Patent Abstract:
A custom, therapeutic pillow is constructed based on measurements of a person&#39;s torso and head widths. A sliding caliper is used for taking the measurements. The resulting pillow is custom fitted to the patient and provides support for the head and neck when the patient is in a supine position or on their side.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ filed ______ entitled CUSTOM THERAPEUTIC PILLOW. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not applicable.  
       REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
       [0003]     Not applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0005]     This invention relates generally to custom pillows, and more particularly to a scheme for taking measurements for a custom, therapeutic pillow, designed to be placed under the head and neck of a patient lying in a supine position.  
         [0006]     2. Background Art  
         [0007]     Because approximately one-third of all human existence is spent in a supine position, innovators in posture or cervical pillows have long continued to develop new designs of this type of pillow. Such a pillow supports the head and spine, and in particular, the neck vertebrae in the most normal, comfortable and unstressed position, thereby aiding in relieving stress in the cervical or neck portion of the upper spine, and for promoting proper posture.  
         [0008]     Prior art in the area of such pillows have used a combination of firm and soft portions of a pillow in varied arrangements, but which have either resulted in a flattening of the spinal column, or in exaggerating the curvature thereof. Furthermore, such prior art efforts do not provide the variety of therapeutic uses of the pillow custom for each individual person.  
         [0009]     A therapeutic pillow was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,564 having a base topped by three additional cushions. The component parts have varying firmnesses. The pillow disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,564 is not a custom pillow in that the pillow is not fit to a patient based on measured data from that patient.  
         [0010]     There is, therefore, a need for a pillow measuring system for the production of a custom, therapeutic pillow that provides the least stress on the body for relaxing, therapeutic rest.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     An object of this invention is to provide a measurement system, the result of which is a therapeutic pillow, customized as to fit for a particular patient. The construction of this pillow enables it to be used over a period of years for the treatment of conditions such as: improper cervical spine alignment, whiplash, cervical strains and sprains, tension headaches, and neck or shoulder problems.  
         [0012]     A related object of the present invention is a method for taking accurate measurements to produce a custom therapeutic pillow that effectively provides support positions for the head, neck and shoulders of a person, whether lying supine or on the side. Thus a new and improved custom therapeutic pillow is produced by this measurement method and apparatus wherein the patient may lie back with the patient&#39;s head in a cavity; and as well, the patient may roll over and have the neck and head appropriately supported.  
         [0013]     An additional object of this invention is to provide a sliding caliper for making rapid, accurate measurements with which to design a custom therapeutic pillow.  
         [0014]     The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention, both as to its organization and method of operation together with further objectives and advantages thereto, will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which a presently 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 not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sliding caliper for taking the measurements for a custom, therapeutic pillow;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a close-up of a measuring point on the sliding caliper;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a torso measurement being taken with the sliding calipers;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a head width measurement being taken with the sliding calipers;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a first perspective view of a custom, therapeutic pillow;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a second perspective view of a custom, therapeutic pillow;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a first set of tables used as tools to determine dimensions of the custom, therapeutic pillow;  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is a second set of tables used as tools to determine dimensions and foam characteristics of the custom, therapeutic pillow;  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  is a first working diagram of the custom, therapeutic pillow with a table of foam densities and dimension ranges;  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  is a second working drawing of the custom, therapeutic pillow;  
         [0025]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the custom, therapeutic pillow in a pillow cover; and  
         [0026]      FIG. 12  is a block diagram showing a computing function for determining dimensions for the custom, therapeutic pillow. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]     Precise measurements for producing a custom, therapeutic pillow  500  (see  FIGS. 5-6 ) are made by the sliding caliper  100  shown in the preferred embodiment in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . A fixed jaw  110  is firmly affixed to a ruler  120 . A sliding jaw  130  is slidably attached to the ruler  120  by a screw  140  engaging a slot  150  in the ruler. The screw  140  may be tightened to hold the sliding jaw  130  in a fixed position on the ruler  120 . The ruler  120  is fitted with a scale  160  to which a location of the sliding jaw  130  is compared as shown in  FIG. 2 . The measurement point  170  is the shown as an inside edge of the sliding jaw  130 .  
