Patient support systems and methods of use

• US 9,329,076 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Meyer, Eric R., Borgman, Darrell, Receveur, Timothy J., Branson, Gregory W., Richards, Sandy M., Boyd, Howard J., Hornbach, David W., Turner, Jonathan D., Bhai, Aziz A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Polito, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hare, David R
• Application Number:
  US13/828,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20140123390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 560/0, 561/3, 561/5, 561/7, 561/8, 561/9, 562/4, 570/6, 571/0, 571/3, 571/5, 565/53
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/082 with non-manual inflation, e.g. with electric pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/088 incorporating elastic bodies, e.g. foam
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/10 with two or more independently-fillable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/142 with projections, depressions or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/144 inside the mattress or cushion
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/15 consisting of two or more layers A47C27/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/18 in combination with inflatable bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/16 Touchpads
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/20 Displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/32 for force
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/42 for inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/70 with special adaptations, e.g. for safety or comfort
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/726 for automatic deactivation, e.g. deactivation of actuators or motors
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/78 for clamping
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/001 with means for turning-over the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/002 having adjustable mattress frame
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/005 tiltable around transverse horizontal axis, e.g. for Trendelenburg position rocking beds for physical therapy A61H1/003; hanging patient inclined downwardly for drawing him out A61H2203/0493
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/008 tiltable around longitudinal axis, e.g. for rolling
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 : divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 : Control or drive mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05 : Parts, details or accessories of beds devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 ; mattresses A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0506 : Head or foot boards head or foot boards for comfort or ergonomics A47C19/022
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0508 : characterised by a particular connection mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0514 : mounted to individual mattress supporting frame sections
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0524 : characterised by integrated accessories, e.g. bed control means, nurse call or reading lights
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 : Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/053 : Aids for getting into, or out of, bed, e.g. steps, chairs, cane-like supports
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05746 : fluidised by air flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 : with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05776 : with at least two groups of alternately inflated chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05792 : with low air loss function, e.g. in mattresses, overlays or beds
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/16 : converting a lying surface into a chair
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/445 : in a horizontal position

Abstract

A patient support system includes a patient support apparatus and a support surface mounted on the patient support apparatus. The patient support apparatus is reconfigurable among a plurality of different configurations for supporting a patient on the support surface in a plurality of positions. The support surface is mounted on the patient support apparatus to move in response to reconfiguration of the patient support apparatus.

Claims

1. A patient support system comprising

a patient support apparatus including a seat-deck section and a head-deck section movable relative to the seat-deck section between a first position adjacent the seat-deck section and a second position spaced apart from the seat-deck section forming a gap between the seat-deck section and the head-deck section,

a support surface including a cover, a plurality of support bladders, and a fill bladder arranged over an interface of the seat-deck section and the head-deck section,

an air source coupled to the fill bladder, and

a controller coupled to the air source, the controller configured to inflate the fill bladder in response to movement of the head-deck section from the first position to the second position so that the fill bladder covers the gap formed between the seat-deck section and the head-deck section,

wherein the support surface includes a trunk carrying pneumatic and electrical lines that extends downwardly from a bottom surface of the cover to be received by the patient support apparatus when the support surface is mounted on the patient support apparatus, and the seat-deck section is formed to include a channel sized to receive the trunk of the support surface when the support surface is mounted on the patient support apparatus.

2. The patient support system of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a head-end section, a foot-end section, and expandable folds coupled between the head-end section and the foot-end, the expandable folds arranged over the interface of the seat-deck section and the head-deck section so that the cover extends over the gap formed between the seat-deck section and the head-deck section when the head-deck section is moved from the first position to the second position.

3. The patient support system of claim 1, wherein the support surface includes a plurality of lugs coupled to a bottom side of the cover configured to be received in lug-receiving apertures formed in the moveable deck when the support surface is mounted on the patient support apparatus.

4. The patient support system of claim 3, wherein the lugs include a stem and a ball, the ball spaced apart from the cover.

6. The patient support system of claim 1, wherein the patient support apparatus includes a foot-deck section, and the plurality of support bladders includes a head-support bladder arranged to extend over the head-deck section, a seat-support bladder arranged to extend over the seat-deck section, and a foot support bladder arranged to extend over the foot-deck section.

