Patent Application
20230018683
Pressure injuries, once referred to as “bed sores” and sometimes manifesting a decubitus ulcers, are a common yet dangerous side effect of decreased mobility. Many patients in hospitals and extended care facilities are at risk due to a plethora of causes. This problem is a great physical stress and cost to the patient, sometimes even causing death from infected wounds. The financial repercussions of this preventable injury can be tremendous to both patient and the facility. Because it is recognized as a trauma occurring in the hospital, most often the costs incurred will be its responsibility.
Once such an injury has begun, caregivers must work quickly and attentively to prevent further breakdown. Reversing the initial injury is the ultimate goal, but very difficult to attain while the patient remains immobile. Most of them are caused by decreased circulation to an area of the body that is experiencing high pressure due to gravity over bony prominences. In order to achieve the goal of “Zero Harm”, many hospitals and facilities enforce more caregiver tasks of skin surveillance and frequent position changes. This can be quite resource-intensive, and lead to increased costs to the facility in terms of nursing and caregiver hours.
It can be highly desirable to help prevent these injuries from occurring in the first place, and help patients by helping caregivers to achieve this goal. There is a need for embodiments that will not add to caregiver duties, but help to simplify them and make patient care more efficient. In other words, this can help buy time for achieving the goal of “Zero Harm”, supporting an optimal standard of care.
In some embodiments, disclosed herein are sheet-type devices including but not limited to fitted or non-fitted, e.g., flat, or bottom sheets. A sheet can include one, two, or more pockets or sleeves. A sheet can also include pads including gel, foam, or combinations thereof. Multi-zoned surfaces/systems and methods as disclosed herein involve easy-to-use and inexpensive measures that can be taken to prevent pressure injuries in immobilized patients. These sheets can simply replace current hospital or care-facility bottom sheets for high-risk patients, or be an overlay to existing sheets.
In some embodiments, the specialized fabric and construction can advantageously perform one or more of the following: decrease friction and sheer; increase wicking of moisture; and/or maintain circulation to pressure areas.
Some embodiments can include means for securing the sheet system to a mattress or other bedding device. The embodiments can also include means for tensioning the fabric to reduce wrinkles, folds, and bunching in the fabric, to reduce friction and other sources of pressure against a patient's body.
Some embodiments advantageously can include an all-in-one purposing combination of bed clothing with therapy. Specialized silicone gel and/or foam pads covered with padded wicking fabric can be made to fit in the pockets of the sheet as desired. Some sheets can be easily placed and exchanged as needed, easily removed for laundering, easy to clean, and/or reusable for same patient use.
Certain materials, such as, for example, gel or gel-like materials and foam can delay pressure injury formation. The sleeves, which can be vertically oriented in some cases, can make changing patient positions easy and efficient and be unexpectedly advantageous in combination with the gel/foam.
Such systems and methods can be win-win-win situations for patients—caregivers-hospitals in helping caregivers to deliver higher quality care, thereby preventing costly injuries.
In one possible embodiment, the inventive subject matter is directed to a patient care system, that has a first layer comprising a sheet having a sheet length, a sheet width, and a vertical center line extending along the longitudinal axis of the sheet. The patient care system has a second layer affixed to the first layer, and longitudinally aligned with the vertical center line; and means for securing the first layer to a mattress and tensioning the second layer. The first layer and the second layer form a plurality of pockets disposed over the vertical center line, and each respective pocket comprises at least one opening. When the system is arranged over the surface of a mattress, the first layer lies between the surface of the mattress and the second layer such that the at least one opening is above the first layer and wherein the plurality of pockets is not spaced apart along the longitudinal axis. Each of the plurality of pockets is configured to receive at least one of a pressure redistributing insert or a repositioning insert through the at least one opening. A positioning of the plurality of pockets relative to the first layer is configured such that, when the system is arranged over the surface of a mattress and fitted with inserts in the pockets, the pockets are configured to contact first selected areas of anatomy of an intended patient so as to decrease pressure on the first selected areas of anatomy or on a second area of anatomy adjacent to the contacted first selected areas of anatomy, or are configured so as to reposition the anatomy of the patient relative to the mattress. The first selected areas are selected from the group of head occiput, scapulae, lumbar, sacrum, knees, and the calcaneus.
