Patient support systems.

摘要

A patient support system has a fluidizable surface formed by air fluidizing a mass of fluidizable material (50), and a surface formed by a plurality of inflatable sacks (36) which may be disposed on an articulatable member. The two surfaces are disposed end to end so that the inflatable sacks (36) support the head, chest and upper torso of a patient, and the fluidized material (50) supports the buttocks. legs and feet of the patient. The fluidizable material (50) is contained by a member (66) which is at least partially collapsible so as to facilitate the patient's ingress and egress to and from the support system, the collapsible member for example comprising an air impermeable panel which can form an inflatable elastic wall (66) having one or more internal webs defining separately pressurizable compartments. A blower (40) inflates the sacks, the elastic wall (66), and the fluidizable material under the control of a microprocessor which controls actuation of various valves and the blower (40) according to signals inputted by operating personnel or supplied by various sensors which monitor the patient support system.