Abstract:
A pulmonary prone bed is described that reduces the frequency of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) by allowing a patient to rest/sleep in the prone position. In particular, a portion of a mattress and bed frame that supports the upper part of the body may adjust to the length of the torso of each individual patient and a midsection of the mattress and bed frame may adjust to the length of the thighs of each individual patient. This adjustment allows the chin of each patient to reach over the end of the mattress and the bed to fold downward at the patient&#39;s waist. By allowing the patient to rest in the prone position, gravity may work to pull mucous secretions forward and out the nose to be expelled. In this fashion, mucous secretions will be nowhere near the lungs such that the patient may not be susceptible to aspiration of mucous secretions.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    A pulmonary prone bed is disclosed that reduces the frequency of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) by allowing a patient to rest/sleep in the prone position. Other embodiments are also described. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP), also known as nosocomial pneumonia, is a common cause of death among patients suffering from nosocomial infections and is the primary cause of death in intensive care units. A cause of HAP is thought to be aspiration of microscopic drops and/or macroscopic amounts of nose and throat secretions. Accordingly, HAP may ultimately be caused by diminished lung volumes due to decreased clearance of secretions. 
         [0003]    Medical literature misses an important point which may be responsible for the failure to address this problem. In particular, the issue is treated as though it were an unavoidable hazard of breathing while in a hospital. However, mucous is not produced in or near the lungs. Instead, mucous is produced in the sinus cavities of the head of a patient. The mucous must thereafter travel down the back of the sinuses into the throat and into proximity with the lungs before those microscopic drops can be aspirated into the lungs as the patient draws breath. This aspiration happens because patients in hospitals invariably lie supine (i.e., on their backs) in their beds. In that position, gravity is constantly at work to bring nasal secretions down the back of the throat and into the lungs. 
         [0004]    The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    A pulmonary prone bed is disclosed that reduces the frequency of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) by allowing a patient to rest/sleep in the prone position. By allowing the patient to sleep in the prone position (i.e., face down), gravity may work in their favor to pull mucous secretions forward and out the nose where it can be expelled. In this fashion, mucous secretions will be nowhere near the lungs such that the patient may not be susceptible to aspiration of mucous secretions. 
         [0006]    Traditional beds are not configured for patients to sleep in the prone position such that mucous may be expelled through the patient&#39;s nose or mouth. Instead, traditional beds require patients who attempt to lie and sleep in the prone position to turn their heads sideways, which very quickly results in a stiff neck. Further, while in the prone position, patients must keep their back straight or even arched backwards slightly (if the mattress sags in the middle), which results in a back ache. However, in the pulmonary prone bed described herein, the portion of the mattress and bed frame that supports the upper part of the body may adjust to the length of the torso of each individual patient. This adjustment allows the chin of each patient to reach over the end of the mattress and the bed to fold downward at the patient&#39;s waist. This downward angle at the patient&#39;s waist allows the legs of the patient to bend forward to relieve pain or stress on the back of the patient. To support the patient&#39;s head, a head support pad may be provided that is two or three inches shallower than the depth of a mattress used for the body of patient. This shallower head support pad allows the patient&#39;s chin and face to project lower than the top of the body mattress. A facial hole may be cut into the center of the head support pad which allows the patient to breathe while the face of the patient is pressed into the pad. This facial hole may also allow the patient to open his/her eyes to allow the patient to perform one or more visual activities, including reading while in the prone position. This head support pad may be separate from the mattress such that the head support pad may be replaced or removed (i.e., removed for cleaning, disposal, or replaced with a different size pad). 
         [0007]    Although described in relation to reducing the likelihood of HAP, the pulmonary prone bed described herein may also be used in other therapeutic/medical contexts. For example, some patients recovering from orthopedic injuries or procedures may benefit from resting in the prone position. Since the pulmonary prone bed described herein allows patients to rest more comfortably in the prone position in comparison to traditional beds, orthopedic patients may also benefit from the assistance provided by the pulmonary prone bed. 
