Patent ID: 8014001

Claim:
An apparatus for use in developing a topography of a back surface of at least a portion of a person's back, seat and legs, comprising: a support structure; a seat pan positioned on the support structure in a generally horizontal plane; a back panel coupled to the seat pan in a generally vertical plane; first and second pliable, sealed containers positioned respectively on the seat pan and the back panel; a deformable material located in the first and second sealed containers; a first adjusting mechanism coupling the seat pan and the back panel to adjust a length of the seat pan extending from the back panel; a second adjusting mechanism coupling the seat pan and the back panel to adjust an angle therebetween in accordance with the orientation of the person seated thereagainst; a vacuum pump associated with each of the first and second containers to effect a gaseous evacuation of the first and second containers while the person is seated against the containers and to hold a shape of the containers after the person moves away from the containers; a laser connected to a computing device and arranged to measure a distance from the laser to the container surfaces and to store that distance in the computing device, a scanning mechanism arranged to carry the laser and to direct the laser over a scanning path covering a field of view having a width and a height located within a predetermined distance range from the laser, a mounting mechanism coupling one of the seat pan and the back panel to the scanning mechanism, permitting the scanning mechanism to be oriented and held fixed relative to one of the seat pan and the back panel within the predetermined distance range.