U.S. patent application number 10/437282 was filed with the patent office on 2004-11-18 for alternating pressure cushion.
Invention is credited to Hampton, Donna N., Shaw, William C..
Application Number | 20040226102 10/437282 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33417342 |
Filed Date | 2004-11-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040226102 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hampton, Donna N. ; et
al. |
November 18, 2004 |
ALTERNATING PRESSURE CUSHION
Abstract
The alternating pressure cushion is a cushion for prevention and
treatment of decubitus ulcers in hemodialysis patients, patients
who are wheelchair bound, and other persons confined in a seated or
reclined position for a prolonged period. The alternating pressure
cushion has a back cushion section, a seat cushion section, and a
leg cushion section, each section having a plurality of air bladder
networks. The air bladder networks are arranged so that each
provides support when inflated. When one air bladder network is
inflated to support the patient, the other air bladder is deflated
to relieve pressure from areas of the patient's body. Alternately
inflating and deflating the air bladder networks supports the
patient without prolonged pressure points.
Inventors: |
Hampton, Donna N.;
(Murfreesboro, TN) ; Shaw, William C.;
(Readyville, TN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LITMAN LAW OFFICES, LTD.
P.O. BOX 15035 CRYSTAL CITY STATION
ARLINGTON
VA
22215
US
|
Family ID: |
33417342 |
Appl. No.: |
10/437282 |
Filed: |
May 14, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
5/713 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61G 5/1043 20130101;
A61G 7/05776 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
005/713 |
International
Class: |
A47C 027/10 |
Claims
We claim:
1. An alternating pressure cushion, comprising: a back cushion
section having first and second back air-bladder networks, each
back air-bladder network having an air filling tube connected
thereto; a seat cushion section, the seat cushion being flexibly
joined to said back cushion section, the seat cushion section
having first and second seat air-bladder networks, the first seat
air-bladder network having first inflation means for inflating said
first seat air-bladder network, the second seat air-bladder network
having second inflation means for inflating said second seat
air-bladder network; and a leg cushion section, the leg cushion
section being flexibly joined to said seat cushion section, the leg
cushion section having first and second leg air-bladder networks,
the first leg air-bladder network having third inflation means for
inflating said first leg air-bladder network, the second leg
air-bladder network having fourth inflation means for inflating
said second leg air-bladder network.
2. The alternating pressure cushion according to claim 1, wherein:
said first inflation means for inflating said first seat
air-bladder network is an air filling tube; said second inflation
means for inflating said second seat air-bladder network is an air
filling tube; said third inflation means for inflating said first
leg air-bladder network is an air filling tube; and said fourth air
filling means for inflating said second leg air-bladder network is
an air filling tube.
3. The alternating pressure cushion according to claim 1, wherein
said first inflation means for inflating said first seat
air-bladder network comprises a first air-channel joining said
first back air-bladder network to said first seat air-bladder
network; said third inflation means for inflating said first leg
air-bladder network comprises a third air-channel joining said
first seat air-bladder network to said first leg air-bladder
network; said second inflation means for inflating said second seat
air-bladder network comprises a second air-channel joining said
second back air-bladder network to said second seat air-bladder
network; and said fourth inflation means for inflating said second
leg air-bladder network comprises a fourth air-channel joining said
second seat air-bladder network to said second leg air-bladder
network; whereby inflating said first back air-bladder network
causes said first seat air-bladder network and said first leg
air-bladder network to inflate; and whereby inflating said second
back air-bladder network causes said second seat air-bladder
network and said second leg air-bladder network to inflate.
4. The alternating pressure cushion according to claim 3, wherein
said back cushion section further comprises a lumbar support
air-bladder having an air filling tube connected thereto.
5. The alternating pressure cushion according to claim 1, wherein
said back cushion section further comprises a lumbar support
air-bladder having an air filling tube connected thereto.
6. The alternating pressure cushion according to claim 1, wherein
said back cushion section, said seat cushion section, said leg
cushion section, and said air-bladder networks comprise: an upper
sheet formed of an air-tight material; a lower sheet formed of an
air-tight material, the lower sheet being joined to said upper
sheet by welded seems.
7. The alternating pressure cushion according to claim 1, further
comprising a plurality of hooks disposed in said back cushion
section, the hooks being adapted to support the alternating
pressure cushion on a chair back.
8. The alternating pressure cushion according to claim 1, further
comprising a slipcover covering the alternating pressure
cushion.
9. The alternating pressure cushion according to claim 8, wherein
said slipcover further comprises a pocket, the pocket being adapted
to fit over a chair back to support the alternating pressure
cushion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an air inflatable seat
cushion. More specifically, the invention is an alternating
pressure cushion for therapeutic or medical use. The cushion is
useful for preventing and treating decubitus ulcers in hemodialysis
patients and others who are prone to decubitus ulcers from sitting
for extended periods while receiving dialysis or other forms of
treatment.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Decubitis ulcers, more commonly known as pressure sores or
bedsores, are a common problem that afflicts people who are
debilitated, confined to a bed, or otherwise immobilized. Decubitus
ulcers, which are areas of skin and tissue that become ulcerated
from pressure caused by lying down in the same position for
extended or prolonged periods of time, form when the skin and
underlying tissue are pressed between a bone and an external
surface, such as a bed or chair. Pressure restricts blood flow to
these areas. After a prolonged period the reduced blood flow begins
to cause tissue damage that, if left unchecked, may become
severe.
[0005] Avoiding prolonged pressure to parts of the body can prevent
decubitus ulcers. Bed-ridden patients should be moved to relieve
pressure points. Also, various cushions, pillows, foam padding and
the like can be used to prevent pressure points for bed-ridden
patients and patients who are confined to a seated position, such
as hemodialysis patients and the wheelchair-bound.
[0006] Mattresses have been devised to provide for distribution of
pressure and the prevention of bedsores in bed-ridden patients.
Mattresses for decubitis relief are often known as "turning
mattresses" because they typically employ air bladders or another
mechanism to gently turn a bed-ridden patient from side to side,
changing the side of the patient's body that is weighted. In
addition, cushions for chairs and wheelchairs that reduce or
redistribute pressure are known.
[0007] Hemodialysis patients present a particular need, since a
patient undergoing hemodialysis may be moved through a range of
positions, from being seated upright, to a partially reclined
position, to being fully reclined. During the hemodialysis session,
the patient must remain in the hemodialysis chair for several
hours, thus creating a risk of pressure sores. Because the patient
may be in a reclined position, there is a risk of pressure sores on
the patient's legs, buttocks, and back. Thus, a simple seat cushion
is insufficient to protect the patient's legs and back from
pressure points.
[0008] A turning mattress is not suited to the needs of
hemodialysis because a fully recumbent position is not generally
preferred, and because the turning of the patient is not desirable
while the patient is connected to the intravenous hemodialysis
lines. For a hemodialysis situation, a cushion that is segmented to
provide pressure relief for the legs, buttocks, and back and that
is flexible to accommodate various degrees of recline is
needed.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,507, issued on Oct. 26, 1976 to M. Hall,
discloses a pressure distribution pad assembly for wheelchairs. The
pad is formed of a foam material and has regions of greater and
lesser density to evenly distribute pressure when a person sits on
the pad on a wheelchair. This pad, however, is only a seat pad and
provides relief only for the buttocks.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,598, issued on Mar. 8, 1988 to J. Hess,
describes a patient chair system that includes features to prevent
pressure sores. The chair utilizes air sacs to form a support for
the buttocks and thighs of a patient to distribute weight and
eliminate pressure points. Again, while providing relief to a
seated patient, this chair system does not address the needs of a
patient who is in either a partially or fully reclined
position.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,764, issued on Apr. 15, 1997 to H.
Lopau, discloses a mattress for decubitus prophylaxis. A kind of
"turning mattress," the mattress includes inflatable air chambers
that form a pair of longitudinal air cushions. The pair of air
cushions, one on each side of the mattress, are separately
inflatable and deflatable. In use, each of the pair is alternately
inflated and deflated, causing the patient to be turned gently from
side to side. Because the patient is turned from side to side,
continuous pressure points are avoided and bedsores may be
prevented. Although this mattress provides for full body prevention
of bedsores, the method of turning a patient from side to side is
not suitable for use in a seated position, and in a hemodialysis
situation it is preferred not to turn the patient while connected
to the intravenous hemodialysis lines. Additionally, because the
mattress is designed generally for patients in a recumbent position
and not a seated position, it lacks some features which are
desirable for patients in a seated position, such as a lumbar
support.
[0012] French Patent No. 2,601,874, published on Jan. 29, 1988,
discloses another air mattress for prevention of bedsores in a
bedridden patient. The primary benefit of this mattress appears to
be its construction with a material that is highly permeable to
water vapor, allowing the mattress to "breathe." Again, this
mattress is designed for recumbent bed-ridden patients, and so
lacks features that are desirable for seated use.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,184, issued on Apr. 13, 1999 to M.
Murphy, discloses a pressure reducing backrest cushion with
pressure point relief. The cushion is comprised of several air
bladders, each filled with a compressible foam material. The foam
material provides support in conjunction with air contained within
the air bladders. Pressure points may be relieved by letting air
escape from one or more of the bladders that support the pressured
region. The cushion provides enhanced comfort by the ability to
adjust firmness of various portions by expelling air from the
bladders. However, once a bladder is deflated it will not
re-inflate until the patient has moved or stood up to allow the
foam to expand. This cushion, therefore, is not ideally suited for
a situation where a patient is confined to a seated or reclined
position for an extended period. Also, patient comfort may be
compromised by the lack of a lumbar support.
[0014] None of the above inventions and patents, taken either
singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention
as claimed. Thus an alternating pressure cushion solving the
aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The alternating pressure cushion is a seat cushion for the
prevention and treatment of decubitis ulcers in patients who are
required to sit in an upright or reclined position for an extended
period of time, such as hemodialysis patients undergoing a lengthy
treatment. Hemodialysis patients, patients confined to a
wheelchair, patients who are bed-ridden, and other patients with
limited mobility may use the cushion to provide LITMAN LAW comfort
and to avoid pressure points that cause pressure sores.
[0016] The cushion is formed in three sections to provide a back
cushion, a seat cushion, and a leg cushion. Each of the sections
contains a plurality of air bladders. Air channels connect the air
bladders between sections to form air bladder networks, each of
which can be inflated and deflated from a single source.
[0017] The air bladders are arranged so that each bladder network
provides uniform support not dependant on the other bladder
networks. In use, the bladder networks are alternately inflated and
deflated so that as one is inflated, another is deflated. The
alternate inflation of each bladder network allows the patient's
weight to be shifted from one network to another network, thereby
eliminating prolonged pressure points.
[0018] The back cushion has a separately inflatable air bladder
that forms a lumbar support region for improved comfort.
[0019] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to
provide an alternating pressure cushion for the prevention and
treatment of pressure sores.
[0020] It is another object of the invention to provide an
alternating pressure cushion for the prevention and treatment of
pressure sores that includes back, seat, and leg support
[0021] It is a further object of the invention to provide an
alternating pressure cushion for the prevention and treatment of
pressure sores that includes a lumbar support for additional
comfort.
[0022] It, is an object of the invention to provide improved
elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which
is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its
intended purposes.
[0023] These and other objects of the present invention will become
readily apparent upon further review of the following specification
and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of an
alternating pressure cushion according to the present
invention.
[0025] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an alternating pressure cushion
according to the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 3 is an environmental, perspective view showing a
method of attaching the alternating pressure cushion to a seat
back.
[0027] FIG. 4 is a section view along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2.
[0028] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features
consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0029] The present invention is an alternating pressure cushion,
designated generally as 10 in the drawings. As seen in FIG. 1, the
alternating pressure cushion 10 is configured to provide cushion
support in a seated or reclined position with a back cushion
section 30, a seat cushion section 40, and a leg cushion section
50. The cushion sections are flexibly connected to one another so
that the alternating pressure cushion 10 will easily fit a variety
of chairs, including hemodialysis chairs and wheelchairs. The
alternating pressure cushion 10 provides seat, back, and leg
support through a range of positions, from seated upright to fully
reclined.
[0030] The alternating pressure cushion 10 may include a separate
air cushion 20 and slipcover 70. The slipcover 70 may be
permanently attached to the air cushion 20, or it may be removable.
If removable, the slipcover 20 may be reusable or disposable.
[0031] Each of the cushion sections employs a plurality of air
bladder networks formed of air bladders and interconnecting air
channels. Each air bladder network is provided with means for
inflating the air bladder. The air bladder networks are arranged so
that each air bladder network may be separately inflated to provide
uniform cushion support.
[0032] As seen in FIG. 2, the air cushion 20 may be formed having
two independent air bladder networks, arranged to form three
distinct cushion sections. The cushion sections are defined by
foldable seams 26, 28 so that the alternating pressure cushion 10
may be folded to fit a variety of sitting situations. In a
preferred embodiment, the back cushion section 30 has a first back
air bladder network 32 and a second back air bladder network 34.
Air filling tubes 36, 38, connected to the back air bladder
networks 32, 34, allow for inflation of the back air bladder
networks 32, 34. In addition to the back air bladder networks 32,
34, the back cushion section 22 includes a lumbar support air
bladder 60. The lumbar support air bladder 60 is connected to an
air filling tube 62.
[0033] The seat cushion section 40 has first and second seat air
bladder networks 42, 44. First and second air filling means 46, 48
connect to the first and second seat air bladder networks 42, 44.
The air filling means 46, 48 may be air filling tubes. However, it
is preferred that the air filling means 46, 48 are air channels,
including a first air channel 46 connecting the first seat air
bladder network 42 to the first back air bladder network 32, and a
second air channel 48 connecting the second seat air bladder
network 44 to the second back air bladder network 34.
[0034] The leg cushion section 50 has first and second air bladder
networks 52, 54. First and second air filling means 56, 58 connect
to the first and second leg air bladder networks 52, 54. The air
filling means 56, 58 may be air filling tubes. However, it is
preferred that the air filling means 56, 58 are air channels,
including a first air channel 56 connecting the first leg air
bladder network 52 to the first seat air bladder network 42, and a
second air channel 58 connecting the second leg air bladder network
54 to the second leg seat bladder network 44.
[0035] In the preferred embodiment, the first back air bladder
network 32, the first seat air bladder network 42, and the first
leg air bladder network 52 are joined by the connecting air
channels into a single first air bladder network. Likewise, the
second back air bladder network 34, the second seat air bladder
network 44, and the second leg air bladder network 54 are joined by
the connecting air channels into a single second air bladder
network. It can be seen that inflating a back air bladder network
causes its adjoining seat and leg air bladder networks to
inflate.
[0036] A preferred method of construction of the alternating
pressure cushion 10 is by welding an upper sheet 22 of an air-tight
material to a lower sheet 24 of an air-tight material, with welded
seams forming the air bladder networks, lumbar support air bladder,
air channels, and foldable seams. FIG. 4 shows a cross section of
the leg cushion section 50 of the alternating pressure cushion 10,
with the upper sheet 22 welded to the lower sheet 24 to form the
first and second leg air bladder networks 52,54.
[0037] In use, the alternating pressure cushion 10 is connected to
an alternating pressure air pump 80. The alternating pressure air
pump 80 provides two air pressure sources that are alternately
activated. The first air filling tube 32 is connected to one of the
air sources, and the second air filling tube 34 is connected to the
other. The alternating pressure air pump will first inflate the
first air bladder network while deflating the second air bladder
network, and then fill the second air bladder network while
deflating the first. The lumbar air filling tube 62 connects to
either air pressure source by a "T" fitting 64 and a valve 66 to
inflate the lumbar supporting air bladder 60.
[0038] The alternating pressure cushion 10 is well suited for use
in a hemodialysis chair or other reclining chair as shown In FIG.
1., or in a wheelchair or another similar type of chair as seen in
FIG. 3. The alternating pressure cushion 10 is held in place on a
chair back by hooks 74, or by a pocket 72 formed in the slipcover
70 which may be placed over a chair back.
[0039] It is to be understood that the present invention is not
limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and
all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *