Patent ID: 6385803
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: A61G

Abstract:
A method of supporting a body element, comprising:providing at least one support device comprising at least one closed or controlled-release flexible chamber located between a top face for receiving the body element and a bottom face; providing said flexible chamber with inlet and outlet means via which a filling fluid can be fed into said chamber or removed therefrom; providing a control device, separate and independent from said at least one support device, the control device having a top face in contact with said bottom face of said at least one support device and a bottom face separated by lateral faces from the top face of the control device, the control device defining an internal control chamber, the control device comprising located internally within said control chamber all of a control station, filling means, emptying means, and a monitoring member comprising measuring means, the filling means and emptying means being structured to be connected to said inlet and outlet means for said flexible chamber and said control station being structured for driving the filling means and the emptying means included in said control device for filling said at least one flexible chamber with said filling fluid or for emptying said fluid therefrom, the measuring means measuring a penetration distance into said at least one support device, said measuring means being connected to the control station included in said control device; penetrating said at least one flexible chamber by said body element and thereby defining the penetration distance into said at least one support device by said body element; measuring said penetration distance with said measuring means of said control device; and driving the filling and emptying of said at least one chamber with said filling fluid by said filling and emptying means via said inlet and outlet means, respectively, based on regulation from said control device including said control station at least as a function of the measured penetration distance.