Pressure relief mattress

A hybrid mattress construction with a soft, flexible basin adapted for use with an adjustable frame, the improvement comprising:

• a cavity formed by said basin;
• a flotation bladder formed to fit into said cavity;
• means for displacing liquid in said bladder and serving as a backrest as the head of the frame is raised, including an afferent head incline;
• wherein said flotation bladder comprises top, middle, and bottom sheets of flexible film welded together to form said bladder with a middle membrane therebetween, said top and bottom sheets of said flexible film dimensioned so that when welded together said top sheet and bottom sheet form said bladder, said middle membrane extending to the mid-height dimension of said cavity and perforated with at least one opening;
• and,
• buoyant material means secured to the inner surface of said top sheet at predetermined locations to provide augmented lift and support to selected portions of a body on said mattress.

A hybrid liquid mattress with a soft, flexible basin adapted for use with an articulated frame, the improvement comprising:

• a articulatable, flexible base member supporting a basin;
• a cavity formed by said basin;
• a flotation bladder filled with liquid and formed to fit into said cavity;
• a smaller flotation bladder disposed beneath a medial portion of said flotation bladder;
• said mattress being movable from a generally horizontal first position to a second position in which said head end of said mattress is tilted to slope upwardly and said liquid drains from said head end of said flotation bladder and said smaller flotation bladder prevents bottom contact by the posterior of a patient on said mattress.

A hybrid liquid mattress with a soft, flexible basin adapted for use with an articulated frame, the improvement comprising:

• a articulatable, flexible base member supporting a basin;
• a cavity formed by said basin;
• a flotation bladder filled with liquid and formed to fit into said cavity;
• an afferent head incline disposed at a head portion of said mattress and defining a head portion of said cavity, said afferent head incline including a generally planar upper surface inclined upwardly and outwardly toward a head end of said mattress;
• said flexible base member being deformable from a generally horizontal first position in which a head portion of said base member extends generally horizontally, to a second position in which said head portion of said base member is tilted to slope upwardly;
• said planar upper surface of said afferent head incline supporting a head portion of said flotation bladder when said flexible base member is in said first position, and sloping upwardly at an increased angle when said flexible base member is in said second position, said planar upper surface at said increased angle disposed to displace liquid from said head portion of said flotation bladder and directly support the head and upper back of a patient supported on said mattress.