Method for turning a patient with a low air loss patient support

• US 5,073,999 A
• Filed: 07/20/1990
• Issued: 12/24/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1989
• 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:
  US07/556,534
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 5/453, 5/455, 5/456, 5/469, 5/423, 5/61, 5/60
• US Class Current: 5/615
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/001 with means for turning-over the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05776 with at least two groups of alternately inflated chambers

Abstract

A method for turning a bed ridden patient uses a low air loss patient support system that includes a plurality of identical multi-chambered inflatable sacks. A restrictive flow hole connects two adjacent chambers disposed predominately to one side of the centerline of the sack, and each side is separately pressurizable under the control of a microprocess and a plurality of pressure control valves with pressure transducers and a plurality of flow diverter valves for switching between different modes of configuring the manner in which the sacks are pressurized. The support system effects a method of rotating or tilting the patient that depressurizes one side of the sacks while increasing the pressurization of the opposite side of the sacks. The end chamber of the depresurizing side of the sacks remains inflated while the intermediate chamber of the depressurizing side of the sacks becomes progressively deflated during depressurization to permit the end chamber to restrain the patient from sliding off the sacks during tilting.

Claims

1. A method for turning a patient on a low air loss patient support system having a plurality of elongated inflatable sacks, each sack extending transversely across the longitudinal centerline of the patient support and defining for each sack a separately pressurizable left side extending to the left of the centerline and a separately pressurizable right side extending to the right of the centerline, each said sack having four separately pressurizable chambers including from left to right, a left end chamber, a left intermediate chamber, a right intermediate chamber, and a right end chamber, all of the left chambers being disposed predominantly to the left side of the centerline of the sacks and all of the right chambers being disposed predominantly to the right side of the centerline of the sacks, a minority portion of the left intermediate chamber being disposed to the right of the centerline of the sack and a minority portion of the right intermediate chamber being disposed to the left of the centerline of the sack, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) grouping all of the sacks in at least two body zones corresponding to at least two different zones of the patient'"'"'s body, each zone of the patient'"'"'s body being respectively supported only by the sacks in one of said at least two body zones;

(b) pressurizing all of the sacks at a first pressure profile which provides the sacks of each body zone with a respective first air pressure chosen to provide a first respective level of support to the portion of the patient'"'"'s body being supported by the sacks of each body zone;

(c) separately controlling the air pressure being supplied to each of the two sides of each of the sacks;

(d) lowering the pressure in one of the sides of each of the sacks from said first pressure profile to a predetermined second pressure profile to tilt the patient toward said one side at an acute angle below the horizontal; and

(e) raising the pressure in the other side of each of the sacks to a predetermined third pressure profile to compensate for the lowered pressure in said one of the sides of the sacks and continue to support the patient on the sacks at said acute angle below the horizontal.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

separately controlling the air pressure being supplied to the sacks in each of the different body zones.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein:

one half the sum of said second pressure profile and said third pressure profile is substantially equal to said first pressure profile.

4. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(a) raising the pressure in said one of the sides of the sacks to said first pressure profile; and

(b) lowering the pressure in said other of said sides of the sacks to said first pressure profile to return the patient to the horizontal attitude in the sacks of the patient support system.

5. A method as in claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

(a) lowering the pressure in said other of the sides of said sacks from said first pressure profile to a predetermined fourth pressure profile to tilt the patient toward said other of said sides of said sacks at an acute angle below the horizontal attitude; and

(b) raising the pressure in said one of the sides of the sacks from a first pressure profile to a fifth predetermined pressure profile to raise the pressure in the other sides of the sacks to compensate for the lowered pressure in the other of the sides of the sacks and continue to support the patient on the sacks at said acute angle below the horizontal.

