Bimodal system for pressurizing a low air loss patient support

• US 5,052,067 A
• Filed: 07/18/1990
• Issued: 10/01/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SSI Medical Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Stolpmann, James R., Sutton, William T., Romano, James J., Thomas, James M. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grosz, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US07/555,088
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 5/453, 5/456, 5/455, 5/469, 5/60, 5/61, 137/625.64
• US Class Current: 5/713
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/001 with means for turning-over the patient
• 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: Y10T 137/86614 Electric

Abstract

A bimodal system for pressurizing a low air loss patient support having a plurality of inflatable sacks, each sack being subdivided into at least two separate air tight chambers. The system includes a source of pressurized air such as an air blower. The system also includes at least two pressure control valves, each valve having an input communicating with the source of pressurized air. The system further includes at least one flow diverter valve having a pair of inlets and a pair of outlets. One of the pressure control valves communicates with one of the diverter valve inlets via the output of the pressure control valve. The second pressure control valve also communicates with the other of the inlets of the diverter valve via the output of the second pressure control valve. The flow diverter valve has a pair of pathways which connect between the inlets and the outlets. A rotatable switching disk supports the pathways and can be rotated to change the way that the inlets communicate with the outlets and accordingly change the way that the pressurized air travels from the source through the flow diverter valve. A plurality of diverter valves can be provided for a plurality of pressure control valves. Different air flow patterns can be selectively arranged by different configurations of the pressure control valves and the flow diverter valves.

Claims

1. A bimodal system that can be alternatively configured between two modes of pressurizing a low air loss patient support system having air flow paths for carrying pressurized air to one or more air sacks from a pressurized air source, the system comprising:

(a) a source of pressurized air;

(b) a flow diverter valve having;

(i) a first inlet and a second inlet,

(ii) a first outlet and a second outlet,

(iii) a first pathway connecting said first inlet to said first outlet,

(iv) a second pathway connecting said second inlet to said second outlet, and

(v) means for switching said pathways such that said first pathway connects said first inlet to said second outlet and said second pathway connects said second inlet to said first outlet;

(c) a first pressure control valve having an output end communicating with one of said inlets and having an input end communicating with said source of pressurized air;

(d) a second pressure control valve having an output end communicating with the other of said inlets and having an input end communicating with said source of pressurized air; and

(e) wherein said diverter valve allowing the air flow paths of the support system to be reconfigured between two distinctly different ways of connecting the pressurized air source through said pressure control valves to individual air sacks of the patient support system and thereby reducing the number of valves needed for the purpose of being able to switch between the two modes of operation.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein:

said means for switching said pathways includes a switching disk, said switching disk being rotatable for the purpose of selectively connecting said first pathway between said first inlet and said first outlet or between said first inlet and said second outlet and said second pathway between said second inlet and said second outlet or said second inlet and said first outlet.

3. A system as in claim 2, wherein:

said means for switching said pathways includes a pivot connected to said switching disk.

4. A bimodal system that can be alternatively configured between two modes of pressurizing a low air loss patient support system having air flow paths for carrying pressurized air to one or more air sacks from a pressurized air source, the system comprising:

(a) a source of pressurized air;

(b) a plurality of diverter valves each diverter valve having;

(i) a first inlet and a second inlet,

(ii) a first outlet and a second outlet,

(iii) a first pathway connecting said first inlet to said first outlet,

(iv) a second pathway connecting said second inlet to said second outlet, and

(v) means for switching said pathways such that said first pathway connects said first inlet to said second outlet and said second pathway connects said second inlet to said first outlet;

(c) a first plurality of pressure control valves, each said pressure control valve in said first plurality having an output end communicating with one of said inlets of one of said diverter valves and having an input end communicating with said source of pressurized air;

(d) a second plurality of pressure control valves, each pressure control valve in said second plurality having an output end communicating with the other of said inlets of said diverter valves and having an input end communicating with said source of pressurized air; and

(e) wherein each said diverter valve allowing the air flow paths of the support system to be reconfigured between two distinctly different ways of connecting the pressurized air source through said pressure control valves to individual air sacks of the patient support system and thereby reducing the number of valves needed for the purpose of being able to switch between the two modes of operation.

5. A system as in claim 4, wherein:

each said means for switching said pathways includes a switching disk, said switching disk being rotatable for the purpose of selectively connecting said first pathway between said first inlet and said first outlet or between said first inlet and said second outlet and said second pathway between said second inlet and said second outlet or said second inlet and said first outlet.

6. A system as in claim 5, wherein:

each said means for switching said pathways includes a pivot connected to said switching disk.