise straight seams.

34. The person support apparatus of claim 32, wherein the longitudinal seams and the lateral seams comprise welded seams.

35. The person support apparatus of claim 26, wherein some of the first and second groups of rows are associated with a back section of the person support apparatus, others of the first and second groups of rows are associated with a seat section of the person support apparatus, and the inflation control system comprises a first source of pressure to inflate the inflatable cells of the back section and a second source of pressure to inflate the inflatable cells of the seat section.

36. The person support apparatus of claim 35, wherein the back section further comprises an inflatable lumbar bladder which is inflated by the second source of pressure.

37. The person support apparatus of claim 35, further comprising a user input device which is operable by a user to increase and decrease set point pressures of the inflatable bladders of the back section and the seat section and to control a time period between which the first, second, third, and fourth subsets of inflatable cells are deflated.

31. The person support apparatus of claim 31, wherein one portion of the lumbar bladder is supported by one of the rows of the first group or rows and another portion of the lumbar bladder is supported by one of the rows of the second group or rows.