         [0008]    The above summary does not include an exhaustive list of all aspects of the present invention. It is contemplated that the invention includes all systems and methods that can be practiced from all suitable combinations of the various aspects summarized above, as well as those disclosed in the Detailed Description below and particularly pointed out in the claims filed with the application. Such combinations have particular advantages not specifically recited in the above summary. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment of the invention in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and they mean at least one. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a pulmonary prone bed according to one embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  shows an overhead view of a bed frame of the pulmonary prone bed according to one embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Several embodiments are described with reference to the appended drawings are now explained. While numerous details are set forth, it is understood that some embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  shows a pulmonary prone bed  100  according to one embodiment. The pulmonary prone bed  100  may include a bed frame  101 , a set of support legs  103 A and  103 B, a body mattress  105 , and a head support pad  107 . The bed frame  101  may be adjusted to meet the size and/or proportions of the body of a patient  109  as will be described in greater detail below. Each element of the pulmonary prone bed  100  will now be described by way of example. 
         [0014]    The bed frame  101  may function as the support structure for the body mattress  105  and the head support pad  107 . The bed frame  101  may be composed of multiple sections that allow the pulmonary prone bed  100  to adjust to the physical bodily dimensions or other needs of the patient  109 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the bed frame  101  may include an upper section  101 A, a middle section  101 B, and a lower section  101 C. Each of the sections  101 A,  101 B, and  101 C of the bed frame  101  may be composed of various materials. For example, each of the sections  101 A,  101 B, and  101 C may be composed of plastic polymers (e.g., polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride), woods (e.g., oak, pine, mahogany, walnut, and teak), elemental metals (e.g., aluminum), metal alloys (e.g., steel), or some combination of these materials. Although described as including three sections  101 A,  101 B, and  101 C, in other embodiments the bed frame  101  may include more than three sections with corresponding joints  111 . However, for example purposes, the bed frame  101  will be described hereinafter as including three sections  101 A,  101 B, and  101 C. Each of the sections  101 A,  101 B, and  101 C will be described in greater detail below. 
         [0015]      FIG. 2  shows an overhead view of the bed frame  101 , including the upper section  101 A, the middle section  101 B, and the lower section  101 C, according to one embodiment. As shown, the upper section  101 A may be coupled to the middle section  101 E at a first end of the middle section  101 E using a joint  111 A. Similarly, the lower section  101 C may be coupled to the middle section  101 E at a second end of the middle section  101 E using a joint  111 B. Accordingly, the middle section  101 E may be coupled between the upper section  101 A and the lower section  101 C via the joints  111 A and  111 B, respectively. In this embodiment, the joints  111 A and  111 B may be expandable or retractable, thereby increasing or decreasing the size of the pulmonary prone bed  100  in multiple directions. 
         [0016]    For example, the joint  111 A may expand or contract along the direction of the arrows shown in  FIG. 2 . This expansion and contraction may be made separately on each side of the axis X. Similarly, the joint  111 B may expand or contract along the direction of the arrows shown in  FIG. 2 . This expansion and contraction may be made separately on each side of the axis Y. Accordingly, the joints  111 A and  111 B may allow for both the expansion and contraction of the upper section  101 A, the middle section  101 B, and/or the lower section  101 C to accommodate the dimensions of the patient  109 . For example, a taller patient  109  may require a larger bed  100  in comparison to a shorter patient  109 . Further, since the joints  111 A and  111 B allow for separate expansion and contraction of different sections  101 A,  101 B, and  101 C of the bed frame  101 , the changes in length of the bed  100  may be focused on particular areas of the patient  109 . For example, the bed frame  101  may be expanded along the upper section  101 A using the joint  111 A to accommodate a larger upper torso of a patient  109  while the other sections  101 B and  101 C may remain unchanged or be altered in a different fashion to accommodate the lower half of the body of the patient  109 . 
