Patent ID: 8011041

Claim:
A support surface for preventing pressure ulcers in a patient, the support surface comprising a multi-layer composite fabric comprising: a skin contact layer comprising a woven fabric of synthetic filament yarns woven to provide air permeability and moisture vapor permeability and having a thickness of less than 1 mm, the skin contact layer having an upper, skin contact surface and a bottom surface; an absorbent middle layer abutting the bottom surface of the skin contact layer, the middle layer comprising a breathable microfiber fabric woven from synthetic fibers having a cross-sectional shape that includes a plurality of voids for generating a capillary effect for moisture transition from an upper surface of the middle layer to a bottom surface of the middle layer, wherein the skin contact layer and the middle layer are stitched together using a stitching pattern that is optimized to produce an open pattern with minimal puckering; a bottom layer attached to the skin contact layer and the middle layer at a peripheral edge of each layer, the bottom layer comprising a breathable, waterproof fabric having a thickness of less that 1 mm that is woven from synthetic yarn to produce a moisture vapor transfer rate within the range of 5,000 to 20,000 grams per meter squared per 24 hours.