US 12,329,703 B2
System and methods for supporting and positioning a person
Patrick Lafleche, Kalamazoo, MI (US); and Justin Jon Raymond, Jackson, MI (US)
Assigned to Stryker Corporation, Portage, MI (US)
Filed by Stryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI (US)
Filed on Oct. 25, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/509,466.
Application 17/509,466 is a continuation of application No. 16/265,208, filed on Feb. 1, 2019, granted, now 11,173,087.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/625,018, filed on Feb. 1, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0040019 A1, Feb. 10, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61G 7/10 (2006.01)
CPC A61G 7/1021 (2013.01) [A61G 7/1059 (2013.01); A61G 2203/10 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for supporting and positioning a person, the system comprising:
a mattress adapted to be supported on a support deck and comprising a top side and an opposing bottom side,
a flexible cover layer having a support surface for the person, the support surface defining the top side of the mattress;
a formable layer coupled to and abutting the flexible cover layer and positioned vertically below the support surface, the formable layer including:
a sealed bladder adapted to be in fluid communication with a vacuum source for selectively providing a vacuum to the sealed bladder to move the system between a first configuration in the absence of the vacuum, and a second configuration in the presence of the vacuum, and
particles disposed within the sealed bladder and adapted to be substantially movable relative to one another in the first configuration such that a contour is provided to the support surface by applying forces to the flexible cover layer to alter a shape of the formable layer, and substantially immovable relative to one another in the second configuration such that the particles contact one another to provide rigidity to the formable layer to maintain the contour provided to the support surface for maintaining a position of a portion of the body of the person along the contour;
a cushioning layer disposed within the mattress opposite the formable layer relative to flexible cover layer such that the formable layer is positioned intermediate the flexible cover layer and the cushioning layer;
a fluid circulation layer disposed vertically between the formable layer and the cushioning layer; and
a controller coupled to the vacuum source and configured to control the vacuum source to move the system between the first and second configurations.