Patent ID: 8090478

Claim:
A patient support comprising: at least one fluid containing bladder, the at least one bladder positioned to provide support for a patient when the patient is positioned on at least a portion of the patient support; and a pressure control assembly operably coupled to the at least one bladder to regulate a fluid pressure within the at least one bladder, the pressure control assembly including a programmable controller, the controller being programmed to monitor sensed pressure values of the fluid pressure within the at least one bladder and adjust the fluid pressure within the at least one bladder wherein: an acceptable range of pressure values is defined and the controller initiates adjustment of the fluid pressure within the at least one bladder when one of the sensed values is located outside the acceptable range of pressure and a time period following the sensing of the sensed value has elapsed without the fluid pressure within the at least one bladder returning to the acceptable range of pressure, the time period having a variable length; wherein the time period has a length that is a function of the difference between the sensed value and a value defining the acceptable range of pressure; wherein the time period has a length that is determined by a selected one of a plurality of different algorithms, selection of the selected one algorithm being a function of the difference between the sensed value and the value defining the acceptable range of pressure; wherein a first algorithm is selected when the difference between the sensed value and the value defining the acceptable range of pressure does not exceed a first window value; and wherein a second algorithm is selected when the difference between the sensed value and the value defining the acceptable range of pressure exceeds the first window value; and wherein the time periods determined by the first algorithm have a first maximum value and the time periods determined by the second algorithm have a second maximum value, the first maximum value being greater than the second maximum value.