BODY SUPPORT

Abstract: Insert intended to be placed between a skin section and a support against which said skin section engages, said insert having for a purpose to facilitate the circulation of blood under supply of air and removal of heat and moisture, and the insert comprising a conformable network shaped enclosure (1) and freely movable filler bodies (3) placed therein. The filler bodies (3) have a size of from about 2 to about 10 mm, and are elongated with a ratio length/width (L/W) of from about 1.2 to about 3.

Description: BODY SUPPORT The present invention relates to supporting inserts to be placed between a skin section of mammal comprising man and a support against which said skin section will engage. A supporting insert according to the invention has for an object to facilitate the circulation of blood under supply of air and removal of heat and moisture and is mainly useful in connection with health care or the like to avoid decubitus, but can also be used in other connections where local pressures against skin sections are present. It is generally known, mainly within health and sick care, that extended stay in bed can result in skin problems in the form of so called bed sores. This is partly due to the fact that certain parts of the body are sub- jected to a higher engagement pressure whereby the circulation of blood is impaired and the removal of heat and moisture substantially reduced by lack of air supply. Similar local pressure load arises also in other situations, for example in special work operations involving local loads on certain parts of the body. The object of the present invention is to provide a device whereby the inconveniences in connection with extended stay in bed or other situation where a skin section will be maintained in extended engagement against a support will be eliminated or substantially reduced. Another object of the invention is to provide such device in the form of a supporting insert intended to be placed between a skin section and a support against which said skin section will engage. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a device which has for a purpose to facilitate blood circulation under supply of air and removal of heat and moisture in connection with such skin section. Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which is made of such material that it has a sufficiently high softening point to be sterilizable by heat . Finally, the invention has for an object to provide a device wherein the materials used have capacity to absorb liquid which facilitates in solving the problem underlying the present invention. For these and other objects which will be clear from the following description there is provided through the present invention a supporting insert intended to be placed between a skin section and a support against which said skin section is intended to engage, said support having for a purpose to facilitate the circulation of blood under supply of air and with removal of heat and moistu- re. The support according to the invention comprises a conformable network formed enclosure and freely movable filler bodies placed therein. The invention is characterized in that the filler bodies have a size of from about 2 to about 10 mm, that they are elongated, the ratio bet- ween length and width (L/W) lying within the range about 1.2 to about 3. It is preferred that said ratio lies within the range about 1.3 to about 2, and about 1.5 is a particularly preferred value. The filler bodies in the insert according to the invention suitably have a rounded shape, i.e. in a length section they have a generally eliptic shape. The material of the enclosure and the filler bodies is suitably some thermoplastic material which preferably is reuseable. The material is preferably selected from polya ides and polyesters, and a particularly preferred material of the filler bodies are synthetic polyamides also called nylons. Among polyesthers there may be mentioned those ha- ving a high crystalline melting point and a high glass transition temperature, for example poly (ethylene- terephtalate) . Such polyesters maintain good mechanical properties at temperatures up to 150-175°C, whereby sterilization by heating can be carried out. It should, however, be observed that the invention is not restricted to said types of thermoplastics but any kind of thermoplastics can be used which possess sufficiently high softening point and mechanical stability so that they can be used in connection with the present invention. It is particularly preferred that the material of the filler bodies have liquid absorption capacity, suitably a liquid absorption capacity of at least about 3% by volume. This ability of liquid absorption does, of course, substantially facilitate elimination of the problems which are to be solved by the invention. The insert according to the present invention can be designed for different uses. Accordingly, the support can be designed as a matress covering a whole bed, or as a chair pad covering seat and possibly also the back support. In such embodiments of the insert according to the invention it is suitably divided up into sections in order that concentration of the filler bodies at a restricted section of the insert shall be avoided. Such division into sections can easily be accomplished by heat welding of the enclosure to a suitable pattern. The insert can also be designed as a heel or elbow protective cover and will then be supplemented with the necessary attachment bands which can be attached by means of so called Velcro® elements. Furthermore the supporting inserts can be used as a incubator matress for babies, as a pilot's seat, pillow cover, foot insert or as a support for seats, for example in cars, cinemas, etc. The present invention will in the following be illustrated further by non-limiting examples of embodiments in conjunction with the appended drawing. In the drawing: Figure 1 is a plan view of an insert according to the invention designed as a chair pad; Figure 1A shows in an enlargement a section of said