Disposable surgical pad

A disposable surgical pad for supporting a patient having a cellulose housing with a granular cellulose material in the cavity of the housing. The granular material is generally uniformly shaped, preferably spheroid in shape, and of a size for assuming a shape to conform to a patient without packing together and of a size which is substantially radio-translucent. A valve is connected to the housing for controlling the air pressure in the cavity whereby the granular material will create a custom contoured support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a single use pad that can be used in 
an operating room environment to redistribute weight from areas of a 
patient that are typically at high risk of breakdown during surgical 
procedures. The pad will also serve as a means of posturing the patient 
during a surgical procedure. 
The components of the pad are biodegradable and preferably incineratable 
without creating environmental problems, but meet the flamability 
standards for operating room equipment. In addition, the pad or mattress 
utilizes granular cellulose based filler material of generally uniform 
shape and size for assuming a shape to conform to the patient without 
packing together and of a size which does not significantly interfere with 
x-ray transmission. Means are provided in the pad cover for controlling 
the air pressure in the cells of the support surface for fluidizing the 
granular material to conform to the shape of the patient and to reduce the 
air pressure in the cells to provide a semi-rigid shaped support for the 
patient. 
There are a multitude of mattresses and similar support devices for a human 
body in which the mattress contains a particulate material which under air 
pressure will conform with the configuration of the body being supported 
and which, when the air pressure is reduced, will more rigidly support the 
body. However, these devices generally included plastic components and 
were not suitable for use in surgical environments. First, patient support 
media in an operating room environment are subject to contamination, and 
should be not only biodegradable, but burnable without creating any 
environmental problems, and still meet the standards for flamability of 
operating room equipment. Secondly, the filler material used in the pad or 
mattress should be of a consistency that is substantially 
radio-translucent, and thereby provides minimal interference with x-ray 
imaging. In this regard, many plastic materials are not sufficiently x-ray 
transparent. In addition, the material should be a size to be as coarse as 
possible so that it will not pack and reduce its capacity to mold and 
provide pressure relief for the body, but must be easily fluidized with 
air so that it will produce a custom contoured surface for the person to 
lie after the excess air is removed from the pad. 
SUMMARY 
The present invention is directed to a disposable surgical pad for 
supporting a patient and includes a housing enclosing a cavity in which 
the housing includes a cellulose material. A granular cellulose material 
is positioned in the cavity and is of a generally uniformly shape for 
reducing its tendency to pack together. In addition the granular material 
is of a size for assuming a shape to conform to a patient without packing 
together. If desired the granular material may be of a small enough size 
which is substantially radio-translucent. Means are provided in the 
housing for making connections for controlling the air pressure in the 
cavity, for fluidizing the granular material, for allowing it to conform 
to the contour of a person and which will, when the pressure is reduced, 
provide a semi-rigid support contoured surface that stabilizes the patient 
as well as provides pressure relief to the patient. 
Still a further object of the present invention is wherein the granular 
cellulose material is generally spherical for reducing its tendency to 
compact and stick together. 
A further object of the present invention is wherein the housing is gas 
permeable whereby a vacuum may be applied on the inside of the housing for 
keeping the granular material firm, and thereby providing a stabilizing 
support. 
Another object of the present invention is wherein the housing consists of 
a paper which is not only biodegradable, but is burnable without creating 
any environmental problems, and which will meet the standards for 
flamability of the operating room. 
Yet a further object of the present invention is wherein the granular 
material is selected from a group consisting of nut shells, corn cobs, and 
grain hulls, which, like the housing are not only biodegradable, but are 
burnable without adverse environmental consequences. Preferably, the size 
of the granular material is substantially between 90 and 224 mesh. This 
range provides a fine, non-cohesive, granular material which will not 
interfere significantly with x-rayed materials. However, the granular 
material is as coarse as possible so that it will not pack and reduce its 
capacity to be moved and provide pressure relief for the patient. This 
size material can be easily fluidized with air so that it will produce a 
custom contoured surface for the person to lie on after the air is removed 
from the pad. 
Still a further object of the present invention is wherein the housing 
includes a plurality of longitudinally extending partitions for reducing 
transverse flow of the granular material. This will avoid the patient 
bottoming out on the pad. Various types of partitions may be provided for 
performing this function. 
Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from 
the following description of presently preferred embodiments of the 
invention, given for the purpose of disclosure and taken in conjunction 
with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the 
reference numeral 10 generally indicates the surgical pad or mattress of 
the present invention for supporting a patient thereon. The pad 10 
generally includes a housing 12, a cavity 14, a granular cellulose 
material 16 in the cavity 14 and means 18 connected to the housing 12 for 
controlling the air pressure in the cavity 14. 
The housing 12 consists of a top 20, a bottom 22, sides 24 and ends 26. The 
housing 12 consists of any suitable cellulose material, preferably paper, 
and is biodegradable, and meets the standards for flamability of operating 
room devices. That is, the paper housing 12 will not independently support 
burning, but may be incinerated without creating environmental problems. 
In addition, the paper is flexible, and preferably gas permeable. For 
example only, the housing 12 may be of a size 30" by 78" and 31/2" thick 
and comprised of a plurality of layers of paper to provide the desirable 
strength, but flexibility to conform to the contour of a patient's body. 
For example, the housing 12 may be comprised of up to 6 layers of paper of 
up to 6 mils thick each. 