         [0028]     Possible materials for constructing the sliding caliper  100  include wood, plastic, and a variety of metals. The present invention is not limited to any given material or set of materials.  
         [0029]     The sliding caliper  100  is shown in use in  FIGS. 3-4  which illustrate the method of measurements for producing the custom, therapeutic pillow  500 . In  FIG. 3 , the sliding caliper  100  is being used to measure a width of a patient  300  across the patient&#39;s torso, just under the arms. The sliding caliper  100  is first spread apart so the distance between the jaws  110 ,  130  is greater than the patient&#39;s  300  torso. The sliding caliper  100  is placed into position as shown in  FIG. 3  whereupon the sliding jaw  130  is slid toward the fixed jaw  110  until the two jaws  110 ,  130  make contact with the patient&#39;s  300  sides. The screw  140  is tightened to maintain the position of the sliding jaw  130  and the scale read. This measurement is referred to as “torso width, θ” in the tables of  FIG. 7  and is in centimeters (cm) in those table, although this invention is not limited to a specific system of units.  
         [0030]     In  FIG. 4 , the sliding caliper  100  is shown in use for measuring the patient&#39;s  300  head width just above the ears. The sliding caliper  100  is used similarly to that explained for the torso width measurement. This last measurement is called “head width, η” in the table of  FIG. 7 .  
         [0031]     The custom, therapeutic pillow  500  of this invention is shown in perspective in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The main components of the custom, therapeutic pillow  500  are the two side panels  510 , the base  520 , and the two rails  530 . All these components  510 ,  520 ,  530  are made of urethane foam in the preferred embodiment. As seen in  FIG. 5 , the two rails  530  may be thicker than the two side panels  510 . The center of the base comprises a Visco elastic insert  540 . The indentation made by the two side panels  510  and the two rails  530  is made to receive the patient&#39;s  300  head.  
         [0032]     A washable outer ticking  1100  (see  FIG. 11 ) covers the combined members  510 ,  520 ,  530 , and  540 .  
         [0033]     More particularly, and referring to  FIGS. 5, 6 , and  10 , the base  520  has a substantially planar upper surface. The lower corners of the base&#39;s  520  long sides have rounded edges  1010 . A center of the base  520  is open or recessed to receive the center section  540 .  
         [0034]     Placed on top of the base  520  and bonded to the base  520  are the panels  510  and rails  530 . The panels  510  and rails  530  each have a substantially planar lower surface to which the base  520  is bonded.  
         [0035]     The upper corners of the short sides of the panels  510  have rounded edges  1020  corresponding with the rounded edge  1010  of the base  520 .  
         [0036]     Likewise, the upper corners of the long sides of the rails  530  have rounded edges  1030  corresponding with the rounded edge  1010  of the base  520  and an inner cavity created by the panels  510  and the rails  530  and floored by the center section  540 .  
         [0037]     The process for measuring and creating a custom pillow is as follows. The torso width, θ, and head width, η, are measured as described, above. From the torso width, θ, the appropriate table is chosen from  FIG. 7  as indicated at the top of each table. If the torso width is less than or equal to 30 cm, the left-hand table is used. For torso widths in the range of 30.5 to 36 cm, the center table is used. Larger torso widths require the use of the right-hand table. In the second row of each table, immediately under the shoulder width range, is the base thickness in inches, and a letter (A, B, C) designating which base is to be used. The base letter and base dimensions, in inches, are shown in  FIG. 8  in the left-hand two columns.  
         [0038]     In the third row, immediately below the base thickness, the left hand column is headed “Γ-η (cm).” The head width, η, is subtracted from the torso width, θ, and the result compared with the ranges in this left hand column. By following the resulting row across to the right, the panel letter designation (D-J) is determined, and the total height of the pillow is known from the center and right-hand columns, respectively. Once the panel letter is determined, the center table in  FIG. 8  may be used to ascertain the overall dimensions of the panels to be used.  