The means for securing the first layer to a mattress and tensioning the second layer may include the first layer having dimensions larger than a top surface area of the mattress; a channel formed on an outer perimeter of the first layer, the channel having at least one opening; and a drawstring disposed within the channel and extending through the at least one opening. When the first layer is placed over a top surface of the mattress, the channel is configured to lie under a bottom surface of the mattress, and the drawstring is configured to tension the first and second layers when tightened in the channel through the at least one opening.
The means for securing the first layer to a mattress and tensioning the second layer may include a first pair of straps and a second pair of straps; where each of the first pair of straps is affixed by one end to a first longitudinal side of the first layer and by an opposing end to an opposing longitudinal side of the first layer, and each of the second pair of straps is affixed by one end to a first lateral side of the first layer and by a second opposing end to an opposing lateral side of the first layer. The first and second pairs of straps are configured to wrap from one respective side of the mattress, under the mattress bottom, to an opposing side of the mattress, and each strap comprises means for tensioning the first layer. The means for tensioning the first layer may include an elastic strap material configured to apply elastic tension to the first layer when placed around the mattress.
The at least one strap may include two sections that are removably fixable to each other by a fastener, and the means for tensioning the first layer may comprise fastening the two sections together when placed around the mattress. The first layer may have dimensions about the same as the dimensions of a top surface of the mattress.
The means for securing the first layer to a mattress and tensioning the second layer may include the first layer having dimensions larger than a top surface area of the mattress and a plurality of handles affixed along a perimeter of the first layer; a separate bottom layer having dimensions larger than a bottom surface area of the mattress and a plurality of tying elements affixed along a perimeter of the bottom layer, each respective tying element configured to removably attach to a respective handle. When the plurality of tying elements is attached to the plurality of handles, tension is applied to the first layer.
The means for securing the first layer to a mattress and tensioning the second layer may include at least two sleeves affixed to the first layer, each sleeve configured to removably receive and hold a batten, wherein the first layer is tensioned when each sleeve holds a batten. The at least two sleeves may extend longitudinally along the first layer and be disposed away from the vertical center line. The at least two sleeves may define an intermediate zone for a patient to lie on.
In some cases, each pocket opening may be defined by at least one seam attaching the second layer to the first layer, wherein the at least one seam extends across a width of the second layer by less than half of the width of the second layer. The the second layer may comprise a stitch-free middle zone configured to contact the patient.
The patient care system may further include the pressure redistributing insert. The patient care system may further include the repositioning insert, the repositioning insert comprising a repositioning wedge.
In some cases, each pocket may comprise two openings.
In some cases, the second layer may comprise a single sheet of material.
A method for caring for a patient may include providing a system for patient care as described herein, and inserting a pressure redistributing insert or a repositioning insert into at least one of the plurality of pockets.
In another possible embodiment, a patient care system may include a first layer comprising a sheet having a sheet length, a sheet width, and a vertical center line extending along the longitudinal axis of the sheet; and a second layer comprising a single continuous sheet, affixed to the first layer, and longitudinally aligned with the vertical center line. The system may further include means for securing the first layer to a mattress and tensioning the second layer. The first layer and the second layer may form at least one pocket, the at least one pocket comprising at least one lateral opening spaced apart from the vertical center line. When the system is arranged over the surface of a mattress, the first layer lies between the surface of the mattress and the second layer such that the at least one lateral opening is above the first layer. The at least one pocket may be configured to receive at least one of a pressure redistributing insert or a repositioning insert through the at least one opening. A positioning of the at least one pocket relative to the first layer is configured such that, when the system is arranged over the surface of a mattress and fitted with inserts in the at least one pocket, the at least one pocket is configured to contact first selected areas of anatomy of an intended patient so as to decrease pressure on the first selected areas of anatomy or on a second area of anatomy adjacent to the contacted first selected areas of anatomy, or are configured so as to reposition the anatomy of the patient relative to the mattress, wherein the first selected areas are selected from the group of head occiput, scapulae, lumbar, sacrum, knees, and the calcaneus.
