BEDPAN SYSTEM

• US 20100125951A1
• Filed: 11/27/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anthony G. Martin, Sandra Stefano
• Original Assignee: Anthony G. Martin, Sandra Stefano
• Inventors: Stefano, Sandra, Martin, Anthony G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,225,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/604
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/02 with toilet conveniences, or specially adapted for use with toilets
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 9/003 Bed-pans

Abstract

A bedpan system including an underlayment for supporting a supine human patient above a substantially horizontal supporting surface, wherein the underlayment has: a substantially horizontal top surface upon which the patient rests, a substantially parallel, spaced apart bottom surface for lying upon the supporting surface, and a bedpan cavity having an open top in registry with buttocks of the patient; the bedpan system comprising: an underlayment that is an inflatable mattress constructed substantially of flexible plastic sheet material comprising: a top sheet providing the top surface, a bottom sheet providing the bottom surface, side wall sheets attached between the top sheet and the bottom sheet providing substantially vertical side walls around the perimeter of the underlayment when it is inflated, and cavity sidewall sheets attached between the top sheet and the bottom sheet providing substantially vertical sidewalls in the cavity; a cavity base that is joined to the cavity sidewalls as a closed bottom for the cavity, thereby effectively making the bottom surface of the underlayment a single, unitary, or continuous sheet including under the cavity; a smooth junction where the cavity sidewalls join with the top surface; and a smooth junction where the cavity sidewalls join with the cavity base.

Claims

1. A bedpan system including an underlayment for supporting a supine human patient above a substantially horizontal supporting surface, wherein the underlayment has:

a substantially horizontal top surface upon which the patient rests, a substantially parallel, spaced apart bottom surface for lying upon the supporting surface, and a bedpan cavity having an open top in registry with buttocks of the patient;

the bedpan system comprising;

an underlayment that is an inflatable mattress constructed substantially of flexible plastic sheet material comprising;

a top sheet providing the top surface, a bottom sheet providing the bottom surface, side wall sheets attached between the top sheet and the bottom sheet providing substantially vertical side walls around the perimeter of the underlayment when it is inflated, and cavity sidewall sheets attached between the top sheet and the bottom sheet providing substantially vertical sidewalls in the cavity;

a cavity base that is joined to the cavity sidewalls as a closed bottom for the cavity, thereby effectively making the bottom surface of the underlayment a single, unitary, or continuous sheet including under the cavity;

a smooth junction where the cavity sidewalls join with the top surface; and

a smooth junction where the cavity sidewalls join with the cavity base.

2. The bedpan system of claim 1, further comprising:

a disposable bedpan assembly that comprises;

a flexible support ring having about the same cross-sectional area as the cavity, suitable for horizontally close-fitting within the cavity; and

a flexible bedpan bag with a top opening wide enough to have a cross-sectional area at least as big as the area of the cavity.

3. The bedpan system of claim 2, further comprising:

a drawstring within a sleeve formed by the bedpan bag material around the top opening.

4. The bedpan system of claim 1, further comprising:

a flocked top surface of the underlayment.

5. The bedpan system of claim 1, further comprising:

a flocked bottom surface of the underlayment.

6. The bedpan system of claim 1, further comprising:

a tufted bladder construction for the underlayment air mattress wherein the top sheet and bottom sheet are joined at intervals over their areas, which joinings are made by means of intermediary strips attached at each respective end thereof to the top sheet and bottom sheet, the strips being formed into vertical cylinders that are enclosed except for perforation holes or slits that are shaped and sized to limit the rate of air passage out of the cylinders to a relatively slow deflation rate.

7. The bedpan system of claim 1, further comprising:

a two-way inflation control valve for control of underlayment rigidity, the control valve comprising;

a one-way check valve for inflation; and

a manually operable controlled bleed valve.

8. The bedpan system of claim 1, further comprising:

an underlayment that is thick enough to accommodate a cavity depth of at least 2 inches more than the height of a bedpan assembly being used in the cavity, thereby providing adequate patient cleaning space.

9. The bedpan system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plug for filling the cavity space between a bedpan in the cavity and the underlayment top surface, the plug comprising;

a flocked top surface and a smooth rigid bottom surface;

a vertical taper ramping a portion of the plug'"'"'s bottom surface upward.

10. The bedpan system of claim 9, further comprising:

a pillowcase for encasing the plug, wherein the pillowcase is;

tailored to be close fitting around the front and side edges of the plug; and

open at the back edge of the plug, such that it has a tail for grasping and pulling the plug out of the cavity and toward the foot of the underlayment.

11. The bedpan system of claim 1, further comprising:

a fitted bed sheet tailored to cover the top surface of the underlayment, to closely fit inside the entire cavity lining, and to have a seam of the cavity portion with the top surface of the underlayment that is substantially smooth on top of the underlayment.

12. The bedpan system of claim 11, further comprising:

a rigid shield, having approximately the same overall shape as the cavity base and sized to jam-fit in the cavity, thereby holding the top surface portion of the bed sheet tight and wrinkle-free around the cavity.

13. The bedpan system of claim 11, further comprising:

elastic bands at bed sheet corners for holding the bed sheet tight on the underlayment.

14. The bedpan system of claim 1, further comprising:

a rigid shield, having approximately the same overall shape as the cavity base and sized to jam-fit in the cavity.

15. A method of using a bedpan assembly in combination with an underlayment for a supine human patient, whereby:

the underlayment rests upon a substantially horizontal supporting surface; and

has a substantially horizontal top surface that is elevated above the supporting surface; and

has a cavity for receiving therein a bedpan assembly;

said method comprising the steps of;

placing the bedpan assembly in the cavity with drawstring resting on the top surface, by sliding a collapsed bedpan assembly between the narrowly spread legs of the supine patient, the leading edge of the bedpan first inserted into the cavity and until leading end contacts a portion of the wall, and supported by the support ring; and

moving the bedpan assembly into the cavity whereupon the contact with the wall forces the expansion of the bedpan to eventually assume the shape of the cavity beneath the supine patient, thereby opening the bedpan and holding it in an open position;

after patient perform the excretory function, either supine or seated, while the patient lies in a supine position with buttocks in registry with said open top with legs narrowly spread and without the need for the patient to move;

laterally collapsing the bedpan assembly, thereby forming a collapsed bedpan system having a leading end and a trailing end;

pulling on the drawstring to remove the bedpan assembly;

disposing of the waste excrement from the bedpan, by either dumping the waste, or disposing of the bedpan bag.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, after the patient has completed using the bedpan, further comprising the steps of:

uncuffing the bag-like bedpan, pulling the drawstring tight to close the bag-like bedpan, further pulling on the drawstring, pulling out the attached bedpan from the cavity and also from between the legs of the still supine patient without requiring the patient to move, and without spilling excrement from the bedpan.