Patent ID: 8196239

Claim:
A clinical support pad, comprising: a plurality of support cells formed in a first film layer of material and configured to be alternately and repeatedly inflated and deflated with respect to one or more adjacent cells; and a number of channels formed in the first film layer, wherein each cell is in fluid communication with at least one of the number of channels; wherein each of the plurality of support cells are configured such that a surface of each cell has a continuous curvature across a length direction and across a width direction of the cell, wherein at least some of the plurality of support cells are ellipsoidal in shape and are described by the equation: x 2 a 2 + y 2 b 2 + z 2 c 2 = 1 where x, y, and z are Cartesian coordinates, a and b are equatorial radii, and c is a polar radius; and wherein the plurality of support cells are spaced such that a distance between a center of at least one cell and a center of at least one adjacent cell is not more than a two-point discrimination threshold distance associated with a patient such that the patient is unable to distinguish, by touch, the at least one cell from the at least one adjacent cell.