Surgical positioning system
AssigneeHUG-U-VAC Surgical Positioning Systems, Inc.
InventorEugene Lloyd Hiebert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described herein are exemplary embodiments of improved surgical positioners that not only help position a patient during surgery, but also help maintain the patient's body temperature during surgery. Some exemplary surgical positioning devices disclosed herein comprise a flexible shell defining a deflatable air-tight internal region partially filled with beads and an electrical warming fabric coupled to an internal surface of the shell that is adjacent to the patient. The warming fabric is configured to convert electrical current into heat for warming the patient during surgery.
Claims20
A surgical positioning device for positioning the body of a patient, the device comprising:
- a flexible, air-impermeable shell comprising an upper wall, a lower wall, and an enclosed internal region between the upper and lower walls, the upper wall having an outer surface configured to facilitate positioning the patient and an inner surface, the lower wall configured to rest against a support surface;
- a flexible electrical warming fabric coupled to the inner surface of the upper wall of the shell, the electrical warming fabric being electrically couplable to an electrical power source and configured to generate heat for warming the patient through the upper wall of the shell;
- a plurality of beads disposed in the internal region of the shell;
- and
- an air valve coupled to the shell and operable to regulate air flow in and out of the internal region of the shell, wherein the surgical positioning device is configured to conform to a shape of the patient upon deflation of the shell.
A method of positioning and warming a patient during surgery, the method comprising:
- positioning a surgical positioner between a patient and a support surface with the patient being in a selected position for surgery, the positioner comprising a shell, an electrical warming material coupled to an internal surface of the shell, and a plurality of beads within the shell;
- evacuating air from the shell such that the positioner fittingly engages lower and side portions of the patient to hold the patient in the selected position;
- and
- supplying direct electrical current to the electrical warming material to warm the patient through the shell of the positioner.
A surgical positioning device comprising:
- a flexible shell defining a deflatable air-tight internal region, the shell comprising an outer surface configured for positioning against the patient during surgery;
- an electrical warming material coupled to the shell, the electrical warming material being configured to convert direct electrical current into heat for warming the patient during surgery;
- and
- a plurality of beads disposed within the internal region of the shell;
- wherein the surgical positioning device is configured to engage lower and side portions of the patient upon deflation of the shell to hold the patient in a selected position during surgery.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.