Hydrotherapy bed

• US 6,282,735 B1
• Filed: 08/23/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Mueller, Jonathan H., Smith, Kenneth R., Stolpmann, James R., Dalton, Roger D., Ferdon, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trettel, Michael F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Santos, Robert G.
• Application Number:
  US09/378,796
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 560/6, 592/8, 570/9, 571/0, 571/3, 572/4, 572/7, 569/9, 592/6, 560/4, 569/5, 567/1, 592/5, 573/9, 574/0, 448/0, 148/2
• US Class Current: 5/606
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0005 Means for bathing bedridden persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers

Abstract

A hydrotherapy mattress assembly which includes an air-over-foam core, a base for receiving the air-over-foam core, and a top cover overlying the air-over-foam core. The top cover provides a patient support surface and includes a drain trough. The drain trough is coupled to a drain which extends through the air-over-foam core and the base, so that liquids can be drained from the patient support surface.

Claims

1. A hydrotherapy mattress comprising:

a mattress core;

a base configured to receive the mattress core;

a top cover located over the mattress core and configured to provide a patient receiving surface, the top cover including an outer perimeter edge;

a drain configured to extend through the top cover and the mattress core to drain fluids from the top cover; and

a bladder located on the mattress core adjacent the outer perimeter edge of the top cover, the bladder being selectively inflatable to elevate a portion of the top cover adjacent the outer perimeter edge so that fluids on the patient receiving surface of the top cover are contained on the top cover and directed toward the drain.

2. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 1, wherein the mattress core comprises a plurality of foam core elements;

and an array of air bladders supported on the plurality of foam core elements.

3. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 2, wherein the array of air bladders includes a plurality of header air bladders which are arranged on opposite sides of the mattress core, and a plurality of transverse air bladders which extend between the header air bladders.

4. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 1, wherein the base is formed to include a drain passage to permit the drain to pass through the base.

5. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 1, further comprising an inner cover positioned between the mattress core and the top cover.

6. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 5, wherein the inner cover is made from a material having a low coefficient of friction.

7. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 1, further comprising a drain trough including a plurality of elongated arm portions coupled to the top cover, each of the plurality of elongated arm portions being in fluid communication with the drain and configured to extend outwardly from the drain to facilitate drainage of fluids from the top cover into the drain.

8. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 7, wherein the drain trough includes four arm portions which are configured to form a cross-shaped structure.

9. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 8, wherein the four arm portions each have a bottom surface configured to slope toward a center of the drain.

10. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 1, wherein the top cover is liquid impervious.

11. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 1, wherein the mattress core includes a plurality of elongated side-by-side bladders configured to provide a substantially continuous support for a patient, at least two of the bladders being configured to define an opening extending in a direction transverse to the plurality of bladders, and further comprising drain trough having a first elongated trough section located between two adjacent bladders and a second elongated trough section located in the opening, the second elongated trough section being configured to intersect the first elongated trough section, the first and second elongated trough sections both being coupled to the top cover and configured to drain fluid from the top cover into the drain while maintaining the substantially continuous support of the mattress core.

12. A hydrotherapy mattress comprising:

a mattress core including a plurality of elongated side-by-side bladders configured to provide a substantially continuous support for a patient, at least two of the bladders being configured to define an opening extending in a direction transverse to the plurality of bladders;

a base configured to receive the mattress core;

a top cover located over the mattress core and configured to provide a patient receiving surface; and

a drain configured to extend through the top cover and the mattress core, the drain including a drain trough having a first elongated trough section located between two adjacent bladders and a second elongated trough section located in the opening, the second elongated trough section being configured to intersect the first elongated trough section, the first and second elongated trough sections both being coupled to the top cover and configured to drain fluid from the top cover into the drain while maintaining the substantially continuous support of the mattress core.

13. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 12, further comprising a bladder located on the mattress core adjacent an outer perimeter edge of the top cover, the bladder being selectively inflatable to elevate a portion of the top cover adjacent the outer perimeter edge so that fluids on the patient receiving surface of the top cover are contained on the top cover and directed toward the drain.

14. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 12, wherein the mattress core includes a plurality of foam core elements located below the plurality of elongated side-by-side bladders.

15. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 12, wherein the bladders includes a plurality of header bladders which are arranged on opposite sides of the mattress core, and a plurality of transverse bladders which extend between the header bladders.

16. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 12, wherein the base is formed to include a drain passage to permit the drain to pass through the base.

17. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 12, further comprising an inner cover positioned between the mattress core and the top cover.

18. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 12, wherein the drain trough includes four arm portions which configured to form a cross-shaped structure.

19. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 18, wherein the four arm portions each have a bottom surface configured to slope toward a center of the drain.

20. A hydrotherapy mattress comprising:

a mattress core;

a base configured to receive the mattress core;

a top cover located over the mattress core and configured to provide a patient receiving surface;

a drain configured to extend through the mattress core; and

a drain trough including a plurality of elongated arm portions coupled to the top cover, each of the plurality of elongated arm portions being in fluid communication with the drain and configured to extend outwardly from the drain to facilitate drainage of fluids from the top cover into the drain.

21. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 20, wherein the mattress core includes a plurality of elongated side-by-side bladders configured to provide a substantially continuous support for a patient, at least two of the bladders being configured to define an opening extending in a direction transverse to the plurality of bladders, and the drain trough includes a first elongated arm portion located between two adjacent bladders and a second elongated arm portion located in the opening, the first and second elongated arm portions both being coupled to the top cover and configured to drain fluid from the top cover into the drain while maintaining the substantially continuous support of the mattress core.

22. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 20, wherein the mattress core comprises a plurality of foam core elements, and an array of air bladders supported on the plurality of foam core elements.

23. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 22, wherein the array of air bladders includes a plurality of header air bladders which are arranged on opposite sides of the mattress core, and a plurality of transverse air bladders which extend between the header air bladders.

24. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 20, wherein the base is formed to include a drain passage to permit the drain to pass through the base.

25. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 20, further comprising an inner cover positioned between the mattress core and the top cover.

26. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 20, wherein the drain trough includes four arm portions configured to form a cross-shaped structure.

27. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 20, wherein the plurality of elongated arm portions each have a bottom surface configured to slope toward a center of the drain.

28. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 20, wherein the top cover is liquid impervious.

29. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 20, wherein the mattress core includes a plurality of elongated side-by-side bladders configured to provide a substantially continuous support for a patient, at least two of the bladders being configured to define an opening extending in a direction transverse to the plurality of bladders, and the drain trough having a first elongated arm portion located between two adjacent bladders and a second elongated arm portion located in the opening, the second elongated arm portion being configured to intersect the first elongated trough section, the first and second elongated arm portions both being coupled to the top cover and configured to drain fluid from the top cover into the drain while maintaining the substantially continuous support of the mattress core.

30. The hydrotherapy mattress of claim 20, further comprising a bladder located on the mattress core adjacent an outer perimeter edge of the top cover, the bladder being selectively inflatable to elevate a portion of the top cover adjacent the outer perimeter edge so that fluids on the patient receiving surface of the top cover are contained on the top cover and directed toward the drain.