Bladder control system with software

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward a mattress system and a method to decrease pressure applied to a patient. The mattress system has an analyzer that receives the measurements regarding the geometry of the mattress and the pressure of the bladders within the mattress. With that data, the analyzer compares those measurements and transmits a pressure signal to a pressure provider device. In response to the pressure signal, the pressure provider device alters and/or maintains the pressure in the bladders to decrease the chance of bottoming out and/or decrease the pressure applied to the patient.

1 . A mattress system comprising:
 a mattress having
 a head section having a first set of support bladders that receive a fluid and a set of rotation bladders that receive the fluid; 
 a foot section having a second set of support bladders that receive the fluid; 
 a gatch area positioned between the foot section and the head section; and 
 a pressure sensor associated with each bladder that measures the pressure associated with each bladder; 
   a support structure positioned below the mattress and allows the head section to be positioned any where between a supine configuration and a cardiac chair configuration;   a geometry sensor that measures the angle of the head section in relation to the mattress being in a supine configuration;   an analyzer that receives the measurement from the pressure sensor and the measurement from the geometry sensor, and analyzes the measurements to transmit a pressure signal; and   a pressure provider device (a) receives the pressure signal and (b) alters and/or maintains the fluid pressure within the bladders to reduce the chance of (i) bottoming out of the bladders and/or (ii) forming bed sores on a patient positioned on the mattress.   
     
     
         2 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein the foot section further comprises a sacrum area bladder. 
     
     
         3 . The mattress system of  claim 2  wherein the sacrum area bladder is within the second set of support bladders. 
     
     
         4 . The mattress system of  claim 2  wherein the sacrum area bladder is over at least a portion of the second set of support bladders. 
     
     
         5 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein the pressure provider device and the analyzer are in the mattress. 
     
     
         6 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein pressure provider device is divided into a first device positioned in the head section and a second device positioned in the foot section. 
     
     
         7 . The mattress system of  claim 6  wherein the first device receives the pressure signal and the second device receives the pressure signal. 
     
     
         8 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein the foot section has a seat section positioned near the gatch area and calf section, and positioned between the calf section and the seat section is a second gatch area. 
     
     
         9 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein the support structure has the geometry sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The mattress system of  claim 9  wherein the geometry sensor is incorporated into a computer interface that measures the angle of the head section in relation to the mattress being in the supine configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein the geometry sensor is selected from the group consisting of giant magneto-resistive devices and a Hall effect field sensors. 
     
     
         12 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein the mattress has at least a portion of the geometry sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein the support structure has at least a portion of the geometry sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein the fluid is air. 
     
     
         15 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein the fluid is an aqueous liquid. 
     
     
         16 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein some of the bladders are low air-loss bladders. 
     
     
         17 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein the pressure in at least one of the bladders within the foot section and/or a seat sub-section positioned (a) within the foot section and (b) near the gatch area is increased when the head section is at a predetermined angle in relation to the support section. 
     
     
         18 . A mattress system comprising:
 a mattress having
 a head section having a first set of support bladders that receive a fluid and a set of rotation bladders that receive the fluid; 
 a foot section having a second set of support bladders that receive the fluid; 
 a gatch area positioned between the foot section and the head section; and 
 a pressure sensor associated with each bladder that measures the pressure associated with each bladder; 
   a support structure positioned below the mattress and allows the head section to be positioned any where between a supine configuration and a cardiac chair configuration;   a geometry sensor that measures the angle of the foot section in relation to the mattress being in a supine configuration;   an analyzer that receives the measurement from the pressure sensor and the measurement from the geometry sensor, and analyzes the measurements to transmit a pressure signal; and   a pressure provider device (a) receives the pressure signal and (b) alters and/or maintains the fluid pressure within the bladders to reduce the chance of (i) bottoming out of the bladders and/or (ii) forming bed sores on a patient positioned on the mattress.   
     
     
         19 . The mattress system of  claim 18  wherein the head section further comprises a back area bladder. 
     
     
         20 . A method of adjusting a mattress system comprising:
 positioning a patient on a mattress having
 a head section having a first set of support bladders that receive a fluid and a set of rotation bladders that receive the fluid; 
 a foot section having a second set of support bladders that receive the fluid; 
 a gatch area positioned between the foot section and the head section; and 
 a pressure sensor associated with each bladder that measures the pressure associated with each bladder; 
   
       the mattress is positioned over a support structure that allows the head section to be positioned any where between a supine configuration and a cardiac chair configuration;
 measuring with a geometry sensor the angle of the head section in relation to the mattress being in a supine configuration; 
 transmitting a pressure signal based on an analysis of the measurement from the pressure sensor and the measurement from the geometry sensor; and 
 altering and/or maintaining, based on the pressure signal, the fluid pressure within the bladders to reduce the chance of (i) bottoming out of the bladders and/or (ii) forming bed sores on a patient positioned on the mattress. 
 
     
     
         21 . The mattress system of  claim 1  wherein the pressure in at least one of the bladders within the foot section and/or a seat sub-section positioned (a) within the foot section and (b) near the gatch area is decreased when the head section is at a predetermined angle in relation to the support section.