The present disclosure is related to surfaces, sometimes called mattresses, for supporting patients. More specifically, the present disclosure is related to a surface including a topper.
Surfaces are typically mounted on frames to provide patient support apparatuses. In one example, a surface may be embodied as a therapeutic mattress and a frame may be embodied as a bed frame of a hospital bed. Some such surfaces may include cushions and toppers that extend over the cushions along the interface of a patient with the surface. Other examples of patient support apparatuses include long-term care beds, surgical tables, X-ray tables, stretchers, wheelchairs, and the like.
Toppers used in surfaces may conduct air along the interface of a patient with the surface to keep the patient's skin cool and dry. Skin that is cool and dry has a reduced incidence of bed sores (also known as pressure sores or decubitus ulcers). Some toppers that conduct air require a large volume of air to be supplied to them in order to provide an effective amount of cooling and drying to a patient's skin.
The present application discloses one or more of the features recited in the appended claims and/or the following features which, alone or in any combination, may comprise patentable subject matter:
According the present disclosure, a topper may include a top layer of fabric, a bottom layer of fabric spaced apart from the top layer, and a middle layer of material arranged between the top layer and the bottom layer. The middle layer may include a first piece of material and a second piece of material generally adjacent to the first piece of material when viewed from above. The second piece of material may be separated from the first piece of material to block pneumatic communication between the first piece of material and the second piece of material. The first piece of material may comprise three-dimensional material configured to conduct air between the top layer of fabric and the bottom layer of fabric.
In some embodiments, the second piece of material may be three-dimensional material. The middle layer may also include a divider comprising a fabric extending between the top layer and the bottom layer and arranged between the first piece of material and the second piece of material.
In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus may also include a first distribution sleeve made of fabric coupled to the bottom layer and in pneumatic communication with the first piece of material. The patient support apparatus may also include a second distribution sleeve made of fabric coupled to the bottom layer and in pneumatic communication with the first piece of material. The first distribution sleeve may be coupled to a central portion of the bottom layer located between the head end and the foot end of the topper.
In some embodiments, the first piece of material may be spaced apart from the foot end of the topper. The second piece of material may be located between the first piece of material and the foot end of the topper. The first piece of material may be spaced apart from the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the topper.
In some embodiments, the second piece of material may be located between the first piece of material and the first lateral side of the topper. The second piece of material may be located between the first piece of material and the second lateral side of the topper. The second piece of material may be located between the first piece of material and the foot end of the topper.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a patient support apparatus may include a cushion adapted to support a patient and a topper. The topper may be arranged to extend over a top side of the cushion and may be configured to conduct air along an actively-cooled region of the top side of the cushion. The actively-cooled region may be spaced apart from a foot end of the cushion.
In some embodiments, the actively-cooled region may be spaced apart from a first lateral side and a second lateral side of the cushion. The topper may include a top layer of fabric, a bottom layer of fabric, and a first piece of three-dimensional material that may be arranged between the top layer of fabric and the bottom layer of fabric.
In some embodiments, the first sheet of three-dimensional material may cooperate with the top layer of fabric and the bottom layer of fabric to define the actively-cooled region. The topper may include an air distribution sleeve coupled to the bottom layer of fabric and in pneumatic communication with the first piece of three-dimensional material.
In some embodiments, the cushion may include a first inflatable bladder and a second inflatable bladder. The air distribution sleeve may extend between the first inflatable bladder and the second inflatable bladder.
In some embodiments, the topper may include a second piece of three-dimensional material arranged between the top layer of fabric and the bottom layer of fabric. The second sheet of three-dimensional material may cooperate with the top fabric layer to define a passively-cooled region that is pneumatically separated from the actively-cooled region.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a patient support apparatus may include a cushion adapted to support a patient and a topper. The topper may be arranged to extend over a top side of the cushion. The topper may be configured to conduct air from a first origination point spaced a first distance from a foot end of the cushion toward the head end of the cushion, and may be configured to conduct air from a second origination point spaced a second distance from the foot end of the cushion toward the head end of the cushion.
In some embodiments, the topper may include a top layer of fabric, a bottom layer of fabric, a first piece of three-dimensional material arranged between the top layer of fabric and the bottom layer of fabric, and a second piece of three-dimensional material pneumatically separated from the first sheet of three-dimensional material. The first piece of three-dimensional material and the second piece of three-dimensional material may be arranged between the top layer and the bottom layer of fabric. In some embodiments, the first piece of three-dimensional material may overlie the first origination point and the second origination point when viewed from above
Additional features, which alone or in combination with any other feature(s), including those listed above and those listed in the claims, may comprise patentable subject matter and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.