6. A method for turning a patient on a low air loss patient support system having a plurality of elongated inflatable sacks, each sack extending transversely across the longitudinal centerline of the patient support and defining for each sack a separately pressurizable left side extending to the left of the centerline and a separately pressurizable right side extending to the right of the centerline, each said sack having four separately pressurizable chambers including from left to right, a left end chamber, a left intermediate chamber, a right intermediate chamber, and a right end chamber, all of the left chambers being disposed predominantly to the left side of the centerline of the sacks and all of the right chambers being disposed predominantly to the right side of the centerline of the sacks, a minority portion of the left intermediate chamber being disposed to the right of the centerline of the sack and a minority portion of the right intermediate chamber being disposed to the left of the centerline of the sack, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) separately controlling the air pressure being supplied to each of the two sides of each of the sacks;

(b) lowering the pressure in one of the sides of each of the sacks to tilt the patient toward said one side at an acute angle below the horizontal; and

(c) raising the pressure in the other side of each of the sacks to compensate for the lowered pressure in said one of the sides of the sacks and continue to support the patient on the sacks at said acute angle below the horizontal.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein:

(a) said sacks are grouped in at least two separate body zones, each body zone corresponding to a different portion of the patient'"'"'s body being supported by said sacks of said body zone;

(b) the pressure in one of the sides of the sacks is controlled separately for each group of sacks in each body zone; and

(c) the pressure in the other of the sides of the sacks is controlled separately for each group of sacks in each body zone.

8. A method for turning a patient on a patient support system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) supporting the patient on a plurality of elongated inflatable sacks, each sack extending transversely across the longitudinal centerline of the patient support and defining for each sack a separately pressurizable left side extending to the left of the centerline and a separately pressurizable right side extending to the right of the centerline, each said sack having four separately pressurizable chambers including from left to right, a left end chamber, a left intermediate chamber, a right intermediate chamber, and a right end chamber, all of the left chambers being disposed predominantly to the left side of the centerline of the sacks and all of the right chambers being disposed predominantly to the right side of the centerline of the sacks, a minority portion of the left intermediate chamber being disposed to the right of the centerline of the sack and a minority portion of the right intermediate chamber being disposed to the left of the centerline of the sack, the method comprising the steps of;

(b) separately controlling the air pressure of the left sides of each of the sacks from the air pressure in the right sides of each of the sacks to support the patient in a horizontal attitude;

(c) lowering the pressure in the chambers disposed predominantly to one side of the centerline to a predetermined first pressure profile to tilt the patient towards said one side at an acute angle below the horizontal; and

(d) raising the pressure in the chambers disposed predominantly to the other side of the centerline of each of the sacks to a predetermined second pressure profile to compensate for the lower pressure in said one side of the sacks and thereby continue to support the patient on the sacks at said acute angle below the horizontal.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein:

one half the sum of said second pressure profile and said third pressure profile is substantially equal to said first pressure profile.

10. A method as in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

(a) raising the pressure in said one side of the sacks to said first pressure profile; and

(b) lowering the pressure in said other side of the sacks to said first pressure profile to return the patient to the horizontal attitude in the sacks of the patient support system.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein the step of raising the pressure of one of the sides of each of the sacks to a predetermined first pressure includes the steps of:

(a) inflating the intermediate chamber of said one side of each of the sacks while maintaining inflation in the corresponding adjacent connected end chamber of said one side of each of the sacks.

12. A method as in claim 8, wherein the step of lowering the pressure in the chambers disposed predominantly to one side of the centerline to a predetermined first pressure profile includes the steps of:

(a) deflating the intermediate chamber of said one side of each of the sacks while maintaining inflation in the corresponding adjacent connected end chamber of said one side of each of the sacks.

