Axial groove mattress

Claim 1

FOR USE ATOP A BED; A COMPRESSIBLY RESILIENT MATTRESS COVERED WITH SAILCLOTH AND THUS BEING WATERPROOF, THE BOTTOM OF SAID MATTRESS HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE RIGIDIFYING SLATS INCORPORATED THEREIN, SAID SLATS BEING EACH CONTAINED IN A SEPARATE JACKET AND SAID JACKETS BEING HINGEDLY JOINED TO EACH OTHER, AND MEANS EMBODIED LENGTHWISE IN THE CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL PORTION OF THE TOP SIDE OF SAID MATTRESS WHICH FUNCTIONS TO REDUCE UNDESIRABLE PRESSURE AGAINST PREDETERMINED AXIAL AREAS OF THE PATIENT''S SPINE AND ALSO FUNCTIONS TO PROVIDE NEEDED CLEARANCE FOR BULKY SURGICAL DRESSINGS, WHEREBY TO MINIMIZE PRESSURE UPON BED SORES, AND PAINFUL AREAS OCCASIONED BY CRANIOTOMIES, LAMINECTOMIES, PELVIC FRACTURES, PARAPLEGIAS, SPINAL INJURIES, PROSTATIC, RECTAL AND BLADDER OPERATIONS, SAID MEANS BEING CHARACTERIZED BY A CENTRALIZED AXIAL ELONGATED GROOVE WHICH OPENS THROUGH SAID TOP SIDE, SAID GROOVE BEING OF A DEPTH AND PROPORTIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL WIDTH COMMENSURATE AND IN KEEPING WITH THE CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS NEEDED, THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID GROOVE BEING ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATINGLY NEST THE PATIENT''S CRANIUM AND ITS COVERINGS THEREIN.