Patent ID: 11892376
Assignee: STRYKER CORPORATION
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  A | IPC A  G

Claim 0:
1. A method of testing a bladder of a pneumatic mattress on a patient support for leakage, said method comprising:
providing a control system;
providing the control system with a sensor;
initiating a first test for detecting leakage by pressurizing the bladder to a first pressure with the control system;
during the first test for detecting leakage, sensing when the bladder has reached the first pressure with the sensor;
measuring an inflation time to reach the first pressure, the inflation time corresponding to a first time period;
comparing the inflation time to a stored acceptable inflation time value that corresponds to a second time period;
after reaching the first pressure of the first test for detecting leakage, the control system initiating a second test for detecting leakage that starts from the first pressure of the first test for detecting leakage, the second test including ceasing the pressurizing for a third time period greater than zero;
during the second test for detecting leakage, after the third time period has ended, the control system measuring a second pressure of the bladder with the sensor;
during the second test for detecting leakage, the control system measuring a fourth time period starting at the end of the third time period;
during the second test for detecting leakage, the control system sensing and measuring a third pressure with the sensor at the end of the fourth time period, the third pressure representing a reduced pressure from the second pressure of the bladder;
the control system determining a rate of change between the second pressure and the third pressure in the bladder over the fourth time period;
the control system comparing the rate of change to a stored value to determine whether there is a leak in the bladder; and
the control system generating a first signal when (1) the inflation time corresponding to the first time period is greater than the stored acceptable inflation time value corresponding to the second time period and generating a second signal when (2) the rate of change is greater than the stored value indicating a leak in the bladder.