Abstract:
A post shoulder surgery rehabilitation apparatus in the form of a bed wedge with a shoulder support wedge attachment to provide the optimal support and comfort to a patient while resting or sleeping on a bed or similar structure. An exemplary embodiment of the bed wedge apparatus is capable of being inflated and deflated to the optimal angle for comfort and support for the repaired shoulder by means of a remote control switch by the patients themselves without assistance from a caregiver. Alternate embodiments of the bed wedge apparatus include ones without the need for inflation or deflation and ones that have shoulder support wedges for both shoulders after surgery.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is generally related to post surgical support systems and devices. More particularly, the invention is related to a bed wedge apparatus specifically configured for use by a post shoulder surgery patient to assist in the recovery and rehabilitation of the shoulder after surgery. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Historically, recovery and rehabilitation from shoulder surgery required a lengthy stay in the hospital. More recently, there is an increasing trend towards performing shoulder and other related surgeries on an out-patient basis as a means to contain cost and increase the availability of hospital beds to patients undergoing more radical and invasive surgeries that require comprehensive post surgical aftercare. Consequently, shoulder surgeries are often done on an outpatient or same day surgery basis and the patient is sent home to manage on their own rather than being in the comfort, care and coverage of a hospital and nursing staff. 
         [0003]    Among the most significant challenges facing a patient who has undergone shoulder surgery is finding a means to comfortably lie down on a bed for resting or sleeping without exacerbating the pain and discomfort from the surgery. This generally requires that the patient not lie in a fully supine position and keep the post surgical shoulder on a comfortable surface at a certain angle relative to the patient&#39;s body. The standard pillows used on a bed are not capable of providing the special ergonomic support required for a post surgical shoulder, nor are they a safe alternative because their use to support a post surgical shoulder may in fact exacerbate the pain and discomfort in the shoulder and prolong the rehabilitation process. Pillows need to be positioned but then shift, settle and move throughout the night making such support difficult and short lived. What is needed is a specially constructed bed accessory or device that can be placed on the bed to provide support and comfort to the post surgical shoulder while the patient is resting or sleeping on the bed. Moreover, such specially constructed bed accessory needs to support not just the shoulder on its own but when it is in a post surgical shoulder sling provided by a hospital and/or orthopedic surgeon, post surgery. Prior art in the area of bed accessories and devices have not adequately nor fully addressed the critical issues faced by a post shoulder surgery patient in providing the best support and comfort to the patient when resting or sleeping on a bed. 
         [0004]    The use of special pillows to support the various parts of the body while resting or sleeping in bed, are well known in the art as for example, the adjustable wedge described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,089,615 to Parimuha. Some prior art have also addressed the issue of alleviating pain in the shoulders by providing specially configured pillows such as the orthopedic pillow with a recessed area to insert the shoulder while a person is lying on their side as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,069,515 to Tingey. U.S. Pat. No. 8,043,241 to Goumas describes a support system for a post shoulder surgery patient comprising an arm cradle, side bolster and a support pillow all separately secured to a mat positioned on a bed, floor or other flat surface. A drawback with this prior art is that the patient is restricted to lying in a supine position and does not have the ability nor the means to raise his upper body when they feel the need to, as for instance, to assist in getting out of bed, having a drink from a cup or bottle, or having a meal while still resting on the bed. Nor does such prior art have a hinge mechanism to ensure the stable and even elevation and recline of the patient. Also, such prior art is not designed to support a patient using a shoulder sling provided by a hospital or orthopedic surgeon and as such likely explains the lack of adoption of the prior art into the commercial post surgical medical market. Finally, the prior art does not stabilize the shoulder in a position of abduction (i.e. positioned resting against the chest of the patient) and/or external rotation (i.e. positioned out at an angle away from the body) as is required by medical protocol for a number of common shoulder surgeries and conditions. 