The means for securing the first layer to a mattress and tensioning the second layer may include the first layer having dimensions larger than a surface area of the mattress; a channel formed on an outer perimeter of the first layer, the channel having at least one opening; and a drawstring disposed within the channel and extending through the at least one opening. When the first layer is placed over a top surface of the mattress, the channel is configured to lie under a bottom surface of the mattress, and wherein the drawstring is configured to tension the first and second layers when tightened in the channel through the at least one opening.
The means for securing the first layer to a mattress and tensioning the second layer may include a first pair of straps and a second pair of straps, where each of the first pair of straps is affixed by one end to a first longitudinal side of the first layer and by an opposing end to an opposing longitudinal side of the first layer, and where each of the second pair of straps is affixed by one end to a first lateral side of the first layer and by a second opposing end to an opposing lateral side of the first layer. The first and second pairs of straps are configured to wrap from one respective side of the mattress, under the mattress bottom, to an opposing side of the mattress, and wherein each strap comprises means for tensioning the first layer.
The means for securing the first layer to a mattress and tensioning the second layer may include the first layer having dimensions larger than a top surface of the mattress and a plurality of handles affixed along a perimeter of the first layer; and a separate bottom layer having dimensions larger than a bottom surface of the mattress and a plurality of tying elements affixed along a perimeter of the bottom layer. Each respective tying element may be configured to removably attach to a respective handle such that when the plurality of tying elements is attached to the plurality of handles, tension is applied to the first layer.
The means for securing the first layer to a mattress and tensioning the second layer may include at least two sleeves affixed to the first layer, each sleeve configured to removably receive and hold a batten, wherein the first layer is tensioned when each sleeve holds a batten.
In another possible embodiment, a patient care system may include a first layer comprising a sheet having a sheet length, a sheet width, and a vertical center line extending along the longitudinal axis of the sheet; a second layer affixed to the first layer, and longitudinally aligned with the vertical center line; and a tensioning system configured to hold the second layer taut. The first layer and the second layer may form a plurality of pockets disposed over the vertical center line, each respective pocket comprising at least one opening. When the system is arranged over the surface of a mattress, the first layer lies between the surface of the mattress and the second layer such that the at least one opening is above the first layer and wherein the plurality of pockets is not spaced apart along the longitudinal axis. Each of the plurality of pockets is configured to receive at least one of a pressure redistributing insert or a repositioning insert through the at least one opening. A positioning of the plurality of pockets relative to the first layer is configured such that, when the system is arranged over the surface of a mattress and fitted with inserts in the pockets, the pockets are configured to contact first selected areas of anatomy of an intended patient so as to decrease pressure on the first selected areas of anatomy or on a second area of anatomy adjacent to the contacted first selected areas of anatomy, or are configured so as to reposition the anatomy of the patient relative to the mattress, wherein the first selected areas are selected from the group of head occiput, scapulae, lumbar, sacrum, knees, and the calcaneus.
The tensioning system may include at least one tensioning strap.
The following disclosure pertains to bedding systems that allow for inserts such as pillows, wedges, or other cushioning or supportive structures to be inserted into pockets in the bedding to support and/or change the position of a person lying on the bedding. The bedding system may relieve pressure on areas of the anatomy that are prone to pressure injuries. The bedding system may reposition parts of the anatomy with respect to the surface of the bed, for example, to relieve joint pain, allow for stretching or decompression of the spine, or to apply a gentle pressure to a sore area. The repositioning may include, without limitation, elevating, rotating, or supporting an area of anatomy at an angle to the surface of the bed.
In some embodiments, a sheet can be made of woven or knit micro-fiber material configured to keep the patient's skin contacting the sheet as dry as possible. In other embodiments, a sheet may be made of a non-woven material. A sheet can also be made from any suitable materials, or combinations of materials, e.g., synthetic polyester, cotton, wool, silk, microfiber, flannelette and/or even water retentive materials dependent on application. Any color combinations can be provided. The materials can be machine washable, or made as throw-away products dependent on application.
In some embodiments, a sheet can be a fitted sheet, and/or a flat sheet. The sheet can be configured to match a variety of bed sizes, including clinical bed sizes. The bed sizes can include, for example, twin, full, queen, king, California king, and other sizes. A twin-sized sheet may be sized for a patient between about 4 feet and 6 feet tall. Full-, queen-, twin XL-, and king-sized sheets may be sized for a patient between about 4 feet and 6.5 feet tall. A California king-sized sheet may be sized for a patient between about 4 feet and 7 feet tall. A crib-sized sheet may be configured for infants and toddlers less than 4 feet tall. The flat sheet can be made to be taut to the mattress with a variety of means, including but not limited to, sewn-in sleeves for batten-like plastic strips (which can be tucked under the mattress), after market devices, e.g., Bed Scrunchie, SheetLock Pro, elastic bed sheet fasteners or straps, or other sheet securing elastic and other devices. These all help to create smooth contours of the bed, thereby decreasing friction.
A sheet can include, for example, one, two, three, four, five, six or more spaced-apart pockets or sleeves. The pockets or sleeves can be, for example, axially spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the sheet, or offset in some embodiments. The pockets or sleeves can have proximal, distal, and/or lateral openings. The pockets or sleeves can be made of a stretchable, moisture wicking material. The pockets can be made of stretchable fabric that is non-wicking. The stretch creates a smooth contour of the bed, decreasing friction.
In some embodiments, the sheets can include various axial lengths and configured to fit various patient heights, including adult, pediatric, and neonatal sizes. For example, a small adult sheet could, for example, be for patients having a height from about 4′10″ to about 5′5″; a medium adult sheet could, for example, be for patients having a height from about 5′6″ to about 6′0″; and a large adult sheet could, for example, be for patients having a height from about 6′0″ and greater. Smaller sized sheets can be utilized for neonatal or pediatric patients, including heights of less than about 5′, 4.5′, 4′, 3.5′, 3′, 2.5′ 2′, or ranges including any two of the foregoing values.
In some embodiments, the pockets or sleeves can include anti-microbial properties, including one or more anti-microbial agents. An antimicrobial agent can include, for example, an antibiotic, an antifungal agent, an antiparasitic agent, and an antiviral agent. Some metals that may have antimicrobial properties include, for example, silver, platinum, gold, zinc, copper, cerium, gallium, osmium, and combinations thereof.
The pockets can be configured to fit an insert, such as a gel, or gel-like pad insert, or foam wedge insert (including but not limited to memory foam). The gel or gel-like pads can be, for example, silicone and foam bead mix with or without an overlay of wicking pad (e.g., pads used for biking or other sports activities), although any gas and/or liquid media, and/or solid materials can be utilized as insert material. The gel pads can be soft, malleable, and inserted then spread and flattened for cushioning or formed to be supportive to one, two, three, or more anatomical locations. These inserts can be either cooled or warmed as indicated for desired therapeutic effect. After-market inserts designed to reduce pressure can be inserted and held in the pockets, including but not limited to, cervical pillows, or pressure redistributing devices such as Molnlycke Z-Flo, for example. These inserts can be either cooled or warmed as indicated for desired therapeutic effect. Inserts can be made of any appropriate material, including but not limited to gel, gel-like materials, foam, latex, down, or other materials.
The pockets and gel pads can be placed in body areas most at risk for pressure sores, such as the sacrum and calcaneus, among others. The pockets can be of uniform size, or different sizes in some embodiments. A sheet can include, for example, about, at least about, or no more than about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more or less pockets, or ranges including any two of the foregoing values. In some embodiments, a top or uppermost pocket can have a dimension, such as a width that is larger than that of other pockets, such as all remaining pockets. Such a pocket can be configured to fit a standard twin pillow for additional head occiput support, for example.
In some embodiments, a pocket can include a plurality of openings, one each per lateral side. As such, caregivers can change the inserted cushion from either side of the bed.
In some embodiments, any of the pockets can be omitted while maintaining any other pockets. For example, some embodiments of sheets may exclude any combination of head occiput, scapulae, lumbar support, sacrum, knees, and/or calcaneus (heels) or other horizontal and/or vertically oriented pockets while any other number of pockets can remain present.
As shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, the pockets can be made of the same material as the underlying sheet, or a different material. In some embodiments, the pockets can be made of one continuous piece (or several discontinuous pieces in other embodiments) of stretch wicking (which can also have inherent, or added antimicrobial features) that is flush with the bottom sheet but can accommodate a small gel pillow. In one embodiment, the center pocket material is about 18 to 20 inches wide to accommodate an average body type. In one embodiment, there is about 11.5 inches on either side of the center pocket material, of a standard 38-inch-wide twin mattress.
In some embodiments, the pockets can be attached to the underlying sheet via one or more complex stretch serger stitches, zigzag stitching, or simple straight stitching (which can advantageously lead to less friction in some cases.
In one non-limiting embodiment, all of the pockets are of same dimensions: 15″×11″, with pockets being separated by stitching, and openings on each side formed with simple stitching as well, on ⅔ of each side, the center ⅓ open for insertion of gel pillow.
In some embodiments, pockets corresponding to the knee and/or lumbar sections can be made more narrow than other pockets in order to offer more support in these areas, as opposed to skin protection.
In a larger sized embodiment with six horizontal pockets, some of the pockets can measure approximately 18″ to 20″ wide by 11″ tall, except the knee and lumbar pockets could be approximately 8 inches in width and/or height, which can be useful for a wedge for knees and smaller lumbar support, which could include gel pads as well.
In some embodiments, a smaller head pocket size can be utilized, measuring about 20.5″×15″ as one non-limiting example. In some embodiments, the center pockets can be the same size, about 20 inches wide by 24 inches to 25 inches long, in some cases.
In some embodiments, an extra layer can be present over the upper layer used to create the pockets, e.g., fabric layer, in order to create separate body pillows for gel independent of vertical side sleeves for support wedges. The side/vertical sleeves can include one single piece of fabric for both pockets over the sheet and maintain the integrity of the individual pockets since these will be beneath the center fabric of pockets/sleeves.
Each pocket 1612 may have one or two side openings 1613 to allow for the insertion and removal of inserts for cushioning and positioning a patient lying on the sheet system 1600. For example, the pocket 1612-1 may have side openings 1613-a and 1613-b. The partial interior seams 1615 do not extend across the entire width of the second layer 1610. The partial interior seams 1615 may, for example, extend between about 3-5 inches from the edge, e.g., 3.5, 4, or 4.7 inches. In some embodiments, the partial interior seams 1615 may extend between about ¼ to ⅓ the width of the second layer 1610. Because the internal seams extend only partly across the width of the second layer, there is no seaming in the middle of the second layer where the patient typically lies. This creates a stitch-free middle zone in the second layer. This removes a potential point of friction or irritation for the patient. Two adjacent pockets may therefore define a continuous interior cavity in the space between where the partial interior seams end in the central portion of the sheet system. The stitch-free zone may span between about 30% to 90% of the width of the second layer. For example, on a 39-inch-wide twin or twin XL bed sheet, the stitch-free middle zone may be between about 20 inches and 33 inches. On a 54-inch-wide full bed sheet, the stitch-free middle zone may be between about 20 inches and 48 inches. On a 27-inch-wide crib mattress, the stitch-free middle zone may be between about 12 inches and 21 inches.
