CA1180524A - Human body contour conforming support and method of forming same - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A support that may be either in the form of a cushion or chair in which the portion thereof in contact with a specific user conforms to the body contour of the user, with the support being of hollow construction and filled with a resilient material such as a foamed poly-merized resin or the like. The exterior surfaces of the support are enveloped in an envelope of a resilient material. The support is formed by having a user sit upon a bag of pliable sheet material, which bag is partially filled with a flowable granular material. A partial vacuum is applied to the interior of the bag to maintain it in the configuration to which it was deformed by the weight of the user. The bag is now coated with a liquid or paste material that solidifies. After solidification the granu-lar material or the complete bag is removed through a small opening in the bag, or in the solidified material surrounding the bag and the interior of the bag or the cavity formed by the solidified material has a liquid resin mixed with a catalyst introduced therein in a sufficient quantity to fill the interior of the bag when it polymeri-zes into a foamed resin. The solidified envelope is removed from the foamed resin filled bag or cavity. The bag or resulting form is now coated with a film of inert material such as resilient rubber or other substance. The finished support may be used in either a stationary position or mounted on a mobile unit.

Description

HUMAN BODY CONTOUR CONFORMING SUPPORT
AND METHOD OF MAKING T~IE SAME
.

In numerous situations, persons are either due to infirmities or thelr particular occupation, reguired to remain seated for prolonged periods of time. Examples of such persons are patients confined to wheelchairs and in institutional environments; drivers of various types of land and aixborne vehicles; assembly line workers; office workers; radar and control operators and the like. The seats provided for such persons are normally mass produced and conformed to an average contour of a person, and as a result, a person in a sitting position in a mass produced chair has substantially his entire weight supported on a few localized pressure areas. If the person is an invalid or suffering from infirmities wherein he must remain on the mass produced chair for prolonged periods of time, the body portion in contact with the chair may suffer a breakdown oE
tissues or damage to nervesO
In the past a support that w$11 conform generally to the contour of a desired portion of a patient's body, has been effected by covering that portion of the body with plaster of paris bandages and holding them in a functional position for a sufficient length of time to let the plaster .'' '. .

of paris fit. The rigid plas-ter of paris i5 then removed from the patient's body and used as a Eorm in which to pour a plaster of paris mixture~ which mixture when set will be representative of the original portion of the patient's body. This plas~er of paris form may be modified at the discretion of the fitter to a desired configurationO The solidified form now has plastic applied to the exterior surface thereof, with the plaster when it is polymerized conforming to the shape of the form, and also to the shape of a portion of the patient's body. Forming a support in the above-described manner requires a high degree of skill on ~he part of the fitter, and as a result there is no assurance that it will conform exactly to the contour of the patient and that there will not be pressure areas on the patient's body when he is si-tting or supported therein.
An operational disadvantage of the prior method of providing a patient support that will conform exactly to the contour of a desired portion of its body is that the patient is put to considerable discomfort, and due to the 2n high degree of skill required by the fitter there may be an error in design of the finished support. Also, the pro-viding of a patient support by the prior art method above-described requires a substantial amount of time to effect, as well as being relatively expensive.
A major object of the present invention is to provide a human body contour conforming support and method 52~
of forming the same in which the method can be carried out by a person having a minimal skill in this regard, with the finished support capable of being delivered to the patients in a relatlvely short length of -t.ime, and the cost of the support being sufficiently low that it may be available to practically any patient that required such a support.
The con~our conforming support of the present invention results by providing a pliable bag that is sealed and partially filled with expanded styrofoam pellets or other suitable material that can be readily formed. The bag containing the soft pellets i~ placed under the desired support ar~a of the patient's body and moved around appropriately so that the voids between the body and the structure on which the bag will be mounted, such as a wheel chair or the like, is filled. After the pellets have moved within the confines of the bag so that they conEorm approximately to the contour of the patient or user sitting on the bag or having a desired portion of his body in con~
tact with the bag, a slight vacuum is applied to the interior of the bag. When the operator is assured that the pellets have moved relative to one another to cause the external surface of the bags to truly conform to the con-tour of the patient's body in contact therewith, the magni-tude of the vacuum in the bag is increased, and the pellets interlock with one another to become a solid mass, such interlocking being of the type that occurs in a styrofoam ~3-- .