5. The patient support system of 4, wherein the lug-receiving apertures include at least one keyhole slot with a wide portion and a narrow portion.

7. A patient support system comprising

a patient support apparatus including a seat-deck section and a head-deck section movable relative to the seat-deck section between a first position adjacent the seat-deck section and a second position spaced apart from the seat-deck section forming a gap between the seat-deck section and the head-deck section,

a support surface including a plurality of support bladders and a fill bladder arranged over the interface of the seat-deck section and the head-deck section,

an air source coupled to the fill bladder, and

a controller coupled to the air source, the controller configured to inflate the fill bladder in response to movement of the head-deck section from the first position to the second position so that the fill bladder covers the gap formed between the seat-deck section and the head-deck section,

wherein the patient support apparatus includes a foot-deck section, and the plurality of support bladders includes a head-support bladder arranged to extend over the head-deck section, a seat-support bladder arranged to extend over the seat-deck section, and a foot support bladder arranged to extend over the foot-deck section, and the foot-support bladder includes a plurality of cells that cooperate to form a left rail section a right rail section and a central section, the central section having a diminishing cross-sectional area to form a space under the central section defined between the left rail section, the right rail section, and the central section.

8. The patient support apparatus of claim 7, wherein the support surface includes a trunk extending downwardly from the cover, a pneumatic line extending from the trunk to at least one of the support bladders, and a foam member encased in the cover and formed to include an aperture, wherein the pneumatic line extends through the aperture, and the foam member includes a foam seat shell arranged to overlie the trunk and a foam head shell that is movable relative to the foam seat shell to a position spaced apart from the seat shell.

9. A patient support surface comprising

a cover with a head end, a foot end, a left side, and a right side,

a head-support bladder encased in the cover and extending from the head end of the cover toward the foot end of the cover,

a seat-support bladder encased in the cover and extending from the head-support bladder toward the foot end of the cover,

a foot-support bladder extending from the foot end of the cover toward the head end of the cover, the foot-support bladder forming a left rail section a right rail section and a central section, the central section shaped to form a space under the central section defined between the left rail section and the right rail section, and

a fill bladder encased in the cover and arranged to underlie the interface of the head-support bladder and the seat-support bladder, and wherein the foot-support bladder includes a plurality of cells that cooperate to form the left rail section, the right rail section, and the central section, and

wherein the central section of the foot support bladder has a diminishing cross section.

10. The patient support surface of claim 9, wherein the head-support bladder is movable from a first position spaced a first distance from the seat-support bladder to a second position spaced a second distance, greater than the first distance, from the seat-support bladder forming a gap between the head-support bladder and the seat-support bladder.

11. The patient support surface of claim 10, wherein the fill bladder is sized to fill the gap formed between the head-support bladder and the seat-support bladder when the head-support bladder is moved to the second position.

12. The patient support surface of claim 11, wherein the fill bladder extends from the left side to the right side of the cover.

13. The patient support surface of claim 9, wherein the cover includes a head-end section forming the head end of the cover, a foot-end section forming the foot end of the cover, and an expandable section arranged between the head-end section and the foot-end section.

14. The patient support surface of claim 13, wherein the expandable section includes a plurality of expandable folds arranged to underlie the interface of the head-support bladder and the seat-support bladder.

15. The patient support surface of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of lugs extending downwardly from the cover, each lug including a stem extending from the cover and a ball spaced apart from the cover.

16. A patient support surface comprising

a cover having a head end, a foot end, a left side, and a right side, the cover including a lower ticking and a trunk extending downwardly from the lower ticking,

an inflatable bladder encased in the cover,

a pneumatic line extending from the trunk to the inflatable bladder, and

a foam member encased in the cover and formed to include an aperture, wherein the pneumatic line extends through the aperture, and the foam member includes a foam seat shell arranged to overlie the trunk and a foam head shell that is movable relative to the foam seat shell to a position spaced apart from the seat shell.

17. The patient support surface of claim 16, wherein the trunk is spaced apart from the head end, the foot end, the left side, and the right side of the cover.

18. The patient support surface of claim 16, further comprising a foot support bladder arranged within the foot end of the cover, wherein the foot-support bladder includes a plurality of cells that cooperate to form a left rail section a right rail section and a central section, the central section having a diminishing cross-sectional area to form a space under the central section defined between the left rail section, the right rail section, and the central section.