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US 2006/0123552 A1Published application
Automatic patient turner
OwnerMichael Ben-Leviinventor
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OwnerMichael Ben-Leviinventor
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The Automatic Patient Turner is the ultimate in pressure sore prevention by automatically, periodically, and alternately tilting, and then laterally turning an immobile patient from one complete side to the other in a manner similar to, yet gentler and less intrusive than, manual turning. This is accomplished by the patterned, sequential inflation and deflation of six strategically-placed inflatables. When the bent knees (1) are perpendicular and sandwiched between a pair of inflated knee inflatables (6 and 7), they can serve as a lever arm in the turning process. When pressure is exerted against the bent knees (1), it causes them to move well beyond their perpendicular position. They then descend in the direction of the turn as the knee inflatables (6 and 7) deflate. The descending knees laterally pull the entire body of the patient completely to the side of the turn as a back-support pillow (8 or 9) inflates.
An automatic patient turning device, being a significant and major improvement on the conventional rotational, patient-tilting air mattress with only the capability of alternately and laterally tilting a patient to a maximum of a 45-degrees incline without having to strap the patient to the mattress, having now the ability, without strapping in the patient, of first laterally tilting and then safely turning from one complete side to the other, constituting a 180-degee turn, an immobile, bedridden patient in the high-risk category of developing pressure sores, lying along a generally longitudinal axis of a bed or hospital bed, comprising at least one right knee inflatable (6) attached to the top surface of a rotational, patient-tilting air mattress (2), and located on the right side of the patient's bent knees (1), and at least one left knee inflatable (7) attached to the top surface of a rotational, patient-tilting air mattress (2), and located on the left side of the patient's bent knees (1), where the said knee inflatables (6 and 7), being of sufficient length for accommodating patients of varying size when bringing the bent knees (1) to a perpendicular position relative to the mattress (2) in a horizontal position, thereby enabling the said bent knees (1), when sandwiched between the inflating knee inflatables (6 and 7), to serve as a lever arm in the turning process by alternately turning the patient from one complete side to the other when pushed by at least one said fully inflated knee inflatable (6 or 7), due to the raising of alternate longitudinal sides of the said rotational mattress (2), thereby moving the bent knees (1) well beyond their perpendicular position, causing them, while resting upon at least one deflating knee inflatable (6 or 7), to descend pulling the entire body of the patient in the direction of the turn, resulting, with the deflation of all said knee inflatables (6 and 7), and the lowering of both longitudinal sides of the said rotational, patient-tilting mattress (2), in having the patient at the end of the turning process lying on one side upon a flat surface until turned to the other side.
An automatic patient turning device, designed to prevent pressure sores and the accumulation of fluid in the lungs, with the capability of first laterally tilting and then safely turning from one complete side to the other, constituting a 180-degree turn, an immobile, bedridden patient in the high-risk category of developing pressure sores, lying along a generally longitudinal axis of a bed or hospital bed, comprising at least one right knee inflatable (6) attached to the top surface of a stationary, non-patient-tilting mattress (2), and located on the right side of the patient's bent knees (1), and at least one left knee inflatable (7) attached to the top surface of a stationary, non-patient-tilting mattress (2), and located on the left side of the patient's bent knees (1), where the said knee inflatables (6 and 7), being of sufficient length for accommodating patients of varying size when bringing the bent knees (1) to a perpendicular position relative to the mattress (2) in a horizontal position, thereby enabling the said bent knees (1), when sandwiched between the inflating knee inflatables (6 and 7), to serve as a lever arm in the turning process by alternately turning the patient from one complete side to the other when pushed, gradually moving the said bent knees (1) well beyond their perpendicular position, causing them, while resting upon at least one said deflating knee inflatable (6 or 7), to descend, pulling the entire body of the patient in the direction of the turn due to the force of gravity, with the patient lying on a flat surface at the end of the turning process, until turned to the other side.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.