         [0017]    In some embodiments, the joint  111 A may be pivotable around the axis X while the joint  111 B may be pivotable around the axis Y. By being pivotable around the axes X and Y, the upper section  101 A may be raised relative to the lower section  101 C and/or the lower section  101 C may be raised relative to the upper section  101 A. For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , using the pivotable nature of the joints  111 A and  111 B, the lower section  101 C may be placed at a first height while the upper section  101 A may be placed at a second height, which is above the first height. In this example, the middle section  101 E may be angled upward toward the higher upper section  101 A. As shown, by providing adjustability in terms of the length, orientation, and height of the sections  101 A,  101 B, and  101 C, the pulmonary prone bed  100  may fold at the waist of the patient  109  such that the lower legs of the patient  109  are resting on the lower section  101 C and the upper torso of the patient  109  is resting on the upper section  101 A. This configuration allows the legs of the patient  109  to bend forward to relieve pain or strain on the back of the patient  109  while the patient is lying prone on the bed  100 . 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, the body mattress  105  and/or the head support pad  107  may be placed on or coupled to the bed frame  101 . The body mattress  105  may be padding that is used to cushion the bed frame  101  for the body of the patient  109  (e.g., all parts below the head of the patient  109 , including torso and legs). The body mattress  105  may comprise a quilted or similarly fastened case made of a heavy cloth. The fastened case may contain hair, straw, cotton, foam rubber, and/or a framework of springs for cushioning the hard bed frame  101 . In some embodiments, the body mattress  105  may be filled with air (e.g., inflatable) or water. 
         [0019]    Similar to the body mattress  105 , the head support pad  107  may be placed on or coupled to the bed frame  101 . The head support pad  107  may cushion the bed frame  101  for the body of the patient  109  (e.g., all parts below the head of the patient  109 ). The head support pad  107  may comprise a quilted or similarly fastened case made of a heavy cloth. The fastened case may contain hair, straw, cotton, foam rubber, and/or a framework of springs for cushioning the hard bed frame  101 . In some embodiments, the head support pad  107  may be filled with air (e.g., inflatable) or water. 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the depth of the head support pad  107  may be less than the depth of the body mattress  105 . This difference in depth may accommodate the chin and face of the patient  109  while the patient  109  is in the prone position on the bed  100 . In particular, as will be described in greater detail below, the difference in depth may allow the head/face of the patient  109  to rest naturally on the head support pad  107  and without the need for patients  109  to bend or arch their neck. 
         [0021]    In one embodiment, the head support pad  107  may include a facial hole  113  for assisting with breathing and vision. The facial hole  113  may connect a top surface of the head support pad  107  to a bottom surface of the head support pad  107 . The facial hole  113  may allow the face (nose, mouth, and eyes) of the patient  109  to be exposed to air while the head/face of the patient  109  is pressed into the head support pad  107 . Accordingly, the facial hole  113  prevents the patient  109  from having to turn his/her head to the side to breathe or to view an object (e.g., view a periodical). Accordingly, the facial hole  113  may assist the patient  109  to breathe and/or see while lying in the prone position. In one embodiment, the depth of the head support pad  107  may be defined as the distance between the top and bottom surfaces of the head support pad  107 . 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, the head support pad  107  may be part of the body mattress  105 , while in other embodiments the head support pad  107  may be separate from the body mattress  105 . In these embodiments in which the head support pad  107  and the body mattress  105  are separate and distinct structures, multiple different sized and shaped head support pads  107  may be available for use with the pulmonary prone bed  100 . In particular, head support pads  107  of different depths and with different sized facial holes  113  may be utilized based the physiology of the patient  109 . Further, by being separate from the body mattress  105 , the head support pad  107  may be easily removed for washing or disposal without requiring removal/disposal of the body mattress  105 . 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, the body mattress  105  and or the head support pad  107  may bend, expand, contract, or otherwise adjust with the bed frame  101 . For example, the body mattress  105  and or the head support pad  107  may be attached to the bed frame  101  such that as the upper section  101 A of the bed frame  101  expands or contracts, the body mattress  105  and or the head support pad  107  similarly expands or contracts. In this fashion, an end of the body mattress  105  nearest the head support pad  107  may be expanded or contracted until the chin of the patient  109  extends over the edge of the body mattress  105  and onto the head support pad  107 . In this embodiment, the head support pad  107  may be thinner in comparison to the body mattress  105 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the body mattress  105  may extend above the top surface of the head cushion  107  by a distance D. In this embodiment, the distance D may be between 1.0 inch and 3.0 inches. For example, the distance D may be 1.5 inches. By being depressed or having a smaller depth in relation to the body mattress  105 , the head support pad  107  allows the chin and face of the patient  109  to project lower than the top of the body mattress  105 . This configuration allows the head of the patient  109  to rest naturally on the pulmonary prone bed  100  in comparison to a traditional bed, which requires the head of the patient  109  to be held at the same level as the torso/chest of the patient  109  (potentially causing pain or stress to the neck of the patient  109 ). 
         [0024]    In one embodiment, the bed frame  101  may be coupled to the support legs  103 A and  103 B as shown in  FIG. 1 . In particular, the upper section  101 A may be coupled to the support legs  103 A and the lower section  101 C may be coupled to the support legs  103 B using any combination of bolts, screws, clips, clamps, solder, etc. Each of the support legs  103 A and  103 B may extend across the upper section  101 A and the lower section  101 C, respectively, to support the bed frame  101 , the body mattress  105 , the head support pad  107 , and the patient  109 . 
         [0025]    Each of the support legs  103 A and  103 B may include a set of wheels  115  that are located on the corners of the pulmonary prone bed  100 . The wheels  115  may facilitate the movement of the pulmonary prone bed  100 . For example, the wheels  115  allow a worker in a hospital to move the bed  100  within a building. Further, the wheels  115  may expand or contract the base of the bed  100  as the bed frame  101  expands/contracts. For instance, as the bed frame  101  contracts using the joints  101 A and/or  101 B, the wheels  115  may move the support legs  103 A closer to the support legs  103 B. Similarly, as the bed frame  101  expands using the joints  101 A and/or  101 B, the wheels  115  may move the support legs  103 A farther from the support legs  103 B. These movements may be precipitated by the movement of the individual elements of the bed frame  101  (i.e., contraction/expansion of one or more of the upper section  101 A, the middle section  101 B, and the lower section  101 C). 
         [0026]    As described above, a pulmonary prone bed  100  is described that allows a patient  109  to lie in the prone position (i.e., on the stomach/face of the patient  109 ) while increasing the ability of the patient  109  to breathe and remove nasal secretions through the nose or mouth of the patient  109 . In particular, the head of the patient  109  may be held by head support pad  107  at a level lower than the body/torso of the patient  109 , which corresponds to the natural physiology of the human bodies. The patient  109  may utilize the facial hole  113  to breathe or see while facing downward in the prone position. Further, the flexibility of the pulmonary prone bed  100  reduces strain/pain on the back of the patient  109  by allowing the legs of the patient  109  to be angled downward while resting in the prone position. Accordingly, by increasing the comfort and ability of the patient  109  to breathe and remove nasal secretions while lying in the prone position, the pulmonary prone bed  100  described herein reduces the likelihood of the patient  109  developing Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP), also known as nosocomial pneumonia. 
         [0027]    Although described in relation to reducing the likelihood of HAP, the pulmonary prone bed  100  described herein may also be used in other therapeutic/medical contexts. For example, some patients  109  recovering from orthopedic injuries or procedures may benefit from resting in the prone position. Since the pulmonary prone bed  100  described herein allows patients  109  to rest more comfortably in the prone position in comparison to traditional beds, orthopedic patients  109  may also benefit from the assistance provided by the pulmonary prone bed  100 . 
         [0028]    While certain embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, and that the invention is not limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications may occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting.