GB1576641A - Pressure point pads - Google Patents
Pressure point pads Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB1576641A GB1576641A GB2005878A GB2005878A GB1576641A GB 1576641 A GB1576641 A GB 1576641A GB 2005878 A GB2005878 A GB 2005878A GB 2005878 A GB2005878 A GB 2005878A GB 1576641 A GB1576641 A GB 1576641A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- cells
- cell
- group
- supporting
- air
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
- A61G7/00—Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons
- A61G7/05—Parts, details or accessories of beds
- A61G7/057—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor
- A61G7/05769—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor with inflatable chambers
- A61G7/05776—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor with inflatable chambers with at least two groups of alternately inflated chambers
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
- A61G7/00—Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons
- A61G7/05—Parts, details or accessories of beds
- A61G7/057—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor
- A61G7/05715—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor with modular blocks, or inserts, with layers of different material
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Nursing (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Invalid Beds And Related Equipment (AREA)
Description
(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSURE POINT PADS
(71) 1, RONALD JAMES PETER EVANS, of British Nationality, of 11 Florida Close,
Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, England, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a Patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be described in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to the devices known in the surgical and medical art under the broad term "alternating pressure pads", by which are meant cushions, mattresses and the like having a plurality of air chambers which can be inflated and deflated at intervals for the purpose of relieving pressure on the skin from time to time to avoid bed sores and other results of long-term restricted circulation.One convenient known arrangement has a plurality of elongated cells arranged in two sets, the cells of one set being interspersed alternately between the cells of the other set. During the operating cycle a condition occurs during which the patient's body is supported wholly by one set of cells, whereas the other set of cells is no longer acting as a support, e.g. is wholly deflated or becoming deflated or becoming inflated.
During this period, the weight of the body has to be carried by an area of the support which corresponds to only half of the total supportable area of the body, witth the result that the air pressure used in the (temporarily supporting) cells has to be artificially high compared with that which would provide the pressure per unit area which would be sufficient in a support covering the entire supportable area of the body. Pressures currently used in such support devices are a minimum of 25mm Hg rising to a maximum of (inflated) 60mm Hg for a mattress having cell tubes of 4 inches diameter, to as high as 100-120mm Hg for smaller cells of 1+ inches diameter.Capillary blood pressure is normally in the range 15-40mm Hg so that, in the use of such devices as described above, there will be periods when the blood circulation in the body is blocked off locally by the high local pressure per unit area exerted, as reaction to the body's weight, on certain areas of the body by the supporting device.
In my United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 1 499 938 there is described an improved construction of air cell device in which, whilst advantage is nevertheless taken of the relief of pressure which results from repeated temporary deflations, the pressure which is exerted per unit area on the remaining portion of the supportable zone of the body can be made very much lower, and particularly to the extent where it is always less than the capillary blood supply pressure of the body, so that blocking of the blood supply is substantially avoided.In my
Specification No. 1 499 938 there is claimed a device for supporting the human body which comprises:
(i) an assembly of flexible-walled cells disposed side by side so as to be contactable by an area of the body for supporting the body, and
(ii) supply and exhaust means for ensuring in a first group of said cells a fluid pressure greater than atmospheric and in one or more second cells a lesser fluid pressure, the cells constituting the first group and the second cell or cells being changed periodically, and the ratio of the number of cells of the first group to the number of the second cell or cells being always greater than unity.
It will be seen that, for a given body weight, because the number of supporting cells at any given moment is greater, the pressure per unit area may be correspondingly less. With a sufficiently high ratio of temporarily supporting cells to temporarily non-supporting cells, the pressure per unit area exerted by the supporting cells may be less than the capillary blood pressure.
Thus, taking account of body weight, and the area of the body capable of being supported by cells, the ratio of (temporarily) supporting first group cells to (temporarily) non-supporting second group cells may be selected such that the pressure per unit area exerted on the body by the supporting cells is not greater than, and is preferably less than, the pressure per unit area in the patient's body due to capillary blood flow.