         [0005]    Inflatable mattresses and pillows that facilitate the raising of the upper body are also known in the art. U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2007/0028388 (Fletcher) describes an inflatable mattress-like apparatus to lift a person from a supine position on the ground to a sitting position above ground level. U.S. Pat. No. D651,840 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,241 both to Davis III describe an inflatable, wedge-shaped upper body elevator device suitable for lounging. U.S. Des. Pat. No. 407, 259 to Jackson illustrates an inflatable orthopedic pillow. None of these devices are suitable or safe for use by a patient who is attempting to recuperate from shoulder surgery. Among the many drawbacks of these and other inflatable mattresses, pillows and wedge -shaped devices are their narrow and flimsy construction with no peripheral support for resting the repaired shoulder at a comfortable angle to alleviate the post operative pain and discomfort, nor barriers on either side of the devices to prevent the patient from rolling off a bed accidentally while resting or sleeping. None of them are also capable of being remotely inflated by the patient&#39;s themselves to a comfortable angle to rest their post surgery shoulder. 
         [0006]    The present invention addresses and overcomes the deficiencies in the prior art for an apparatus or device specifically constructed for the comfort and rehabilitation of a post shoulder surgery patient while lying, resting, or sleeping on a bed or similar structure. The features and advantages of the bed wedge of the present invention are configured to provide support, comfort and rehabilitation of the repaired shoulder on its own as well as for use and support of the shoulder while in a hospital and/or orthopedic surgeon-prescribed shoulder sling. The present invention will be best understood through the summary of the invention, detailed description of the drawings and the claims that follow. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention is a bed wedge specifically configured for use by a post shoulder surgery patient while resting or sleeping on a bed. 
         [0008]    The primary object of the present invention is to provide a post shoulder surgery bed wedge device that has a specially configured means to support the injured shoulder both when it is in a post surgical shoulder sling or out of the sling. 
         [0009]    A second object of the present invention is to provide a device that is capable of maintaining the post surgical shoulder at the optimal angle of comfort and support while the patient is resting or sleeping on the bed. 
         [0010]    A third object of the invention is to provide a device that can be remotely inflated or deflated by the patient without assistance from others while resting on the device. 
         [0011]    A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a device that maintains the post surgical shoulder at a constant angle during the elevation and deflation of the device using the remote control switch. 
         [0012]    A fifth object of the present invention to provide a post shoulder surgery device that inflates and deflates evenly to avoid stress on the surgically repaired shoulder. 
         [0013]    A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a device that is light weight, portable, and can when needed, be securely placed on the surface of a bed for use by a patient recovering from shoulder surgery. The device should also be sufficiently wide and sturdy to prevent it from dislocation due to the movement of the patient while reposing on the device on top of a bed. 
         [0014]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the bed wedge device has a mattress surface made of Urethane® or other comparable material supported on a solid frame constructed from plastic or other light weight material, with a shoulder support wedge also made of Urethane® or other comparable material configured on one side of the mattress, and a detachable pillow positioned on the top end of the mattress to support the head. In this embodiment, the solid frame has inflation tubing attached to one of its sides and connected to an electromechanical inflation device plugged into a wall outlet. In this embodiment, there is also a remote control switch easily accessible by the patient with their unencumbered hand to turn on the electromechanical inflation device to inflate the bed wedge, through an inflatable inner core, to the optimal angle of comfort and support of the shoulder both while in and outside of a shoulder sling. In this embodiment of the bed wedge, the patient on their own without the aid of a nurse or caregiver is able to inflate and deflate the device from a lying position to a fully seated position or vice versa. 
         [0015]    In an alternate embodiment of the bed wedge of the present invention, the device is constructed to work without the need to inflate it. In this embodiment, the device is pre-configured with the appropriate slant and angle that provides the maximum comfort and support to the post surgery shoulder when it is placed in the shoulder support wedge. 
         [0016]    In yet another embodiment of the bed wedge of the present invention, the device is configured with two shoulder support wedges one on either side of the top mattress surface structure in the event that both shoulders have undergone surgery and need the required support for their rehabilitation. 
