Abstract: An apparatus for manipulating a user's back while supporting the user's back and hips includes a support defining a longitudinal axis, and a seat pad disposed along the support at a position corresponding to the user's hips for supporting the user's hips. The seat pad is rotatable around the longitudinal axis and has an attached seat belt for holding a user on the seat pad. A pair of handles are provided, one on each side of the seat pad, which are coupled to the seat pad and which are movable in reciprocal back-and-forth motion to control rotation of the seat pad around the longitudinal axis. A resistance device is coupled to the seat pad or elsewhere for providing resistance to reciprocal back-and-forth motion of the handles, and two mechanical stops are provided, one on each side of the apparatus, for limiting rotation of the seat pad. The mechanical stops each have plural settings for adjusting a maximum angle of rotation of the seat pad.

Abstract: In order to therapeutically move and flex limbs of a person who has undergone severe trauma and who is in need of the assistance of a therapist, a table, which is slidably supported on a tiltable chassis, is connected with a drive mechanism which allows the stroke of reciprocative movement of the bed back and forth along the chassis, to be adjusted so that one or more pieces of supportive apparatus cyclically bend and straighten the arms and legs of a person on the bed in a manner which flexes the joints and muscles in the limbs and promotes blood circulation and other beneficial effects. The support structure, which supports the limbs of the patient, can be adjusted with respect to the chassis so that degree of limb flexure can be varied in accordance with individual/current needs.

Abstract: A turn mattress includes a plurality of inflatable sacs juxtapositionally connected together within a mattress envelope, each inflatable sac being transverse to a longitudinal axis of the mattress and having a right cell and a left cell separated by a central diaphragm and respectively communicated with an air distributing system to be alternatively inflated or deflated for turning a patient ridden on the mattress from side to side, and a pair of restoring air bags each inherently formed and constantly inflated in each cell, whereby upon deflation of either cell, the restoring air bag as inflated will serve as a side guard for preventing a slipping of the patient away from the mattress laid on a hospital bed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for periodically and rhythmically lifting one hip of a seated person and then the other, thereby simulating the muscle stimulation and relaxation imparted to a person by walking. A rotatable support panel is provided for alternately lifting and moving backward and forward each hip of a seated person.

Abstract: A patient interface system integral with a critical care bed for allowing the acquisition, analysis, display, and conveyance of patient-related data from a variety of transducers. The system is adapted to recognize and interpret each type of signal being received, despite the type and/or make of the particular transducers. The system is also adapted to simultaneously display data traces and representative readings from a variety of transducers simultaneously on a single screen detachably mounted to the bed. The display screen is pivotally mounted for ease of use and may be detached from the bed together with the main processor when the corresponding features are not desired. The bed is adapted with electronic connection sockets along each side of the patient surface to present convenient connections for patient transducer leads. The system has resident memory for storing data to enable trend analysis or downloading for patient data records.

Abstract: An adjustable bed for patients requiring periodic changes of their resting positions. A rectangular frame with two pairs of lateral members are axle members longitudinally disposed along the frame. One or more supporting wings that are pivotally mounted to the axle members. A flexible sheet is mounted over the concave portion of the wings to support the patient. A mechanism for causing the wings to rotate is cooperatively coupled to the wings. Either mechanical, hydraulic or other equivalent mechanisms can be used to impart the rotation to the wings.

Abstract: An oscillatory bed for providing improved patient care in a hospital, nursing home or home health care setting by shifting a person's weight in order to reduce or eliminate problems encountered in convalescence or bed confinement. The subject oscillatory bed is characterized by having a removable cradle assembly received on top of a bed frame assembly. The cradle assembly may be oscillated by a microprocessor controlled electric motor or oscillated manually. The cradle assembly includes a cradle base attached at opposite ends to a semi-circular foot board and semi-circular head board. The bed frame assembly includes a pair of parallel longitudinal support members attached at opposite ends to a foot board support member and a head board support member. The foot board and head board support members include roller bearings mounted inside thereof for receiving the semi-circular foot board and head board thereon.

Abstract: A multipurpose sickbed including a body turning-over mechanism, which includes a sheet-like bearing element upon which the sick person lies, and two revolving shafts connected to the sheet-like bearing element at two opposite sides and alternatively controlled to take up the sheet-like bearing element in turning over the body of the sick person, a sit-up mechanism controlled to turn a head plate and a back plate in helping the sick person to sit up, and a massaging mechanism controlled to reciprocate a transverse rod under the sheet-like bearing element in massaging the back of the sick person.

Abstract: Apparatus for preventing bed sores in a bedridden patient including a frame and first and second sets of substantially rectangular air bags for supporting a patient thereon mounted transversely on the frame, all of the air bags being connected to a gas source to maintain low interface pressures between a patient and the air bags to inhibit the formation and permit healing of bed sores caused by prolonged contact with hard surfaces. The conformation of the air bags is such that when the adjacent air bags are alternately inflated and deflated, the patient is rotated from side to side on the bed to therapeutically inhibit pulmonary problems and maintain low interface pressures between the patient and the air bags. The conformation of the air bags retains the patient thereon when rolled in each direction.

Abstract: An oscillatory bed for providing improved patient care in a hospital, nursing home or home health care setting. The oscillatory bed is characterized by having hinged, adjustable side panels along opposite sides of the length of a cradle located in the oscillating bed, which can be raised from a flattened position to form a "U" shaped cradle configuration during the operation of the bed. The adjustable side panels can be quickly lowered to the flattened position for emergency treatment of the patient or in changing of the bed. The oscillatory bed also includes a linear actuator in a head board section and in a foot board section. By raising the head board section, the patient's head and upper body are raised above the patient's feet. Also, the foot board section can be raised, and in turn the patient's feet are raised above the patient's head and upper body.

Abstract: A display assembly for displaying the interior construction of a bedding system comprises the bedding system to be displayed rotatably mounted on a support pedestal so that the viewer, standing in a single location, can see both sides of the system simply by rotating the system with respect to the pedestal. Portions of the ticking and padding layers covering each of the major surfaces of the bedding system are cut-away so that the viewer can see the interior structure as well as each layer of padding and ticking of the piece, i.e., the mattress or the foundation, being examined. To save space, the bedding system is preferably vertically mounted on the pedestal, and to facilitate better understanding by the viewer, the foundation is preferably arranged so that its mattress-receiving surface faces outwardly rather than towards the mattress as occurs in an actual in-use configuration.

Abstract: An automated tri-fold bed includes a bed frame, a mattress support that is pivotable between a horizontal configuration and a mattress folding configuration, and a mechanism for pivoting the mattress support about a transversely centered longitudinal pivot axis. The pivoting mechanism includes an actuating arm attached to the mattress support and an actuator for moving the actuating arm to pivot the mattress support. A mechanism is also provided for folding at least one end of the mattress support about a transverse axis to permit raising of one end of a mattress on the mattress support.

Abstract: A method for preventing bedsores is disclosed which includes rocking the patient slowly at a rocking cycle period in the range of 1 to 120 minutes. Preferably, the entire bed is rocked using a hydraulic system characterized by synchronous motion of the master cylinders and the slave cylinders at the desired rocking cycle period. A pump is disclosed characterized by 4 master cylinders for conducting the rocking. The system constitutes an attachment for a bed such as hospital bed.

Abstract: A bedding supporting floor is supported on a stationary frame supported on a base having castors through a lifting device so that the bedding supporting floor is oscillated about an oscillation shaft provided on a center axis thereof, and an oscillation device for oscillating the bedding supporting floor with respect to the stationary frame is provided. A plate-like bearing member having a circular arc edge provided on a head portion and a foot portion of the bedding supporting floor is placed on a pair of rolls supported on the stationary frame.

Abstract: The present invention provides a therapeutic bed which comprises:(a) a trolley frame (1) having floor-engaging feet or wheels (2),(b) an attitude frame (3) pivotably mounted on the trolley frame so as to be pivotable through a predetermined arc about an axis extending longitudinally of the bed,(c) operating means (62, 67 & 64) for causing the attitude frame to pivot in one direction and then the other through said predetermined arc,(d) a plurality of air sacs (14) supported on said attitude frame and inflatable to a pressure sufficient to provide a resilient surface for supporting a patient thereon, said air sacs together forming a shaped cavity (31, 32, 33) within which the patient's body can be nested and supported so that the patient does not slide off the bed during turning, and(e) microprocessor control means for causing the turning movement of the attitude frame to be arrested when reaching the end of the predetermined movement in one direction and causing the operating means to reverse the direction of

Abstract: A kinetic therapeutic table 10 having a frame 12, a planar patient support 14 mounted to the frame 12 for rotation about an elongate axis substantially aligned therewith and adjustable vertically at its foot 20 and head 18 ends. Symmetrical lateral support packs 114 at opposite sides of the patient's torso have laterally offset mountings for adjustment of the width therebetween by reversing their locations. Outer lateral leg supports 110 are mounted to the frame 12 and have a track 184 at their top surface for slideable mounting of both knee restraints 182 and foot supports 202 at selected positions therealong. The patient support 14 comprises a planar frame with a plurality of panels 88 removably mounted thereto by means of pins 96 actuated by a lever arm 100. A patient support 14 drive motor 28 provides rotary drive to the patient support 14 through a worm gear 40 locked to a gear linkage, so that it may be stopped and held by the worm gear 40 in any angular position by switching power off to the motor 28.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for preventing bed sores in a bedridden patient. A low air loss bed is provided including a frame, a first set of substantially rectangular air bags for supporting a patient thereon mounted transversely on the frame, and a second set of substantially rectangular air bags for supporting a patient thereon mounted transversely on the frame, and all of the air bags are connected to a gas source. The conformation of the air bags is such that, when the first set of air bags is inflated, the patient supported thereon is moved toward the first side of the frame of the low air loss bed and, when the second set of air bags is inflated while the first set of air bags is deflated, the patient is moved toward the second side of the low air loss bed. The conformation of the air bags also retains the patient on the top surface of the air bags when the patient is rolled in one direction or the other.