An inflatable device includes a top sheet of material and a bottom sheet of material, wherein the top sheet of material is connected to the bottom sheet of material thereby defining a cavity therebetween to be inflated. The device further includes a plurality of passages in the bottom sheet extending from the cavity to an exterior of the device, wherein the passages are configured to permit air to pass from the cavity to the exterior of the device and to flow between a bottom surface of the device and a supporting surface upon which the device is configured to rest. The inflatable device further includes a plurality of inflation-limiting members connecting the top sheet to the bottom sheet, and an input configured for receiving air to inflate the device.

Systems, devices, and methods are provided to facilitate the implementation of a “proning protocol” to improve a clinical outcome for a person having SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) or other condition that may benefit from spending time in the prone position. For example, a system may include a mobile device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, etc.) providing a proning application configured to manage a configuration and implementation of a proning protocol for a person and configured to receive sensor data from (a) a wearable sensor device secured to the person and including sensor(s) (e.g., accelerometer(s)) that monitor the person body position, and/or (b) other sensor(s) that monitor other physiological parameters relative to the proning protocol. The proning application may determine and output feedback to manage the person's position based at least on the received sensor data and defined parameters of the proning protocol.

A caregiver assistance system is disclosed for assisting a caregiver to ensure the beds of high fall risk patients are in desired states for reducing the likelihood of a patient falling. The system may also help the caregiver to perform rounding tasks. The system comprises a server in communication with the patients' beds and one or more mobile electronic devices (e.g. smart phones). The mobile devices receive answers to a plurality of fall risk questions and forward them to the server. The server generates a patient fall risk assessment from the answers, determines a desired state for fall-risk components of the bed if the patient fall risk assessment indicates the patient has a high risk of falling, compares the states of the fall-risk components to corresponding desired states, and issues an alert at the mobile device if any of the fall-risk components are not in their desired state.

A bed device includes: an operation section that receives an operation input; a controller that controls a movement of the bed in accordance with the operation input; a detector that detects a position of a patient on the bed; and, a limitation table that stores a limitation area set on the bed in association with a limitation content, wherein when the position of the patient detected by the detector is included in the limitation area, the limitation content is read out from the limitation table so as to control the controller in accordance with the limitation content. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a higher safety bed device which can not only notify the danger based on the bed movement but also limit the movement of the bed in accordance with the status of the patient or the bed device.

This invention helps a person in bed to avoid decubitus ulcers. This device has a flexible body support structure (such as a sheet or blanket) which is automatically moved from a first configuration, which is flat, to a second configuration, which enfolds and/or wraps around a person's body. The device turns a person from lying on their first side to lying on their opposite side by: enfolding the person in the support structure; rotating or pivoting the support structure; and then releasing the person by unfolding the support structure.

A user module for a patient support apparatus is provided. The user module has a user interface operably coupled thereto. The user interface includes an input device and an output device. The output device includes a visual display including textual and non-textual elements. The non-textual elements include enhanced, graphical, and animated portions relating to one or more operational features of the patient support or to a person positionable on the patient support. The input device includes one or more touch sensors corresponding to defined regions of the visual display.

A process (and apparatus) of managing pressure injuries provides a two-dimensional array of expandable, compressible cells. Each cell has a contact surface with an associated contact pressure, and the array of cells includes a given cell with a given contact surface and at least one cell adjacent to the given cell (“adjacent cell”). A controller expands the array of cells. The process also monitors the contact pressure of a body on the contact surface and detects a given contact pressure exceeding or equal to a predetermined threshold contact pressure. The controller may produce a pressure reduction response when determining that the given contact pressure exceeds or equals the predetermined threshold contact pressure. This automatically causes the controller to modify the internal air pressure of the given cell and the internal air pressure of the adjacent cell.

A multi-purpose system for a bed is disclosed. The system may include a number of vertically movable lifting members that are parallel and spaced-apart elongated parts transversally connected to the bed. Furthermore a mattress assembly that has spaced-apart transversal accommodating spaces thereon that are sized to receive the corresponding movable lifting members therein, and an actuating mechanism coupled with the movable lifting members to vertically move the lifting members between a lowered position and a raised position.

A support system includes two cushions. The first cushion is divided into a plurality of bladders filled with a fluid, the bladders being connected by fluid interconnections. The second cushion is coupled to the first cushion. The second cushion is also divided into a plurality of bladders filled with a fluid, the bladders connected by fluid interconnections. When a force is applied to one of the plurality of bladders, a reactionary force is produced in a different one of the plurality of bladders in the same respective cushion.

A patient immersion sensor includes a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) apparatus to determine a time of flight (TOF) of a RADAR pulse and a reflected signal that is reflected by a patient or by a portion of a patient support surface supporting the patient. The TOF is indicative of an immersion depth or a distance toward bottoming out of a patient supported on the patient support surface, such as a mattress or a pad. The RADAR apparatus emits pulses of very short duration so as to be able to detect objects, such as a patient or a portion of a mattress or pad, at very close distances. The RADAR apparatus may use time-of-flight (TOF) between transmission of the pulse and receipt of a reflected signal to determine a distance toward bottoming out by the patient, thereby to determine if the patient is properly immersed into the patient support surface. Adjustments to inflation or deflation of one or more bladders are made to achieve a desired immersion amount within a tolerance range between upper and lower TOF thresholds.