Low air loss mattress with rigid internal bladder and lower air pallet

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A mattress for supporting a patient comprising:

an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient supported thereby;

an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder including means on lateral edges thereof for connection to a patient weigh scale, said intermediate bladder becoming relatively rigid upon inflation thereof and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking upon being suspended by said connection means from a patient weigh scale when supporting a patient; and

a lower high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider.

2. The mattress of claim 1 wherein said upper low air loss bladder comprises a plurality of transverse air sacks having a plurality of bleed holes along upper surfaces thereof and a longitudinal air distribution channel along each lateral side thereof for supplying air to said air sacks.

3. The mattress of claim 1 wherein said lower high air loss bladder comprises a peripheral tube and a plurality of longitudinal air sacks interior of the periphery of said peripheral tube and having a plurality of bleed holes along lower surfaces thereof, the lower surfaces of said longitudinal air sacks being disposed above the lower surface of said peripheral tube whereby said peripheral tube creates a skirt effect by sealing against the supporting surface trapping air which escapes from said longitudinal air sacks therein to provide a more efficient lift effect.

4. The mattress of claim 3 wherein said lower high air loss bladder includes holes in said peripheral tube which communicate with lateralmost ones of said longitudinal air sacks and holes in said longitudinal air sacks which communicate with adjacent ones of said longitudinal air sacks, whereby said lower high air loss bladder inflates from peripheral edges thereof inwardly to cradle a patient thereby and prevent side-to-side rocking motion and resulting instability of said mattress.

5. An air pallet for supporting a load and for reducing the friction forces between said pallet and facilitating surface-to-surface transfers of the load comprising:

a peripheral tube; and

a plurality of longitudinal air sacks interior of the periphery of said peripheral tube and having a plurality of bleed holes along lower surfaces thereof;

the lower surfaces of said longitudinal air sacks being disposed above the lower surface of said peripheral tube,

whereby said peripheral tube creates a skirt effect by sealing against the supporting surface trapping air which escapes from said longitudinal air sacks therein to provide a more efficient lift effect.

6. The air pallet of claim 5 wherein said peripheral tube includes holes which communicate with lateralmost ones of said longitudinal air sacks, and wherein said longitudinal air sacks include holes which communicate with adjacent ones of said longitudinal air sacks whereby said air pallet inflates from peripheral edges thereof inwardly to cradle a load thereby and prevent side-to-side rocking motion and resulting instability of said pallet.

7. A mattress for supporting a patient comprising:

a patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient supported thereby; and

a high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider;

wherein said high air loss bladder comprises a peripheral tube and a plurality of longitudinal air sacks interior of the periphery of said peripheral tube and having a plurality of bleed holes along lower surfaces thereof, the lower surfaces of said longitudinal air sacks being disposed above the lower surface of said peripheral tube whereby said peripheral tube creates a skirt effect by sealing against the supporting surface trapping air which escapes from said longitudinal air sacks therein to provide a more efficient lift effect.

8. The mattress of claim 7 wherein said high air loss bladder includes holes in said peripheral tube which communicate with lateralmost ones of said longitudinal air sacks and holes in said longitudinal air sacks which communicate with adjacent ones of said longitudinal air sacks, whereby said lower high air loss bladder inflates from peripheral edges thereof inwardly to cradle a patient thereby and prevent side-to-side rocking motion and resulting instability of said mattress.

9. A mattress for supporting a patient comprising:

a rigidly inflatable static bladder including means on lateral edges thereof for connection to a patient weigh scale, said bladder becoming relatively rigid upon inflation thereof and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking upon being suspended by said connection means from a patient weigh scale when supporting a patient; and

a high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider;

said high air loss bladder comprising a peripheral tube and a plurality of longitudinal air sacks interior of the periphery of said peripheral tube and having a plurality of bleed holes along lower surfaces thereof, the lower surfaces of said longitudinal air sacks being disposed above the lower surface of said peripheral tube whereby said peripheral tube creates a skirt effect by sealing against the supporting surface trapping air which escapes from said longitudinal air sacks therein to provide a more efficient lift effect.

10. The mattress of claim 9 wherein said high air loss bladder includes holes in said peripheral tube which communicate with lateralmost ones of said longitudinal air sacks and holes in said longitudinal air sacks which communicate with adjacent ones of said longitudinal air sacks, whereby said lower high air loss bladder inflates from peripheral edges thereof inwardly to cradle a patient thereby and prevent side-to-side rocking motion and resulting instability of said mattress.

11. A mattress for supporting a patient comprising;

an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient supported thereby;

an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder including means on lateral edges thereof for connection to a patient weigh scale, said intermediate bladder becoming relatively rigid upon inflation thereof and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking upon being suspended by said connection means from a patient weigh scale when supporting a patient;

said upper and intermediate bladder having selectively and independently inflatable and deflatable head and foot sections; and

a selectively inflatable and deflatable lower high air loss bladder having a plurality of downwardly facing bleed holes for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider.