By way of example, the supporting device may have a plurality of elongated cells arranged parallel in a row, only a single one of such cells, or an adjacent group, or a dispersed group, being made nonsupporting at any given moment. For instance, the cells may all be connected to a source of pressure air by a cyclical valve which allows each cell to become deflated in turn whilst keeping the other inflated, the deflated cell "moving" sequentially or non-sequentially in the row, e.g. from head to foot or from side to side of a support bed or the like. Again, the selection of cells for deflation may be entirely at random, i.e. in an irregular pattern.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a device, for supporting the human body, comprises:
(i) an assembly of flexible-walled cells disposed side by side so as to be contactable by an area of the body for supporting the body, the wall of said cells being at least partially perforated, porous or airpermeable.
(ii) supply and exhaust means for ensuring in a first group of said cells a fluid pressure greater than atmospheric and in one or more second cells a lesser fluid pressure, the cells constituting the first group and the second cell or cells being changed periodically, and the ratio of the number of cells of the first group to the number of the second cell or cells being always greater than unity.
The cell wall may be perforated, porous or air-permeable only over an upper zone adjacent to the skin of the supported patient, or over the whole of its area.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a device, for supporting the human body, comprises:
(i) an assembly of flexible-walled cells disposed side by side so as to be contactable by an area of the body for supporting the body, the cells having over at least part of their wall area a jacket containing liquid, paste or gell for transfer of heat,
(ii) supply and exhaust means for ensuring in a first group of said cells a fluid pressure greater than atmospheric and in one or more second cells a lesser fluid pressure, the cells constituting the first group and the second cell or cells being changed periodically, and the ratio of the number of cells of the first group to the number of the second cell or cells being always greater than unity.
The cell wall may form a wall of the jacket, or the jacket may be disposed internally or externally on the cell wall.
The device may have elongated cells arranged parallel in a row, and said second cell or cells being selected periodically sequentially along the row, or being selected periodically non-sequentially in the row.
The second cells may be an adjacent group or a dispersed group.
The supply and exhaust means preferably permits one or more selected cells to have permanently a lesser fluid pressure.
The ratio of the number of cells of the first group to the number of the second cell or cells is advantageously not less than four. The ratio of the number of cells of the first group to the number of the second cell or cells may be selected such that, when the assembly is supporting the human body, the pressure exerted on the body per unit area by the first group of cells is not greater than the pressure per unit area in the body due to capillary blood flow.
Some embodiments improved in accordance with the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a mattresstype support as disclosed in my Specification No. 1 499 938;
Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a seat-type support as disclosed in my Specification
No. 1 499 938;
Fig. 3 is a schematic vertical cross-section of the cells of a first improvement of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-section of a modified cell of the first improvement of the present invention;
Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-section of the cells of a second improvement of the present invention;
Fig. 6 is a plan view corresponding to any one of Figs. 3 to 5.
In Fig. 1, the mattress is composed of a plurality of elongated parallel flexiblewalled air cells 1 connected to an air pump
P by individual feed tubes 2 from a cyclical selective feed valve 3 driven by a motor 4 through a speed-reduction unit 5. The valve is arranged to keep, at any moment, all but one of the cells inflated to a pressure which -is just sufficient to support the body, whilst the remaining cell is deflated. The deflated cell is selected serially along the row of cells and the cycle is repeated say every 10-15 minutes.
In Fig. 2, the seat pad is composed of cells 6 which are of different relative diameters, thereby to give a contoured effect and varied pressure under the legs 7 of the patient. The cells 6 would be fed in the same selective manner as for the construction of Fig. 1. Alternatively, the cells 6 could be all of the same diameter.