The granular cellulose material 16 is supplied in the cavity 14 in a 
sufficient quantity to prevent the patient from inadvertently bottoming 
out on the bottom 22, but with a small enough volume that the granular 
material can be moved inside the housing 12 to create a custom contoured 
support that will relieve the contact pressures under the boney areas of 
the patient. For example only, the granular material 16 may be of a volume 
to fill the cavity 14 approximately two-thirds full. The granular material 
16 should be a fine, non-cohesive, granular material. In order for the 
cellulose granular material not to interfere significantly with x-ray 
procedures, the material 16 should be fine enough so as to be 
substantially radio-translucent. The granular material 16, however, should 
be as coarse as possible so that it will not pack, stick together, or 
reduce its capacity to be moved and provide pressure relief for the 
patient's body. The size of the particles should be no greater than those 
that will pass through a 90 mesh screen thereby insuring that the 
cellulose particles will be radio-translucent. In addition, particle 16 
should not be any smaller than those that will be stopped by a 224 mesh 
screen in order to prevent them from becoming packed and immobile. If it 
not desired that the granular material 16 be radio-translucent, then size 
of the granular particles may be greater than those that would pass 
through a 90 mesh screen. 
Another feature of the granular cellulose material particle 16 is that they 
should be generally uniformly shaped. For example, it is preferable that 
the particle 16 be of a generally spheroid in shape which will further 
insure that they are non-cohesive, will not stick together and become 
packed. Thus, the granular material is provided in shape and size so that 
it can be as coarse as possible so that it will not pack and reduce its 
capacity to be moved, but on the other hand is of a small enough size so 
as to produce minimal background interference with x-ray imaging, if 
desired. Therefore, the granular particles 16 can be easily fluidized with 
air so that it will produce a custom contoured surface for the person to 
lie on and will provide a semi-rigid support after air is removed from the 
pad. Vacuum can be applied to maintain the contoured shape of the granular 
material. In addition, the granular material 16 of cellulose material, is 
sized and shape so that it will not produce air borne dust if the housing 
12 is torn. 
While the granular material 16 may be of any suitable cellulose material, 
in prototype work ground walnut shells and ground corn cobs have been 
found to be satisfactory. Other particular types of satisfactory material 
may be other nut shells such as pecan shells, hickory shells and pistachio 
shells. Other types of hulls may also be satisfactory such as rice hulls 
and wheat hulls. In any event, cellulose materials such as the housing 12 
and granular material 16 are not only biodegradable, but may be 
incinerated without creating environmental problems, which is important in 
disposing of surgical pads 10 which have been subjected to infection, 
diseases, body fluids, or other contamination. 
The means 18 connected to the housing is for the purpose of controlling the 
air pressure in the cavity 14. The means 18 may include a valve 30 
connected to a manifold 32 having openings 34, 36, and 38 in communication 
with the cavity 14 for increasing or decreasing the air pressure in the 
cavity 14 in the housing 12. Standard operating room air supplies or 
vacuum lines may be connected to the valve 30. Thus, atmospheric or 
positive air pressure may be applied to the granular material 16 for 
fluidizing it so that it may be easily moved to produce a custom contoured 
surface for the patient to lie on. Thereafter, the air may be removed, and 
a vacuum applied to the valve 30, if desired, to place the contoured 
material 16 in a semi-rigid condition coacting with the contour of the 
patient's body. In this operating mode, the material 16 will become a 
semi-rigid support surface that stabilizes the patient as well as 
providing pressure relief to the patient's body. 
While the housing 12 may be comprised of a single compartment or a 
plurality of separate compartments having granular material 16 and in 
communication with the valve 30, it is preferable to provide a plurality 
of longitudinally extending partitions 40 in the housing 12 for reducing 
the transverse flow of the granular material 16 as a patient is laid on 
the housing 12. That is, with a single large compartment of fluidized 
particles 16, the body of a patient would tend to displace the fluidized 
particles 16 and have a tendency to bottom out on the bottom 22 which is 
undesirable. Therefore, the partitions 40 reduce the movement of the 
granular particles 16 for reducing the tendency for a patient to bottom 
out. The partitions 40 include ends 42 which are spaced from the ends 26 
of the housing whereby the ends 42 are in communication with the air 
pressure control means 18 for pressurizing and removing air throughout the 
cavity 14. 
Other and further embodiments of the shape of the housing 12 may be 
provided wherein like parts to those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 include the 
suffix "a" in FIGS. 3 and 4 and the suffix "b" in FIGS. 5 and 6. In FIGS. 
3 and 4 longitudinally extending partitions 40a are in the form of tubular 
members having a generally egged shaped cross-section. In addition, the 
cross-sections are at an angle to the vertical in order to prevent seams 
between the partitions 40a from creating "hard spots" in the housing 12a. 
Similarly, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the longitudinally extending 
partitions 40b consist of upper semi-circular partitions 40b and lower 
semi-circular partitions 40c with the partitions 40b and 40c being offset 
from each other to prevent seams there between creating hard spots in the 
housing 12b. 
The present invention provides a disposable surgical pad which can provide 
a single use product, which is composed of all biodegradable materials, 
and which in fact may be incinerated without creating environmental 
problems while disposing of potentially hazardous materials, is burnable, 
but will not support burning independently and therefore will meet 
operating room standards, will not interfere with taking of x-rays and 
includes a filler material of a size and shape which will provide pressure 
relief for the soft tissue of a patient as well as stability for the 
patient. 
The present invention therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects 
and attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as others inherent 
therein. While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been 
given for the purpose of disclosure, numerous changes in the details of 
construction and arrangement of parts, will be readily apparent to those 
skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the 
invention and the scope of the appended claims.