The side openings to the pockets allow easier access to the inserts for a caregiver, who, ideally, repositions the patient from side to side every 2-3 hours. Having side access on both sides of the sheet improves the ability of the caregiver to change, remove or insert cushions or wedges from either side of the bed, and without having to remove the patient from the bed, which may be difficult.
As shown in
In another embodiment, the fabric of the second layer 1610 may be stretchable to allow the second layer to stretch over an inserted cushion or wedge while still holding the insert in place without using pleats in the pockets. The stretchable fabric may be resiliently stretchable, i.e., elastic. Fewer or more pockets may also be included in the sheet system.
In the bed sheet systems described above, fitted sheets are useful in securing the sheet system to the mattress but may be limited in their ability to remain taut across the surface of the mattress. Mattresses vary in thickness, and fitted sheets that are capable of fitting over a thick mattress may not fit tautly when used on a thinner mattress. In a healthcare setting, taut-fitting sheets that do not slide or shift excessively are desirable to limit friction and sheer, which in turn, may limit skin irritation and breakdown.
Accordingly, the first layer of the disclosed bed sheet systems may include a tensioning system to secure the first layer to a mattress and to hold the first layer taut on the mattress.
The sheet 1702 may have its corners 1704a, 1704b, 1704c, and 1704d removed. For example, corner 1704a may be removed by cutting along lines 1708a and 1708b. The angle formed by the lines 1708a and 1708b may be a right angle or may be larger than 90 degrees. The lengths of lines 1708a and 1708b may be the same or may differ from each other.
The sheet 1702 may include one or more additional layers 1710 affixed to the sheet 1702 to form at least one pocket, e.g., pocket 1712. Any arrangement and number of pockets and layers may be included, for example, any of the embodiments illustrated herein.
As shown in
The tensioning system 1700 may include a tensioning strap in the form of a drawstring 1722 that may be threaded through each of the channels. In one embodiment, one of the channels, e.g., channel 1720b, may include an opening to allow the ends of the drawstring to pass into and out of the channel. In another embodiment, the ends of the drawstring may be positioned in one of the corner areas. The drawstring 1722 may be optionally threaded through a cord lock, buckle, or other mechanism to prevent the ends from slipping out of a channel and to allow the drawstring to be tensioned. The drawstring 1722 may be made of an elastic material, e.g., natural or synthetic rubber, LYCRA, or other elastic fibers. The drawstring 1722 may be made of fibers that are not elastic, but constructed to be stretchable, e.g., by weaving or knitting. The drawstring 1722 may have minimal or no stretch or elasticity. The drawstring can be any cord or cable construct that serves to tension and secure a sheet to a bed or other object.
As shown in
The flat sheet 1802 may be a generally rectangular piece of fabric having a length l1 and a width w1. The length l1 and width w1 may be selected to be no larger than the dimensions of an intended mattress surface. The dimensions of the sheet 1802 may be smaller than the intended mattress surface, or may cover the intended mattress surface with little to no overhang of the sheet 1802 when placed on the intended mattress. In an embodiment, closely matching the dimensions of the sheet 1802 to the intended mattress, may make positioning the pocket(s) 1812 and layer(s) 1810 in a therapeutically effective location on the mattress easier. A close match may generally refer to a difference in dimension of less than about 2 inches, e.g., less than 1.5 inches, 1 inch, or 0.5 inches.
