An occupant support structure for supporting an occupant includes an orientation adjustable torso section, a lower body section, and a control system. The lower body section includes a heel region subsection which supports the heel region of an occupant of the occupant support. The control system is adapted to A) cause the heel region subsection to temporarily substantially disengage from the heel region of the occupant in response to a change of angular orientation of the torso section which begins at a time t.sub.0, and B) cause the heel region subsection to subsequently re-engage with the heel region of the occupant, the re-engagement occurring at a time t.sub.B which is later than t.sub.0.

A system and method to reduce pressure on selected areas on a body include an array of programmable supports and at least one sensor to detect a physical property of the body. Each programmable support of the array of programmable supports includes an adjustable member and a mechanism to adjust the length of the adjustable member based on the detected physical property of the body.

A patient support apparatus includes a patient support structure, such as a bed frame or mattress or both, that is configured to support a patient in a recumbent position. The patient support structure is configured to provide at least one therapy to a patient. A therapy enabler token is coupleable to the patient support structure. The at least one therapy is disabled when the therapy enabler token is decoupled from the patient support structure and the at least one therapy is enabled in response to the therapy enabler token being coupled to the patient support structure.

This is directed to a smart ergonomic chair and mobility system. The system can be used as a working station, a working chair, a mobility device, a personal care device, or a combination thereof. The system is designed to provide ergonomic seating posture for a person who is seated on the chair. The system is also designed to reduce body stress by providing automatic movements of parts of the chair at predefined time points.

A nursing bed including a bed body, provided with a plurality of combined bed boards, at least one of the plurality of combined bed boards being provided with one or more pressure sensors, and a comparator, connected to the one or more pressure sensors. The comparator is configured to compare pressure data transmitted by the one or more pressure sensors with a predetermined pressure value and output a warning signal when the pressure data transmitted by the one or more pressure sensors is greater than or equal to the predetermined pressure value. A timer, is connected to the comparator, and with respect to each of the pressure sensors, configured to start timing when the warning signal is received and output an alarm signal when a preset time is reached, and an alarm device, is connected to the timer, and configured to give an alarm after the alarm signal is received.

A bedding system includes: a bedding; an auxiliary mechanism that is incorporated in the bedding and is to assist change of a body position of the user, the auxiliary mechanism including a plurality of column members that are long along a thickness-wise direction of the bedding, are individually movable along the thickness-wise direction, and are arranged to be parallel to each other; and a first control unit that controls movement of each of the column members.

Apparatus and methods for adjusting a support to a body are described in which a portable support assembly may be worn or used by a bed-stricken or wheel-chair restricted individual around particular regions of the body where pressure ulcers tend to form. The portable support assembly may generally include adjustable supports which conform the assembly to the patient's body and which also help to distribute one or more fluid pad assemblies relative to the body. The support assembly may be incorporated into a design for a wheelchair or a bed.

A physically disabled patient support unit includes functional underwear, a silicone casing shell, tapered duct, ring, slide, inclined waste pump, waste storage, moving step, waste transfer station, safety belt with apparatus and multi-stage apparatus parts. The support unit provides for the transfer of urine and fecal waste of bedridden physically disabled patients to sewerage without touching. The support also has a very simple and practical use due to its various positions.

This present invention decreases the risks of pressure ulcer formation by steadily and smoothly changing the support points of the body to vary the effective area of support of bony protrusions from the body on the skin and compressing it to the bed, which causes the reduction, as close to zero as possible, of the amount of time pressure is exerted by the weight of the body on the bed and restricted areas of support, preventing that the areas of risk of low blood flood by the weight of the body, remain in ischemia and, therefore, with increased blood flow to these parts of the body.

The purpose of this present invention is designed to slowly, steadily, and smoothly change the body support points to vary the effective area of body support on the bed with slow, constant oscillations, in the directions of the width and length of the mattress support and having two sets of drive systems (DS) attached to the chassis (4) intended to support all components, such as the electric motor (7), driven by a power drive (PWM) in the control panel (PC), said electric motor (7) being fitted with gear (8) connected to another gear (9) and a minimum pitch (10), which drives the worm thread vertical shaft (11) intended to move the flat or arched mattress support (2) vertically and the coupling (13) that carries out the vertical coupling of the tip (12) of the vertical shaft (11), which allows adjustment of the coupling (13) and tip (12) of the vertical shaft (11) to the lateral movements between the tip (12) of the vertical shaft (11) and the flat or arched mattress support (2) resulting from transversal oscillations; the rotation shaft (5A) support (5), which couples with the cylindrical shaft (3) attached to the arched mattress support (2), the equipment's chassis (4), and the noise and vibration absorbing cushions (6) as well as the support (14) of hoods (15) and (16) that surround and protect the vertical screw shaft (11).

A multi-functional multi-positional orthopedic mattress for use with patients is disclosed. The multi-functional multi-positional orthopedic mattress includes a top layer, an intermediate layer and a bottom layer. The top layer is made from a plurality of separately removable cushioned pads. The intermediate layer includes a plurality of rotatably connected structures which allow for rotation of various parts of the mattress in different angels. The bottom layer includes a plurality of non-movable and movable pads. The three layers are connected in such a way as to provide the ability to move a patient residing on the mattress into various positions. This enables the patient to move different parts of their body without having to move others and helps prevent bedsores and other health risks associated with prolong bed rest. The mattress also provides positions that enable caregivers to easily and comfortably change a patient's clothing, wash their body and provide a multitude of other care services. In one embodiment, the mattress does not have any driving elements of its own (e.g. an actuator). Instead, most common patient lifts can be utilized with the mattress to bring about any desired position. The mattress could also be placed on most beds or on the floor, as needed.