Apparatus and method for managing waste from patient care maintenance and treatment
First Claim
1. An apparatus for managing waste arising from at least one of the care, maintenance, and treatment of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a) means for supporting at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s body, said supporting means including a flexible member inflatable with pressurized air, said flexible member including a plurality of flexible surfaces forming in combination a discontinuous surface for receiving said portion of the patient'"'"'s body;
b) a means for catching waste, said waste catching means being carried by said supporting means;
c) a vacuum blower disposed for sucking the wastes from said catching means; and
d) a holding reservoir disposed in communication with said catching means and said vacuum blower to receive the waste sucked from said catching means by said vacuum blower.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for managing waste from patient care, maintenance, and/or treatment includes an inflatable bladder member disposed to support at least a first portion of the body of the patient. A flexible basin member is fitted over the bladder and receives waste materials, and a filter sheet is disposed atop the basin member. The basin member is connected to a liquid/gas separator and a vacuum blower. A liquid waste pump is connected to the separator to transfer liquid waste to a holding jug. A vacuum wand provides both suction and rinsing liquid via an on-demand pumping supply configuration that enables the rinsing liquid supplied from a rinse jug to be heated. Liquid levels in the rinse liquid jug, the holding jug, and the separator'"'"'s holding reservoir are sensed by capacitive level sensing devices which supply signals to a microprocessor which controls various functions of the apparatus. Special inflatable sacks are provided to assist turning the patient to facilitate cleansing of the patient. Inflatable cushions receive the inflatable bladder member and dispose it to become coextensive with the support of the rest of the patient in a patient support apparatus, if desired.
138 Citations
12 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for managing waste arising from at least one of the care, maintenance, and treatment of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
-
a) means for supporting at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s body, said supporting means including a flexible member inflatable with pressurized air, said flexible member including a plurality of flexible surfaces forming in combination a discontinuous surface for receiving said portion of the patient'"'"'s body; b) a means for catching waste, said waste catching means being carried by said supporting means; c) a vacuum blower disposed for sucking the wastes from said catching means; and d) a holding reservoir disposed in communication with said catching means and said vacuum blower to receive the waste sucked from said catching means by said vacuum blower. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
Specification