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US 5,483,709 AGranted
Low air loss mattress with rigid internal bladder and lower air pallet
AssigneeHill-Rom, Inc.
InventorsL. Dale Foster, Ryan A. Reeder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mattress has an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient supported thereby, an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder which becomes relatively rigid upon inflation to aid in transferring or weighing a patient, and a lower high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between the mattress and the supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transfers. The high air loss bladder includes a peripheral tube which seals against a supporting surface to contain the air which escapes from longitudinal sacks within the tube. The foot sections of the low air loss and static bladders are selectively deflatable.
Claims18
A mattress for supporting a patient comprising:
- an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient supported thereby;
- an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder including means on lateral edges thereof for connection to a patient weigh scale, said intermediate bladder becoming relatively rigid upon inflation thereof and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking upon being suspended by said connection means from a patient weigh scale when supporting a patient;
- and
- a lower high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider.
1 more element
An air pallet for supporting a load and for reducing the friction forces between said pallet and facilitating surface-to-surface transfers of the load comprising:
- a peripheral tube;
- and
- a plurality of longitudinal air sacks interior of the periphery of said peripheral tube and having a plurality of bleed holes along lower surfaces thereof;
- the lower surfaces of said longitudinal air sacks being disposed above the lower surface of said peripheral tube,
- whereby said peripheral tube creates a skirt effect by sealing against the supporting surface trapping air which escapes from said longitudinal air sacks therein to provide a more efficient lift effect.
2 more elements
A mattress for supporting a patient comprising:
- a patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient supported thereby;
- and
- a high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider;
- wherein said high air loss bladder comprises a peripheral tube and a plurality of longitudinal air sacks interior of the periphery of said peripheral tube and having a plurality of bleed holes along lower surfaces thereof, the lower surfaces of said longitudinal air sacks being disposed above the lower surface of said peripheral tube whereby said peripheral tube creates a skirt effect by sealing against the supporting surface trapping air which escapes from said longitudinal air sacks therein to provide a more efficient lift effect.
1 more element
A mattress for supporting a patient comprising:
- a rigidly inflatable static bladder including means on lateral edges thereof for connection to a patient weigh scale, said bladder becoming relatively rigid upon inflation thereof and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking upon being suspended by said connection means from a patient weigh scale when supporting a patient;
- and
- a high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider;
- said high air loss bladder comprising a peripheral tube and a plurality of longitudinal air sacks interior of the periphery of said peripheral tube and having a plurality of bleed holes along lower surfaces thereof, the lower surfaces of said longitudinal air sacks being disposed above the lower surface of said peripheral tube whereby said peripheral tube creates a skirt effect by sealing against the supporting surface trapping air which escapes from said longitudinal air sacks therein to provide a more efficient lift effect.
1 more element
A mattress for supporting a patient comprising;
- an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient supported thereby;
- an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder including means on lateral edges thereof for connection to a patient weigh scale, said intermediate bladder becoming relatively rigid upon inflation thereof and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking upon being suspended by said connection means from a patient weigh scale when supporting a patient;
- said upper and intermediate bladder having selectively and independently inflatable and deflatable head and foot sections;
- and
- a selectively inflatable and deflatable lower high air loss bladder having a plurality of downwardly facing bleed holes for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider.
2 more elements
A mattress for supporting a patient comprising:
- an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient supported thereby;
- an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder adapted to become relatively rigid upon inflation and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking upon said mattress being suspended from a patient weigh scale when supporting a patient;
- and
- a lower high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider.
1 more element
A mattress for supporting a patient comprising:
- a rigidly inflatable static bladder adapted to become relatively rigid upon inflation and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking upon said mattress being suspended from a patient weigh scale when supporting a patient;
- and
- a high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider;
- said high air loss bladder comprising a peripheral tube and a plurality of longitudinal air sacks interior of the periphery of said peripheral tube and having a plurality of bleed holes along lower surfaces thereof, the lower surfaces of said longitudinal air sacks being disposed above the lower surface of said peripheral tube whereby said peripheral tube creates a skirt effect by sealing against the supporting surface trapping air which escapes from said longitudinal air sacks therein to provide a more efficient lift effect.
1 more element
A mattress for supporting a patient comprising;
- an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient supported thereby;
- an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder adapted to become relatively rigid upon inflation and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking upon said mattress being suspended from a patient weigh scale when supporting a patient;
- said upper and intermediate bladder having selectively and independently inflatable and deflatable head and foot sections;
- and
- a selectively inflatable and deflatable lower high air loss bladder having a plurality of downwardly facing bleed holes for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.