US5062169A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Clinical bed
Assignee: L&P Property Management Co
•
Filing: 1990-03-09
•
Granted: 1991-11-05
•
Expires: 2010-03-09
Abstract
Abstract A clinical bed system for monitoring and recording movements of a person while reclining or sleeping on a bed of the system. The bed includes an air mattress having multiple isolated air-filled zones. Attached to each of these zones is a pressure-responsive readout device which is operative to read out and record pressure changes resulting from movement of a person reclining on the air mattress.
Inventors
- 👤 Earl W. Kennedy
- 👤 Robert D. Oexman
- 👤 Larry Higgins
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 20:49
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/68; A61B5/6887; A61B5/6892; A47; A47C; A47C27/00; A47C27/08; A47C27/081; A47C27/082; A47C27/083; A47C27/10; A61B5/103; A61B5/11; A61B5/1101; A61B5/113; A61B2562/00; A61B2562/02; A61B2562/0219; A61B2562/16; A61B2562/168
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
133 words
Clinical bed apparatus for use in diagnosing sleep disorders by non-invasively monitoring a person reclining on a bed, which apparatus includes a bed for supporting a person reclining atop the bed, said bed having at least one isolated fluid-filled zone maintained at a pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, readout and recording means including a readout and recording device, and connecting means extending between said readout and recording device and said fluid-filled zone, said readout and recording means being operative to measure and record movement of a person reclining on said bed as a result of fluid pressure changes in said fluid-filled zone measured and recorded on a record by said readout and recording device, said record being of a form and sufficiently sensitive to enable sleep disorders to be diagnosed from said record.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
133 words
Clinical bed apparatus for use in diagnosing sleep disorders by non-invasively monitoring a person reclining on a bed, which apparatus includes a bed for supporting a person reclining atop the bed, said bed having at least one isolated fluid-filled zone maintained at a pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, readout and recording means including a readout and recording device, and connecting means extending between said readout and recording device and said fluid-filled zone, said readout and recording means being operative to measure and record movement of a person reclining on said bed as a result of fluid pressure changes in said fluid-filled zone measured and recorded on a record by said readout and recording device, said record being of a form and sufficiently sensitive to enable sleep disorders to be diagnosed from said record.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes a fluid pump and fluid control system for maintaining said fluid-filled zone at a preset pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said one zone is filled with a gas.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said one zone is filled with air and wherein said readout and recording device includes a pressure transducer for converting pneumatic pressure signals to electrical signals and for feeding said electrical signals to an electrical signal-actuated stylus recorder.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one zone comprises a plurality of interconnected cells, each cell of which is filled with fluid and is connected to adjacent cells of the zone by restricted fluid flow passages.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bed includes an air mattress having at least three isolated air-filled zones for supporting a person reclining atop the bed, and means including a pneumatic pump and pneumatic control system for maintaining said zones at differing preset pneumatic pressures.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
The clinical bed apparatus of claim 6 wherein said connecting means extends between said readout and recording device and each of said at least three zones and wherein said readout and recording device measures and records movements in each of said three zones.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
118 words
A clinical apparatus for use in diagnosing sleep disorders by non-invasively monitoring a person reclining on a bed, which apparatus includes an enclosure having at least one fluid-filled zone maintained at a pressure above atmospheric pressure, readout and recording means including a pressure-responsive readout and recording device, and connecting means extending between said readout and recording device and said fluid-filled zone, said readout and recording means being operative to measure and recording movement of a person as a result of fluid pressure changes in said fluid-filled zone measured and recorded on a record by said readout and recording device, said record being of a form and sufficiently sensitive to enable sleep disorders to be diagnosed from said record.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
118 words
A clinical apparatus for use in diagnosing sleep disorders by non-invasively monitoring a person reclining on a bed, which apparatus includes an enclosure having at least one fluid-filled zone maintained at a pressure above atmospheric pressure, readout and recording means including a pressure-responsive readout and recording device, and connecting means extending between said readout and recording device and said fluid-filled zone, said readout and recording means being operative to measure and recording movement of a person as a result of fluid pressure changes in said fluid-filled zone measured and recorded on a record by said readout and recording device, said record being of a form and sufficiently sensitive to enable sleep disorders to be diagnosed from said record.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
105 words
The method of diagnosing sleep disorders by non-invasively monitoring a person while sleeping on a bed, which method comprises at least partially supporting a person on a fluid-filled enclosure while in a reclining position on a bed, which enclosure is maintained at a pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, connecting the fluid-filled enclosure to a pressure-responsive readout and recording device, and while the person is sleeping with at least a portion of the body supported on the enclosure, measuring and recording the magnitude and duration of pressure changes in said enclosure with sufficient accuracy and sensitivity to enable sleep disorders to be diagnosed from the recording.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
105 words
The method of diagnosing sleep disorders by non-invasively monitoring a person while sleeping on a bed, which method comprises at least partially supporting a person on a fluid-filled enclosure while in a reclining position on a bed, which enclosure is maintained at a pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, connecting the fluid-filled enclosure to a pressure-responsive readout and recording device, and while the person is sleeping with at least a portion of the body supported on the enclosure, measuring and recording the magnitude and duration of pressure changes in said enclosure with sufficient accuracy and sensitivity to enable sleep disorders to be diagnosed from the recording.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
129 words
The method of diagnosing sleep disorders by non-invasively monitoring a person while sleeping on a bed, which bed includes a mattress having at least one fluid-filled zone, which zone is maintained at a pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, which method comprises supporting the sleeping person while in a reclining position on the mattress with a portion of the person's body supported on said fluid-filled zone, connecting the fluid-filled zone of the mattress to a pressure-responsive readout and recording device, and while the person is sleeping on the mattress with at least a portion of the body supported upon the fluid-filled zone, measuring and recording the magnitude of the pressure changes of said fluid-filled zone with sufficient accuracy and sensitivity to enable sleep disorders to be diagnosed from the recording.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
129 words
The method of diagnosing sleep disorders by non-invasively monitoring a person while sleeping on a bed, which bed includes a mattress having at least one fluid-filled zone, which zone is maintained at a pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, which method comprises supporting the sleeping person while in a reclining position on the mattress with a portion of the person's body supported on said fluid-filled zone, connecting the fluid-filled zone of the mattress to a pressure-responsive readout and recording device, and while the person is sleeping on the mattress with at least a portion of the body supported upon the fluid-filled zone, measuring and recording the magnitude of the pressure changes of said fluid-filled zone with sufficient accuracy and sensitivity to enable sleep disorders to be diagnosed from the recording.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
134 words
The method of diagnosing sleep disorders by non-invasively monitoring a person while sleeping on a bed, which bed includes a mattress having at least three fluid-filled zones, which zones are maintained at a pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, which method comprises supporting the sleeping person while in a reclining position on the mattress with a portion of the person's body supported on each of said fluid-filled zones, connecting each of the fluid-filled zones of the mattress to a pressure-responsive readout and recording device, and while the person is sleeping on the mattress with at least portions of the body supported upon the fluid-filled zones, measuring and recording the magnitude of the pressure changes of each of said fluid-filled zones with sufficient accuracy and sensitivity to enable sleep disorders to be diagnosed form the recording.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
134 words
The method of diagnosing sleep disorders by non-invasively monitoring a person while sleeping on a bed, which bed includes a mattress having at least three fluid-filled zones, which zones are maintained at a pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, which method comprises supporting the sleeping person while in a reclining position on the mattress with a portion of the person's body supported on each of said fluid-filled zones, connecting each of the fluid-filled zones of the mattress to a pressure-responsive readout and recording device, and while the person is sleeping on the mattress with at least portions of the body supported upon the fluid-filled zones, measuring and recording the magnitude of the pressure changes of each of said fluid-filled zones with sufficient accuracy and sensitivity to enable sleep disorders to be diagnosed form the recording.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3727606A
Cited
US4324259A
Cited
US4146885A
Cited
US4320766A
Cited
US4297755A
Cited
US4444199A
Cited
US4438771A
Cited
US4602644A
Cited
US4509527A
Cited
US4860766A
Cited
US4662012A
Cited
US4935968A
Cited
US4895160A
Cited
US4681098A
Cited
US4838275A
Cited
US4834109A
Cited
US4827763A
Cited
US4862144A
Cited
WO1988009650A1
Cited
US4864671A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-11-04 | 1995-05-06 | 1995-11-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-11-04 | 1999-05-06 | 1999-11-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-11-04 | 2003-05-06 | 2003-11-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |