Patent ID: 7216389

Claim:
A mattress for use with a step deck having an upper deck and a lower deck coupled to the upper deck by a longitudinally extending deck side wall having a height greater than a width so that the lower deck is spaced apart from the upper deck to define a recess of the step deck, the upper deck including a longitudinally extending deck side portion coupled to the sidewall and having a width greater than the width of the deck side wall, the mattress comprising: a mattress section having a generally planar upwardly-facing patient rest surface and head, shoulder, waist, hip, and leg zones positioned to support a patient's head, shoulders, waist, hips, and legs, the mattress section including a perimetral zone, supported by the longitudinally extending deck side portion to facilitate entry of the patient onto the mattress section, and a mattress section support positioned on the deck to support the patient rest surface above the recess of the step deck, the mattress section support being configured to provide support for the shoulder, waist, and hip zones of the mattress section, wherein the perimetral zone supported by the longitudinally extending deck side portion extends laterally from the mattress section support a distance greater than the width of the deck side wall.