In another embodiment, the dimensions of the sheet 1802 may be smaller than the intended mattress surface, and may match or be larger than the dimensions of the additional layer 1810. For example, a dimension of the sheet 1802 may be larger than the same dimension of the additional layer 1810 by about 10 inches, e.g., 1, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 9.5 inches. As shown in
The tensioning straps 1826 and 1828 may be made of an elastic material such that, when wrapped around and under a mattress, the straps are elastically tensioned. The elastic tension is in turn applied to the sheet 1802, holding the sheet taut on the mattress surface in both the lateral and longitudinal dimensions. The sheet material for sheet 1802 may be selected from fabrics that have little to no elasticity such that, when tensioned, the sheet material does not stretch. The tensioning straps can be any cord or cable construct that serves to tension and secure a sheet to a bed or other object.
The tensioning straps may be affixed to the sheet 1802 by sewing, gluing, fusing or other permanent attachment methods. The tensioning straps may alternatively be affixed to the sheet with a removable attachment method, such as with buttons, snaps, hook-and-eye closures, or any other method that can remain attached under the elastic tension.
Alternatively, instead of a snap closure, a buckle could be used, as shown, for example, on straps 1858a and 1858c. One end of strap 1858a may be affixed to one lateral side of the sheet 1802 and the other end of strap 1858a may be loose. One end of strap 1858c may be affixed to the opposite lateral side of the sheet with respect to strap 1858a. The strap 1858c may have a buckle affixed to it, such that when the loose end of strap 1858a is threaded through the buckle on strap 1858c, a continuous strap is formed that can be wrapped around and under the intended mattress.
The tensioning straps 1856, 1858 may be elastic, or may be relatively inelastic, such as in seatbelt webbing or carrying straps on bags and backpacks.
Other closure means include hook-and-loop fasteners and any other attachment mechanisms, known or later discovered, may be used to attach the two pieces of straps in system 1850.
More tensioning straps may be used. For example, 2, 3, or 4 straps can be used to tension the longitudinal dimension of the sheet, and 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 straps can be used to tension the lateral dimension of the sheet.
The top sheet 1902 may be constructed as a fitted sheet, for example, with sides 1903 overhanging the top surface of a mattress 1930, where the sides are attached at the corners, e.g., corner 1908. Unlike a conventional fitted sheet however, the sides 1903 may not extend from the top surface to the entire depth of the mattress, for example, the sides 1903 may overhang the mattress by less than 100% of the mattress depth, e.g., 90%, 80%, 60%, 45%, 30%, or 15%.
A plurality of handles 1940 may be affixed to the edges of the top sheet 1802 around all four sides of the top sheet 1902. Each handle, e.g., handles 1940-1, 1940-2 to 1940-n, may be made of any of a variety of materials, including but not limited to, woven straps, nylon webbing, woven or braided roping, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the handles 1940 may include a rigid portion, e.g., a plastic or metal handle, provided that the rigid material can be securely attached to the top sheet 1902.
A bottom sheet 1914 may be placed under the mattress 1930. The bottom sheet 1914 may be a flat sheet or a flat sheet with sides attached at corners as on sheet 1902. The bottom sheet 1914 may have a plurality of tensioning straps in the form of tying elements 1942 attached along its sides, e.g., tying elements 1942-1, 1942-2, . . . 1942-n. The number of tying elements 1942 may match the number of handles 1940. More or fewer tying elements 1942 than handles 1940 may be used. The positioning of the tying elements 1942 may correspond to the positioning of the handles 1940 such that a plurality of tying elements can each be attached to a respective handle.
To secure and tension the system 1900, a tying element 1942 may be tied to, looped around, or otherwise removably attached to a handle 1940 as shown, for example, in
When the handles 1940 are not attached to the tying elements 1942, the handles 1940 can be used by a caregiver to lift one side of the top sheet 1902. This can assist the caregiver in gently rolling a patient on the top sheet 1902 to one side without having to touch the patient directly. The lifted sheet also provides a distributed lifting force on the patient's entire body rather than only at the two points provided by a caregiver's hands.
