Method and apparatus for supporting an element to be supported, in particular the body of a patient, making it possible to support said element at a predetermined float line
First Claim
1. A method of supporting an element, comprising the steps ofproviding at least one support device comprising at least one closed or controlled-release chamber that is flexible and inflatable, said chamber having a top face and a bottom face,providing distance-measurement means for measuring a distance between said top face and said bottom face,providing a reaction-measurement device for measuring a reaction of the support device relative to morphological data of the element,penetrating said at least one chamber by the element,measuring the distance between said top face and said bottom face of said at least one chamber,measuring the reaction of the support device to said penetration of the element,combining the measured reaction of the support device to said penetration of the element with the measured distance between said top face and said bottom face, andbringing, based on said combining, the element substantially to a position of equilibrium corresponding substantially to a predetermined float line by filling or emptying said at least one chamber with a fluid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for supporting a body element. The apparatus includes at least one support device with at least one closed or controlled-release chamber, a filling device and an emptying means device for filling said chamber with a filling fluid and emptying the fluid from the chamber, and a distance-measurement device for measuring the distance between a top face and a bottom face of the chamber. The apparatus further includes a reaction-measurement device for measuring the reaction of the support device relative to the morphological data of the body element to be supported, and a control system including a combination device for combining the measurement of the penetration distance d provided by the distance-measurement device and the measurement of the reaction provided by the reaction-measurement device. This combination is advantageously constituted by summing the two obtained measurements. The invention makes it possible to support the element to be supported substantially in a position of equilibrium corresponding substantially to a predetermined float line.
90 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of supporting an element, comprising the steps of
providing at least one support device comprising at least one closed or controlled-release chamber that is flexible and inflatable, said chamber having a top face and a bottom face, providing distance-measurement means for measuring a distance between said top face and said bottom face, providing a reaction-measurement device for measuring a reaction of the support device relative to morphological data of the element, penetrating said at least one chamber by the element, measuring the distance between said top face and said bottom face of said at least one chamber, measuring the reaction of the support device to said penetration of the element, combining the measured reaction of the support device to said penetration of the element with the measured distance between said top face and said bottom face, and bringing, based on said combining, the element substantially to a position of equilibrium corresponding substantially to a predetermined float line by filling or emptying said at least one chamber with a fluid.
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10. An apparatus for supporting an element, comprising
at least one support device comprising at least one closed or controlled-release chamber that is flexible and inflatable, said chamber having a top face and a bottom face, filling means and emptying means for filling said chamber with a filling fluid and emptying said fluid from said chamber, respectively, a distance-measurement device for measuring the distance between said top face and said bottom face, a reaction-measurement device for measuring a reaction of the support device relative to morphological data of the element, and a control system comprising a combination device for combining the distance measured by the distance-measurement device and the reaction measured by the reaction-measurement device, said control system being arranged to control said filling and emptying means so as to bring the element substantially to a position of equilibrium corresponding substantially to a predetermined float line.
Specification