JP2005006939A - Air mattress - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air mattress capable of effectively preventing a bedsore (pressure sore) appearing in case a patient or a bedfast old person or others lies in a bed for a long period of time or in other cases, especially a bedsore appearing in a heel portion. <P>SOLUTION: In the air mattress 11 in which a plurality of elongated bag-like air cells 12 are arranged along a longitudinal direction of a bed 5 so as to lay the air cells in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bed 5, the height of the air cells 12a to 12f of the lower side from the vicinity of a knee portion is changed toward the forward end of feet, the envelope curve L connecting top surfaces of these air cells 12a to 12f forms a slope descending toward the forward end of the feet. A lower thigh C (a calf) having a large contact surface contact with the slope L and supports a load below a knee, the pressure acting on the heel portion B can be dispersed, to prevent the occurrence of the bedsore. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air mattress that can effectively prevent pressure ulcers (bed slippage) that occur when a sick person or a bedridden elderly person lies on the floor for a long period of time, particularly pressure ulcers that occur in the buttocks.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, the number of people who are forced to bedridden in nursing homes or nursing care sites has been increasing with the aging of the population. In such nursing or care settings, patients lying on the bed often continue to receive sustained pressure for a long time, and are at risk of developing pressure ulcers. Conventionally, various medical mattresses have been developed for the purpose of preventing the occurrence of such pressure ulcers or healing the generated pressure ulcers.
[0003]
For example, an air mattress as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 (see Patent Document 1) is known. FIG. 11 shows the air mattress 1 set on the bed 5 and the patient A sleeping on the air mattress 1 in a supine posture. As shown in FIG. 12, the air mattress 1 includes a large number of elongated bag-like air cells 2 arranged side by side on a base sheet 3, and air is blown into the air cells 2 by an air pump or the like to be inflated. The air cell 2 is substantially cylindrical in an expanded state, and triangular fixing members 2b having fixing hooks 2a are provided at both left and right ends thereof.
[0004]
The air cell 2 is attached to the base sheet 3 by inserting the air cell 2 into an Ω-shaped fixing band 4 sewed on the base sheet 3 at a predetermined interval, and hooks provided on the fixing members 2b at both right and left ends of the air cell 2. This is performed by fitting 2a to a hook provided on the base sheet 3. In this state, as described above, air is injected into each air cell 2 to be inflated to complete the air mattress 1. The air mattress 1 assembled in this way is set on the bed 5 as shown in FIG. The direction of the air cell 2 is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the supine direction of the patient A, that is, a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the bed 5.
[0005]
The air mattress distributes the contact pressure with an air cell that is inflated with air pressure that is optimal for the patient, so that local strong pressure does not continue to concentrate on the sleeping patient for a long period of time. Prevents the occurrence of pressure ulcers such as the back.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-126033 (paragraphs 0003 to 0005, FIGS. 7 and 8)
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By using the air mattress, it is possible to effectively prevent pressure ulcers that occur on the buttocks, waist, back, and the like. However, as apparent from FIG. 11, pressure tends to concentrate on the heel B of the foot due to the protruding skeleton shape, and there is a risk that pressure ulcers may occur despite the use of an air mattress.
[0008]
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and can effectively prevent pressure ulcers that occur when a sick person or bedridden elderly person lies on the floor for a long time, particularly pressure ulcers that occur in the buttocks. It is an object to provide an air mattress.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.
That is, the air mattress according to claim 1 is an air mattress in which a plurality of elongated air bags are placed side by side in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the bed, and a plurality of the air mattresses are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the bed. The lower air cell is characterized by changing its height toward the foot and forming an inclined surface in which the envelope connecting the top surfaces of these air cells is lowered toward the foot. is there. With such a configuration, the lower air cell from the knee is inclined toward the foot, so when the patient sleeps in a supine position, the lower leg is mainly the lower leg (calf). Many come in contact with the air cell. For this reason, the load below the knee is supported by the lower leg, so that the buttocks float, the pressure concentrated on the buttocks is removed, and a large pressure continues to be applied to the buttocks. There is nothing wrong. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of pressure ulcers associated with stasis congestion, which has been a problem in the past.
[0010]
The air mattress according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of air mattresses arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the bed in a state where the slender bag-shaped air cells are laid in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bed. The air cell is characterized in that the height is lowered to form a stepped portion, and an elastic foam is placed on the stepped portion. With such a configuration, the pressure acting on the buttocks can be dispersed by the elastic foam pressure absorbing action placed on the foot side, and the occurrence of pressure sores on the buttocks can be prevented.
[0011]
An air mattress according to a third aspect is the air mattress according to the second aspect, wherein the upper surface of the elastic foam is an inclined surface that descends toward the foot. With such a configuration, the pressure acting on the buttocks is dispersed by the pressure absorbing action of the elastic foam, and the inclined surface of the upper surface of the elastic foam is supported in contact with the crus more and more effectively. Such pressure can be reduced.
