Abstract:
The present invention is plurality of telescoping tubes which are supported by air pressure. The telescoping tubes are used as a support system for a bed, and namely, a hospital bed. The telescoping tubes have a spring system in areas where air pressure is not required, and air pressure may be controlled in a precise manner so as accommodate the patient in a specific manner. A laminate or fitted sheet with a plurality of apertures may be fitted on the top of the tubes so as to provide added support and to absorb bed soiling. The telescoping tubes either as a whole bed or in part, may be easily placed into a sanitizing system that extends the life of the bed and reduces the transmission of communicable diseases.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/861,816 filed on August 2, 2013. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to fluid based support systems and, more particularly, to a pressurized bed for the support of hospitalized patients. 
         [0004]    2. General Background and State of the Art 
         [0005]    The concept of a patient floating on an air cushion has been implemented by many organizations providing complex and sophisticated beds. Some have used inflatable cushions and other approaches have used plastic beads which are supported by a pressurized air flow. Yet, all such beds are unable to provide adequate support to the patient that significantly reduces the chances of discomfort and bed sores. 
         [0006]    All such beds have problems with maintaining a sanitary environment, especially with incontinent patients. Incontinence leads to soiling of the bed and prior to this invention, soiled beds may leave patients lying in unsanitary conditions there is no way to effectively allow the waste to drain away from the patient. Cleaning of such beds is also ineffective as residual waste remains within the bed&#39;s crevices and materials. Such residual waste comes into contact when the bed is given to another patient whereby there is a chance of passing along potentially communicable diseases to the next patient. 
         [0007]    Other problems have involved mechanical failures for beds with a unitary control system. If the bed&#39;s control system fails, the entire bed is not useable. In some other beds, there is only one type of support system. If the support system fails, there is no back-up support system which leaves the patient in discomfort for a period of time. 
         [0008]    The above described features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be more fully appreciated with reference to the accompanying Figures. 
       INVENTION SUMMARY 
       [0009]    According to the present invention, a plurality of telescoping tubes is supported by air pressure. Much as a “bed of nails” can support the human body without injury, with a sufficient number of tubes, the weight that each tube bears is light enough so that a moderate air pressure in each tube will be adequate. Support springs are provided at the base of each tube to support the body weight should the air supply fail or be turned off. 
         [0010]    Each tube can be supplied with air exit apertures near the top for the circulation of air about the resting body. In alternative embodiments, the apertures can be on the body of the tube or in the top of the tube. At the base of each tube is an internal gasket to prevent air loss at the base and to redirect incoming air to elevate the tube and exit near the top. At the top of each tube, a collar is provided to support a bed sheet which has been apertured to fit around the tubes. 
         [0011]    A plurality of air supply tubes is mounted to a plenum unit which is connected to an air supply through a quick release valve. A bed may have several plenum units and the plenum units can be arranged in an array of rows, each individually actuable so that different areas of the bed can have different levels of support for a body. 
         [0012]    The several plenum units are mounted in a frame with a resilient collar so that limited vertical motion is possible. In conjunction with the plenum units, a roller bar can be moved under the plenum units to sequentially elevate them slightly to provide a rippling motion to the person being supported in the bed. The massaging roller bar can be programmed to provide different combinations of movement to stimulate the person in the bed. 
         [0013]    The present invention also provides for an easy and effective means of sanitizing the hospital bed components. Portions or the entire system can be placed in a series of tubs. The first tub functions to soak the soiled bed components in sanitizing liquid for both the break down of soiled debris and disinfection of microbial residue. The second tub functions to rinse off the debris and cleaning liquid. The final tub functions to dry the cleaned bed components and further sanitize the bed components under ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The tubs are configured to have clear observation panels for easy evaluation of the cleaning process. 
         [0014]    The above invention also saves on costs. Previous hospital bed models that are soiled or damaged usually have to be destroyed resulting in added cost to buy new beds. The above invention has replaceable segments. And such segments may be individually sanitized in a manner that allows them to be reused. Thus, the life cycle of the present invention and the ease in repair or replacement allows for a much more cost effective alternative. Furthermore, the pressure controls are far more precise and can provide or limit air pressure to the patient, thereby reducing health care costs associated with bed sores and related injuries. 
