	US 12,213,926 B2
	Patient/invalid handling support
Patrick Lafleche, Kalamazoo, MI (US); Jean-Francois Girard, Trois-Riviéres (CA); and Sylvain LaCasse, Saint-Romuald (CA)
Assigned to Stryker Corporation, Portage, MI (US)
Filed by Stryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI (US)
Filed on Apr. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/233,865.
Application 17/233,865 is a continuation of application No. 15/817,987, filed on Nov. 20, 2017, granted, now 10,987,265.
Application 15/817,987 is a continuation of application No. 13/548,591, filed on Jul. 13, 2012, granted, now 9,820,904, issued on Nov. 21, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/507,371, filed on Jul. 13, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2021/0236362 A1, Aug. 5, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61G 7/057 (2006.01); A61H 9/00 (2006.01); A61H 23/00 (2006.01); A61H 23/04 (2006.01)

CPC A61G 7/05776 (2013.01) [A61G 7/05715 (2013.01); A61G 7/05761 (2013.01); A61G 7/05792 (2016.11); A61H 9/0078 (2013.01); A61H 23/006 (2013.01); A61H 23/04 (2013.01); A61G 2203/16 (2013.01); A61G 2203/30 (2013.01); A61G 2203/34 (2013.01); A61G 2203/42 (2013.01); A61H 2201/0146 (2013.01); A61H 2201/0176 (2013.01); A61H 2201/0184 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1697 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5002 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5038 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5046 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5064 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5092 (2013.01)]

20 Claims

1. A patient mattress comprising: a plurality of inflatable bladders, each bladder of the inflatable bladders having an upwardly facing bladder wall providing a patient facing side for supporting the patient on the patient mattress and a cavity; the inflatable bladders being formed from a first sheet of elastomeric material joined with a second sheet to form a matrix with the inflatable bladders, wherein the inflatable bladders are arranged in rows and columns, the rows extending across a width of the mattress, and the columns extending along a length of the mattress, with at least a first group of the inflatable bladders in fluid communication with each of the other bladders in the first group of the inflatable bladders wherein when a patient lies on a set of the first group of the inflatable bladders, pressure in the set of the first group of the inflatable bladders is redistributed to bladders surrounding in the set of the first group of the inflatable bladders; a pressure sensitive sensor disposed and overmolded on a top side of said upwardly facing bladder wall of each of the inflatable bladders of the first group of the inflatable bladders; a pneumatic control system; a controller in communication with the pneumatic control system and the sensors to monitor pressure in communication and to control the pneumatic control system to control inflation of the first group of the inflatable bladders, and the controller configured to adjust or control the pressure distribution in the first group of the inflatable bladders based on input from the sensors.