[0012]
5. The air mattress according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of air mattresses arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the bed in a state where the slender bag-shaped air cells are laid in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bed. Is formed of an elastic foam, and the upper surface of the elastic foam is an inclined surface that descends toward the foot. With such a configuration, the pressure acting on the buttocks is dispersed by the pressure absorbing action of the elastic foam, and at the same time, the inclined surface of the upper surface of the elastic foam is supported in contact with the lower leg, so that the pressure applied to the buttocks is reduced. It can weaken and can more effectively prevent the occurrence of pressure ulcers associated with congestion.
[0013]
The air mattress according to claim 5 is the air mattress according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a partition plate that bisects the bag-like internal space vertically is used as an air cell constituting the air mattress. An air cell provided up to the vicinity of both ends is used. When the air cell having such a configuration is used, the partition plate restricts the expansion of the air cell in the lateral direction, and the air cell can be actively inflated in the vertical direction to sufficiently increase the vertical height. For this reason, bottoming (a phenomenon in which the air mattress collapses and the patient's body hits the bed main body under the air mattress, etc.) that easily occurs when the internal pressure is reduced can be effectively prevented.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 4 show a first embodiment of an air mattress according to the present invention. 1 is a schematic side view of an air mattress, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an air cell constituting the air mattress, FIG. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the air cell, and FIGS. 4A and 4B are respectively A- It is an expanded sectional view in the A line and the BB line position.
[0015]
In the air mattress 11 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the elongate bag-shaped air cells 12 (12a to 12f) are orthogonal to the patient's supine direction, that is, orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the bed. A plurality of air cells (for example, about 20 to 24) are juxtaposed in the longitudinal direction of the bed in the state of being laid down, and among the plurality of air cells 12a to 12f that are juxtaposed, the air cell 12a on the upper side from the knee portion Is a constant height H (for example, H = 150 mm), and the air cells 12b to 12f (five in the illustrated example) on the lower side from the knee are gradually lowered toward the foot side. Formed (for example, the height h = 100 mm of the terminal air cell 12f), and an envelope L connecting the top surfaces of the air cells 12b to 12f is inclined at a predetermined angle θ (θ = 7 ° in the illustrated example). Those configured to form.
[0016]
The air cell 12 used in this embodiment has a structure as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and is formed into an elongated bag shape by, for example, welding or bonding an airtight sheet coated with a resin on a polyurethane sheet or cotton cloth. In the interior, a partition plate 14 that bisects the internal space is provided between the left and right side walls to the vicinity of both ends in the air cell longitudinal direction. The partition plate 14 is for restricting the horizontal width of the air cell 12 and for raising the height in the vertical direction compared to the horizontal width. When the air is inflated by inflating the air cell 12, as shown in FIG. Or an ellipse that is long in the vertical direction. When the partition plate 14 is not provided, the air cell 12 swells uniformly in all directions and becomes a substantially cylindrical shape, and the height cannot be sufficiently increased compared to the lateral width. By providing the partition plate 14, the height in the vertical direction can be sufficiently increased, so that bottoming when the internal pressure is reduced can be effectively prevented.
[0017]
Triangular fixing members 15 project from the upper and lower positions at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the air cell 12, and hooks 16 for fixing the air cells at fixed positions are provided on the fixing member 15. The air cell 12 is inserted into an Ω-shaped fixing band (not shown) sewn on the base sheet 17 (FIG. 1), and then the lower hook 16 is attached to the base sheet 17 (see FIG. (Not shown) and the upper hooks 16 are fitted to hooks provided on a bed sheet (not shown) that is placed on the air mattress 11 as necessary. As shown in FIG. 1, it is fixed in place.
[0018]
In the figure, reference numeral 18 denotes a welding line formed when the air cell 12 is welded in a bag shape, and reference numeral 19 denotes a welding line formed when the partition plate 14 is welded to the left and right side walls. Note that the air inlet for injecting air into the air cell 12 is not directly related to the present invention, and is not shown.
[0019]
The air mattress 11 having the above structure can disperse the pressure applied to the buttocks B as follows, and prevent pressure ulcers generated in the buttocks B. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, since the air cells 12b to 12f are inclined at a predetermined angle θ toward the foot side, when the patient A sleeps on the air mattress 11 in a supine posture, the lower part from the knee part is the main part. In addition, more crus (calves) C come into contact with the air cell. For this reason, since the load below the knee is supported by the lower leg C, the hip B is in a floating state, the pressure concentrated on the hip B is removed, and a large pressure is applied to the hip B. Will not continue. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of pressure ulcers associated with congestion of the buttocks B, which has been a problem in the past.
[0020]
FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment. The air mattress 21 according to the second embodiment changes the height of the air cells 12b to 12f constituting the inclined surfaces in a non-linear manner, and the inclination angle of the envelope L connecting the top surfaces of the air cells 12b to 12f. θ is changed depending on the place. In the illustrated example, θ = 7 ° between the air cells 12a and 12b, θ = 16 ° between the air cells 12b and 12c, θ = 7 ° between the air cells 12c to 12e, and θ = between the air cells 12e and 12f. This is set to 0 (horizontal). In this way, by changing the inclination angle θ depending on the location, an inclined surface that more closely matches the shape of the human body can be formed, and the occurrence of pressure sores in the buttocks B can be more effectively prevented.