The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:
A patient support apparatus 10 illustratively includes a frame 12, a patient support surface 14 (sometimes called surface 14) supported on the frame 12, and an air box 16 as shown in
The air box 16 includes a user interface 40 shown in detail in
The microclimate control panel 50 allows a user to adjust the flow of air provided by the air box 16 to the topper 20 and to adjust the temperature of air provided by the air box 16 to the topper 20 as suggested in
The illustrative topper 20 is configured to receive air from the air box 16 and to conduct air pushed through the topper 20 by the air box 16 along an actively-cooled region 26 of the topper 20 as shown in
By reducing the area through which the air box 16 is required to push air, the illustrative topper 20 allows for reduction of the pressure and flow needed from an air source (blower, compressor, etc) included in the air box 16. Further, by directing the location of air introduction from the air box 16 under specific high-risk portions of a patient heat and moisture withdrawal from such areas may be comparable to other systems known in the art using a relatively small amount of air.
A portion of the passively-cooled region 28 is arranged to underlie a patient's legs and sometimes arms near a foot end 34 and lateral sides 36, 38 of the surface 14 as shown in
Turning to
As shown in
The surface 14 includes (from bottom to top) a lower ticking 56, a foam shell 58, turn bladders 59, a valve box 60, an air manifold 62, inflatable support bladders 65, the topper 20, and an upper ticking 69 as shown in
The turn bladders 59 are coupled to the air box 16 through the valve box 60 and may be inflated to rotate a patient about a longitudinal axis 14A of the surface 14 as suggested in
The inflatable support bladders 65 illustratively include head section bladders 64, seat section bladders 66, and foot section bladders 68 as shown in
The topper 20 illustratively includes a top layer 71 configured to underlie a patient on the patient support apparatus 10, a bottom layer 73 spaced apart from the top layer 71, a middle layer 72 arranged between the top layer 71 and the bottom layer 73, and a pair of distribution sleeves 74, 75 as shown in
The distribution sleeves 74, 75 are coupled to the bottom layer 73 and extend downwardly from the bottom layer 73 to connect the topper 20 to the manifold 62 as shown in
The distribution sleeves 74, 75 each include a flexible diffuser 76 and a fitting 78 as shown in
The middle layer 72 of the exemplary embodiment is configured to conduct air from the origination points 31, 32 along the top surface 24 of the surface 14 and to separate the actively-cooled region 26 from the passively-cooled region 28 of the topper 20 as shown in
The first piece of three-dimensional material 81 is illustratively arranged to lie under a patient's pelvic area and torso area as shown in
The second piece of three-dimensional material 82 is illustratively arranged to lie under a patient's legs and feet as shown in
The divider 84 includes three strips 86, 87, 88 as shown in
In the illustrative embodiment, the strips 86, 87, 88 are each sewn to the top layer 71 and the bottom layer 73 to create a barrier between the first piece of three-dimensional material 81 and the second layer of three-dimensional material 82 as shown in
It should be understood that in other embodiments, the actively-cooled region 26 may be arranged in other positions around the topper 20, may have different total area or shape, and/or may be split into more than one area around the topper 20. For example, in some embodiments, the actively-cooled region 26 may be spaced apart from the head end 35 of the topper 20 and may be surrounded by the passively-cooled region 28 while still being arranged to underlie a patient's pelvic area and torso area. In some embodiments, the actively-cooled region 26 may be expanded toward the foot end 34 of the topper 20 to underlie a patient's feet in addition to her pelvic area and her torso area. In some embodiments, the actively-cooled region 26 may include a first area arranged to underlie a patient's pelvic area, a second area arranged to underlie a patient's torso area, and/or a third area arranged to underlie a patient's feet.
Referring back to
In some embodiments, the heater 98 may be replaced or augmented with optional heaters 97, 99 situated in the manifold 62 and associated with the first and second origination points 31, 32, respectively, as shown in
The illustrative controller 90 includes a memory 91 and a processor 93 as shown in
Although certain illustrative embodiments have been described in detail above, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of this disclosure as described and as defined in the following claims.
This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/770,704, which was filed Feb. 28, 2013, and which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
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