Patent Application
20220330709
The present novel technology relates to bedding, and more particularly, to a vacuum-dried pad for absorbing and removing excess fluids from bedding.
Urinary incontinence is a condition common to the very young, the very old, and those with certain medical issues. Chronic incontinence may result in damaged mattresses and/or box springs, as well as the need for frequent laundering of bedsheets and blankets. One solution commonly used to prevent mattress damage is the placement of a liquid-impermeable sheet between the user and the mattress, such as a rubber sheet, but this solution results in the urine being retained with the user above the rubber sheet. Likewise, pads of superabsorbent material may be used to collect urinary discharge, but the user and the bedding are still in contact with the collected urine, and such pads do little to mitigate odor evolution. Prolonged contact to urine may lead to maceration or other skin conditions. Thus, there is a need for a means to remove unwanted urinary discharge from contact with both the bedding and the user. The present novel technology addresses this need.
The above-mentioned and other features of this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the disclosure itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Unless otherwise stated, a reference to a compound or component includes the compound or component by itself, as well as in combination with other compounds or components, such as mixtures of compounds.
As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present disclosure.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
The fluid removal pad assembly 100 includes a water impermeable backing sheet or layer portion 105, a suction conduit array portion 110, and a soft padding portion 115, defining the bed portion 117 of the assembly. The backing sheet portion 105 is made of a flexible, nonporous, liquid impermeable material, such as a plastic or rubber sheet. The conduit array portion 110 includes one or more fluid conduits placed in fluidic contact with the backing sheet portion 105. Typically, the conduit array portion 110 includes a first central conduit 120 operationally connected at one end to a vacuum source 125, such as a central vacuum line or a unitary vacuum pump, and at the other end to a plurality of fluidic branch conduits 130 that extend over the backing sheet portion 105. Alternately, a single fluidic conduit 120 may extend from the vacuum source 125 to traverse the surface of the backing sheet portion 105, such as by zig-zagging back and forth, spiraling, or the like. The fluidic conduit 120/branch conduits 130 positioned adjacent the pad portion 105 are liquid permeable, such as by being somewhat porous and/or having spaced apertures formed therethrough. A soft padding material portion 115, such as a stiff foam, memory foam, or like material, is positioned adjacent the fluidic conduit portion 110 to provide a modicum of comfort to the user when laying on the assembly 100. The padding portion 100 may be liquid absorbent or nonabsorbent.
The suction conduit array portion 110 is typically made from a flexible plastic tubing, such as 0.635 cm diameter airline tubing, with ‘+’ shaped 0.08 cm perforations 147 made at 1.9 cm intervals. The central conduit 120 is typically made of a similar flexible tubing, but with a larger diameter, such as 1.27 cm. The dimensions and spacing of the conduits 110, 120 and perforations 147 may be varied as convenient to any particular use or configuration of the assembly 100.
The padding portion 115 may be infused with an antibacterial material, a deodorant material, or both.
The assembly 100 further includes a liquid trap 140 operationally connected to the fluidic conduit 120. Urine or other liquids pumped from the bed portion 117 is collected in the liquid trap 140 for sanitary disposal, although in the case of bedridden patients such urine may be collected for medical analysis.
In operation, the assembly 100 is positioned as part of the bedding on a user's bed. Typically, the assembly 100 is positioned atop the mattress, either over or under the bottom bedsheet. During an episode of urinary incontinence, urine is intercepted by the backing portion 105 and drawn into the fluidic conduit portion 110 in fluidic communication with the vacuum source 125 so as to be carried away from the bed and user to be collected in the trap 140. When the trap 140 is full, or at any convenient interval, the trap 140 is emptied of liquid for sanitary disposal and/or analysis, cleaned, and operationally reconnected too the fluidic conduit 120/vacuum source 125.
A bed portion 117 may be disconnected from the vacuum source 125, cleaned, and reconnected. Alternately, while the soiled bed portion 117 is being cleaned, and fresh bed portion 117 may be connected to the vacuum source 125.
In some embodiments, a microprocessor 145 is operationally connected to the vacuum source to send control signals to the vacuum source 125 to energize the vacuum source 125 and deenergize the vacuum source 125. One or more sensors 150 (typically a moisture sensor, thermal sensor, chemical sensor, or a combination thereof) is/are positioned in the bedding portion 117, such as between the backing portion 105 and the padding portion 115, and is connected in electric communication with the microprocessor 145. The sensor(s) 150 may be adjustably moveable, and are typically positioned under the buttocks of the user. Alternately, a plurality of sensors 150 may be arrayed throughout the bedding portion 117. The microprocessor 145 sends a signal to energize the vacuum source 125 upon receiving a signal from the sensor 150 indicating the presence of moisture in general and/or urine in particular, and sends a signal to deenergize the vacuum source 125 when the signal from the sensor 150 stops.
In some embodiments, a liquid semipermeable sheet 160 is operationally connected to the padding layer 115 opposite the liquid impermeable backing layer 105 to allow passage of urine therethrough from to the suction assembly 110 but not back to the sleeping user.
While the novel technology has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. It is understood that the embodiments have been shown and described in the foregoing specification in satisfaction of the best mode and enablement requirements. It is understood that one of ordinary skill in the art could readily make a nigh-infinite number of insubstantial changes and modifications to the above-described embodiments and that it would be impractical to attempt to describe all such embodiment variations in the present specification. Accordingly, it is understood that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the novel technology are desired to be protected.
