Air-operated body support device

Claim 2

A body support device comprising: (a) a plurality of parallel adjacent air sacks forming a support surface for a person, the material forming the sacks being substantially impervious to the passage of air and other fluids, each having at least one inlet; (b) an air flow source connected to provide pressurized air to all of said inlets, whereby each sack, in cooperation with the air flow source, forms a support pressure system for the part of the person's body supported by the sack; (c) means for selecting and establishing the pressures maintained in the sacks; and (d) means operable to close the pressure support systems to retain air pressure in the sacks, whereby the patient may be supported even after operation of the air flow source ceases.

Claim 3

The device of Claim 1, wherein the means operable to close the pressure support systems comprises a valve between the air flow source and sack inlets movable between at least two states: a first state in which the sack inlets are open to fluid communication from the air flow source; and a second state in which the sack inlets are closed, whereby the pressure profile among the sacks established by the air flow source when the valve is in the first state may be substantially preserved upon movement to the second state.

Claim 4

The device of Claim 2, wherein the valve is biased to the second state and an air-pressure responsive actuator is provided for moving the valve into the first state while the air pressure produced by the air flow source for use in the air sacks exceeds a threshold pressure.

Claim 5

The device of Claim 1, wherein the means for selecting and establishing the pressure maintained in the sacks includes a pressure selector comprising: (a) a conduit having an inlet connected to the outlet of the air flow source; (b) means providing zones in the conduit, each zone being maintained at a different pressure which is a preselected percentage of inlet pressure; and (c) means for selectively connecting the inlet of selected sacks to selected ones of the zones in the conduit.

Claim 6

The device of Claim 4, further comprising a bleed valve which may be adjusted to establish the selector inlet pressure.

Claim 7

The device of Claim 1, further comprising means to permit rapid switching of connections between the air flow source and sacks from a first state in which the intake of the air flow production means communicates with atmosphere and the air flow production means outlet communicates with the air inlets of the sacks to pressurize the sacks, and a second state in which the intake of the air flow production means communicates with the inlets of the sacks and the air flow production means outlet is vented to atmosphere, whereby rapid pump-down of the device may be achieved by causing said means to move to the second state.

Claim 8

The device of Claim 1, further comprising means for sensing, with respect to at least one sack, the distance the top of that sack is supporting the patient above a reference point, thereby sensing the depth of the patient's deflection of the sack.

Claim 9

The device of Claim 1, wherein each sack is not bound to any other sack, so that it is free to be removed from the array, and further comprising separate check valve means between each sack inlet and the air flow production means operable on removal of any sack for stopping the flow of air at the check valve associated with that sack.

Claim 10

A body support device comprising: (a) a plurality of adjacent air sacks forming a support surface for a person, each sack having at least one inlet; (b) an air flow source connected to provide pressurized air to all of said sack inlets, whereby each sack, in cooperation with the air flow production means, forms a support pressure system for the part of the person's body supported by the sack; (c) means for selecting and establishing the pressure maintained in the sacks; and (d) means for sensing, with respect to at least one sack, the distance the top of that sack is supporting the patient above a reference point, thereby sensing the depth of the patient's deflection of the sack.

Claim 11

A body support device comprising: (a) a plurality of adjacent air sacks forming a support surface for a person, each sack having at least one inlet; (b) an air flow source connected to provide pressurized air to all of said sack inlets, whereby each sack, in cooperation with the air flow production means, forms a support pressure system for the part of the person's body supported by the sack; (c) means for selecting and establishing the pressure maintained in the sacks; and (d) means for sensing, with respect to at least one sack, the distance the top of that sack is supporting the patient above a reference point, thereby sensing the depth of the patient's deflection of the sack.

Claim 12

The device of Claim 9, wherein the means for selecting and establishing the pressure maintained in the sacks includes a pressure selector comprising: (a) a conduit having an inlet connected to the outlet of the air flow source; (b) means providing zones in the conduit, each zone being maintained at a different pressure which is a preselected percentage of inlet pressure; and (c) means for selectively connecting the inlet of selected sacks to selected ones of the zones in the conduit.

Claim 13

The device of Claim 9, further comprising a bleed valve which may be adjusted to establish the selection inlet pressure.

Claim 14

For use with a body support device having a plurality of air sacks having inlets and forming a support surface for a person, and an air flow source connected to provide pressurized air to all of said inlets, whereby each sack, in cooperation with the air flow source, forms a support pressure system for the part of the person's body supported by the sack; a pressure selector for selecting and establishing the pressures maintained in the sacks, comprising: (a) a conduit having an inlet connected to the outlet of the air flow source; (b) means providing zones in the conduit, each maintained at a different pressure which is a preselected percentage of the inlet pressure; and (c) means for selectively connecting the inlets of the sacks to selected ones of the zones in the conduit.

