Abstract: A fire retardant cushioning device wherein the cushioning device comprises a main body formed of a fire retardant cover material which is assembled together from panels of fire retardant cover material with the panels being connected together by at least one welded seam extending about the edges of the panels of cover material to form a seamed fire retardant cover material comprising the main body of the cover and the seam(s); and wherein the construction of the cushioning device provides a fire retardant cushioning device having welded seam(s) whereby the welded seam(s) are configured such that they are flame retardant. A fire retardant, infection control cushioning device is also disclosed. The invention also provides a method of manufacturing the fire retardant cushioning device.

Abstract: The invention provides a system for checking the interior of hermetically sealed cushioning devices for contamination, comprising a hermetically sealed cushioning device (1, 2) having a port (3) adapted to allow extraction of air from interior of the cushioning device (1, 2), and means for analysing said extracted air to determine if it contains contaminants. The system comprises a sampling device for extracting a sample of air from inside a sealed cushioning device, the sampling device having a nozzle (23) removably engageable with a sealable port (3) on the sealed cushioning device (1, 2). The invention also provides a cushioning device (1, 2) comprising a port (3) adapted for connection to a cushioning device and removeably engageable with a sampling device.

Abstract: An infection control bedding product such as a pillow, duvet, mattress, cushion or such like having a sealed cover and having a deformable filling material, may comprise a liquid impermeable air permeable microbial barrier vent. The vent includes an oleophobic expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane extending past the perimeter of the aperture and a nonwoven layer extending past the perimeter of the aperture. A gasket may be bonded to the PTFE membrane, the nonwoven layer and the cover to form a liquid impermeable seal rendering the infection control bedding product liquid impermeable.

Abstract: An infection control bedding product such as a pillow, duvet, mattress, cushion or such like having a sealed cover and having a deformable filling material, may comprise a liquid impermeable air permeable microbial barrier vent. The vent includes an oleophobic expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane extending past the perimeter of the aperture and a nonwoven layer extending past the perimeter of the aperture. A gasket may be bonded to the PTFE membrane, the nonwoven layer and the cover to form a liquid impermeable seal rendering the infection control bedding product liquid impermeable.

Abstract: An infection control bedding product such as a pillow, duvet, mattress, cushion or such like having a sealed cover and having a deformable filling material, may comprise a liquid impermeable air permeable microbial barrier vent. The vent includes an oleophobic expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane extending past the perimeter of the aperture and a nonwoven layer extending past the perimeter of the aperture. A gasket may be bonded to the PTFE membrane, the nonwoven layer and the cover to form a liquid impermeable seal rendering the infection control bedding product liquid impermeable.

Abstract: A hermetically sealed infection control bedding product such as a pillow, duvet, mattress, cushion or such like having a sealed cover and having a resiliently deformable filling material, comprising a vent means in the cover, characterized in that the vent means comprises a filter medium including a filter membrane for the removal of particles of microbial size and wherein the filter medium also comprises a strengthening layer of material for providing mechanical strength to the filter medium whereby the filter medium allows air flow therethrough but is substantially impermeable to liquid while maintaining a barrier to particles of microbial size.

Abstract: The present invention relates to microbial detection valves and particularly, unidirectional valves which include means for detecting the presence of microbes. The present invention also relates to infection control cushioning and/or bedding including said microbial detection valves. In another aspect, the present invention concerns improvements in and relating to hygienic bedding and particularly in and relating to hygienic bedding covers. The present invention has the advantage that it provides a one-way valve incorporated into the pillow cover as well as a microbial filter membrane, to allow air to exhaust quickly from the pillow through the valve, bypassing the membrane. Air re-entering the pillow may only pass through the microbial filter membrane. Thus, air re-entering the pillow does so at slower speed, but has the advantage that forcing the re-entering air to pass through the micorbial filter allows only sterile air to enter the pillow.

Abstract: A hermetically sealed infection control bedding product such as a pillow, duvet, mattress, cushion or such like having a sealed cover and having a resiliently deformable filling material, comprising a vent means in the cover, characterised in that the vent means comprises a filter medium including a filter membrane for the removal of particles of microbial size and wherein the filter medium also comprises a strengthening layer of material for providing mechanical strength to the filter medium whereby the filter medium allows air flow therethrough but is substantially impermeable to liquid while maintaining a barrier to particles of microbial size.