JPH105288A - Air mat device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively prevent body bottoming. SOLUTION: This device is equipped with an air mat constituted of a plurality of bach shaped air cells 2 arranged in parallel, a sensor sheet 3 with an air passage 3a set under the central part of the air mat, and an air pump to send air to the air mat and the sensor sheet 3. A control part 6 is installed to control the inner pressure of the air mat so as to be in a prescribed standard condition and to send air to the air mat until the air passage 3a is opened when the air passage 3a of the sensor sheet 3 is blocked.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air mat device for preventing pressure ulcers, which are likely to occur when a sick person or the like lays on the floor for a long time.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art If a sick person or the like who cannot turn over himself / her lies on the floor for a long period of time, pressure ulcers (bed sores) may occur on the body. In order to prevent such pressure ulcers, various medical air mat devices have been developed. For example, about 20 bag-shaped air cells are arranged on a sheet, and air of an appropriate pressure is sent from an air pump to these air cells to suppress the contact pressure to the sleeping person's body to prevent pressure ulcers. Known is known.

[0003] In order to prevent pressure ulcers, the air mat should have as little contact pressure as possible on the body. For example, if the contact pressure on the sacrum exceeds 32 mmHg, it is said that the air mat is a pressure ulcer risk zone. For this reason, the pressure of the air sent into the air cell is usually suppressed to less than that.

[0004] As an improved type of the above-mentioned air mat device, an air cell forming an air mat is divided into a plurality of systems, for example, two systems. In some cases, the pressure ulcer is controlled so as to inflate, and is changed into a waveform in the length direction of the air mat so that strong pressure is not locally concentrated on a sleeping person to prevent pressure sores.

[0005]

However, if the air pressure in the air cell is kept low in order to keep the contact pressure low, it is necessary to reduce the air pressure in the air cell, for example, in areas where a large amount of load is applied from the body, such as the sacrum or other protruding bones. The air cell in contact with the portion may be locally collapsed. Then, the so-called bottoming occurs when the body part comes into contact with a bed or the like arranged below, so that the contact pressure on the body part increases and a danger of pressure ulcer occurrence occurs.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper half 20a of the bed 20 may be used by being inclined upward. In such a state, the weight of the upper body of the sleeping person is reduced. When the air cell 10 is concentrated at the lower part of the buttocks and the air cell 10 is under normal air pressure, the air cell 10a in that part is crushed and the body causes bottoming. If this state is left for a long time, for example, for several tens of minutes, the risk of pressure ulcer occurrence increases.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air mat device that can effectively prevent bottoming of the body.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention employs the following means. The air mat device according to claim 1, wherein the air mat includes a plurality of bag-shaped air cells arranged side by side, a sensor sheet disposed below a central portion of the air mat and having an air flow path, and the air mat and the sensor sheet. And an air pump that feeds air to the air mat, and normally controls the air pump so that the internal pressure of the air mat becomes a predetermined specified value. When the air flow passage of the sensor sheet is closed, the air flow passage is opened. And a control unit for controlling the air pump so as to send air into the air mat until the air pump reaches the air mat.

With this configuration, by turning on the power of the air pump, first, air having a predetermined pressure is sent into the air cell, and at the same time, air is also passed through the air flow passage of the sensor sheet. . When the pressure in the air cell reaches a specified value, the air feed from the air pump to the air cell stops.

[0010] In this state, if a person sleeping on the air mat is extremely heavy, or if a part of the body is overloaded and the air cell of the specified internal pressure is crushed, the body is caught between the body and the bed. As a result, the air flow passage of the sensor sheet disposed below the center of the air mat is closed. The control unit, which detects that the air passage is closed and the air cannot pass, controls the air pump to send the air into the air mat until the air passage is opened. Although the pressure in the air cell rises above a predetermined pressure, it is possible to eliminate bottoming of the body and prevent pressure ulcers from occurring. In addition, since the sensor sheet is disposed below the center of the air mat, it is effective in detecting bottoming in a region where a pressure ulcer easily occurs.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the air mat device according to the first aspect, the air flow passage of the sensor sheet has a shape that is extended a plurality of times in the left-right direction of the air mat and widens in the front-rear direction. .

[0012] With this configuration, when a load is applied in a state of lying on the air mat, the area for pressing the air flow passage is increased and the air flow passage is easily blocked, and conversely, the upper half of the bed is inclined upward. As a result, the air flow passage is less crushed, and the reliability as a sensor is high.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the air mat device according to the first or second aspect, the sensor sheet is set within several tens cm in length and width.

With this configuration, even if the caregiver steps on the end of the air mat with a knee or the like in order to care for a sleeping person, no pressure is applied to the sensor sheet. There is no danger.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air mat device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The air mat device 1 includes an air mat formed by arranging a plurality of air cells 2 side by side, a sensor sheet 3 arranged below the center of the air mat, and a sheet 4 arranged below the air mat to position the air mat. And an air pump 5 for feeding air to the air cell 2 and the sensor sheet 3 constituting the air mat, and a control unit 6 for controlling the air feeding of the air pump 5. The air pump 5 is provided with two air pump units 5a and 5b. The air pump unit 5a is for sending air to the air cell 2, and the air pump unit 5b is for sending air to the sensor sheet 3. .

The air cell 2 is formed by laminating a fabric with a high-polymerized polymer film, or a plastic film as it is or a matte-finished plastic film surface into a substantially cylindrical bag shape. Is expanded and contracted by supplying and discharging the air.

The air mat is formed by arranging a plurality of air cells 2 side by side.
A system is configured, and the even-numbered air cells 2b configure a B system. There are two air transfer paths for sending air from the air pump 5 to the air cell 2, and the odd-numbered air cells 2a
Is supplied through an air transfer path 7 to the A-system cell, and air is supplied through the air transfer path 8 to a B-system cell including the even-numbered air cells 2b. Then, the A-system cells and the B-system cells are alternately expanded and contracted via these air transfer paths 7 and 8 to change into a waveform in the length direction of the air mat, and locally strong contact pressure is concentrated. I try not to.

The sensor sheet 3 disposed below the center of the air mat is formed of a urethane sheet composed of two upper and lower sheets of about 40 cm in length and width, and includes a plurality of sheets in the left and right direction (width direction) of the air mat. An air flow passage 3a is provided that is folded back and forth and widens in the front-rear direction, that is, a bellows-shaped air passage 3a. The flow passage 3a is connected to the air transfer passages 9 and 1,
0 is connected to the air pump 5, air is sent from one air transfer passage 9 to the air flow passage 3 a, and the air that has passed through the air flow passage 3 a is returned to the air pump 5 by the other air transfer passage 10 and controlled. The air flow state is monitored by the unit 6.

The air flow passage 3a of the sensor sheet 3 is formed by placing two urethane sheets on top of each other and pressing the urethane sheet into a shape that forms a bellows-shaped air flow passage 3a. The inlet and the outlet are formed at the ends of the urethane sheet, and a connector (not shown) for connecting to the air transfer paths 9 and 10 is attached to the end. Note that a vinyl chloride sheet may be used instead of the urethane sheet, and a vinyl chloride tube may be inserted inside instead of forming the air passage 3a by crimping.

Next, referring to the flowchart of FIG.
The operation of the air mat device 1 will be described. First, when the power of the air mat device 1 is turned on, the air supply from the air pump unit 5b in the air pump 5 to the sensor sheet 3 is started under the control of the control unit 6 (step S1). A certain amount of air is sent to the cells 2b and A-system cells 2a (steps S2 and S3). In step S3, it is determined whether or not the pressure in the A-system cell 2a has reached the specified pressure. When the pressure has reached the specified pressure, the air supply to the A-system cell 2a is stopped (step S5). Next, the valve of the B-system cell 2b is opened, and the internal air is naturally exhausted (step S).
6). These controls are performed by a control unit 6 installed in the air pump 5.

Subsequently, in step S7, it is determined whether or not the air passage 3a in the sensor sheet 3 is closed. Air is constantly fed from the air pump unit 5b in the air pump 5 into the air flow passage 3a of the sensor sheet 3, and a sensor is provided at an outlet of an air transfer passage 10 which is an air return of the air flow passage 3a. The control unit 6 can determine whether or not the air flow passage 3a is closed by the detection signal of this sensor. The case where the air flow passage 3a is closed is a case where the air cell 2a is crushed by the load of the body of the sleeping person and the air flow passage 3a is crushed by the bottoming.