In accordance with a first aspect of the improvements of the present invention, and referring to Fig. 3, the material of which the cells 1 of Fig. 1, or the cells 6 of Fig. 2, are made is perforated, or porous or at least air permeable over the whole of its area, as at 8. This allows the air, present in the cells at above atmospheric pressure, to disperse through the material over the whole of its supporting surface, thus permitting for example the drying of-any liquid thereon, such as urine secretion or body fluids.
The passage of air through the wall of the cells would also assist in preventing a build-up of perspiration for the person using the mattress or -seat.
In a modification of the same principle, and referring now to Fig. 4, the cells 1 or 6 are made perforated, porous or at least air permeable only over an upper zone 9 of each cell. This, for example, could avoid too large a loss of air pressure through the cell walls, whilst nevertheless obtaining the advantage of air flow where it can be most effective, i.e. adjacent to the skin of the patient.
Where a high loss of air is experienced, due to the provision of this further feature, it may be necessary to provide a larger blower motor or compressor for the system.
According to a second aspect of the present improvements, and referring now to Fig. 5, at least the patient-contacting zone of the cells 1 or 6 has a jacket 10 filled with a liquid, paste or gell capable of transferring heat relatively rapidly away from the surface contacting the patient and thus acting as a cooling agent to, for example, prevent the onset of excessive perspiration. This jacket could be provided by constructing the cell 1 or 6 with a second wall either internally or externally of its existing wall, or by adding a double-walled jacket at the exterior or at the interior of the existing cell 1 or 6.
Where the provision for air-flow, or the jacket, is provided only over a portion of the cell wall, the entire set of cells can be inverted, if need be, to provide a plain non-porous or non-jacketed zone uppermost adjacent the patient.
WHAT I CLAIM IS:
1. A device, for supporting the human body, comprising:
(i) an assembly of flexible-walled cells disposed side by side so as to be contactable by an area of the body for supporting the body, the wall of said cells being at least partially perforated, porous or airpermeable,
(ii) supply and exhaust means for ensuring in a first group of said cells a fluid pressure greater than atmospheric and in one or more second cells a lesser fluid pressure, the cells constituting the first group and the second cell or cells being changed periodically, and the ratio of the number of cells of the first group to the number of the second cell or cells being always greater than unity.
2. A device, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell wall is perforated, porous or air-permeable only over an upper zone adjacent to the skin of the supported patient.
3. A -device, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell wall is perforated, porous or air-permeable over the whole of its area.
4. A device, for supporting the human body, comprising:
(i) an assembly of flexible-walled- cells disposed side by side so as to be contact able by an area of the body for supporting the body, the cells having over at least part of their wall area a jacket containing liquid, paste or gell for transfer of heat,
(ii) supply and exhaust means for ensuring in a first group of said cells a fluid pressure greater than atmospheric and in one or more second cells a lesser fluid pressure, the cells constituting the first group and the second cell or cells being changed periodically, and the ratio of the number of cells of the first group to the number of the second cell or cells being always greater than unity.
5. A device, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cell wall forms a wall of the jacket.
6. A device, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the jacket is disposed externally on the cell wall.
7. A device, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the jacket is disposed internally on the cell wall.
8. A device, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly has elongated cells arranged parallel in a row, and wherein said second cell or cells is/are selected periodically sequentially along the row.
9. A device, as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the assembly has elongated cells arranged parallel in a row, and wherein said second cell or cells is/are selected periodically non-sequentially in the row.
10. A device, as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 wherein said second cells are an adjacent group.
11. A device, as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 wherein said second cells are a dispersed group.
12. A device, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supply and exhaust means permits one or more
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.
Claims (17)
1. A device, for supporting the human body, comprising:
(i) an assembly of flexible-walled cells disposed side by side so as to be contactable by an area of the body for supporting the body, the wall of said cells being at least partially perforated, porous or airpermeable,
(ii) supply and exhaust means for ensuring in a first group of said cells a fluid pressure greater than atmospheric and in one or more second cells a lesser fluid pressure, the cells constituting the first group and the second cell or cells being changed periodically, and the ratio of the number of cells of the first group to the number of the second cell or cells being always greater than unity.
2. A device, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell wall is perforated, porous or air-permeable only over an upper zone adjacent to the skin of the supported patient.
3. A -device, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell wall is perforated, porous or air-permeable over the whole of its area.
4. A device, for supporting the human body, comprising:
(i) an assembly of flexible-walled- cells disposed side by side so as to be contact able by an area of the body for supporting the body, the cells having over at least part of their wall area a jacket containing liquid, paste or gell for transfer of heat,
(ii) supply and exhaust means for ensuring in a first group of said cells a fluid pressure greater than atmospheric and in one or more second cells a lesser fluid pressure, the cells constituting the first group and the second cell or cells being changed periodically, and the ratio of the number of cells of the first group to the number of the second cell or cells being always greater than unity.
5. A device, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cell wall forms a wall of the jacket.
6. A device, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the jacket is disposed externally on the cell wall.
7. A device, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the jacket is disposed internally on the cell wall.
8. A device, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly has elongated cells arranged parallel in a row, and wherein said second cell or cells is/are selected periodically sequentially along the row.
9. A device, as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the assembly has elongated cells arranged parallel in a row, and wherein said second cell or cells is/are selected periodically non-sequentially in the row.
10. A device, as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 wherein said second cells are an adjacent group.
11. A device, as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 wherein said second cells are a dispersed group.
12. A device, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supply and exhaust means permits one or more
selected cells to have permanently a lesser fluid pressure.
13. A device, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the ratio of the number of cells of the first group to the number of the second cell or cells is not less than four.
14. A device, as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the ratio of the number of cells of the first group to the number of the second cell or cells is selected such that, when the assembly is supporting the human body, the pressure exerted on the body per unit area by the first group of cells is not greater than the pressure per unit area in the body due to capillary blood flow.
15. A mattress or seat pad, for supporting the human body, substantially as described herein with reference to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawing.
16. A mattress or seat pad, for supporting the human body, substantially as described herein with reference to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawing.
17. A mattress or seat pad, for supporting the human body, substantially as described herein with reference to Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2005878A GB1576641A (en) | 1978-05-17 | 1978-05-17 | Pressure point pads |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2005878A GB1576641A (en) | 1978-05-17 | 1978-05-17 | Pressure point pads |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB1576641A true GB1576641A (en) | 1980-10-15 |
Family
ID=10139680
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2005878A Expired GB1576641A (en) | 1978-05-17 | 1978-05-17 | Pressure point pads |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB1576641A (en) |
Cited By (14)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4616676A (en) * | 1984-07-27 | 1986-10-14 | Cooper Tire & Rubber Company | Two-way selector valve for a vehicle seat inflation device |
| US5044029A (en) * | 1986-09-09 | 1991-09-03 | Kinetic Concepts, Inc. | Alternating pressure low air loss bed |
| EP0528666A1 (en) * | 1991-08-16 | 1993-02-24 | S. Teasdale (Hospital Equipment) Limited | Mattress |
| US5251349A (en) * | 1989-03-09 | 1993-10-12 | Ssi Medical Services, Inc. | Multi-modal patient support system |
| GB2265826B (en) * | 1992-04-02 | 1996-10-16 | John Tracey Scales | Low air loss beds |
| US5603133A (en) * | 1986-09-09 | 1997-02-18 | Kinetic Concepts, Inc. | Apparatus for alternating pressure of a low air loss patient support system |
| US5606754A (en) | 1989-03-09 | 1997-03-04 | Ssi Medical Services, Inc. | Vibratory patient support system |
| GB2320186A (en) * | 1996-12-13 | 1998-06-17 | Ssi Medical Services Ltd | Inflatable seat overlay |
| US5802645A (en) * | 1984-12-17 | 1998-09-08 | Kinetic Concepts, Inc. | Low air loss bag for patient support |
| US5983429A (en) | 1994-02-15 | 1999-11-16 | Stacy; Richard B. | Method and apparatus for supporting and for supplying therapy to a patient |
| EP2043583A2 (en) * | 2006-07-26 | 2009-04-08 | KCI Licensing Inc. | Patient support with welded materials |
| US8429774B2 (en) | 2009-08-31 | 2013-04-30 | Hill-Rom Industries Sa | Lateral tilt device |
| US8789224B2 (en) | 2000-11-07 | 2014-07-29 | Tempur-Pedic Managemant, LLC | Therapeutic mattress assembly |
| US12042453B2 (en) | 2019-02-26 | 2024-07-23 | Hill-Rom Services, Inc. | Patient positioning apparatus and mattress |
-
1978
- 1978-05-17 GB GB2005878A patent/GB1576641A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (20)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4616676A (en) * | 1984-07-27 | 1986-10-14 | Cooper Tire & Rubber Company | Two-way selector valve for a vehicle seat inflation device |
| US5802645A (en) * | 1984-12-17 | 1998-09-08 | Kinetic Concepts, Inc. | Low air loss bag for patient support |
| US6282737B1 (en) * | 1985-10-04 | 2001-09-04 | John H. Vrzalik | Apparatus for alternating pressure of a low air loss patient support |
| US5603133A (en) * | 1986-09-09 | 1997-02-18 | Kinetic Concepts, Inc. | Apparatus for alternating pressure of a low air loss patient support system |
| US5044029A (en) * | 1986-09-09 | 1991-09-03 | Kinetic Concepts, Inc. | Alternating pressure low air loss bed |
| US6098222A (en) | 1989-03-09 | 2000-08-08 | Hill-Rom Company, Inc. | Vibratory patient support system |
| US6820640B2 (en) | 1989-03-09 | 2004-11-23 | Hill-Rom Services, Inc. | Vibratory patient support system |
| US5606754A (en) | 1989-03-09 | 1997-03-04 | Ssi Medical Services, Inc. | Vibratory patient support system |
| US5251349A (en) * | 1989-03-09 | 1993-10-12 | Ssi Medical Services, Inc. | Multi-modal patient support system |
| EP0528666A1 (en) * | 1991-08-16 | 1993-02-24 | S. Teasdale (Hospital Equipment) Limited | Mattress |
| GB2265826B (en) * | 1992-04-02 | 1996-10-16 | John Tracey Scales | Low air loss beds |
| US5983429A (en) | 1994-02-15 | 1999-11-16 | Stacy; Richard B. | Method and apparatus for supporting and for supplying therapy to a patient |
| GB2320186A (en) * | 1996-12-13 | 1998-06-17 | Ssi Medical Services Ltd | Inflatable seat overlay |
| US8789224B2 (en) | 2000-11-07 | 2014-07-29 | Tempur-Pedic Managemant, LLC | Therapeutic mattress assembly |
| EP2043583A2 (en) * | 2006-07-26 | 2009-04-08 | KCI Licensing Inc. | Patient support with welded materials |
| EP2043583A4 (en) * | 2006-07-26 | 2012-05-02 | Kci Licensing Inc | Patient support with welded materials |
| AU2007276774B2 (en) * | 2006-07-26 | 2013-10-03 | Arjo Ip Holding Ab | Patient support with welded materials |
| US8429774B2 (en) | 2009-08-31 | 2013-04-30 | Hill-Rom Industries Sa | Lateral tilt device |
| US8601622B1 (en) | 2009-08-31 | 2013-12-10 | Hill-Rom Industries S.A. | Patient support apparatus including a lateral tilt device |
| US12042453B2 (en) | 2019-02-26 | 2024-07-23 | Hill-Rom Services, Inc. | Patient positioning apparatus and mattress |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS | Patent sealed | ||
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |