Patent ID: 8832883

Claim:
A patient support system comprising: a generally rectangular base comprising a top surface; a first longitudinally oriented sidewall and a second longitudinally oriented sidewall extending upward from lateral side portions of the base; a substantially vapor-impermeable barrier disposed on the top surface of the base and on inwardly facing surfaces of the first longitudinally oriented sidewall and the second longitudinally oriented sidewall; a top cover extending between upper aspects of the first longitudinally oriented sidewall and the second longitudinally oriented sidewall such that a generally longitudinally oriented channel configured to receive airflow therethrough is substantially defined by a lower surface of the top cover, an upper surface of the barrier on the base, and inwardly facing surfaces of the barrier on the first longitudinally oriented sidewall and the second longitudinally oriented sidewall; a supply conduit extending from an exterior air supply connector to an internal air supply opening within the channel at a first longitudinal end of the base; an air discharge opening within the channel, positioned at a second longitudinal end of the base opposing the first longitudinal end, the air discharge opening being arranged to allow air to exit the channel; an inflatable support layer disposed in the channel, the inflatable support layer being composed of at least two sections corresponding to a respective two portions of a patient's body, each section being separately inflatable and deflatable, and each section being fluidicly isolated from each other section, each section including an array of upstanding, inflatable supports having interior volume; a control unit operatively configured to inflate and vent air from each of the at least two sections; and an air source separate from the control unit, fluidicly coupled to the exterior air supply connector, for providing an airflow through the channel in a longitudinal direction from the first longitudinal end to the second longitudinal end, and around the arrays of upstanding, inflatable supports comprising the at least two sections of the inflatable support layer; wherein the interior volume of the inflatable supports is fluidicly isolated from the channel.