Body positioning mattress

Abstract

A method of positioning a patient or person 0 to 90 degrees in an upright position or greater in a supine or prone position while maintaining neutral skeletal alignment (non flexed position) with a body positioning mattress capable of applying a vacuum process to remove air; molding the mattress around the body to maintain position. A means to place the support mattress onto a manual or motorized bed frame to position and maintain a patient or person 0 to 90 degrees or greater in the supine or prone position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The invention relates to the field of providing a body positioning mattress for humans. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of providing contour support while allowing the body to be positioned from 0-90° or greater upright in the supine or prone position, while continuing to provide contour support. This method may be essential to patients confined to a supine position, or immobile while in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] It can be appreciated that a mattress has been used for years. Typically, a mattress is used to support a human body for rest or during an illness where a person is bedridden. While these mattresses are suitable for comfort and to support a person during their phase of bed rest, it does not provide support during an upright position up to 90° or greater. Where a person would lose contour support with a conventional mattress du...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] When patients are confined to a supine position in the ICU, significant deterioration of pulmonary function may occur. Immobility issues which may compromise pulmonary function stem from, but are not limited to: hemodynamic instability, refractory intracranial hypertension or increased abdominal pressures. In instances of immobility, patients may benefit from the ability to be positioned upright up to 90° in a supine or prone position while remaining on a bed. Many medical therapeutic treatments require alteration in body position such as head position for the reduction of risk of aspiration and head elevation for reduction of intracranial pressure as examples. The supine position maximizes the compressive effect of the heart, lungs and chest wall. Compression of lung tissue leads to additional airway closure and alveolar collapse. The heart and mediastinal structures impose additional hydrostatic pressure on dependent lung regions. The weight of the blood filled heart compresses the broad middle and dependent lung regions toward the thorax and the spine. By placing the patient in an upright ‘standing’ position rather than an upright ‘sitting’ position, the abdominal contents are no longer directed-cephalad (towards the head) which encroach the thoracic cavity, minimizing lung expansion. By improving ventilation to the dependent lung regions, patients may be weaned from the ventilator faster, thereby decreasing risks of ventilator associated pneumonia and reducing hospital days which may reduce hospital costs.

[0007] A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of caring for ICU patients requiring up to 90° upright positions for respiratory failure, refractory intracranial hypertension or increased abdominal pressures.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a mattress that will conform to a body's shape when a body's weight is placed upon the mattress and air is withdrawn from within the mattress cover causing a vacuum seal. This will allow the body to sink into the mattress maintaining the body within a molded form of the mattress when in the upright or prone position. Another object is to provide stability when the invention is placed on a bed frame and transitioned into the upright position; up to 90° or greater, supine or prone.

Problems solved by technology

When patients are confined to a supine position in the ICU, significant deterioration of pulmonary function may occur.

Compression of lung tissue leads to additional airway closure and alveolar collapse.

Images