12. The mattress of claim 11 wherein said upper low air loss bladder comprises a plurality of transverse air sacks having a plurality of bleed holes along upper surfaces thereof and a longitudinal air distribution channel along each lateral side thereof for supplying air to said air sacks, each said channel being divided into head and foot end sections, a first valve in one of said distribution channels bridging said head and foot sections of said one channel, and a second valve in fluid communication with said foot end of said upper bladder foot section, whereby when said first valve is open and said second valve is closed said head and foot sections of said low air loss bladder may be inflated, and when said first valve is closed and second valve is open said upper bladder foot section may be deflated while said upper bladder head section remains inflated.

13. The mattress of claim 11 wherein said intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder includes a transverse wall separating said bladder into head and foot sections, with each said section having an air inlet/outlet connected to a pressurized air/vacuum source, whereby when said source supplies said bladder head and foot sections with pressurized air both said sections are rigidly inflated, and when said source pulls a vacuum on said bladder foot section, said bladder foot section is deflated while said bladder head section remains inflated.

14. The mattress of claim 13 wherein said intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder further includes a plurality of longitudinal walls substantially the entire length of said static bladder.

15. A mattress for supporting a patient comprising:

an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient supported thereby;

an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder adapted to become relatively rigid upon inflation and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking upon said mattress being suspended from a patient weigh scale when supporting a patient; and

a lower high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider.

16. The mattress of claim 15 wherein the mattress is launderable.

17. A mattress for supporting a patient comprising:

a rigidly inflatable static bladder adapted to become relatively rigid upon inflation and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking upon said mattress being suspended from a patient weigh scale when supporting a patient; and

a high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider;

said high air loss bladder comprising a peripheral tube and a plurality of longitudinal air sacks interior of the periphery of said peripheral tube and having a plurality of bleed holes along lower surfaces thereof, the lower surfaces of said longitudinal air sacks being disposed above the lower surface of said peripheral tube whereby said peripheral tube creates a skirt effect by sealing against the supporting surface trapping air which escapes from said longitudinal air sacks therein to provide a more efficient lift effect.

18. A mattress for supporting a patient comprising;

an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient supported thereby;

an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder adapted to become relatively rigid upon inflation and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking upon said mattress being suspended from a patient weigh scale when supporting a patient;

said upper and intermediate bladder having selectively and independently inflatable and deflatable head and foot sections; and

a selectively inflatable and deflatable lower high air loss bladder having a plurality of downwardly facing bleed holes for reducing the friction force between said mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring of a patient supported on said mattress by a care provider.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to patient care apparatus, and more particularly to a mattress for supporting a patient atop a hospital bed and which is useful for preventing the occurrence of bed sores on the patient's skin, weighing the patient with a patient weigh scale and transferring the patient from one surface to another surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to provide an air pallet for functioning as a patient mover and transferring a patient from one surface to another surface. Such an air pallet employs a number of air sacks which include holes in the lower surfaces for expelling pressurized air contained in the air sacks. Such an air pallet develops an air film between the pallet and an underlying pallet supporting surface. The resulting air film creates a low friction air bearing between the air pallet and supporting surface or otherwise a "lift" effect. One such air pallet is disclosed in Weedling et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,189.

A criticism of current air pallets is that the air which escapes the holes in the lower surfaces of the longitudinal air sacks is not exploited in the most efficient manner. More particularly, current air pallets employ longitudinal air sacks which are arranged in side-by-side relation. The air sacks have lower surfaces which contain "high air loss" holes. When inflated, the lower surfaces of the air sacks become convex, with the air sacks being supported on the supporting surface at the apex of the curvature of the convex air sacks. Consequently, tunnels or spaces form between adjacent ones of the longitudinal air sacks, which spaces or tunnels are open to atmosphere at opposite ends of the air pallet. Thus, air which escapes from the high air loss holes in the longitudinal air sacks, and which could be utilized to generate the "lift" effect, finds its way to these air tunnels or passages and rushes towards one end or the other of the air pallet, escaping to atmosphere at the ends of the air pallet.

It has therefore been one objective of the present invention to provide an air pallet which more efficiently utilizes the air escaping from the sacks of an air pallet in creating the "lift" effect or air bearing.

It is also known to provide a so-called "low air loss" mattress for supporting a patient and ventilating the skin of a patient to prevent the formation of bed sores upon the patient's skin, or otherwise to prevent the degeneration of a patient's skin during long periods of confinement to a hospital bed. Such low air loss mattresses include a number of air sacks which include low air loss holes on their upper surfaces and which allow pressurized air from within the air sacks to escape upwardly and to ventilate a patient's skin thereby. One such low air loss mattress is disclosed in Chamberland U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,389 assigned to a related company, SSI Medical Services, Inc., of the assignee of the present invention.

It is also known to provide a patient mover which includes an upper patient supporting bladder in combination with a lower high air loss air pallet. Such is shown in Blanchard et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,464, also assigned to the above related company of the assignee of the present invention.

