EP0349620B1 - Systeme de coussin rempli de gel et a reglage variable pour supporter une personne - Google Patents

Systeme de coussin rempli de gel et a reglage variable pour supporter une personne Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0349620B1
EP0349620B1 EP19890900161 EP89900161A EP0349620B1 EP 0349620 B1 EP0349620 B1 EP 0349620B1 EP 19890900161 EP19890900161 EP 19890900161 EP 89900161 A EP89900161 A EP 89900161A EP 0349620 B1 EP0349620 B1 EP 0349620B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
gel
compartment
compartments
person
ports
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19890900161
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP0349620A1 (fr
EP0349620A4 (fr
Inventor
Robert A. Bexton
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Individual
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Individual
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Publication date
Priority claimed from US07/127,776 external-priority patent/US4788730A/en
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0349620A1 publication Critical patent/EP0349620A1/fr
Publication of EP0349620A4 publication Critical patent/EP0349620A4/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0349620B1 publication Critical patent/EP0349620B1/fr
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
    • A61G7/00—Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons
    • A61G7/05—Parts, details or accessories of beds
    • A61G7/057—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor
    • A61G7/05738—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor with fluid-like particles, e.g. sand, mud, seeds, gel, beads
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
    • A61G5/00—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs
    • A61G5/10—Parts, details or accessories
    • A61G5/1043—Cushions specially adapted for wheelchairs
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
    • A61G7/00—Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons
    • A61G7/05—Parts, details or accessories of beds
    • A61G7/057—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor
    • A61G7/05715—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor with modular blocks, or inserts, with layers of different material

Definitions

  • This invention relates to cushioning pads, mattresses, and seats for supporting patients and others who must spend long periods in prone or seated positions. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for variably adjusting the distribution of sup porting force imposed over a support area of a person's body by a gel-filled cushioning device so as to reduce the incidence of decubitus ulcers (bed sores).
  • 4,163,297 and 4,628,557 further include a plurality of small pillow-like elements or inserts to permit the support surface con figuration to be varied by the addition or removal of the pillow elements or inserts as the case may be, thereby enabling some adjustability of the distribution of the supportive force over the person's body.
  • a plurality of small pillow-like elements or inserts to permit the support surface con figuration to be varied by the addition or removal of the pillow elements or inserts as the case may be, thereby enabling some adjustability of the distribution of the supportive force over the person's body.
  • only adjustability in relatively large increments is provided by the addition or subtraction of such pillow elements or inserts, providing only a gross approximation of the optimum distribution of supporting force required by any particular patient depending on his individual weight, body shape, and posture required by his particular medical condition.
  • mattresses have been proposed having separate internal cells which are selectively inflatable and deflatable by connection with a set of patient-operated or automatically-operated valves which alternatively supply pressurized air to, or exhaust air from, the individual cells. While such a system provides infinitely-adjustable variability, as opposed to variability by gross increments, valving and controls therefor make the system expensive. More important, such a system of inflation and deflation is practical only if employed with an air-filled mattress where the individual compartments can thus be easily filled from, and exhausted into, the surrounding air. Unfortunately, air-filled mattresses do not produce the lowest skin-surface pressures.
  • a gel-containing cushioning device having separate compartments selectively capable of receiving or exhausting gel in infinitely variable increments to obtain infinitely variable adjustability of the distribution of supporting force on a person's body, together with an inexpensive external system for selectively receiving or delivering the gel as needed.
  • a cushioning device for supporting a person's weight by distributing force over a support area of the person's body in a variably-adjustable manner to prevent pressure concentration points in predetermined portions of said support area
  • said cushioning device comprising: an assembly for forming a major flexible surface for distributing supportive force over a support area of a person's body, said assembly including means defining multiple compartments for containing a gel separated by walls for preventing the transfer of said gel from one of said compartments to another, each said compartment underlying different portions of said major flexible surface, and means defining a plurality of selectively openable and closable ports each communicating between the interior of a respective one of said compartments and the exterior of said assembly, and characterised by gel container means, having means defining an aperture for matingly and sealingly coupling with said ports, for selectively delivering gel to or receiving gel from the respective interiors of said compartments so as to variably adjust the distribution of said supportive force, said gel container means including means for forcing gel to flow through
  • the present invention provides a cushioning device, such as a mattress, mattress pad, seat cushion, or the like, in the form of a flexible enclosure having multiple, flexible, gel-containing compartments structurally interconnected with one another for containing a flowable gel, each underlying a different portion of a major supporting surface for supporting a person's body.
  • the enclosure may be of a unitary type having compartments permanently interconnected with one another or, alternatively, of a modular type composed of detachably interconnected compartments.
  • a plurality of selectively openable and closable ports, each communicating between the interior of a respective compartment and the exterior thereof, enable the flow of gel into and out of the respective compartments.
  • An exterior gel container separate from the compartments, has an aperture for matingly and sealingly coupling with the ports so that it can selectively deliver gel to or receive gel from each of the compartments to variably adjust the distribution of supportive force exerted by the major supporting surface against the user's body.
  • the exterior gel container becomes a highly portable and easily handled accessory to the cushioning device, serving as a convenient reservoir into which excess gel may be exhausted from a particular compartment underlying a portion of the supporting surface where pressure is to be reduced, or as a reservoir from which additional gel may be injected into a compartment underlying a portion of the supporting surface where pressure is to be increased to compensate for decreased pressure elsewhere.
  • the gel container also includes means for forcing the gel to flow into the respective compartments, which could conceivably be a pump but, for greater economy, preferably constitutes merely a variable-volume feature of the gel container itself.
  • flexibly movable containment walls may be folded or rolled to decrease the volume of the gel container and thereby force the flowable gel into a respective compartment.
  • the ports by which gel is injected into or exhausted from each compartment preferably include one-way checkvalves which permit the gel to flow into the compartment but prevent its exhaust therefrom unless mechanically opened by engagement with a valve-opening member associated with the gel container. Thus spillage of the flowable gel, in the process of injecting or exhausting it through the ports, is prevented.
  • a small amount of a highly water-absorbent, gel-forming solid is provided inside of each gel-containing compartment in a predetermined quantity insufficient, by itself, to provide support but sufficient, upon the addition of a greater quantity of water, to form a supporting gel filling within the compartment. Accordingly, the user, upon placing the device in service, need merely inject a predetermined quantity of water into the compartment to form the gel. This greatly facilitiates the initial shipping of the system by making it compact, and also simplifies the initial placing into service of the system. After the initial injection of water and the mixing thereof with the gel-forming solid, the gel content of each compartment can be adjusted as described previously.
  • FIGURE 1 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a mattress pad constructed in accordance with the present invention, with such pad joined at one edge to a second pad shown partially.
  • FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 showing a junction separating respective gel-containing compartments.
  • FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1, showing the joinder of the pair of pads.
  • FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1, showing a front view of an exemplary port by which a flowable gel may be injected into, or extracted from, a compartment of the pad.
  • FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the port taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.
  • FIGURE 6 is a top view of an exemplary exterior gel container usable in conjunction with the mattress pad of FIGURE 1.
  • FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the port of FIGURE 4 showing its operative coupling with the exterior gel container of FIGURE 6.
  • FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a mattress pad constructed in accordance with the present invention, wherein the pad is of modular construction consisting of multiple detachably interconnected gel-containing compartments.
  • FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the modular compartments of the mattress pad of FIG. 8.
  • FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing how the individual compartments of the mattress pad of FIG. 8 are detachably interconnected.
  • FIG. 11 is an enlarged exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a port by which a flowable gel may be injected into or extracted from a compartment of the mattress pad of FIG. 8.
  • an exemplary mattress pad indicated generally as 10 comprises a series of flexible compartments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d encapsulating a gel.
  • the mattress pad may be of single-bed width and length for use alone on a single bed or, in conjunction with a second mating gel-filled mattress pad 10a of similar construction, for use on a king-size bed.
  • the pad 10 could be of one-half double bed width or one-half queen bed width and equal to full bed length.
  • Straps such as 12 secure the corners of the pad around the bottoms of the underlying corners of a conventional mattress, the straps such as 12a at the juncture of the two pads simply lying loose if not needed.
  • compartments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d are a series of interior compartment sidewalls 15 welded or glued in a fluid-impervious manner to the bottom panel 16 along junctions 18 (FIGS. 1 and 2).
  • each of the compartments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d respectively, underlies a different portion of the major flexible surface 14 of the pad 10 and is isolated by the interior sidewalls 15 from any other compartment. This prevents the transfer of gel portions, such as 22c and 22d, respectively (FIG. 2), from one compartment to another.
  • pads such as 10 and 10a may be joined together by mating VelcroTM strips 24a, 24b affixed to the respective pads, or by any other suitable means.
  • each port preferably comprises a body 27 glued between the sidewall margin 15a and the bottom panel 16, although mounting of the ports in the sidewalls or bottom panel themselves is permissible.
  • Each port body 27 has a threaded aperture 28 therein into which a sealing plug 30 may be screwed when the port is not in use.
  • a one-way checkvalve in the form of a flattened soft vinyl or rubber tube 32 is attached, such tube normally assuming the collapsed condition shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 which prevents gel from escaping through the port from inside the compartment when the plug 30 is removed.
  • FIG. 6 shows an exemplary flexible vinyl gel container bottle 34 having a threaded spout 36 sealed by a threaded cap 38.
  • the cap 38 when the cap 38 is removed preparatory to use of the gel container 34, the cap may be replaced by an internally and externally-threaded nozzle 40 which screws onto the spout 36 and is in turn screwed into the port body 27 after the plug 30 has been removed.
  • the nozzle 40 has sufficient length that its end 40a forces the sides of the normally collapsed tube 32 apart so as to permit the flow of gel through the port.
  • gel may be transferred from one compartment to another, but only in a controlled, external manner rather than in an uncontrolled, internal manner, and without necessarily preserving a constant mass of gel within the pad 10.
  • the distribution of supporting force against the user's body may be adjusted in an infinitely variable, controlled manner to suit each user's individual needs.
  • the pad 10 it is also within the scope of the invention to equip the pad 10 with an electrically heated subpad, or with a cooled subpad, for heating or cooling the entire unit.
  • an electrically heated subpad or with a cooled subpad, for heating or cooling the entire unit.
  • separate heating or cooling subpads such as 42a, 42b (FIG. 2) or other separate internal or external heaters or coolers are provided for the separate compartments, heating or cooling of selected compartments individually for the treatment of localized arthritic conditions or injuries is possible.
  • each compartment 52 For initial filling of the gel-containing compartments 52 prior to placing them in service, it is preferable to provide each compartment 52 with a predetermined minor quantity of a polymeric gel-forming powder such as 72 within its interior space.
  • the powder is poured into the interior of each compartment 52 through the port 64 either by the user or, preferably, by the manufacturer prior to shipment from the manufacturing plant. Thereafter, the user injects water into each compartment through the port 64 in a predetermined major amount which, when mixed with the powder 72, forms an initial quantity of supporting gel within the compartment.
  • a highly water-absorbent, polymeric gel-forming powder material is preferred, such as a known partial sodium salt of cross-linked polypropenoic acid capable of absorbing a volume of water many times its solid volume.
  • a modular gel container such as 52 having a length of 82 cm, a width of 40.5 cm, and a thickness of 5 cm
  • approximately 60 ml of such gel-forming powder would be inserted into each compartment and approximately 4.7 liters of water added by the user to each compartment through the respective ports 64, after which additional gel could be injected or gel withdrawn as needed to adjust the degree of support provided by the individual compartment.
  • Alternative highly-absorbent polymeric gel-forming solids suitable for this purpose could include starch-graft copolymer compositions which are well known and described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 3,981,100 which is incorporated herein by reference.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Nursing (AREA)
  • Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)
  • Invalid Beds And Related Equipment (AREA)

Abstract

Un dispositif à coussin (10), qui peut être un matelas, ou un siège pour le support d'une personne par distribution de la force sur une zone de support du corps d'une personne, comprend une enceinte flexible remplie d'un gel avec distribution à réglage variable des forces de support pour empêcher la formation de points de pression et empêcher par conséquent l'apparition d'eschares chez des patients ou autres personnes qui doivent rester dans des positions allongées ou assises pendant de longues périodes de temps. L'enceinte flexible possède plusieurs compartiments contenant un gel (20a-20d), chaque compartiment étant placé dans une position sous-jacente d'une partie différente de la surface de support (14) du dispositif et empêchant le transfert du gel d'un compartiment à un autre. Des orifices pouvant être ouverts et fermés sélectivement (26a-26d) communiquent chacun entre l'intérieur d'un compartiment respectif et l'extérieur de l'enceinte pour permettre l'introduction ou l'extraction de gel d'un compartiment particulier de manière à régler de manière variable la distribution de la force de support. Un ou plusieurs conteneurs de gel (34), séparés de l'enceinte flexible, sont couplés aux orifices respectifs d'apport de gel aux compartiments respectifs ou de réception de gel depuis les compartiments respectifs. Du gel est formé initialement dans chaque compartiment en ajoutant de l'eau à un matériau de formation de gel très absorbant (72), ce matériau étant introduit à l'état sec dans le compartiment.

Claims (6)

  1. Dispositif de coussin (10, 50) pour le support du poids d'une personne par un effort de répartition sur une zone de support du corps d'une personne à réglage variable afin d'éviter des points de concentration de pression dans des parties prédéterminées de ladite zone de support, ledit dispositif de coussin comprenant:
       un ensemble de formation d'une surface principale flexible pour la répartition d'un effort de support sur la zone de support du corps d'une personne, ledit ensemble comprenant un moyen définissant plusieurs compartiments (20a, 20b, 52), devant contenir un gel, séparés par des parois (15) pour empêcher le transfert dudit gel d'un desdits compartiments à l'autre, chacun desdits compartiments étant sous-jacent à différentes parties de ladite surface principale flexible, et un moyen définissant plusieurs orifices (26a, 26b, 64), pouvant être ouverts et fermés de façon sélective et raccordant chacun l'intérieur d'un compartiment respectif desdits compartiments et l'extérieur dudit ensemble et
       caractérisé par un moyen de récipient de gel (34) définissant un moyen définissant une ouverture pour raccorder lesdits orifices, de façon adaptée et étanche, afin de délivrer, de façon sélective, du gel ou pour recevoir du gel des espaces internes respectifs desdits compartiments afin d'ajuster, de façon variable, la répartition dudit effort de support, ledit moyen de récipient de gel comprenant un moyen pour forcer le gel à s'écouler à travers ladite ouverture et lesdits orifices dans les espaces internes respectifs desdits compartiments.
  2. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, dans lequel lesdits compartiments (20a, 20b) sont fixés, de façon permanente, l'un à l'autre.
  3. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, dans lequel lesdits compartiments (52) sont fixés, de façon amovible, l'un à l'autre.
  4. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ledit moyen de récipient de gel (34) est du type à volume variable possédant des parois mobiles de récipient afin de diminuer ou d'augmenter, de façon sélective, son volume de réception de gel.
  5. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ledit moyen de récipient de gel (34) possède des parois de récipient mobiles de façon flexible.
  6. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, dans lequel chacun desdits orifices comprend un moyen de clapet anti-retour (32) pour permettre au gel de s'écouler, de façon normale, à travers l'orifice respectif dans l'espace interne d'un compartiment respectif et un moyen pour coopérer avec et ouvrir, de façon sélective, ledit moyen de clapet anti-retour de façon à permettre au gel de s'écouler à travers l'orifice respectif vers l'extérieur de l'espace interne du compartiment respectif.
EP19890900161 1987-12-02 1988-11-30 Systeme de coussin rempli de gel et a reglage variable pour supporter une personne Expired - Lifetime EP0349620B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US127776 1987-12-02
US07/127,776 US4788730A (en) 1987-12-02 1987-12-02 Gel-filled, variably-adjustable cushioning system for supporting a person
US25919488A 1988-10-17 1988-10-17
US259194 1988-10-17

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0349620A1 EP0349620A1 (fr) 1990-01-10
EP0349620A4 EP0349620A4 (fr) 1990-03-22
EP0349620B1 true EP0349620B1 (fr) 1993-05-12

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EP19890900161 Expired - Lifetime EP0349620B1 (fr) 1987-12-02 1988-11-30 Systeme de coussin rempli de gel et a reglage variable pour supporter une personne

Country Status (5)

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EP (1) EP0349620B1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2579692B2 (fr)
CA (1) CA1320595C (fr)
DE (1) DE3881037T2 (fr)
WO (1) WO1989005110A1 (fr)

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US8356373B2 (en) 2009-03-06 2013-01-22 Noel Group Llc Unitary composite/hybrid cushioning structure(s) and profile(s) comprised of a thermoplastic foam(s) and a thermoset material(s)
US20130081209A1 (en) 2011-09-30 2013-04-04 Nomaco Inc. Cellular mattress assemblies and related methods
US20120272457A1 (en) 2011-04-29 2012-11-01 Nomaco Inc. Unitary composite/hybrid cushioning structure(s) and profile(s) comprised of a thermoplastic foam(s) and a thermoset material(s) and related methods
CA2781365C (fr) * 2009-11-05 2016-06-07 Promat Inc. Dispositif de rembourrage pour animaux de grande taille
USD693148S1 (en) 2010-03-03 2013-11-12 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD693144S1 (en) 2010-03-03 2013-11-12 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD694553S1 (en) 2010-03-03 2013-12-03 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD688492S1 (en) 2010-03-03 2013-08-27 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD693145S1 (en) 2010-03-03 2013-11-12 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
JP5200086B2 (ja) * 2010-11-09 2013-05-15 株式会社タイカ 褥瘡予防用マット
USD691400S1 (en) 2012-02-10 2013-10-15 Nomaco Inc. Stackable base for mattress assembly
USD693149S1 (en) 2012-04-27 2013-11-12 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD693147S1 (en) 2012-04-27 2013-11-12 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD694552S1 (en) 2012-04-27 2013-12-03 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD693146S1 (en) 2012-04-27 2013-11-12 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD692693S1 (en) 2012-04-27 2013-11-05 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD697337S1 (en) 2012-07-03 2014-01-14 Nomaco, Inc. Stackable base for mattress assembly
USD690536S1 (en) 2012-07-26 2013-10-01 Nomaco Inc. Motion isolation insulator pad
USD692694S1 (en) 2012-09-28 2013-11-05 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD688069S1 (en) 2012-09-28 2013-08-20 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD694041S1 (en) 2012-09-28 2013-11-26 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD709301S1 (en) 2012-11-09 2014-07-22 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD701713S1 (en) 2012-11-09 2014-04-01 Noel Group, Llc Mattress bed cushion
USD707467S1 (en) 2012-11-09 2014-06-24 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
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WO2014176400A1 (fr) 2013-04-26 2014-10-30 Noel Group Llc Ensembles de rembourrage pourvus d'éléments thermoplastiques encapsulés dans une matrice thermodurcie, fournissant un appui et un flux d'air adaptables, et procédés associés
USD704962S1 (en) 2013-09-09 2014-05-20 Noel Group Llc Mattress bed cushion
CN111513511A (zh) * 2020-06-18 2020-08-11 杭州银众新材料科技有限公司 一种便于运输的家具及其使用方法

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE3881037D1 (de) 1993-06-17
DE3881037T2 (de) 1994-01-05
JP2579692B2 (ja) 1997-02-05
CA1320595C (fr) 1993-07-20
WO1989005110A1 (fr) 1989-06-15
EP0349620A1 (fr) 1990-01-10
JPH02502344A (ja) 1990-08-02
EP0349620A4 (fr) 1990-03-22

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