cup or the like. The position oE the patient' 5 body resting on the bag containing the styrofoam pellets may now be readily evacuated, with X-rays being taken to check ske-letal positioning. When the appropriate pressure or shear areas of the body are relieved by the pellets and the sur-face of the bag most adjacent thereto being in appropriate contact with the contoured portion of the patientls body, the invention is ready for the next step in the fabrication of the patient support.
At this intermediate step in the method of forming the contour conforming support, the operator has two choices in completing the method~ In the firs-t choice, the pellet containing bag that has been con-toured to con-form to the body of the patient, with a vacuum still applied to the interior thereof, has a build-up of plaster or other material applied to the exterior surface of the bag to minimiæe ridges, bumps and creases that may be formed therein. The build up is primarily for effecting a smooth external surface on the support that will conform -to the contour oE the patient that will use the same, and pre-sent portions of the patient's body being subjected to undue pressure. In other words, the body of the patient will be subjected to a minimum force, when all available areas of the body of the patient is in full contact with the external surface of the contoured support. ~fter the build up has been completed, the pellet containing bag may ,i~

s~
have a suitable release agent applied over its surEace.
The bag is then wrapped with bandages that are impregnated with plaster of paris or like material. When the plaster of paris is set, the vacuum is released, and ~he bag with the pellets is withdrawn from the rigid shell of plaster of paris or cther material that is solidified. One technique i5 to cut a relatively small opening through the plaster of paris shell to permit the pellets to be discharged from the interior of the bags, leaving the bags as a liner.
When it is elected to remove the bag and pellets, the plaster of paris rigid shell that serves as a mold has a suitable release agent applied to the interior surface thereof. The interior o-f the shell that serves as a mold is then filled with a light weight material such as polyurethane and a catalyst, with the polyurethane poly-merizing to a rigid mass that completely fills the interior of the shell that serves as a mold. After the polyurethane has polymerized, and has become rigid, the external shell defined by the plaster of paris impregnated bandages is removed and the core of solidified polyurethane now defining the contour conforming support for a patient or other user. A suitable covering is placed over the entire external surface of the solidified core, which covering may be a film of rubber or other material such as glass fibre reinforced resin, or the like, and the contour conforming support is now complete and ready for delivery.

The second choice of comple-ting the method inclu-des utili~ing the pellet containing bag with vacuum still applied thereto, and the external surface of the bags being smoothed with appropriate material then -the whole rigidized by applying a polyester monomer with a catalyzing agent thereto, to form a rigid shell on the exterior surface of the contoured bag. After the rigidizing material has soli-dified~ a suitable film of a resilien-t material, selected rubber or the like is applied thereto, which has sufficient rriction to prevent the patient or user inadvertently sliding from the completed contour conforming support~
This high friction surface may not be required where patients have reasonable body control and a more appropriate surface is selected. It will be apparent from the above description that the first and second choices in completing the method may both be carried out by inex-perienced personnel, and with the end product namely the contour conforming support for a patient or user being the same. In the first choice in completing the method the mold could be fed to a central fabrication area for comple-tion. However, this process takes longer, but it elimina-tes the need to have supplies available at the local facility and the pellets and bags may be reused if desired.
Although the methods above have been described primarily relative to the total body support system for the patient or ~ser, it will be obvious tha-t it may be used equally well to hold any desired portion~ of the body in a xelati-vely fixed position, and with the weight of either the whole or part of the body being distributed over a maximum area of the con-tour conforming support. For instance, the contour conforming support may be one that is utilized in supporting the trunk, arms, hands, seating, prostheses, and other orthotic uses. The contour conforming support as above described when being formed to conform to the contour of the portions oE the patient's body, is also shaped in the lower portion thereof to conform to a recessed portion in a mobile unit or a dolly, and the resulting combination serving as an inexpensive wheelchair for use in hospitals and other institutions in which the same is required either for permanent or temporary use by patients.
The invention is illustrated in the drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a mobile unit or dolly of inexpensive construction that is utilized in removably supporting the contour conforming support for a patient or a user;
Figure 2 is a perspective view oE an enclosed pliable bag that is partially filled with flowable par-ticled material such as soft styrofoam pellets, with the pellets being introduced through an opening that is covered with a patch, and the bag having a tubular member extending therethrough by which a partial vacuum may be formed on the interior of the bag;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the dolly suppor~ing the pliable bag shown in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a dolly, with the bag mounted thereof, and the patient or user sitting on the bag to cause the styrofoam pellets to con-foxm to the contour of the portion of the patient's body in contact with the bag, when a vacuum is exerted on the interior of the bag;
Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the bag ater being deformed to the contour of a patient or user, and removed from the dolly, with the contoured bag having a se~uence of impregnated plaster of paris bandages applied to the external surface thereof which when the plaster of paris solidifies provides a hollow form or shell;
Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the contour conforming support with the patch removed from the opening therein to permit either all of the styrofoam pellets to discharge through the opening, or the pellets and resilient bag to be removed by being moved outwardly through the opening;
Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the contour conforming rigid form after the styrofoam pellets or styrofoam pellets and bags have been moved outwardly through the opening therein, and a polymeriæed monomer together with a catalyst being poured into the confines of --8-- .

the bag to polymerize to def.ine a foamed resin core;
Figure 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the contour deforming mold or shell after the latter has been filled with a foamed polymerized resin, Figure 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view that is the same as shown in Figure 8 but after the plaster oE
paris or other rigid rising material has been cut or stripped therefrom;
Figure 10 is the same vertical cross-sectional view of the contour conforming support as shown in Figure 9 but after a layer or envelope of a resilient material that has a substantial coefficient of friction has been applied to the exterior surface of the core, and this resilient material preventing a user or patient inadvertently slipping from the contour conforming support;
Figure 11 is a side elevational view of the completed contour conforming support moun-ted in the dolly shown in Figure 1, and the dolly and contour conforming support serving to support a user in such a manner that substantially the entire contoured surface of the user that was initially employed in defining the contour on the sup-port is :Eully supported on the dolly contour conforming support combination; and Figure 12 is a perspective view of a pliable heavy walled bag at least partially filled with foam or beads that are impregnated with a polymerizable resin, which bag is adapted to conform to the portion oE a patient's body that is in pressure contact therewith, and the bag after the resin has se-t remaining in the surface contour to which it was deformed by this pressure contact.
The contour conforming support ~ shown in ~igure 11 is preEerably removably mounted on a mobile unit or dolly B illustrated in both Eigures 1 and 11. The support A is illustrated in Figure 11 with a user of patient C
resting thereon, with the portion of the support in contact with a selected part of the patient C conforming to the body contour of that part.
The mobile unit B that is in the form vf a dolly is defined by two generally L-shaped side pieces 10 that are parallel and laterally spaced from one another~ The side pieces 10 have a numb~r of spaced parallel cross-pieces 12 extending therebetween. The side pieces 10 include forwardly disposed portions lOa that may removably contact a floor surface 14. Two wheels 16 are rotatahly supported from the lower rear portions oE the side pieces 10 as shown in Figure 1.
An enclosed pliable bag 18 is provided that may be formed from a suitable commercially available plastic of which a number are available, such as polyethyline or the like.
The bag 18 has an opening 20 thereln, preferably located in the lower rearward portion thereof as viewed in s~

Figure 2. Particled flowable sof-t material 22, such as soft styrafoam pellets, is introduced into the bag 18 through the opening, with a patch 24 then being applied to the bag tG cover the opening. The bay 18 has a first -tube 26 extending outwardly from -the lower xearward portion of the bag, which -tube is in communication with the interior 19 of bag 18 in which the pellets 22 are disposed. First tube 2~ on the free end terminates in a coupling 28 to which a second tube 30 may be removably connected. The second tube 30 is connected to a power driven vacuum pump 3~.
The first step in forming the contour conforming support A for a patient or user C as shown in Figure 11, is to place the pellet containing bag 18 on the dolly B as shown in Figure 3. The patient C is now seated on the bag 18 and is moved laterally and vertically thereon to cause the pellets 22 to flow relative to one another and the bag 18 having a surface portion 18a thereof conform to the con-tour 34 of the portion of the patient's body in contact with the bag.
The weight of the patient C sitting on the bag 18 forces the lower portion of the pellet filled bag down-wardly and rearwardly to contact -the cross pieces 12 and laterally against the side pieces 10. Thus, not only is the pellet Eilled bag deformed to conform to the body contour of the patient C in pressure con-tact with the bag, but also the bag being deformed to provide a portion 18b that remo-vably fits within the space 36 between the side pieces 10.
The vacuum pump 32 is now actuated to provide a slight vac~urn wi-thin the interior 19 with the patient C
moved laterally and vertically wi-thin a limited range to assure maximum flow of the pellets 22 relative to one another and assure that the surface 18a of the bag conforms to the contour 34 of patient C. The magnitude of ~he vacuum is now increased, and this increase in cooperation with the weight of the patient C causing the soft styrofoam pellets to merge with one another, such as occurs in the pellets that define a styrofoam cup.
The patient is now caused to arise from the bag 18, which bag is now removed from the dolly B while the vacuum is maintained on the interior 19 thereof. The deformed bag 18 is now wrapped and enveloped in bandages soaked in a plaster oF paris solution or other rigidizing material. After the plaster of paris or rigidizing material has set, the vacuum is discontinued, and the rigid shell 38 resulting from th1s operation constituting a form that closely conforms to the contour 34 of the patient C as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. Bumps and ridges in the patient contour conforming shell 38 may be smoothed out by a thin layer of plaster of paris being applied thereto to mask the bumps and ridges.
At this intermediate stage in the method the ~r operator has first and second choices as to how to continue the method to completion~ In the irst choice an opening is cut through the rigid shell 38 and bag 18 to communicate with the interior 19. The styrofoam pellets 22 which may be in the form of beads are removed from the interior 19 through the opening (not shown), if found necessary, applied to the exterior surface of the bag prior to the latter being enveloped in plaster oE paris or a rigidizing -agent to form the patient CQntOur conforming rigid shell 38.
After the pellets 22 and bag 18 have been removed from the interior 19 of shell 38 the shell is disposed as shown in Figure 7, with a polymerizable monomer 40 such as polyurethane being poured into the interior through an opening 41 in the shell together with a catalyst 42 from containers 40a and 42a. The monomer 40 and catalyst 42 react in the interior 19 to orm a foamed resin core 44 of a desired degree of hardness. The hardness of the foamed resin 44 is controlled by the amount of catalyst 42 used.
Prior to pouring the monomer 40 and ca-talys~ 42 into interior 19, the inner surface of shell 38 is coated with a con~entional release agent. The shell 38 is now cut into sections and separated from the core 44 of foamed resin.
The core 44 now has a resilient Eilm 46 of rubber or the like applied thereto as shown in Figure 6, which film has a substantial coefficient of friction to prevent the patient ., .. :~

C inadvertently sliding therefrom. After coating with the film 46 the contour conforming support is complete and may be removably mounted in the mobile unit B as shown in Figure 11~
In the contouring oE the pellet holding bag 18 .it may be desired to provide a downwardly disposed extension 18b that defines a confined space 45 as shown in Figure 4 into which excess pellets 22 may be forced due to the weights of the patient C. The excess pellets 22 in con-fined space are separated from the balance of the pellets in bag 18 by severing the extension 18b from the latter prior to wrapping the contoured bag with plaster of paris impregnated bandages that upon solidification define shell 38.
The second choice in continuing the me~hod ~rom the intermediate step previously identified is to envelop the contour conforming pellet containing bag 18 as shown in Figure 4 with a rigidizing material such as any one of the commercially available polymerizable resins, polyurethane or the like, while maintaining a vacuum on the interior 19 of the bag. The polymerizable resin where it sets defines a contour conforming shell 38 that has the same con-figuration as the shell defined by plaster of paris. After the polymerizable resin has set the extension 18b is severed from bag 18. The second choice in continuing the method from the intermediate step may be accomplished i~. , faster than the first choice and can be carried out by inexperienced personnel. Aft~r the xigidizing material above referred to has set, an envelope of resilien-t material 45 is applied thereto.
An alternate method of forming contour conforming supports for the patient C is to utilize a pliable bag 10 that is formed from a relatively thick sheet material 102, such as the polymerized resin used in forming skin diving suits. Due to the thickness and pliability oE such sheet material 102, it has a minimum tendency to wrink]e on th~
exterior surface thereof when the bag 100 is deformed.
The bag 100 is at least partially filled with styrafoam beads or a foamed resin 104 that is intimately mixed with a polymerizable resin 106, and the bag then being placed on the dolly C in the same manner as described in connection with bag 18. The patient C is now seated on the dolly supported bag 100, and moved laterally and ver-tically relative to the bag to cause the latter to conform to the portion of the patient's body in pressure contact therewith. After the polymerizable resin 106 has poly-merized it will bond the beads or foamed resin 104 into the shape it has been deformed, as well as bonding the interior of sheet 102 thereto. The bag 100 may be provided with a vent (not shown3 to permit escape of gases that may be generated as the polymerizable resin polymerizes. Upon complet~on of the polymerization of the polymerizable resin . .

5;~4 the support S is completed. The bag 100 as may be seen in Figure 12 i5 elongate in shape and of such size as to be contacted by the back, buttocks and rear portion of the legs of the patient C in the same manner as shown in Figure 11. However, the support S is not li~ited to this use.
The support S if desired may be used to conform only to a portion of the body of the patient C, such as an arm or leg, and in this case the support S need not be held in the dolly C. In other words the suppQrt S, is adapted to form all or a portion of a cast for an arm or leg of the patient C. It will be apparent that -the support S may be formed as two abutting halves that completely envelop an arm or leg of a patient C, and held in this abutting position by encircling bands (not shown) or other conven-tional holding means.
The methods of forming the contour conforming supports A and S have been previously described in detail as well as the use of the supports in the mobile unit B or apart therefrom if desired. The lower and rearward por-tions of the support A are adapted to be removably disposedbetween side pieces 10 to rest on cross pieces 12 oE the dolly B. Due to the support 18 having been partially formed in contact with cross pieces 12, the completed sup-port A has a number of spaced elongate recesses 18c therein that removably engage the cross pieces to prevent the sup-port A inadvertently being displaced from the mobile unit

2~

B. The contour conEorming support A has been illustrated as being in contact with substantial poxtions of the back, buttocks and the legs o the patient C, but may be used equal].y well ln aE:Eording full contour area support to any desired portion of the human body.

Claims (13)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In combination with a recess defining sup-port a method of making a cushion that will conform to the portion of the body of a particular person that rests on said cushion, and said cushion capable of being removably disposed in said recess to hold said user, said method including the steps of:
(a) providing a pliable closed bag that is substantially filled with a plurality of particles that tend to flow relative to one another when subjected to pressure;
(b) disposing said bag in said recess;
(c) positioning said person on said bag when the latter is disposed in said recess and subsequently causing said person to move relative to said recess, with the weight of said person causing said particles in said bag to flow relative to one another for a first portion of said bag in contact with said body of said person to conform to the contour thereof, and a second portion of said bag in said recess to assume the shape thereof;
(d) applying a partial vacuum to the interior of said bag to hold the same in the configuration to which it has been deformed by the weight of said person being sup-ported thereon;

(e) applying a fluid solidifiable material to the exterior of said bag while maintaining said partial vacuum thereon to substantially envelop said bag, said material being of a type that solidifies upon standing for a period of time;
(f) releasing said partial vacuum after said material has solidified; and (g) disposing said bag in said recess to serve as said cushion for said person to rest thereon, and said cushion conforming to the contour of the portion of the body of said person in contact therewith.

2. The method as defined in Claim 1 in which said support has wheels mounted thereon, with said support serving the dual function of a mold in the forming of said body contour conforming cushion, and as a vehicle to permit said person to be moved from place to place after said con-tour conforming cushion has been completed and disposed in said recess with said person resting thereon.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 which includes the further step of:
(h) applying a film of a resilient material to said cushion after said solidifiable fluid has solidified, said resilient material having a high coefficient of fric-tion and tending to prevent said user inadvertently sliding from said cushion when the latter is mounted in said support.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 in which said particles are styrofoam beads that tend to bond to one another when subjected to pressure and to said partial vacuum.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 in which said particles may be any suitable particulate capable of con-touring to a somewhat unusual undulating surface such as that of a body.

6. In combination with a recess defining support a method of making a cushion that will conform to the por-tion of the body of a particular person that rests on said cushion, and said cushion capable of being removably disposed in said recess to support said person, said method including the steps of:
(a) providing a pliable closed bag that is substantially filled with a plurality of particles that tend to flow relative to one another when subjected to pressure;
(b) disposing said bag in said recess;
(c) positioning said person on said bag when the latter is disposed in said recess and subsequently moving said person relative to said recess, with the weight of said person and said movement causing said particles in said bag to flow relative to one another for a first por-tion of said bag in contact with said body of said person to conform to the contour thereof, and a second portion of said bag in said recess to assume the shape thereof;
(d) applying a partial vacuum to the interior of said bag to hold the same in the configuration to which it has been deformed by the weight of said user being sup-ported thereon;
(e) applying a film of fluid solidifiable material to the exterior surface of said bag while main-taining said vacuum thereon to substantially envelop said bag;
(f) allowing said fluid to solidify to form a rigid shell;
(g) releasing said vacuum;
(h) cutting an opening in said shell and bag;
(i) removing said bag and substantially all of said particles through said opening;
(j) pouring a liquid polymerizable resin together with a catalyst into the interior of said shell;
(k) allowing said resin to polymerize to define a non-flowable core;
(l) cutting said shell from said core;
(m) enveloping said core in a film of resilient material; and (n) disposing said resilient film coated core in said recess to provide said cushion for said person to rest thereon.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 in which said particles are styrafoam beads and said core is resilient.

8. The method as defined in claim 6 in which said support has wheels mounted thereon, with said support serving the dual function of a mold in the forming of said body conforming cushion, and as a vehicle to permit said user to be moved from place-to-place after said cushion has been completed and disposed in said recess with said user resting thereon.

9. A resilient body contour conforming cushion made in accordance with the method of claim 1.

10. A resilient body contour conforming cushion made in accordance with the method of claim 5.

11. In combination with a recess defining sup-port a method of making a cushion that will conform to the portion of the body of a particular person that rests on said cushion, and said cushion capable of being removably disposed in said recess to support said person, said method including the steps of:
(a) providing a pliable closed bag that is substantially filled with a plurality of particles that tend to flow relative to one another when subject to pressure;
(b) disposing said bag in said recess;
(c) positioning said person on said bag when the latter is disposed in said recess and subsequently moving said person relative to said recess, with the weight of said person and said movement causing said particles in said bag to flow relative to one another for a first por-tion of said bag in contact with said body of said person to conform to the contour thereof, and a second portion of said bag in said recess to assume the shape thereof;
(d) applying a partial vacuum to the interior of said bag to hold the same in the configuration to which it has been deformed by the weight of said user being sup-ported thereon;
(e) applying a film of a polymerizable resin to the exterior of said bag while maintaining said vacuum on the interior thereof, (f) polymerizing said resin to provide an enve-lope in which said bag is disposed;
(g) releasing said vacuum; and (h) disposing said bag within said envelope in said recess to provide said cushion for said person to rest thereon.

12. In combination with a recess defining sup-port a method of making a cushion that will conform to the portion of the body of a particular person that rests on said cushion, and said cushion capable of being removably disposed in said recess to support said person, said method including the steps of:
(a) providing a pliable closed bag that is formed from a polymerized resin sheet of sufficient thickness that it will not wrinkle substantially when said bag is deformed;
(b) at least partially filling said bag with a flowable polymerized first resin and a polymerizable second resin intermixed therewith;
(c) disposing said bag in said recess;
(d) positioning said person on said bag when the latter is disposed in said recess and subsequently moving said person relative to said recess, with the weight of said person and said movement causing said particles in said bag to flow relative to one another for a first por-tion of said bag in contact with said body of said person to conform to the contour thereof, and a second portion of said bag in said recess to assume the shape thereof;
(e) causing said polymerizable second resin to polymerize to bond the interior of said bag to said first resin, with said support for said person being complete when said second resin has polymerized.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 in which said first resin is styrafoam beads.