Patient support systems and methods of use

• US 9,655,457 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• 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., Receveur, Timothy J., Branson, Gregory W., Richards, Sandy M., Boyd, Howard J., Hornbach, David W., Turner, Jonathan D., Bhai, Aziz A., Borgman, Darrell
• Primary Examiner(s): Polito, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hare, David R
• Application Number:
  US13/922,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20130340168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 5600, 5613, 5615, 5617, 5618, 5619, 5624, 5706, 5710, 5713, 5715, 56553
• 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 surface comprising

a cover having a head end, a foot end, a left side, and a right side, the cover configured to be positioned over a seat-deck section and a head-deck section of a patient support, wherein the head-deck section of the patient support is movable relative to the seat-deck section of the patient support between a first position wherein the head-deck section is adjacent the seat-deck section and a second position wherein the head-deck section is spaced apart from the seat-deck section forming a gap between the seat-deck section and the head-deck section, and

a cushion encased in the cover and including a first foam pad and a second foam pad arranged below the first foam pad, the second foam pad formed to include a plurality of perforations extending through the second foam pad from a top surface of the second foam pad to a bottom surface of the second foam pad,

wherein the cushion includes a third foam pad extending from the foot end of the cover toward the head end of the cover, wherein the second foam pad is arranged between the third foam pad and the head end of the cover,

wherein the second foam pad and the third foam pad cooperate to define a perimeter of the cushion,

wherein the third foam pad is formed to include a plurality of perforations extending through the third foam pad from a top surface of the third foam pad to a bottom surface of the third foam pad and the top surface of the third foam pad is arranged above the top surface of the second foam pad, and

wherein the plurality of perforations of the second foam pad is expandable in response to movement of the head-deck section from the first position to the second position so that the second foam pad spans the gap formed between the seat-deck section and the head-deck section.

2. The patient support surface of claim 1, wherein the cushion includes a first bolster arranged to extend along a first side of the second foam pad and a second bolster arranged along a second side of the second foam pad.

3. The patient support surface of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a head section, a foot section, and an expandable section coupled between the head section and the foot section.

4. The patient support surface of claim 3, wherein the expandable section includes an elastic material arranged to extend from the left side to the right side of the cover over a portion of a bottom surface of the cover.

5. The patient support surface of claim 3, wherein the expandable section includes a plurality of expandable folds arranged to extend from the left side to the right side of the cover over a portion of a bottom surface of the cover.

6. The patient support surface of claim 1, 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.

7. The patient support surface of claim 1, further comprising an overlay arranged to extend over a top side of the cover, wherein the overlay includes a head portion arranged to extend from the head end of the cover toward the foot end of the cover, a foot portion arranged to extend from the foot end of the cover toward the head end of the cover, and an expandable portion coupled between the head portion and the foot portion.

8. The patient support surface of claim 7, wherein the expandable portion includes a plurality of expandable folds arranged to extend from a left side to a right side of the overlay over a portion of a bottom surface of the overlay.

9. A patient support surface comprising

a cover having a head end, a foot end, a left side, and a right side, the cover configured to be positioned over a seat-deck section and a head-deck section of a patient support, wherein the head-deck section of the patient support is movable relative to the seat-deck section of the patient support between a first position wherein the head-deck section is adjacent the seat-deck section and a second position wherein the head-deck section is spaced apart from the seat-deck section forming a gap between the seat-deck section and the head-deck section, and

a cushion encased in the cover and including a first foam pad and a second foam pad arranged below the first foam pad, the second foam pad formed to include a plurality of perforations extending through the second foam pad from a top surface of the second foam pad to a bottom surface of the second foam pad,

wherein the cushion includes a first bolster arranged to extend along a first side of the second foam pad and a second bolster arranged along a second side of the second foam pad,

wherein the first and the second bolsters are each formed to include first slits extending upwardly through a bottom surface of the left and the right bolsters toward a top surface of the left and the right bolsters, and

wherein the first slits are expandable in response to movement of the head-deck section from the first position to the second position,

wherein the first and second bolsters are each formed to include second slits extending downwardly through the to surface of the left and right bolsters toward the bottom surface of the left and the right bolsters, and

wherein the second slits are expandable in response to movement of the head-deck section from the first position to the second position, and

wherein the second slits are offset from the first slits such that the first slits and the second slits are not vertically aligned.

10. A patient support system comprising

a patient support apparatus including a deck having a seat-deck section, a head-deck section configured to move relative to the seat-deck section, and a foot-deck section configured to move relative to the seat-deck section, the deck movable from a lie-flat configuration to a chair-egress configuration,

a patient support surface mounted on the patient support apparatus, the patient support surface including a cover and a plurality of inflatable bladders encased in the cover, the plurality of inflatable bladders including a seat-support bladder and a foot-support bladder, and

a controller configured to:

instruct at least one of the seat-support bladder and the foot-support bladder to adjust a pressure therein during movement of the deck from the lie-flat configuration to the chair-egress configuration,

instruct a processor to monitor the pressure in the at least one of the seat-support bladder and the foot-support bladder during movement of the deck from the lie-flat configuration to the chair-egress configuration, and

instruct the processor to adjust the speed of movement of at least one of the foot-deck section and the seat-deck section as the deck moves from the lie-flat configuration to the chair-egress configuration based on the monitored pressure.

11. The patient support system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to stop movement from the first configuration to the second configuration of the deck based on the monitored pressure if the rate of change of the monitored pressure is below a threshold.

12. The patient support system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to trigger an alarm if the rate of change of the monitored pressure is below a threshold.

13. The patient support system of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of sensors configured to detect pressure in the plurality of bladders and the position of the deck, the sensors coupled to the controller.

14. The patient support system of claim 10, wherein the controller instructs the processor to compare the monitored pressure to a predetermined pressure corresponding to a position of the deck to determine an adjustment in the speed of movement of at least one of the foot-deck section and the seat-deck section.