Patent ID: 8535246
Filing Date: 2013-09-17
Classification: A61B,A61G

Abstract:
1. A pressure monitoring system for providing a warning to a patient or caregiver that the patient should be moved to at least minimize soft tissue damage to the patient, the system comprising: a pressure-sensitive pad assembly adapted to be applied to a surface of the patient's body that is susceptible to damage from soft tissue pressure, the pressure-sensitive pad assembly generating electrical outputs corresponding to soft tissue pressure sensed by the pressure-sensitive pad assembly at the surface of the patient's body; means for monitoring a plurality of the electrical outputs generated by the pressure-sensitive pad assembly; a counter associated with the monitoring means that generates a counter value that increases from an initial value while the soft tissue pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure level and decreases toward the initial value while the soft tissue pressure does not exceed the predetermined pressure level, wherein the counter value increases at a first ratio relative to actual elapsed time and the counter value decreases at a second ratio relative to actual elapsed time, and the second ratio is less than the first ratio; and means for continuously generating a visual warning while the counter value exceeds the initial value.