US-20260124088-A1 - PATIENT SUPPORT HAVING AN INFLATABLE BLADDER

US20260124088A1US 20260124088 A1US20260124088 A1US 20260124088A1US-20260124088-A1

Abstract

A patient support includes: a resilient support layer for supporting a patient, the resilient support layer having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, the upper surface being configured to, in use, face toward the patient supported by the resilient support layer; and an inflatable bladder disposed underneath at least part of the lower surface of the resilient support layer such that, in use, the resilient support layer is disposed be-V CM tween the patient and the inflatable bladder, the inflatable bladder being configured to be fluidly connected to a pump in order to be selectively inflated by the pump and thereby limit an immersion of the patient into the resilient support layer. A method for controlling a patient support is also disclosed. WO

Inventors

Steve Bolduc
Simon Dubé
Philippe Boutin
Joanie FRONGILLO GUAY
Frédéric RENAUD

Assignees

UMANO MEDICAL INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20231026

Claims (20)

1 . A patient support comprising: a resilient support layer for supporting a patient, the resilient support layer having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, the upper surface being configured to, in use, face toward the patient supported by the resilient support layer; and a temporarily inflatable bladder disposed underneath at least part of the lower surface of the resilient support layer such that, in use, the resilient support layer is disposed between the patient and the temporarily inflatable bladder, the temporarily inflatable bladder being distanced from a head end and a foot end of the resilient support layer and positioned such that, in use, the temporarily inflatable bladder is aligned, in a longitudinal direction of the patient support, with a back and/or a pelvic region of the patient, the temporarily inflatable bladder being configured to be fluidly connected to a pump in order to be temporarily inflated by the pump and thereby limit an immersion of the back and/or pelvic region of the patient into the resilient support layer.
2 . (canceled)
3 . The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the resilient support layer comprises: a central portion made of a first resilient material; and a left portion and a right portion disposed on a left side and a right side of the central portion respectively, the left and right portions being made of a second resilient material, the second resilient material having a greater rigidity than the first resilient material, the temporarily inflatable bladder being disposed underneath the central portion of the resilient support layer.
4 . The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the resilient support layer is not inflatable.
5 . The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the resilient support layer is made of foam.
6 . (canceled)
7 . The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the temporarily inflatable bladder defines a plurality of relief apertures for allowing fluid to flow out of the temporarily inflatable bladder.
8 . The patient support of claim 1 , further comprising: a top moisture permeable layer disposed at least partially above the resilient support layer; and a bottom layer removably connected to the top moisture permeable layer for enclosing the resilient support layer and the temporarily inflatable bladder therebetween, the temporarily inflatable bladder being disposed between the resilient support layer and the bottom layer.
9 . (canceled)
10 . (canceled)
11 . The patient support of claim 1 , further comprising: an air diffusion layer for diffusing air; and an air distribution manifold fluidly connected to the air diffusion layer, the air distribution manifold being configured to be fluidly connected to the pump in order to distribute air to the air diffusion layer.
12 . A patient support system comprising: the patient support of claim 1 ; a pump in fluid communication with the temporarily inflatable bladder; and a controller in communication with the pump, the controller being operable to selectively activate the pump to inflate the temporarily inflatable bladder and thereby limit the immersion of the back and/or pelvic region of the patient into the resilient support layer.
13 . The patient support system of claim 12 , wherein: the patient support system further comprises a pressure sensor in communication with the controller and configured to sense a pressure within a pneumatic system formed in part by the pump and the temporarily inflatable bladder; and the controller is configured to deactivate the pump in response to the pressure in the pneumatic system being greater than a predetermined threshold pressure.
14 . (canceled)
15 . The patient support system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to deactivate the pump in response to a pressurization time associated with the temporarily inflatable bladder being equal to or greater than a threshold pressurization time.
16 . The patient support system of claim 15 , wherein the threshold pressurization time is between 10 and 30 minutes inclusively.
17 . The patient support system of claim 15 , wherein: the patient support system further comprises a pressure sensor in communication with the controller and configured to sense a pressure within a pneumatic system formed in part by the pump and the temporarily inflatable bladder; and the controller begins counting the pressurization time in response to the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor being greater than a predetermined inflation pressure that is indicative of the temporarily inflatable bladder being at a desired inflation level.
18 . The patient support system of claim 12 , further comprising a check valve in fluid communication with the temporarily inflatable bladder, the check valve being configured to open at a cracking pressure in order to limit pressure within the temporarily inflatable bladder.
19 . (canceled)
20 . (canceled)

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63/420,255, filed on Oct. 28, 2022, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY The present technology relates to patient supports such as mattresses. BACKGROUND Patient supports, namely mattresses, are designed to comfortably support a patient lying thereon. Notably, patient supports are particularly useful in cases where patients have limited mobility as patient supports are specifically designed to minimize localized pressure on a patient's body to avoid the patient developing pressure ulcers (i.e., bedsores) from lying on the patient support for an extended period of time without moving. To that end, a patient support can be designed to have a significant amount of resilience such that, when the patient lies on the patient support, the patient's body is immersed into the patient support resulting in a distribution of the weight of the patient on a larger surface area, thereby reducing localized contact pressure along the patient's body. However, while the immersion of the patient's body in the patient support is desirable, it may in some cases complicate other operations. In particular, the egress of the patient from the patient support and moving the patient from one position to another on the patient support could be more difficult as the patient's body sits deep within the material of the patient support. Moreover, in some cases, certain treatments typically provided by a medical professional or a caregiver while the patient is lying on the patient support may be rendered more difficult by the immersion of the patient's body into the patient support. In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a patient support that addresses at least some of these drawbacks. SUMMARY It is an object of the present technology to ameliorate at least some of the inconveniences present in the prior art. According to an aspect of the present technology, there is provided a patient support comprising: a resilient support layer for supporting a patient, the resilient support layer having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, the upper surface being configured to, in use, face toward the patient supported by the resilient support layer; and an inflatable bladder disposed underneath at least part of the lower surface of the resilient support layer such that, in use, the resilient support layer is disposed between the patient and the inflatable bladder, the inflatable bladder being configured to be fluidly connected to a pump in order to be selectively inflated by the pump and thereby limit an immersion of the patient into the resilient support layer. In some embodiments, the inflatable bladder comprises a plurality of elongated cells that are in fluid communication with each other; and each elongated cell of the plurality of elongated cells is elongated in a transverse direction of the patient support. In some embodiments, the resilient support layer comprises: a central portion made of a first resilient material; and a left portion and a right portion disposed on a left side and a right side of the central portion respectively, the left and right portions being made of a second resilient material, the second resilient material having a greater rigidity than the first resilient material, the inflatable bladder being disposed underneath the central portion of the resilient support layer. In some embodiments, the resilient support layer is not inflatable. In some embodiments, the resilient support layer is made of foam. In some embodiments, the inflatable bladder is positioned such that, in use, the inflatable bladder is aligned, in a longitudinal direction of the patient support, with a back and/or a pelvic region of the patient. In some embodiments, the inflatable bladder defines a plurality of relief apertures for allowing fluid to flow out of the inflatable bladder. In some embodiments, the patient support further comprises a top moisture permeable layer disposed at least partially above the resilient support layer. In some embodiments, the patient support further comprises a bottom layer removably connected to the top moisture permeable layer for enclosing the resilient support layer and the inflatable bladder therebetween. In some embodiments, the inflatable bladder is disposed between the resilient support layer and the bottom layer. In some embodiments, the patient support further comprises: an air diffusion layer for diffusing air; and an air distribution manifold fluidly connected to the air diffusion layer, the air distribution manifold being configured to be fluidly connected to the pump in order to distribute air to the air diffusion layer. In some embodiments, a patient support system comprises: the patient support; a pump in fluid communication with the inflatable bladder; and a controller in communication with the pump, the controller being operable to selectively