In this case, in step S8, air is sent to the A-system cell 2a to increase the internal pressure of the air cell 2a to eliminate bottoming. The air flow passage 3a
Has an internal pressure such that the air cell 2a is not closed unless the air cell 2a is crushed and sandwiched between a body and a bed or the like.

If there is no blockage of the air flow passage 3a, or if the blockage state has been resolved, it is next determined whether or not a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the start of air supply to the A-system cell 2a (see FIG. 1). Step S9). If the predetermined time has elapsed, then air is supplied to the B-system cell 2b (step S10). Subsequently, in step S11, it is determined whether or not the pressure in the B-system cell 2b has reached the specified pressure. When the pressure has reached the specified pressure, the air supply to the B-system cell 2b is stopped (step S12). Next, the valve of the A-system cell 2a is opened, and the internal air is naturally exhausted (step S13).

Subsequently, in step S14, it is determined whether or not the air passage 3a in the sensor sheet 3 is closed as in the previous case. If it is closed, in step S15, air is sent to the B-system cell 2b to increase the internal pressure of the air cell 2b to eliminate bottoming. If there is no blockage of the air flow passage 3a, or if the blockage state is resolved, a predetermined time (usually several minutes to several tens of minutes) has elapsed from the start of the air supply to the B-system cell 2b. Is determined (step S1).
6). If the predetermined time has elapsed, the process returns to the point G and the above-described process is repeated.

As described above, when bottoming of a sleeping person's body occurs, air is sent to the air cell until the bottoming is eliminated, and the contact pressure on the body is reduced to prevent the occurrence of pressure sores.

In the above example, in the air pump 5,
Two air pump units 5a and 5b are provided, and the air pump unit 5a is in charge of sending air to the air cell 2 and the air pump unit 5b is in charge of sending air to the sensor sheet 3. Only the unit may be configured to always perform air feeding, and a valve may be arranged in an air passage to the air cell 2 to turn on / off air blowing.

Further, in the above example, the air mat is composed of two systems of air cells, system A and system B, which are alternately inflated and expanded.
Although it is contracted, it can also be applied to a case where it is composed of one system of air cells and used in a constantly inflated state,
Further, the present invention can also be applied to a system having three or four systems in which expansion and contraction are partially repeated.

[0028]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the sensor sheet having the air flow path is disposed below the center of the air mat, and the air cell of the air mat is crushed due to excessive load, and the air in the sensor sheet is reduced. When the flow passage is closed, air is sent into the air mat until the air flow passage is opened, so that the bottoming of the body of a sleeping person can be eliminated, and the occurrence of pressure sores can be prevented. it can.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the air flow passage of the sensor sheet has a shape that spreads in the front-rear direction while turning a plurality of times in the left-right direction of the air mat. When I added
The air flow passage is easily blocked, and the reliability as a sensor is high.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the sensor sheet is set within several tens of centimeters vertically and horizontally, the caregiver steps on the end of the air mat with a knee or the like to care for a sleeping person. However, since no pressure is applied to the sensor sheet, there is no danger that the air cell will expand unnecessarily.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an air mat device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a flow of an operation of the air mat device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a problem caused by a conventional air mat device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air mat apparatus 2 Air cell 3 Sensor sheet 3a Air flow path 5 Air pump 6 Control part

Claims (3)

[Claims] An air mat having a plurality of bag-shaped air cells arranged side by side, a sensor sheet disposed below a central portion of the air mat and having an air passage, and an air pump for feeding air to the air mat and the sensor sheet Normally, the air pump is controlled so that the internal pressure of the air mat becomes a predetermined specified value, and when the air flow passage of the sensor sheet is closed, the air mat is controlled until the air flow passage is opened. An air mat device comprising: a control unit that controls the air pump so as to send air. 2. The air mat device according to claim 1, wherein the air flow passage of the sensor sheet has a shape that spreads in the front-rear direction while being bent plural times in the left-right direction of the air mat. 3. The sensor sheet according to claim 1, wherein each of the sensor sheets has a length of 1
2. The distance is set within 0 cm.
Or the air mat device according to 2.