[0021]
FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment. In the air mattress 31 according to the third embodiment, the six air cells 12b to 12g located below the knee portion have a constant height h (for example, h =) that is lower than the air cell 12a above the knee portion. 100 mm), and an elastic foam 33 such as a polyurethane low-resilience foam or a general-purpose urethane foam is placed on the stepped portion with an inclined surface 32 (θ = 7 °). In the case of the third embodiment, since the elastic foam 33 supports the load below the knee, the pressure acting on the buttocks B is distributed as in the first and second embodiments. The occurrence of pressure ulcers in the buttocks B can be prevented.
[0022]
FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment. The air mattress 41 according to the fourth embodiment is a simple type of the third embodiment (FIG. 7), and has the same structure as that of the third embodiment, and has a short air cell on the foot side. The shape of the elastic foam 43 placed on 12b to 12g is a rectangular shape having a certain thickness (for example, 50 mm) without an inclined surface. In the fourth embodiment, since the elastic foam 43 does not have an inclined surface, the effect is slightly lower than that of the third embodiment, but substantially the same effect can be achieved.
[0023]
FIG. 9 shows a fifth embodiment. The air mattress 51 according to the fifth embodiment removes the short air cells 12b to 12g arranged below the knee in the third embodiment (FIG. 7), and replaces these removed air cells. Further, an elastic foam 53 such as a polyurethane low-resilience foam or a general-purpose urethane foam having an inclined surface 52 (for example, θ = 7 °) as an upper surface is disposed. Also in the case of the fifth embodiment, similarly to the third embodiment (FIG. 7), the pressure applied to the buttocks B can be dispersed by the elastic foam 53 having the inclined surface 52, which leads to congestion. The accompanying pressure sores in the buttocks B can be prevented.
[0024]
FIG. 10 shows a sixth embodiment. The air mattress 61 according to the sixth embodiment has the same structure as that of the fifth embodiment (FIG. 9), and the elastic foam 64 disposed on the foot side has an upper and lower two-layer structure. A polyurethane low-resilience foam 63 having an upper surface as an inclined surface 62 is used, and a lower layer is formed of a general-purpose urethane foam 65. Thus, the elastic foam 64 disposed on the foot side may have a multilayer structure of two or more layers.
[0025]
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. . For example, in addition to the structure described above, if a plurality of air cells 12 arranged in parallel are divided into a plurality of groups (for example, three groups) and the air supply / exhaust to the air cells is controlled by shifting the period in units of each group, A wave motion in which the height of the mattress changes with time can be given to the surface of the mattress. In this case, the position of contact with the air mattress can be changed over time, and more effectively the occurrence of pressure ulcers not only in the lower part of the knee but also in the upper part of the body from the knee. Can be prevented.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the air mattress of the present invention, it is possible to effectively disperse the pressure concentrated on the buttocks, so that it tends to occur when a sick person or a bedridden elderly person lies on the floor for a long time. Can effectively prevent pressure ulcers in the buttocks.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an air mattress according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an air cell constituting an air mattress.
FIG. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of an air cell.
4A is an enlarged sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a use state of the air mattress according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of an air mattress according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of an air mattress according to a third embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of an air mattress according to a fourth embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of an air mattress according to a fifth embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of an air mattress according to a sixth embodiment.
FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing a structure and a use state of a conventional air mattress.
FIGS. 12A and 12B show an example of an air cell used in a conventional air mattress. FIG. 12A is a perspective view of the air cell, and FIG. 12B is a perspective view showing an arrangement state of the air cell.
[Explanation of symbols]
11, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 Air mattress 12a-12g Air cell 14 Partition plate 15 Fixing member 16 Hook 17 Base sheet 18, 19 Welding wire 32, 52, 62 Inclined surface 33, 43, 53 Elastic foam 63 Polyurethane low Rebound foam 64 Elastic foam 65 General-purpose urethane foam

Claims (5)

In an air mattress in which a plurality of elongate bag-shaped air cells are laid in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bed and arranged in parallel along the longitudinal direction of the bed, the air cells on the lower side from the vicinity of the knee toward the foot side An air mattress characterized in that its height is changed to form an inclined surface in which an envelope connecting the top surfaces of these air cells is lowered toward the foot. In an air mattress in which a plurality of elongate bag-shaped air cells are laid in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bed, the height of the air cells below the knee is lowered. The air mattress is characterized by forming a stepped portion and placing an elastic foam on the stepped portion. The air mattress according to claim 2, wherein an upper surface of the elastic foam is an inclined surface that descends toward a foot side. In an air mattress in which a plurality of elongated bag-shaped air cells are laid in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bed and are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the bed, the lower side from the vicinity of the knee portion is constituted by an elastic foam, and the elastic An air mattress characterized in that the upper surface of the foam is an inclined surface that descends toward the feet. In the air mattress in any one of Claims 1-4, the air cell which provided the partition plate which bisects a bag-like internal space up and down to the vicinity of the both ends of an air cell longitudinal direction was used as an air cell which comprises an air mattress. An air mattress characterized by that.

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