PATIENT/INVALID HANDLING SUPPORT

• US 20110296624A1
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Lafleche, Patrick, Girard, Jean-Francois, Elliott, Derick, Benoit, Martel, Petitpas, Luc, Bizouard, Jean, Viger, Sébastien, Rohrer, Chad, Marcotte, Jérôme, Tremblay, Philippe, Duguay, Stephane, LaCasse, Sylvain, Nadeau, Clément, Ludke, Stephanie, Roy, Philippe, Duchesneau, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 8,832,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/713
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/10 with two or more independently-fillable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/42 for inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05761 where patient is supported on a free, unbounded, film or cushion of air
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05776 with at least two groups of alternately inflated chambers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3584 Inflatable article [e.g., tire filling chuck and/or stem]

Abstract

A patient support for supporting a patient includes an inflatable mattress having at least one bladder forming at least part of a patient support surface, a pneumatic system for inflating the inflatable mattress, and a control system. The control system including at least one sensor, which includes an emitter and a receiver, with the emitter directing light into the bladder. The receiver receives a reflection from the light directed into the bladder, and the control system detects the immersion of a patient into the mattress based on the reflection received by the receiver.

Claims

1. A patient support for supporting a patient, said patient support comprising:

an inflatable mattress having at least one bladder forming at least part of a patient support surface;

a pneumatic system for inflating the inflatable mattress; and

a control system, said control system including at least one sensor, said sensor including an emitter and a receiver, said emitter directing light into said bladder, and said receiver receiving a reflection from the light directed into the bladder, and said control system detecting the immersion of a patient into said mattress based on the reflection received by said receiver.

2. The patient support according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said emitter and said receiver is located outside said bladder.

3. The patient support according to claim 2, wherein said emitter is located outside said bladder, and said bladder includes a transparent region to allow light to pass from said emitter into the bladder.

4. The patient support according to claim 1, wherein the reflection received by said receiver is used by said control system to determine the change in the volume of the bladder.

5. The patient support according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the bladder is formed from a light material to minimize absorption of the light into the bladder.

6. The patient support according to claim 5, wherein the inside of the bladder is white.

7. The patient support according to claim 5, wherein the outside of the bladder is opaque to provide a filter to outside ambient light.

8. The patient support according to claim 5, wherein the bladder has an outer layer that blocks light transmission into said bladder from the outside ambient light.

9. The patient support according to claim 5, wherein said control system incorporates a filter to filter the outside ambient light.

10. The patient support according to claim 2, wherein both said emitter and said receiver are located outside said bladder.

11. The patient support according to claim 10, wherein said emitter and said receiver are supported on a printed circuit board, said circuit board being mounted at the underside of said bladder.

12. The patient support according to claim 1, wherein said inflatable mattress includes a plurality of bladders, each of said bladders having a height (H) and a width (W) wherein H>

2W.

13. The patient support according to claim 12, wherein at least two of said control system includes at least two of said sensors, each associated with a different bladder.

14. The patient support according to claim 13, wherein said sensors are linked together by said control system to measure immersion of a patient into said inflatable mattress.

15. The patient support according to claim 1, wherein said bladder includes a top panel at said patient support surface, said panel comprising a fabric.

16. The patient support according to claim 13, wherein said fabric is moisture permeable.

17. The patient support according to claim 1, wherein said emitter comprises an infrared emitter or an optical cable emitting light.

18. A patient support for supporting a patient, said patient support comprising:

a layer of inflatable bladders;

a control system having a pneumatic system for inflating said bladders, said control system further having a sensor for detecting immersion of a patient into said inflatable bladders, said sensor including an emitter and a receiver, said emitter located outside of said bladder, and said bladder having a transparent portion for allowing the light from the emitter to enter said bladder, and said receiver receiving reflections of said light, and said control system detecting a change in volume of said bladder based on the reflections received at said receiver.

19. The patient support according to claim 18, wherein said emitter and said receiver are mounted on a circuit board mounted to an underside of said bladder layer.

20. The patient support according to claim 18, wherein said bladders are adapted to at least partially collapse when loaded with a patient.