The system 2000 may include one or more sleeves 2050, e.g., sleeves 2050-1, 2050-2 that extend along the length of the top sheet 2002. The sleeves may be formed by attaching the same piece of material used to form the layer 2010, or with separate pieces of material attached to the top sheet 2002. Each sleeve may be closed along three of its four sides. Each sleeve may be openable at one end to receive a batten 2052. Sleeve 2050-1 may receive batten 2052-1 and sleeve 2050-2 may receive batten 2052-1.
A batten may be an elongate stiff piece of material such as wood, metal, or plastic that, when inserted into a sleeve and secured at the sleeve's open end, tensions the top sheet 2002 to reduce the sheet's tendency to bunch or wrinkle. The battens shown are disposed alongside opposing margin areas 2062-1 and 2062-2 of a sheet. For example, margin area 2062-1 corresponds to the area of the sheet 2002 between the sleeve 2050-1 and a perimeter 2003 of the top sheet 2002. Preferably, the margins are areas outside a zone 2064 intended for a patient to lie on. The zone 2064 may be defined as the area between the sleeves 2050-1 and 2050-2. Suitable battens will have a length of at least 50% the length of the portion of the top sheet 2002 that is coextensive with the top surface of a mattress, and may have a length between 50% and 100% of that length of the top sheet, e.g., 60%, 75%, 85%, 90% or 95%. The surface 2064 between the margins 2062-1 and 2062-2 may have a width that is between 50% and 90% of the width of the portion of the top sheet 2002 within the perimeter 2003.
A batten 2052 may be secured in a sleeve 2050 with an openable closure, for example, a snap, a button, or a hook-and-loop closure. The opening in the sleeve may be fitted with a strip of elastic or a drawstring that pulls the opening closed but stretches or releases to allow the batten to be inserted and removed. The sleeve may include an interior pocket that the end of the batten can fit into to prevent the batten from sliding out and to maintain the tension along the sheet.
The sleeves 2050 may be disposed away from the longitudinal center line of the top sheet so that a patient on the sheet will not contact the sleeves or overlie them. In some embodiments, e.g., where the openings of the pockets are not positioned near the edges of the top sheet, the sleeves 2050 may be disposed between the pocket openings and the longitudinal edges of the top sheet. In other embodiments where the pocket openings are disposed at or near the edges of the top sheet, the sleeves may be formed below the pockets and away from the center line.
While two longitudinal sleeves and battens are illustrated, more or fewer sleeves and battens may be used. Horizontally oriented sleeves may also be used to tension the sheet along its width.
Various other modifications, adaptations, and alternative designs are of course possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, it should be understood at this time that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. It is contemplated that various combinations or subcombinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments disclosed above may be made and still fall within one or more of the inventions. Further, the disclosure herein of any particular feature, aspect, method, property, characteristic, quality, attribute, element, or the like in connection with an embodiment can be used in all other embodiments set forth herein. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed inventions. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present inventions herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above. Moreover, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications, and alternative forms, specific examples thereof have been shown in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the particular forms or methods disclosed, but to the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments described and the appended claims. Any methods disclosed herein need not be performed in the order recited. The methods disclosed herein include certain actions taken by a practitioner; however, they can also include any third-party instruction of those actions, either expressly or by implication. For example, actions such as “accessing a vertebral body” includes “instructing the accessing of a vertebral body.” The ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all overlap, sub-ranges, and combinations thereof. Language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” “between,” and the like includes the number recited. Numbers preceded by a term such as “approximately”, “about”, and “substantially” as used herein include the recited numbers (e.g., about 10%=10%), and also represent an amount close to the stated amount that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”, and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of the stated amount.
The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/924,097, filed on Oct. 21, 2019, and is a continuation in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/076,627, filed Oct. 21, 2020, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety and made a part of the present specification.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62924097 | Oct 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17076627 | Oct 2020 | US |
| Child | 17944926 | US |
