PATIENT SUPPORT SYSTEM

• US 3,644,950 A
• Filed: 08/01/1969
• Issued: 02/29/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edward R. Lindsay Jr
• Original Assignee: Edward R. Lindsay Jr
• Inventors: Lindsay, Edward R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gay, Bobby R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marquette, Darrell
• Application Number:
  US04/846,719
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 5/347,348,91,355,361,353
• US Class Current: 5/709
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/057 Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor ventilation openings in mattresses A47C21/042; pneumatic or hydraulic mattresses A47C27/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/03 Pneumatic

Abstract

In a bed for supporting and treating a hospital patient, a lamination of low and medium density plastic foam is enclosed in a pressurized container. An open pore foam layer on top of the container produces a flow of air from the top of the foam layer for patient ventilation. Control of the volume of air varies the degree of ventilation. The container is divided into airtight zones which can be independently pressurized to control the relative firmness of the support in different zones. The pressurizing air for the container is controlled to vary the relative firmness of support.

Claims

1. A system for uniformly supporting a patient comprising:

a lamination of layers of low- and medium-density plastic foam, an airtight container enclosing said lamination, means for pressurizing said container so that said layers of foam are pressurized to the desired degree of firmness, tensile cords between the top and bottom of said container dividing said lamination of foam into pressurized cells, an open pore reticulated uniform foam layer on top of said pressurized container, an outer covering enclosing said pressurized container and said reticulated foam layer, and a source of ventilating air connected to said open pore reticulated foam layer producing a flow of air from the top of said foam layer for patient ventilation.

2. The system of claim 1, and an air compressor supplying pressurized air to said container and supplying ventilating air to said open pore foam layer.

3. The system recited in claim 1 wherein said lamination has layers of foam of increasing density from the top to the bottom of said container.

4. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said air compressor has controls for varying the pressurization of said container so that different degrees of relative firmness of said mattress can be obtained.

5. A sYstem for uniformly supporting a patient comprising:

a lamination of layers of low- and medium-density plastic foam, an airtight container enclosing said lamination, means for pressurizing said container so that said layers of foam are pressurized to the desired degree of firmness, said pressurized container having separately pressurized cells around the periphery thereof, the cells around the periphery being supplied with air at a higher pressure than the remaining portion of said container to provide firmer support at the edges of said container, an open pore uniform foam layer on top of said pressurized container, and a source of ventilating air connected to said open pore foam layer producing a flow of air from the top of said foam layer for patient ventilation.