13. A method for turning a patient on a patient support system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) supporting the patient on a plurality of elongated inflatable sacks wherein each sack extends transversely across the longitudinal centerline of the patient support and each sack includes a pair of separately pressurizable chambers, one of said chambers being disposed at least partly above the other of said chambers, one of said chambers being disposed predominantly to the left side of the centerline and having a minority portion to the right side of the centerline, and one of said chambers being predominantly disposed to the right side of the centerline and having a minority portion to the left of the centerline;

(b) separately controlling the air pressure of each of the sides of each of the sacks until the patient is supported in a horizontal attitude and the pressures in the sacks are at a first pressure profile;

(c) lowering the pressure in one of the sides of each of the sacks to a predetermined second pressure profile to tilt the patient towards said one side at an acute angle below the horizontal; and

(d) raising the pressure in the other side of each of the sacks to a predetermined third pressure profile to compensate for the lower pressure in said one of the sides of the sacks and thereby continue to support the patient on the sacks at said acute angle below the horizontal.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein:

one half the sum of said second pressure profile and said third pressure profile is substantially equal to said first pressure profile.

15. A method as in claim 13, wherein the step of separately controlling the air pressure in each of the sides of each of the sacks to support the patient in a horizontal attitude includes the steps of:

(a) supplying air to the sacks supporting the head of the patient via a head diverter valve;

(b) supplying the chambers disposed predominantly to the left of the centerline of the sacks supporting the head of the patient with pressurized air through a left head pressure control valve;

(c) supplying the chambers disposed predominantly to the right of the centerline of the sacks supporting the head of the patient with pressurized air through a right head pressure control valve;

(d) supplying air to the sacks supporting the chest of the patient via a chest diverter valve;

(e) supplying the chambers disposed predominantly to the left of the centerline of the sacks supporting the chest of the patient with pressurized air through a left chest pressure control valve;

(f) supplying the chambers disposed predominantly to the right of the centerline of the sacks supporting the chest of the patient with pressurized air through a right chest pressure control valve;

(g) supplying air to the sacks supporting the seat of the patient via a seat diverter valve;

(h) supplying the chambers disposed predominantly to the left of the centerline of the sacks supporting the seat of the patient with pressurized air through a left seat pressure control valve;

(i) supplying the chambers disposed predominantly to the right of the centerline of the sacks supporting the seat of the patient with pressurized air through a right seat pressure control valve;

(j) supplying air to the sacks supporting the upper legs of the patient via a leg diverter valve;

(i) supplying the chambers disposed predominantly to the left of the centerline of the sacks supporting the upper legs of the patient with pressurized air through a left leg pressure control valve;

(l) supplying the chambers disposed predominantly to the right of the centerline of the sacks supporting the upper legs of the patient with pressurized air through a right leg pressure control valve;

(m) supplying air to the sacks supporting the feet of the patient via a feet diverter valve;

(n) supplying the chambers disposed predominantly to the left of the centerline of the sacks supporting the feet of the patient with pressurized air through a left feet pressure control valve; and

(o) supplying the chambers disposed predominantly to the right of the centerline of the sacks supporting the feet of the patient with pressurized air through a right feet pressure control valve.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein said step of lowering the pressure in one of the sides of each of the sacks to a predetermined first pressure to tilt the patient towards said one side at an acute angle below the horizontal includes the steps of:

(a) controlling each of the diverter valves such that each of the pressure control valves is controlling the pressure in each of said one side of each of the sacks;

(b) sensing the pressure being supplied to each of the chambers of each of said one sides of said sacks; and

(c) controlling each of the pressure control valves supplying pressurized air to said one side of each of the sacks to lower the pressure in said one side of each of the sacks until said predetermined second pressure is sensed.

17. A method as in claim 15, wherein said step of raising the pressure in the other of the sides of each of the sacks to a predetermined second pressure to tilt the patient towards said one side at an acute angle below the horizontal includes the steps of:

(a) controlling each of the diverter valves such that each of the pressure control valves is controlling the pressure in each said other side of each of the sacks;

(b) sensing the pressure being supplied to each of the chambers of each of said other sides of said sacks; and

(c) controlling each of the pressure control valves supplying pressurized air to said other sides of each of the sacks to raise the pressure in said other side of each of the sacks until said predetermined second pressure is sensed.