Adjustable pneumatic supporting surface

• US 9,730,585 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HLZ Innovation, LLC
• Original Assignee: HLZ Innovation, LLC
• Inventors: Hovorka, George
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, SEAN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US14/456,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20140350434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 5600, 5710, 5713, 5715, 5727, 600552, 600553, 600587, 702 98
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/168 Fluid filled sensor housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0048 Detecting, measuring or recording by applying mechanical forces or stimuli A61B5/021, A61B5/4884 and A61B9/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0053 by applying pressure, e.g. compression, indentation, palpation, grasping, gauging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/445 Evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05776 with at least two groups of alternately inflated chambers

Abstract

An apparatus and method are adapted for characterizing human tissue type. A plurality of inflatable bladders enable the application of kinetic energy to the human tissue. Collected data responsive to the applied kinetic energy differentiates between different tissue types and patient loading. The data can be routed via a network to a remote location.

Claims

1. An apparatus for characterizing human tissue type comprising:

a surface adapted for applying a single pulse of kinetic energy to an anatomical portion of a human supported on the surface;

at least one sensor associated with said surface, the at least one sensor collecting data reflective of a rate of dissipation of the applied single pulse of kinetic energy, whereby the rate of dissipation of the applied single pulse of kinetic energy is indicative of the tissue type of said anatomical portion; and

a processor programmed for (1) processing the data collected by said at least one sensor relating to said rate of dissipation of the applied single pulse of kinetic energy and (2) using the processed data based on the rate of dissipation of the applied single pulse of kinetic energy to characterize the tissue type of said anatomical portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said surface comprises a portion of at least one first inflatable bladder.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further including a second inflatable bladder having a volume supporting said first inflatable bladder, wherein said first inflatable bladder has a volume greater than the volume of said second inflatable bladder.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed for processing the data collected to identify a location of the anatomical portion of the human.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein characterizing the tissue type comprises the processor programmed to compare the processed data to predetermined data representative of different tissue types.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein processing the data collected comprises the processor programmed to analyze the collected data in frequency domain.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an accelerometer.

8. An apparatus for characterizing human tissue type comprising:

a surface adapted for applying a single pulse of kinetic energy to an anatomical portion of a human supported on the surface;

at least one accelerometer associated with said surface, the at least one accelerometer collecting data reflective of a rate of dissipation of the applied single pulse of kinetic energy, whereby the rate of dissipation of the applied single pulse of kinetic energy is indicative of the tissue type of said anatomical portion; and

a processor programmed for (1) processing the data collected by said at least one sensor relating to said rate of dissipation of the applied single pulse of kinetic energy, (2) using the processed data based on the rate of dissipation of the applied single pulse of kinetic energy to characterize the tissue type of said anatomical portion, and (3) comparing the processed data to predetermined data representative of different tissue types.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed for processing the data collected to identify a location of the anatomical portion of the human.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further including a second inflatable bladder having a volume supporting said first inflatable bladder, wherein said first inflatable bladder has a volume greater than the volume of said second inflatable bladder.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein processing the data collected comprises the processor programmed to analyze the collected data in frequency domain.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein processing the data collected comprises the processor programmed to analyze the collected data in frequency domain.