         [0039]     We now use the lower half of the three tables in  FIG. 7 , under the heading “Torso width, θ.” From the two measurements already taken, torso width, θ, and head width, η, the rail size is determined. Ranges of head widths, η, in cm, are shown in the left-hand column. Ranges of torso widths,  74 , in cm, are shown in the row immediately under the heading “Torso width, θ.” Choosing the appropriate row based on head widths, η, and column based on torso widths, θ, results in a rail letter (K-S without “O”) and rail cross-section dimensions (the height includes the base thickness) in inches. The overall rail dimensions, in inches, are shown in the right-hand table of  FIG. 8 .  
         [0040]     For use on a waterbed, a soft mattress or a mattress more than six (6) years old, it is recommended in the preferred embodiment that all components  510 ,  520 ,  530  of the custom, therapeutic pillow  500  be reduced by one letter.  
         [0041]     A final step is to ascertain that the rail thickness is not more than one (1) inch greater than the panel thickness. Should the rail thickness prove more than 1″ greater than the panel thickness, the rail thickness would be modified to reduce it to the panel thickness plus one (1) inch. No change is made to the other rail dimensions or the panel dimensions.  
         [0042]     At this point, all dimensions of all parts of the custom pillow  500  are known.  
         [0043]     To use an example, a patient  300  will be using their custom, therapeutic pillow on a new mattress which is not a waterbed mattress. The patient&#39;s  300  torso width, θ, measures 32 cm and head width, η, measures 15 cm. The center table in  FIG. 7  is used because 30.5≦32≦36. Thus the base letter is “B” and will be 1.62 inches thick. Looking at the left-hand table in  FIG. 8 , we see the base will be 1.62×15.5×24, all in inches. Taking the head width, η, from the torso width, θ, results in 17 cm (32−15=17). Thus, the sixth (6 th ) row from the top of the center table in  FIG. 7  is used because the range of θ-η is 17-19.5 cm. The correct panel letter is “F” and the thickness of the panel plus the base will be 3.75 inches. Using  FIG. 8 , we determine the panels will measure 2.13×15.5×8, all in inches, based on panel letter “F.” 
         [0044]     The next step is to move into the lower part of the center table in  FIG. 7  to determine the appropriate rail size. Knowing the head width, η, is in the range 15-16 cm and the torso width, θ, lies in the range 30-33 cm, we determine the rail letter to be “L.” The rail dimensions are found in the right-hand table in  FIG. 8 , where we find a rail with a letter “L” is 1.75×3.5×8, all in inches. Finally, we compare the rail thickness, 1.75″ to the panel thickness, 2.13″ to ascertain that the rail is not more than 1″ thicker than the panel. In this case it is not. If the rail had been more than 1″ thicker than the panel, the thickness of the rail would be modified to the panel thickness plus one (1) inch.  
         [0045]     Additional data are given in the table of  FIG. 9 . The values given in the column headed “Density, lb/ft 3 ,” are the densities of the foam used for the four components  510 ,  520 ,  530 ,  540 . Firmness generally increases with increased density. In the column headed “ILD,” the Indent Load Deflection (ILD) of the components  510 ,  520 ,  530 ,  540  is given. Additionally, maximum and minimum dimension ranges are given for each of the components  510 ,  520 ,  530 ,  540 .  
         [0046]     A flow diagram with the values of torso width, θ, and head width, η, being entered into a computing function  1210  is shown in  FIG. 12 . The dimensions for the base, panels, and rails are outputted from the computing function  1210 . Such a computing function may be effected by software in a personal or mainframe computer, handheld calculator, or a dedicated calculating unit, perhaps built into the sliding calipers  100 .  
         [0047]     The above embodiment is the preferred embodiment, but this invention is not limited thereto. It is, therefore, apparent that many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0