Patient/invalid handling support
First Claim
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1. A patient mattress comprising:
- a plurality of inflatable bladders, the bladders each having an upwardly facing bladder wall providing a patient facing side for supporting the patient on the patient mattress and a cavity filled only with air;
the bladders being formed from a first sheet of gelatinous elastomeric material joined with a second sheet to form a matrix of bladders, with at least a first group of the bladders in fluid communication with each of the other bladders in the group through channels formed by the first sheet of gelatinous elastomeric sheet material wherein when a patient lies on a set of the bladders, the pressure in the set of the bladders is redistributed to bladders surrounding the set of bladders; and
a powered control system to control inflation of the bladders, the control system configured to inflate and maintain the bladders inflated between two volumes, each volume being less than their full volume so that the bladders are in an un-stretched state when inflated and unloaded by a patient wherein the upwardly facing bladder walls of said bladders are not distended, wherein when a patient lies on the set of the bladders, the channels allow the pressure in the set of the bladders to be redistributed to the surrounding bladders so that the pressure applied to the patient is not only applied by the set of the bladders but also by the surrounding bladders to increase the contact surface area between the patient and the mattress, and wherein the gelatinous elastomeric material of the bladders allows the bladders to stretch from their un-stretched state when supporting a patient to increase the surface area of the bladders interfacing with a patient lying thereon to thereby reduce the shear on the patient'"'"'s skin.
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Abstract
A patient support for supporting a patient includes an inflatable mattress defining a support surface and a pneumatic system for inflating the inflatable mattress. The pneumatic system includes a pressurized reservoir for holding pressurized air and selectively releases pressurized air from the reservoir to the mattress.
254 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A patient mattress comprising:
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a plurality of inflatable bladders, the bladders each having an upwardly facing bladder wall providing a patient facing side for supporting the patient on the patient mattress and a cavity filled only with air; the bladders being formed from a first sheet of gelatinous elastomeric material joined with a second sheet to form a matrix of bladders, with at least a first group of the bladders in fluid communication with each of the other bladders in the group through channels formed by the first sheet of gelatinous elastomeric sheet material wherein when a patient lies on a set of the bladders, the pressure in the set of the bladders is redistributed to bladders surrounding the set of bladders; and a powered control system to control inflation of the bladders, the control system configured to inflate and maintain the bladders inflated between two volumes, each volume being less than their full volume so that the bladders are in an un-stretched state when inflated and unloaded by a patient wherein the upwardly facing bladder walls of said bladders are not distended, wherein when a patient lies on the set of the bladders, the channels allow the pressure in the set of the bladders to be redistributed to the surrounding bladders so that the pressure applied to the patient is not only applied by the set of the bladders but also by the surrounding bladders to increase the contact surface area between the patient and the mattress, and wherein the gelatinous elastomeric material of the bladders allows the bladders to stretch from their un-stretched state when supporting a patient to increase the surface area of the bladders interfacing with a patient lying thereon to thereby reduce the shear on the patient'"'"'s skin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification