A patient support apparatus is provided with selective stiffening features. The patient support apparatus may include a support substrate defining a patient support surface. The support substrate may include a magnetorheological material providing selective reinforcement support of at least a portion of the patient support surface to redistribute pressure about a surface of a patient. The magnetorheological material may include a distribution of ferromagnetic particles disposed within a polymeric material and exhibits a shape conforming, variable stiffness in response to exposure to a magnetic field. A controller may be provided and configured to create a correlation of patient specific data with an optimal stiffness or inflection force deflection (IFD) of the patient support surface, and generate a strength of the magnetic field based on the correlation.

The present invention provides devices and system useful for transporting infants, minimizing vibrations, noise, and associated with transport. Devices of the invention include a head gear assembly, one or more body support rolls for elevating portions of the infant's body, and a mattress system with a removable insert. The invention further provides methods of use associated with such devices, including methods of stabilizing a position of an infant, reducing shock or vibration to an infant during transportation, reducing shock, vibration, or noise exposure to an infant during transportation, reducing shock or vibration while providing elevation to specific portions of an infant during transportation, and reducing the risk of intraventricular hemorrhage and/or persistent pulmonary hypertension to an infant during transportation.

A hospital bed includes a sleep deck having an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion each defining a support surface and an underbody that defines a notch. An opening is defined by and extends through the upper portion. A space is defined between the upper portion and the middle portion. A mattress is disposed on the sleep deck. An outer mattress shell encases the mattress and includes a fold defined by a weld. A mattress retention assembly is coupled to the outer mattress shell. The mattress retention assembly includes at least one of a first magnet and a second magnet selectively coupling the mattress to the sleep deck, a portion of the mattress retention assembly extends between the outer mattress shell and the sleep deck, an affixing member disposed on the outer mattress shell, and a retention ridge extending through the sleep deck.

The present disclosure relates to patient support systems, such as hospital beds, and particularly to reconfigurable patient support systems movable among a number of different positions. The present disclosure further relates to control algorithms and interfaces for use in patient support systems.

An improved bed and method of forming with the required profile and localised support for a user by the improved bed at various sections of the bed including shoulder (A), lumbar (B) hip and lower body (C) such as by the mattress (15) having selected forms or voids a Shoulder Pressure Attenuation Area (SPAAM) a Lumbar Pressure Attenuation Area (LPAAM) a Hip Pressure Attenuation Area (HPAAM) and the base (26) having a Shoulder Pressure Attenuation Area (SPAAB) a Lumbar Pressure Attenuation Area (LPAAB) a Hip Pressure Attenuation Area (HPAAB) locatable at different locations along the longitudinal extension of the bed (32,42,52) with a Shoulder Pressure variation means (31) a Lumbar Pressure variation means (41) and a Hip Pressure variation means (51) comprising adjustable slats driven by electric motors.

A device for use with a bed having a frame and a supporting surface includes a flexible sheet with a tether strap connected to the sheet and extending from the sheet. The flexible sheet has opposed top and bottom surfaces, with the top surface having a high friction material with a higher coefficient of friction as compared to the bottom surface, which includes a low friction material. The tether strap is configured for connection to the frame of the bed to secure the sheet in place. A system incorporating the flexible sheet may also include an absorbent pad configured to be placed on the top surface of the sheet, where the high-friction top surface resists sliding of the absorbent pad, as well as one or more wedges having a base wall that the wedge rests on and a ramp surface configured to confront the sheet when the wedge is placed under the sheet. The base wall and the ramp surface may also contain high friction and low friction materials, respectively.

It is disclosed a foam mattress having an adjustable mattress core for adjusting and customizing its firmness. The foam mattress has a foam base having an upper surface defining a top recess; and a plurality of foam inserts each configured to be disposed and assembled into the top recess to fill the top recess and form the mattress core with a continued upper surface of the mattress. The inserts are provided with at least two different firmness of the foam, preferably with three different firmness of the foam selected from firm, medium and soft, producing as such an inexpensive, novel consumer-adjustable mattress in which the consumer can change the firmness of the entire mattress and/or the firmness on either side of the bed to accommodate each sleeper and/or the firmness under certain “body zones” within the mattress for their own personalized comfort preference and to reduce tossing and turning.

A method of installing an array of linear foam strips designed to be vertically stacked with their linear axes parallel and vertically aligned under a region of a mattress that requires a raised contour on its top face to alleviate a medical condition or to repair a sag in the mattress. The foam strip arrays come in 24 or 32 inch lengths to correspond to the width of standard mattress. Each linear foam strip has a different width but none of the strips are within 25% of the width of any other foam strip. The widths of the four different foam strips in the array has been carefully sized to allow the best possible combinations to develop the proper height and side slope of the contour developed in the mattress's top face.

A limb elevating assembly includes a strap that may be wrapped around a limb of a user. A cushion is coupled to the strap. The cushion is wrapped around itself when the strap is wrapped around the user's limb. Thus, the cushion elevates the user's limb on a support surface when the user lies on the support surface. The cushion inhibits bedsores from developing on the user's limb.

A hybrid seating cushion made up of a cushion base and a cushion insert. The cushion base has a seating surface in which a void in or extending through the cushion base is formed. A cushion insert such as an air bladder or fluid sack is positioned within the void. A lip or upper surface around an opening in the void overhangs at least a portion of the cushion insert, thereby minimizing the size and corresponding negative effects of a transition area where the base and the insert overlap.