Claim 15

For use with a body support device having a plurality of air sacks having inlets and forming a support surface for a person, and an air flow source connected to provide pressurized air to all of said inlets, whereby each sack, in cooperation with the air flow source, forms a support pressure system for the part of the person's body supported by the sack; a pressure selector for selecting and establishing the pressures maintained in the sacks, comprising: (a) a conduit having an inlet connected to the outlet of the air flow source; (b) means providing zones in the conduit, each maintained at a different pressure which is a preselected percentage of the inlet pressure; and (c) means for selectively connecting the inlets of the sacks to selected ones of the zones in the conduit.

Claim 16

The device of Claim 12, further comprising a bleed valve which may be adjusted to establish the selector inlet pressure.

Claim 17

A multi-tap pressure selector for use with a body support appliance employing a plurality of inflatable air sacks and an air flow source comprising: (a) an inlet connected to the air flow source; (b) a first block on one face of the selector having a plurality of channels, one of which is connected to the inlet; (c) a second block on the opposite face of the selector having a plurality of channels; (d) a tap block interposed between the first and second block having a plurality of restricted passageways, each passageway interconnecting a different pair of said channels, each pair including one channel from the first block and one channel from the second block, each restricted passageway producing a pressure drop between the two channels of its interconnected pair, said channels and passageways forming a continuous sealed air flow conduit leading from the inlet; (e) a plurality of pressure taps in the tap block, each of which communicates with selected ones of said air sacks, and each of which can be selectively connected to any one of the channels in the first and second blocks, whereby each of the channels of the first and second blocks defines a discrete zone of pressure and the air sacks may be selectively tapped into any such discrete pressure zone; and (f) an outlet connected to one of said air flow channels at the end of said air flow conduit remote from the inlet.

Claim 18

A multi-tap pressure selector for use with a body support appliance employing a plurality of inflatable air sacks and an air flow source comprising: (a) an inlet connected to the air flow source; (b) a first block on one face of the selector having a plurality of channels, one of which is connected to the inlet; (c) a second block on the opposite face of the selector having a plurality of channels; (d) a tap block interposed between the first and second block having a plurality of restricted passageways, each passageway interconnecting a different pair of said channels, each pair including one channel from the first block and one channel from the second block, each restricted passageway producing a pressure drop between the two channels of its interconnected pair, said channels and passageways forming a continuous sealed air flow conduit leading from the inlet; (e) a plurality of pressure taps in the tap block, each of which communicates with selected ones of said air sacks, and each of which can be selectively connected to any one of the channels in the first and second blocks, whereby each of the channels of the first and second blocks defines a discrete zone of pressure and the air sacks may be selectively tapped into any such discrete pressure zone; and (f) an outlet connected to one of said air flow channels at the end of said air flow conduit remote from the inlet.

Claim 19

A body support device comprising: (a) a plurality of adjacent air sacks forming a support surface for a person, each sack having at least one inlet; (b) air flow production means connected to provide pressurized air to all of said inlets, whereby each sack, in cooperation with the air flow production means, forms a support pressure system for the part of the person's body supported by the sack; (c) means for establishing the pressure maintained in the sacks; (d) detection means associated with at least one sack for detecting a condition directly related to the amount of deflection of the sack; and (e) feedback means for automatically controlling said means for establishing pressure in response to signals from said detection means.

Claim 20

A body support device comprising: (a) a plurality of adjacent air sacks forming a support surface for a person, each sack having at least one inlet; (b) air flow production means connected to provide pressurized air to all of said inlets, whereby each sack, in cooperation with the air flow production means, forms a support pressure system for the part of the person's body supported by the sack; (c) means for establishing the pressure maintained in the sacks; (d) detection means associated with at least one sack for detecting a condition directly related to the amount of deflection of the sack; and (e) feedback means for automatically controlling said means for establishing pressure in response to signals from said detection means.

Claim 21

The device of Claim 15, wherein a detection means is provided for each sack to detect a condition directly related to the amount of deflection in the sack, and wherein each of said signals is separately supplied to the feedback means to produce control of each sack pressure independently.

Claim 22

An air-operated support apparatus for a patient comprising: (a) a plurality of adjacent air sacks formed of a material substantially impervious to the passage of fluids, each sack having an inlet tube; (b) an air flow source for producing a stream of forced air; (c) a pressure selector communicating with the sacks and the air flow source for selectively maintaining a desired profile of air pressure among the sacks; (d) a valve between the pressure selector and the air sack inlets movable between at least two states: a first state in which the sack inlets are open to fluid communication from the air flow source through the pressure selector; and a second state in which the sack inlets are closed, whereby the pressure profile among the sacks established by the air flow source and pressure selector when the valve is in the first state may be substantially preserved upon movement to the second state.

Claim 23

An air-operated support apparatus for a patient comprising: (a) a plurality of adjacent air sacks formed of a material substantially impervious to the passage of fluids, each sack having an inlet tube; (b) an air flow source for producing a stream of forced air; (c) a pressure selector communicating with the sacks and the air flow source for selectively maintaining a desired profile of air pressure among the sacks; (d) a valve between the pressure selector and the air sack inlets movable between at least two states: a first state in which the sack inlets are open to fluid communication from the air flow source through the pressure selector; and a second state in which the sack inlets are closed, whereby the pressure profile among the sacks established by the air flow source and pressure selector when the valve is in the first state may be substantially preserved upon movement to the second state.

Claim 24

The apparatus of Claim 17, wherein the valve is biased to the second state and an air-pressure responsive actuator is provided for moving the valve into the first state while the air pressure produced by the air flow source for use in the air sacks exceeds a threshold pressure.

Claim 25

The apparatus of Claim 17 further comprised of a plurality of air passages, each air passage corresponding to selected ones of said sacks and extending from the pressure selector toward its air sack inlets, each such air passage terminating at a valve end; the valve including a first valve surface on which the valve ends of all such air passages are arrayed, and a second valve surface on which the air sack inlets are arrayed confronting the first valve surface, said valve operating by causing relative sliding motion between the first and second valve surfaces.

Claim 26

The apparatus of Claim 19, wherein the valve includes vent ports opened to atmosphere in the first valve surface, and the valve may be moved to a third state aligning the vent ports with the sack inlets to cause deflation of the sacks.

Claim 27

The apparatus of Claim 17, wherein the valve may be moved manually between said first and second states.

Claim 28

In an air-operated support apparatus for a patient which includes a plurality of air-tight sacks with inlets, an air flow source and a pressure selector for setting the pressure maintained in the sacks by the air flow source, the improvement comprising: a valve connected between the pressure selector and the sacks, movable between a first state in which the sack inlets are open to fluid communication between the air flow source and the sacks through the pressure selector and a second state in which the sack inlets are closed; biasing means biasing the valve to the second state; and an automatic valve actuator which causes the valve to switch to its first state only during times when the air pressure produced by the air flow source for use in the air sacks exceeds a threshold pressure.

Claim 29

In an air-operated support apparatus for a patient which includes a plurality of air-tight sacks with inlets, an air flow source and a pressure selector for setting the pressure maintained in the sacks by the air flow source, the improvement comprising: a valve connected between the pressure selector and the sacks, movable between a first state in which the sack inlets are open to fluid communication between the air flow source and the sacks through the pressure selector and a second state in which the sack inlets are closed; biasing means biasing the valve to the second state; and an automatic valve actuator which causes the valve to switch to its first state only during times when the air pressure produced by the air flow source for use in the air sacks exceeds a threshold pressure.

Claim 30

Air-operated apparatus for supporting a patient and for intermittently causing movement of the patient comprising: a plurality of inflatable support sacks in adjacent relationship forming a support surface for a patient, each support sack having an air inlet; a single air flow source; a pressure selector for establishing and maintaining a desired pressure profile among the support sacks; a movement overlay positioned removably on the air sacks having a plurality of inflatable compartments the inflation and deflation of which are adapted to cause selected movements of a patient lying on the apparatus; flow control means for exposing air from the air flow source to the support sack inlets at pressures corresponding to the desired pressure profile and also for directing air in a selected manner into and from the compartments of the movement overlay to produce desired movements while preserving the desired pressure profile among the support sacks.

Claim 31

Air-operated apparatus for supporting a patient and for intermittently causing movement of the patient comprising: a plurality of inflatable support sacks in adjacent relationship forming a support surface for a patient, each support sack having an air inlet; a single air flow source; a pressure selector for establishing and maintaining a desired pressure profile among the support sacks; a movement overlay positioned removably on the air sacks having a plurality of inflatable compartments the inflation and deflation of which are adapted to cause selected movements of a patient lying on the apparatus; flow control means for exposing air from the air flow source to the support sack inlets at pressures corresponding to the desired pressure profile and also for directing air in a selected manner into and from the compartments of the movement overlay to produce desired movements while preserving the desired pressure profile among the support sacks.