chair pad; Figure 2 shows in enlargement a cross-section through a filler body; and Figure 3 shows in a plan view an embodiment of the insert according to the invention designed as a knee cover with an associated attachment band. The insert in Figure 1 is designed as a chair pad 6 divided into sections by means of heat welds 5 provided in the net-formed enclosure 1. The division into sections means that the filler bodies 3 cannot be concentrated at a local spot within the net-formed enclosure 1. In Figure 1A there is shown an enlargement of a detail of the chair pad 6 showing the network of the enclosure 1 and showing diagrammatically the filler bodies 3 placed in the enclosure, said bodies being rounded and having an elongated shape. Figure 2 shows in a longitudinal section one single filler body 3 illustrating also what is meant by the dimensions length/width. In view of the elongated shape of the filler bodies 3 there is obtained an optimum movability of the material contrary to the use of spherical bodies where dense packing and imovability will arise in a non-desirable manner. By the elongated shape the filler bodies 3 can move freely in the enclosure 1 so that the necessary deloading and pressure distribution will be obtained in an optimum manner. The material of the filler bodies 3 is suitably some reusable thermoplastic, for example nylon. The material shall endure increased temperature so that surgical ste- rilization at a temperature of about 135°C can be carried out. Furthermore, the filler bodies shall meet the usual fire hazard requirements applied in health care. Furthermore, the material of the filler bodies 3 shall suitably possess moisture absorption capacity which is important for the removal of heat and moisture. A suitable absorption capacity is at least about 3% by volume and can suitably lie within the range about 3 to 7% by volume. As mentioned earlier the filler bodies have a size which suitably lies within the range about 2 to about 10 mm and a suitable size range is from about 2 to about 6 mm. The filler bodies 3 are manufactured by conventional techniques for extrusion of the plastic material. Molten material is then extruded through a nozzle having a suitable dimension to form a string of molten material. This string is cut into pieces of a suitable length which in connection with subsequent cooling obtain the rounded eliptic shape. With regard to the enclosure 1 made by some form of net work it can be made of any reuseable thermoplastic, but it is preferred to use a polyester, and the network is suitably made in accordance with the same techniques as is used for the manufacture of so called warp tricot. In other respects the same conditions apply as for the filler bodies with regard to heat resistance and fire resistance. The size of the openings of the network shall, of course, be less than the smallest cross-dimension of the filler bodies 3 and a preferred opening dimension is about 1 mm. The attachment bands if present are used to attach the product, for example around the matress in a bed, around the arm, the heel, etc. and can be made of a suitable thermoplastic, for example a polyester. Also the bands shall have sufficient heat resistance for sterilization and sufficient fire resistance to meet with the requirements. The Velcro® principle can be used for fixa- tion of the bands. The insert according to the present invention constitutes important advances in the art of solving problems associated with deloading at local engagement of a section of a body against a support. The advantages ob- tained by the insert according to the invention are mainly due to the design of the filler bodies, particularly their physical shape as elongated bodies, preferably ha- ving a rounded shape. The filler bodies' design results in optimum movability of the material at the same time as supply of air and removal of heat and moisture will be facilitated. It should be observed that the invention is not restricted to the embodiments described above but that changes and modifications are easily conceived by the skilled artisan.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Insert intended to be placed between a skin section and a support against which said skin section engages, said insert having for a purpose to facilitate the circulation of blood under supply of air and removal of heat and moisture, and the insert comprising a conformab ¬ le network shaped enclosure (1) and freely movable filler bodies (3) placed therein, characterized in that the filler bodies have a size of from about 2 to about 10 mm, and that they are elongated with a ratio length/width (L/W) of from about 1.2 to about 3. 2. Insert according to claim 1, characterized in that said ratio lies within the range about 1.3 to about 2. 3. Insert according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the filler bodies have rounded shape. 4. Insert according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the enclosure (1) and the filler bodies (3) are made of a thermoplastic material. 5. Insert according to claim 4, characterized in that said material is selected from polyamides and polyesters . 6. Insert according to any preceding claim carried out as a matress or chair pad (6) . 7. Insert according to any one of claims 1 to 5 designed as a heel or elbow cover (7) and including the necessary attachment bands (9,11). 8. Insert according to claim 6, characterized in that it is divided into sections so that local concentra- tion of the filler bodies will be avoided. 9. Insert according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that said material has a softening point of at least about 150°C so that it thereby can be heat sterilized. 10. Insert according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the material of the filler bodies (3) have a liquid absorption capacity of at least about 3% by volume.

Inventors: RYSS STEFAN, RYSS, STEFAN
Applicants: GOSEBERG BRUK AB, RYSS STEFAN, RYSS, STEFAN
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A61G7
IPC codes: A47C27, A61G7