         [0015]    The novel features which are characteristic of the invention, both as to structure and method of operation thereof, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be understood from the following description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and they are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a side sectional view of a portion of a bed utilizing support tubes according to the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a cross section of a support tube in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  including  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B , is a set of views of an alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4 , including  FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C is a set of idealized top views of a bed with a person illustrating alternative pressure patterns; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a side sectional view of a sheet suitable for use with the support tubes; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a side sectional view of support tubes with multiple rows. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  including  FIGS. 7A and 7B , shows an end view and a top view of the bed and the roller bar; 
           [0023]      FIG. 8 , including  FIGS. 8A and 8B , is a set of side sectional views of the air equalization chamber; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 9 , including  FIGS. 9A-C , is a set of side sectional view of the steps of sanitizing system of the support tube system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0025]    Turning first to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a portion of a bed  10  in sectional view with a detailed showing of a row of support tubes  12  in a plenum chamber  14 . As shown, the plenum chamber  14  is supported by resilient spring members  16  which permits limited vertical displacement of the plenum chamber  14 . In a preferred embodiment, the spring member  16  can be an elastomeric resilient pillow or, in alternative embodiments can be a double convex spring member. 
         [0026]    Each support tube  12  may have an outer tube  18  and an inner tube  20 . The support tubes  12  have relatively closed ends facing the top surface of the bed, and the ends of the support tubes  12  may have a variety of shapes for example, dome shaped to planar. The support tubes  12  may be of any materials that are capable of providing comfortable support to a patient and at least some component of support tubes  12  are moveable upon application of air pressure. Such materials may range from metals and metal alloy components (e.g. silver), plastics, foams, and foams with laminate coverings. It is preferred that the materials for said support tubes  12  are have antibiotic properties and are sanitizable and sustainable materials. 
         [0027]    The inner tube  20  has at least one orifice  22  at the top which allows passage of air  126  through the inner tube  20  and into the outer tube  18 . Air  126  from an air pressure source  104  is pumped through the quick release-valve  28 , and into plenum chamber  14 , which the air  126  enters the inner tube  20 , and the outer tube  18 . When air  126  enters outer tube  18 , the outer tube may be raised upwardly such that it may provide support to the patient lying on the plurality of rows of supporting tubes  12 . For better “piston-like” operation of the outer tube  18  moving over the inner tube  20 , the inner tube  20  may have one or more external fins  24 . The external fins  24  may act as a guide, and may act to provide some friction between interior surface of the outer tube  18  and the exterior surface of the inner tube  20 . The outer tube  18  may have an inner collar  26  located at the bottom end of the tube. The inner collar  26  may be used to prevent the outer tube  18  from rising beyond the external fin  24  where the inner collar  26  would abut up against the bottom portion of the external fin  24  which is also shown in  FIG. 2 , a top view of the cross section  32  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0028]    In  FIG. 1 , the outer tube  18  also may also have at least one orifice  30 . The orifice  30  may be located at the top of the outer tube  18 , or located at the side of the outer tube  18 . The air flow  34  as designated by an arrow from the orifice  30  of the outer tube  30  which may interact with the patient&#39;s body. The air flow  34  may provide warm or dry air which may aid in the patient&#39;s circulation or help prevent the accumulation of moisture. To help reduce dehydration caused by the applied air, the orifice  30  may be located on the sides of the outer tube  18  such that the air flow  34  is indirect to the patient. 
         [0029]    Each plenum chambers  14  may be held in place by a yoke mechanism  36  as shown in  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 1 . The yoke mechanism  36  may comprise framing walls  38   a  and  38   b  and a clamp  40   a.  The clamp  40   a  may lock the plenum chamber  14  by a spring-ball lock  42  or be unlocked as in  FIG. 3B , the cross sectional view of line  44  in  FIG. 3A . 
         [0030]    Attached to the bottom surface of the clamp  40  is the upper spring  45 . When the clamp  40   a  is released, the clamp  40   a  may be lifted up and rotated away from the plenum chamber  14  to position  40   b  so that the movement of the clamp  40   b  permits the plenum chamber  14  to be lifted out of the yoke mechanism  36 . The clamp  40   a  may be attached to a hinge  56  which has a shaft  58  positioned within the framing wall  38   b,  and the hinge  56  may allow the clamp  40   a  to be rotated to the position of the clamp  40   b.  Upon rotation of the clamp  40   b,  the shaft  58  may be raised. (not shown) 
         [0031]    In releasing the plenum chamber  14 , the plenum chamber  14  may slide away and out from the quick the release valve  28 . The yoke mechanism  36  further has a base  46  wherein said base  46  has a connected lower spring  48 . The lower spring  48  and the upper spring  44  allow the plenum chamber  14  to have a limited vertical movement contact with a massaging roller bar  50  when the plenum chamber  14  is locked into place. The plenum chamber  14  may have an outer structure  52  that has rounded edges  54 . The rounded edges  54  allows the roller bar  50  to roll under the plenum chamber  54  wherein the roller bar  50  initially makes partial contact to a lower area of the outer structure  52  of plenum chamber  14  and then causes the plenum chamber  14  to be displaced vertically upward as the roller bar  50  moves underneath the plenum chamber  14 . 
         [0032]    The top of the bed  10  may have a laminate or fitted sheet  60  with a plurality of apertures  62  where the apertures  62  would fit around each support tube  12  as shown in  FIG. 4A-C . The sheet  60  may be rolled from one end of the bed  10  to the other end, and then pushed atop the support tubes  12 . The sheet  60 , prior to being rolled on to the support tubes  12 , may have apertures  62  that are not yet fully opened, but rather closed using perforations. (not shown). Once the sheet pushed down on atop the support tubes where the perforations are aligned with the tubes  12 , the perforations are opened up into apertures  62  that fit and hold the support tubes  12  into place. Each support tube  12  may be connected to an affixed collar barrier  64  as shown in the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 5  where said collar barrier  64  is attached to the outer tube  18 , and configured to be above plenum chamber  14 , but below top of the outer tube  18 . The collar barrier  64  acts to hold the sheet  60  in place and prevents the sheet  60  from falling lower than the level of the collar barrier  64 . The sheet  60  may also be used to provide support to each support tube  12 . 
         [0033]    The sheet  60  may be a multiple layer sheet  74  which may comprise of a top cotton or linen sheet layer  66 , a lower absorption membrane  68  which may be of materials known to those with ordinary skill in the art, and a lower fluid barrier  70  which may be of materials that are water resistant. Between the absorption membrane  68  and the fluid barrier  70 , there may be a moisture and temperature sensing film  72 . Such film  72  may be of capacitive material that may be connected to sensors that detect humidity and temperature levels, and communicate that information to a computer, which then alerts the caretakers of such conditions. (Not shown). 
         [0034]    The multiple layer sheet  74  may be used in all areas of the bed, or it may be used in select locations  76  as shown in  FIG. 4A . It shall be understood that the select locations  76  may or may not have apertures  62  for housing the support tubes  12 . Other locations may be non-absorbent areas  78  wherein the sheet  60  may not have the absorption membrane  68  and may not have the fluid barrier  70 . Such non-absorbent areas  78  may be areas that are commonly known by those with ordinary skill in the art as areas which patient  100  would not normally soil. 
         [0035]    Some areas may have less pressure than other areas that are pressure reduction zones  80 , as shown in  FIG. 4B . The pressure reduction zones  80  may have support tubes  10  but the supplied air pressure is far less than the full strength air-supply zones  82 . Such pressure reduction zones  80  may be placed in areas that are commonly known by those with ordinary skill in the art to provide more comfort to the patient  100 . In an alternative embodiment in  FIG. 4C , the bed may have no air-supply zones  84 . Such zones would not have the support tubes  10 , but rather springs or other modes of elastic support. 
         [0036]    Certain regions on the patient  100  may be areas that should not receive any pressure. To allow for selective application of pressure, the bed  10  may be configured with sensing receivers that are located below the laminate sheet  60  that detects certain materials such as but are not limited to, luminescent material. (Not shown) The material may be mixed in with non-toxic paint wherein one may paint the regions on the sheet  60  or patient. The sensing receivers may then send signals to a CPU and communicates to the CPU the location in which pressure on the bed should not be applied. The CPU then regulates the air flow to each plenum chamber  14  segments. (Not shown) The CPU then signals the solenoids for each plenum chamber  14  segments to be active and inactive, and the inactive regions would correspond to the location of the painted area. Painting the regions on the body of the patient  100  allows for better responsiveness as the location of the inactive plenum chambers moves with the patient  100 . 
         [0037]    As shown in the exemplary embodiment in  FIG. 6 , there are three connected plenum chambers  14  attached with three rows of support tube  12 . The plenum chambers  14  may be interconnected to their own quick release valve  28  or the plenum chambers  14  may have openings (not shown) between each chamber where only one quick release valve  28  supplies air to the entire interconnected plenum chambers  14 . The plenum chambers  14  may have couplers that may allow the plenum chambers  14  to be connected to each other. (not shown). 
         [0038]      FIG. 7A . shows a cross sectional of an exemplary embodiment of the bed with the roller bar  50 . The roller bar  50  may be comprised of an axle  86 , roller bar cams  88 , a servo motor  90 , a drive belt  92 , and track guides  94  in which the axle  86  or wheels disposed on the axel move along. As the roller bar  50  moves under a plenum chamber  14 , the plenum chamber  14  along with the connected support tubes  12  are temporarily raised up, thereby providing stimulation to the patient  100 . In  FIG. 7B , the roller bar  50  may provide a full length wave motion  96  or provide a set of limited range motion  98  for more target stimulation on patient  100 . In the alternative, the roller bar  50  may be stopped at a particular location to help raise the patient at certain bodily locations of the patient  100 . The plenum chambers  14  may each have dampening strips attached to the bottom where the roller bar cams  88  make contact with the plenum chambers  14 . Such dampening strips allow for smoother transition in the progress of the roller bar, thereby reducing any stress imposed by the roller bar on the patient  100 . 
         [0039]    The stimulation by the support tubes or the roller bar may be used to provide alternating stimulation. As mentioned above, the roller bar may provide varying stimulation if the servo motor  90  is allowed to continually move the roller bar  50  up and down the bed in various ways. Further, some beds may be configured with multiple rows of support tubes thereby increasing stimulation in some areas that others. Air pressure may also be adjusted in some plenum chambers  14  as shown in  FIG. 8A . In this exemplary embodiment of the air equalization chamber  102 , an air pressure source  104 , such as an electrical air pump, is connected to the air equalization chamber  102 , and the air then flows through the connected air lines  106  to each of the connected plenum chambers  14 . Individual plenum chambers may have adjusted air pressure by the use of a solenoid controlled valve  108 . In  FIG. 8B , a magnified view of the air equalization chamber  102  shows the solenoid  110  moving a valve  112  at varying depths into the air channel orifice  114 . Air pressure may be controlled by other equivalent means known to those with ordinary skill in the art. 
         [0040]    One or more rows of support tubes  12  may be removed from the bed and placed into a sanitizing system as shown in figures  FIG. 9A-C . In the alternative, the entire bed may without the sheet  60  be placed into the system.  FIG. 9A  shows a portion of the support tubes  12  without the sheet  60 , are placed into an enclosed soaking tub  116 . The tub may be of a variety of different shapes and sizes that conform to the bed components to be sanitized. The soaking tub  116  has a liquid distribution line connected to the top interior ceiling of the soaking tub  116 . The liquid may be antiseptic fluid, soap solution, or any other liquid material sufficient to decontaminate and loosen or remove any soiling on bed components (e.g. plenum chamber  14 , tubes  12 , etc.). 
         [0041]    The rows of support tubes  12  along with other components may then be placed into an enclosed rinsing tub  120  as shown in  FIG. 9B . After sufficient rinsing, the support tubes  12  and other bed components are placed into a enclosed third tub  122  wherein the third tub  122  blows hot and dry air in order to evaporate the residual liquid, and has a plurality of UV lights  124  which are configured to be placed at locations that can irradiate and eliminate any microorganisms and viral material that are left within the structure of the support tubes  12 , and the associated bed components. 
         [0042]    Each of the above tubs may have transparent lids, which allows the operator to evaluate whether the support tubes and attached bed components have been properly sanitized and cleaned. 
         [0043]    A system and apparatus for providing a hospital bed to reduce bed sores and injuries along with a coupled sanitization system has been disclosed. Although the present invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated that various modifications and alterations might be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention should be measured only in terms of the claims which follow.