There has therefore been a need to provide a more efficient air pallet for transferring a patient from one surface to another surface as well as to provide a patient supporting mattress which provides the attributes of a low air loss surface with the functional capabilities of an air pallet and which may be used as a relatively rigid support for, for example, suspending a patient from a patient weigh scale in order to take the patient's weight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has therefore been one objective of the present invention to provide a patient transporting air pallet which more efficiently utilizes the air escaping from the pallet in order to create a more efficient air bearing or lift effect.

Another objective of the present invention has been to provide a patient supporting mattress which provides the attributes of a low air loss patient support surface with the functional capabilities of an air pallet and which may be used for suspending a patient from a patient weigh scale when weighing the patient.

The present invention attains the stated objectives in part by providing an air pallet for supporting a load and for reducing the friction forces between the pallet and the supporting surface for facilitating surface-to-surface transfers of the load. The air pallet comprises a peripheral tube and a plurality of longitudinal air sacks interior of the periphery of the peripheral tube and having a plurality of high air loss bleed holes along the lower surfaces thereof. The lower surfaces of the longitudinal air sacks are disposed above the lower surface of the peripheral tube, such that the peripheral tube creates a skirt effect by sealing against the supporting surface trapping air which escapes from the longitudinal air sacks to provide a more efficient lift effect.

The peripheral tube includes holes which communicate with lateralmost ones of the longitudinal air sacks. The longitudinal air sacks include holes which communicate with adjacent ones of longitudinal air sacks. The peripheral tube includes an air inlet for supplying the peripheral tube with the pressurized air. The air pallet thus inflates from its peripheral edge inwardly to cradle the load thereby and to prevent side to side rocking motion and resulting instability of the pallet and load.

The invention attains others of the stated objectives by providing a mattress for supporting a patient comprising an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of the patient supported thereby, an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder which becomes relatively rigid upon inflation thereof and which is stiff enough to prevent "hammocking" of the mattress during transfer of the patient or when the patient is suspended on the mattress from, for example, a patient weigh scale, and a lower high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between the mattress and a supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transferring by a care provider of a patient supported on the mattress.

The mattress preferably includes the above mentioned high air loss bladder construction. The intermediate static bladder includes longitudinal walls forming longitudinal air sacks. The upper low air loss bladder preferably comprises a plurality of transverse air sacks having a plurality of low air loss bleed holes along upper surfaces and a longitudinal air distribution channel along each lateral side for supplying air to the air sacks.

Each of the bladders is independently inflatable and deflatable and thus may be selectively inflated or deflated depending on the desired operating mode of the mattress.

The present invention also attains other objectives by providing a mattress for supporting a patient comprising an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder, an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder, the upper and intermediate bladders having selectively inflatable and deflatable head and foot sections, and a selectively inflatable and deflatable lower high air loss bladder. The selectively inflatable and deflatable foot sections of this mattress are useful when the mattress is employed with a hospital bed which converts to a chair position.

The upper low air loss bladder comprises a plurality of transverse air sacks having a plurality of bleed holes along upper surfaces thereof and a longitudinal air distribution channel along each lateral side thereof for supplying air to the air sacks. Each air distribution channel is divided into head and foot end sections. A first valve is located in one of the distribution channels and bridges its head and foot sections, and a second valve is in fluid communication with the foot section of the bladder. When the first valve is open and the second valve is closed the head and foot sections of the low air loss bladder may be inflated, and when the first valve is closed and the second valve is open, the low air loss bladder foot section may be deflated while the low air loss bladder head section remains inflated.

The intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder includes a transverse wall separating the bladder into head and foot sections, with each section having an air inlet/outlet connected to a pressurized air/vacuum source. When the source supplies the bladder head and foot sections with pressurized air, both sections are rigidly inflated, and when the source pulls a vacuum on the bladder foot section or is otherwise disconnected therefrom the bladder foot section may be deflated while the bladder head section remains inflated. Thus, when moving the patient bed from the bed position to the chair position, and with the lower high air loss bladder deflated, the foot sections of the upper low air loss bladder and intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder can be selectively deflated so that the foot end of the mattress collapses thereby vacating the space at the foot end of the bed.

One advantage of the air pallet of the present invention is that a more efficient lift effect is achieved by entrapping the air which escapes from the longitudinal air sacks below the pallet, thus eliminating loss of that air at the ends of the air pallet.

Another advantage of the present invention is that a patient supporting mattress is provided which includes an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder portion for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient, an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder including means on lateral edges thereof for connection to a patient weigh scale or for generally moving the mattress and patient from place-to-place, with the intermediate bladder assuming a relatively rigid state upon inflation thereof and being stiff enough to prevent hammocking, and a lower high air loss bladder for reducing the friction between the mattress and a supporting surface which facilitates surface-to-surface transfers of a patient supported by the mattress, such that individual or separate mattresses and air pallets and the like are not required. Thus the invention provides a full featured stand alone mattress which does not require additional underlying or overlying mattresses.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is that a combination low air loss, static and high air loss bladder mattress is provided which includes selectively deflatable foot portions of the low air loss and static bladders and which is particularly suitable for use with