         [0017]    In this summary describing the objects and embodiments of the present invention and in the specification in general, references to the “exemplary embodiment,” “alternate embodiment,” “another embodiment” or “yet another embodiment” do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment(s). Rather, the references to the various embodiments mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristics described in conjunction with a specific embodiment is included in at least some embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments of the invention. The objects, embodiments and features of the post shoulder surgery bed wedge of the present invention as described in this summary of the invention will be further appreciated and will become obvious to one skilled in the art when viewed in conjunction with the drawings, detailed description of the invention and the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view from the side of the exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention revealing the inflated inner core of the bed wedge. 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a side elevation view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention with the inner core inflated. 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  is another perspective view from the back of the inflated bed wedge. 
           [0025]      FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  are perspective views of an alternate embodiment of the bed wedge of the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the use of the bed wedge by a post shoulder surgery patient. 
           [0027]      FIG. 11  is an exploded front view of the alternate embodiment of the bed wedge of the present invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the bed wedge of the present invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 13  is an exploded view of yet another embodiment of the bed wedge of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0030]    Referring now to the drawings, in which like numbers represent like elements in the several views, and in particular to  FIG. 1  an exemplary embodiment of the bed wedge  20  of the present invention is shown. The bed wedge  20  has a shoulder support wedge  1  ergonomically configured at one end to provide support to a shoulder that has undergone surgery which may be in a post surgical shoulder sling or one that is outside the sling. The bed wedge  20  has a specially adapted pillow  2  to cradle the head of the patient reclining on the bed wedge  20  when resting or sleeping. The bed wedge  20  has a triangular wedge-shaped mattress  3  supported on a sturdy and solid triangular wedge-shaped frame  4  with their broad and narrow ends aligned to form a slope. The narrow ends of the mattress  3  and the narrow end of the solid frame  4  are connected by means of a hinge  5  which helps to hold the mattress  3  and solid frame  4  together at these ends when the bed wedge  20  is inflated by means of an electromechanical inflation device  8  connected to the solid frame  4  of the bed wedge  20  through an inflation tubing  6 . The electromechanical inflation device  8  is plugged into a wall outlet  10  through a two or three pronged cable  9 . A remote control switch  11  is configured to be within easy reach of the patient with their unencumbered hand to inflate and deflate the bed wedge  20  to a sufficient incline and angle that provides the maximum support and optimal comfort to the repaired shoulder while the patient is resting or sleeping on the bed. 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIG. 2  another perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the bed wedge  20  is shown with the inflation tubing  6  detached from the solid frame  4  exposing the orifice  7  in the solid frame  4  through which the inflation tubing  6  is threaded and held in place to inflate the bed wedge  20 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the exemplary embodiment of the bed wedge  20  of the present invention providing a perspective of the slant in the structure with the shoulder wedge  1  seen rising over the mattress  3  structure held up by the solid frame  4  structure held together at their narrow ends by the hinge  5 . The inflation tubing  6  is seen exiting the solid frame  4  and is connected to the electromechanical inflation device  8  plugged into the wall outlet  10  through the cable  9 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  is an exploded side view of the exemplary embodiment of the bed wedge  20  showing the parts of the shoulder wedge  1  which is composed of two units, the upper rectangular shaped  1   a  and the bottom triangle shaped  1   b . The units  1   a  and  1   b  are held together on the mattress  3  structure surface with Velcro® or other suitable adhesive material. This makes it possible for the shoulder wedge  1  to be taken apart and lifted off the bed wedge  20  when not in use by a post shoulder surgery patient. The bed wedge  20  can also be used by a non-shoulder surgery person to rest, relax, read a book etc. on the bed by removing the shoulder wedge  1  section from the mattress  3 . In an alternative embodiment of the bed wedge  20  the unit  1   b  would be provided in varying heights and angles depending upon the size of the patient to ensure the proper angle for post surgical shoulder recovery. For instance, the size of unit  1   b  would vary depending on whether the patient was a child or an adult. The bed wedge  20  pillow  2  is also held in place on the top end of the bed wedge  20  mattress  3  by Velcro® or other suitable adhesive material. Having the shoulder wedge  1  in parts  1   a  and  1   b  and the ability to remove pillow  2  from the mattress  3  makes it easy to disassemble and assemble bed wedge  20  as well as store it in a compact space when not needed. 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the bed wedge  20  illustrating the inflated position of the inner core layer  12  of the bed wedge  20 . The inner core layer  12  is layered between the upper mattress  3  structure and the lower solid frame  4  of the bed wedge  20 . The inner core layer  12  is constructed of a flexible and collapsible material that is sturdy so that it can withstand the frequent inflation and deflation of the bed wedge  20  to different heights by the patient in an attempt to achieve the optimal comfort and support for the post surgical shoulder. In this embodiment, hinge  5  ensures that the inner core layer  12  inflates and deflates evenly throughout the length and width of the bed wedge  20  so as to avoid stress on the surgically repaired shoulder. In this embodiment of the bed wedge  20  when the patient wants to raise or lower the mattress  3  including the shoulder wedge  1  in order to achieve the optimal comfort and support for the post surgical shoulder, they can easily reach out with their unencumbered hand to turn on the remote switch  11  to start the process of inflating or deflating the inner core  12  of the bed wedge  20 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 6  is a side perspective view of the inflated bed wedge  20  showing the inner core layer  12  inflated to its maximum potential providing approximately a 70° incline or more sufficient to lift the patient to a near full seated position when they want to sit up, get out of bed or have a drink or meal while in bed. In this embodiment, even with the patient in a fully seated position, the shoulder wedge  1  firmly holds the post surgical shoulder in a sling or outside a sling at an angle that is comfortable to the patient. 
         [0036]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view from the back of the exemplary embodiment of the bed wedge  20  of the present invention highlighting the inflated inner core  12  lying between the upper mattress  3  structure and the lower solid frame  4  and illustrating the positioning of the shoulder wedge  1  and the pillow  2  as they are viewed from the back of the bed wedge  20 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  are perspective views of an alternate embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, bed wedge  30  has all the features of the exemplary embodiment of the bed wedge  20  including the shoulder wedge  1  detachable pillow  2  the upper mattress  3  the lower solid frame  4  and the hinge  5  connecting the mattress  3  with the solid frame  4  at their narrow ends. In this embodiment of the bed wedge  30  there is no inner core layer  12  or inflatable tubing attached to the solid frame  4  connecting the bed wedge  30  to an electromechanical inflation device or switch. Therefore, this alternate embodiment, bed wedge  30  is for use by post shoulder surgery patients who do not require the bed wedge to be raised or lowered while resting or sleeping in bed and maybe a cheaper alternative to the exemplary embodiment, bed wedge  20 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 10  is an exploded view of the alternate embodiment  30  of the bed wedge  20  with the shoulder wedge  1  units  1   a  and  1   b  and the detachable pillow  2  shown in relief and exemplifies the ease with which the bed wedge  30  can be assembled or taken apart for storage. 
         [0039]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the use of the bed wedge  20  or  30  by a post shoulder surgery patient. The figure illustrates the patient  35  reposing on the bed wedge  20  or  30  with his repaired shoulder in a surgical sling supported by the shoulder wedge  1  and his head cradled on the pillow  2 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 12  is yet another embodiment of the bed wedge of the present invention. In this embodiment, the bed wedge  40  is configured with two shoulder wedges one for the right side and the other for the left side of the bed wedge with identical shoulder wedge units  1   a  and  1   b . The base structure of the bed wedge  40  with mattress  3  solid frame  4  detachable pillow  2  and hinge  5  are the same as in the exemplary embodiment bed wedge  20  and the alternate embodiment bed wedge  30 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 13  is an exploded view of the bed wedge  40  with the shoulder wedge units  1   a  and  1   b  and the detachable pillow  2  shown in relief off the base structure composed of the top mattress  3 , the bottom solid frame  4  and the hinge  5  connecting the mattress  3  to the solid frame  4  at the front of the bed wedge  40 . 
         [0042]    The foregoing detailed description of the present invention through its figures and various embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention. It should be understood that the phraseology and terminology used to describe the invention are for descriptive purposes only and other phrase and terminology may be used to describe the relevant parts of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention. It should be further understood and obvious to those skilled in the art that alternatives, modifications and variations of the embodiments of the invention described herein are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.