Fluidized bed with collapsible side

• US 4,914,760 A
• Filed: 07/07/1989
• Issued: 04/10/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.), SSI Medical Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SSI Medical Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Novack, Robert C., Hargest, Thomas S., Soltaninasab, Sohrab
• Primary Examiner(s): Grosz, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US07/377,427
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 5/449, 5/453, 5/455, 5/469, 5/450, 5/424, 5/425, 5/427, 5/428, 5/451
• US Class Current: 5/689
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05746 fluidised by air flow

Abstract

A patient support system has a fluidizable surface formed by air fluidizing a mass of fluidizable material. The fluidizable material is contained by a member which is at least partially collapsible so as to facilitate the patient'"'"'s ingress and egress to and from the support system. The collapsible member can comprise an air impermeable panel which can form an inflatable elastic wall having one or more internal webs defining separately pressurizable compartments. The fluidizable surface can be formed by a plurality of fluidizable cells disposed and attached atop an air permeable support. Each of these cells is detachably removable from the support for ease of cleaning and replacement. A blower inflates the sacks, the inflatable elastic wall embodiments and the fluidizable material via a network including manifolds, valves, and flexible tubing. A microprocessor controls actuation of the various valves and the blower according to signals inputted by operating personnel or supplied by various sensors which monitor the patient support system.

Claims

1. A patient support system, comprising:

(a) a frame;

(b) means for supporting a mass of fluidizable material, said supporting means being permeable to air through a predetermined section thereof;

(c) a mass of fluidizable material supported by said supporting means, said supporting means being impermeable to passage of said fluidizable material therethrough;

(d) collapsible means for laterally retaining at least a portion of said fluidizable material over said predetermined air permeable section of said supporting means, said retaining means being selectively at least partially collapsible to facilitate ingress and egress of the patient to and from the support system; and

(e) an air permeable sheet having a periphery connected to said retaining means so as to prevent passage of fluidizable material between said retaining means and said sheet, said sheet being impermeable to passage of said fluidizable material therethrough.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

a tank wall extending substantially in a direction normal to said supporting means; and

wherein said retaining means includes an elastic wall and at least a portion of said elastic wall is disposed between at least a portion of said tank wall and said mass of fluidizable material.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

a tank having a bottom and a wall, said wall extending substantially in a direction normal to said bottom; and

wherein said retaining means includes an elastic wall and at least a portion of said elastic wall extends higher than said tank wall extends above said tank bottom.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

a tank wall extending substantially in a direction normal to said supporting means;

wherein said retaining means includes an elastic wall and said tank wall has an opening defined through a portion thereof; and

at least a portion of said elastic wall is disposed to fill said opening defined through said portion of said tank wall.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

a tank wall extending substantially in a direction normal to said supporting means;

wherein said retaining means includes an elastic wall and said tank wall has an upper free edge; and

at least a portion of said elastic wall extends over a portion of said upper free edge of said tank wall.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:

said retaining means includes an elastic wall defining at least one fillable compartment.

7. An apparatus as in claim 6, wherein:

a deformable insert is disposed within at least one said fillable compartment of said elastic wall.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:

said retaining means includes an elastic wall defining an inflatable member.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:

said retaining means includes an elastic wall defining a thin non-inflatable panel.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:

said retaining means includes an elastic wall having at least two separately pressurizable compartments, one of said compartments being disposed above the other of said compartments.

11. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

(f) a tank carried by said frame and having a bottom; and

wherein said supporting means includes a diffuser board disposed above said tank bottom and forming a plenum between said tank bottom and said diffuser board, said diffuser board being permeable to passage of air therethrough, and impermeable to passage of fluidizable material therethrough.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

(f) a tank carried by said frame and having a bottom;

(g) means for defining a plenum above said tank bottom, said plenum defining means being permeable to air through a predetermined section thereof; and

wherein said plenum being divided into at least two separately pressurizable chambers.

13. An apparatus as in claim 12, wherein:

said plenum defining means having a first tier disposed above one of said separately pressurizable chambers and a second tier disposed above a second of said separately pressurizable chambers.

14. An apparatus as in claim 13, wherein:

the depth of fluidizable material supported by said first tier is greater than the depth of fluidizable material supported by said second tier.

15. An apparatus as in claim 14, wherein:

said first tier is disposed to support the patient'"'"'s buttocks and said second tier is disposed to support the patient'"'"'s legs and feet.

16. An apparatus as in claim 12, wherein:

at least one of said plenum chambers being disposed to support the buttocks of the patient.

17. An apparatus as in claim 12, further comprising:

means for supplying air to each said plenum chamber at independently preselected gas flow rates.

18. An apparatus as in claim 17, further comprising:

means for intermittently supplying air flow to at least one of said plenum chambers.

19. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

wherein said retaining means includes an elastic wall; and

means for attaching said periphery of said sheet to said elastic wall so as to prevent passage of said fluidizable material past said attaching means.

20. An apparatus as in claim 19, wherein:

said attaching means includes an air tight zipper.

21. An apparatus as in claim 19, wherein:

said attaching means includes a pair of mating elastomeric members.

22. A patient support system, comprising:

(a) a tank having a bottom, a tank wall extending substantially in a direction normal to said bottom, and an open top;

(b) a frame for supporting said tank;

(c) means for defining a plenum above said tank bottom, said plenum defining means being permeable to air through a predetermined section thereof;

(d) a mass of fluidizable material supported by said plenum defining means, said plenum defining means being impermeable to passage of said fluidizable material therethrough;

(e) means for retaining said fluidizable material over said predetermined air permeable section of said plenum defining means, said retaining means being selectively collapsible to facilitate ingress and egress of the patient to and from the support system; and

(f) an air permeable sheet having a periphery connected to said retaining means so as to prevent passage of air and fluidizable material between said retaining means and said sheet, said sheet being impermeable to passage of said fluidizable material therethrough.

23. An apparatus as in claim 22, wherein:

said retaining means is vertically collapsible.

24. An apparatus as in claim 22, wherein:

said retaining means is hinged for collapsibility.

25. An apparatus as in claim 22, wherein:

said retaining means is deformably collapsible.

26. An apparatus as in claim 22, wherein:

said retaining means is elastically collapsible.

27. A patient support system, comprising:

(a) a tank having a bottom, a tank wall extending substantially in a direction normal to said bottom, and an open top;

(b) a frame for supporting said tank;

(c) a diffuser board defining a plenum above said tank bottom, said board being permeable to air through a predetermined section thereof;

(d) a mass of fluidizable material supported by said board, said board being impermeable to passage of said fluidizable material therethrough;

(e) an elastic wall configured and disposed to retain at least a portion of said fluidizable material over said predetermined air permeable section of said board, said elastic wall being selectively at least partially collapsible in a vertical direction to facilitate ingress and egress of the patient to and from the support system; and

(f) an air permeable sheet having a periphery connected to said elastic wall so as to prevent passage of fluidizable material between said elastic wall and said sheet, said sheet being impermeable to passage of said fluidizable material therethrough.