Bedsore main-factor measuring device

• US 20050148904A1
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molten
• Original Assignee: Molten
• Inventors: Mimura, Maki, Okazaki, Hidekazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,090,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/447 specially adapted for aiding the prevention of ulcer or pressure sore development, i.e. before the ulcer or sore has developed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure

Abstract

A distortion generating sheet (22) intervenes between a first and a second flexible sheets (11) and (12), respectively, with one end (23) thereof fixed to the first sheet (11), and the other end (24) fixed to the second sheet (12). As a consequence, when a shear takes place across the first and second sheets (11) and (12), respectively, the shear is conveyed to the distortion generating sheet (22). A strain gauge (21) fixed to the distortion generating sheet (22) detects and measures the distortion generated by the shear in the distortion generating sheets (22). A third sheet (15) is further provided with its periphery bonded to the first sheet (11) to form a closed space. The force bearing the patient is measured by measuring the pressure in the space formed.

Claims

1. An apparatus (referred to as pressure ulcer factor evaluation apparatus) for evaluating factors that may cause pressure ulcer on a patient'"'"'s back and/or buttock, said pressure ulcer factor evaluation apparatus comprising:

a sensor section that can intervene between the patient'"'"'s body and a bed, having

an air-filled space whose pressure can be varied by the pressure exerted by the patient'"'"'s body (said pressure referred to as surface pressure and said space referred to as surface pressure measuring space) when said sensor section is inserted between said body and bed,

an air tube hermetically communicating with said surface pressure measuring space,

a space accommodating at least one strain gauge for measuring the shearing force acting on the patient'"'"'s skin in the tangential direction of the skin (said space referred to as shearing force measuring space),

a signal line connected to said strain gauge for transmitting the signal generated by said strain gauge out of said shearing force measuring space; and

a controller-display unit having

a pressure sensor communicating with said surface pressure measuring space via said air tube for detecting the surface pressure transmitted from said surface pressure measuring space, and

a display adapted to process the data received from said strain gauge and pressure sensor to obtain and display information indicative of said surface pressure (referred to as bodily force information) and information indicative of said shearing force (referred to as shearing force information).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said surface pressure measuring space is formed of two flexible sheets hermetically bonded together along the peripheries thereof to form a closed space therebetween for enclosing an amount of air;

each of said distortion generating sheets is provided on the inner surface thereof with said strain gauge and is fixed at the opposite ends thereof to the inner surface of corresponding one of said two flexible sheets, whereby said surface pressure measuring space is adapted to also serve as said shearing force measuring space.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said shearing force measuring space is formed inside two flexible sheets hermetically bonded together along the peripheries thereof, with each of said two sheets provided on the inner surface thereof with a distortion generating sheet having opposite ends fixed to said inner surface, and each of said distortion generation sheet provided on at least one surface thereof with a strain gauge, and wherein

said surface pressure measuring space is formed inside a third sheet and one of said two sheets, with said third sheet bonded along the periphery thereof to said one of two sheets, and said surface pressure measuring space inflated with an amount of air.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein each of said distortion generating sheets having thereon at least one strain gauge, is fixed at the opposite ends thereof to said inner surface of said sheet such that said distortion sheet is oriented in the direction preferred to measure shearing force.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said two flexible sheets are provided on the inner surfaces thereof with a multiplicity of distortion generating sheets.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 3, wherein said surface pressure measuring space accommodates a sponge (urethane foam)-like spacer for securing a minimum height of said space.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said display has an arithmetic circuit for calculating the resultant force that arises from said surface pressure and shearing force, based on said surface pressure information and shearing force information, and wherein

said resultant force is displayed on said display.