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Support device for positioning a patient in a prone positionRelated Patent Categories: Beds, Support Means For Discrete Portion Of User, Useable With Bed Or Surgical SupportSupport device for positioning a patient in a prone position description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060031992, Support device for positioning a patient in a prone position. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
PRIORITY [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/601,240 filed Aug. 13, 2004 by John Moore, entitled, "Apparatus For Positioning and Maintaining An Individual In A Prone Position," which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates generally to the field of home and medical apparatus, and more particularly to support apparatus for positioning an individual in a prone position for a period of time. [0003] There are several, if not many, reasons to position an individual in a prone position for a period of time. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Infant Positioning and Sudden Death Syndrome opines that a prone position may still be the one of choice for premature infants with respiratory distress, those with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, and infants with certain upper airway abnormalities. It has also been determined by the Department of Intensive Care, Medical Centre Leeuwarden-Zuid, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, that a prone position is effective in mechanically ventilated patients to improve oxygenation. Of course, those are but several examples, and others are known in the field of medicine, especially in the field of infant and neo/para-neo natal care including patients of older age and size. [0004] A prone position is also advantageous to ensure proper infant development. Children with disorders including those noted above often need to weight-bear on and through their upper extremities for a variety of reasons. Pushing up onto their elbows and/or pushing up onto extended elbows and reaching through with arms are generally considered necessary for proper development. Visual mapping, for example, in infants occurs in a quadruped position that generally begins from a prone one. [0005] But unfortunately, and especially with infants, known support apparatus is not capable of providing sustained prone positioning. Frequently an infant, for example, will attempt to resume a supine position after being in a prone position. This can be especially true when external--or even internal--medical devices are installed such as gastro-feeding, e.g., gastrostomy tubes. Children may also be uncomfortable in a prone position when suffering from certain nervous system dysfunction(s), immature development and the like including prematurity, sensory integration disorder and stroke. Those children will attempt forcefully to return from a prone position to a supine position. Commonly parents will attempt to place the child in a supine position to aid that child's comfort, even when medically advised that such position is not recommended. [0006] One example of an attempt to design a support apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,134 by Susan Mathews. Although the disclosed support apparatus is quite useful for supporting an infant in a supine position, it does not prevent that infant from rolling over to a side or supine position from a prone position. Indeed, it has been observed that infants with gastrostomy tubes or nervous system disorders generally do forcefully roll over in supports such as those disclosed. Thus, although very useful for a variety of purposes, the support structure of Mathews is not capable of providing a comfortable and sustained support for placing an infant in a prone position. [0007] Thus, there is a need for easy to use, inexpensive support apparatus that can position and gently constrain an individual in a prone position. There is a need for a support apparatus that can provide comfort to a patient in a prone position. And there is a need for support apparatus that prevents children from forcefully rolling over from a prone position to a supine position. Of course, those needs are but a few, and there are others known SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] To satisfy those and other needs, the invention provides support structures that are suitable for positioning and maintaining an individual in a prone position for a period of time. Although infants and/or neo-natal babies use the structures, the structures can also be used by older individuals and adults, and for placing and maintaining those individuals in other positions as well. [0009] The invention thus provides, in one aspect, a support structure to position and gently constrain an individual in a position, and particularly, a prone position. The support structure has a well-defined, soft center panel disposed and secured between two firm, slightly elastic side arms each having a height greater than that of the center panel. Thus, a channel is formed as defined by an upper surface of the center panel and a portion of inner surfaces of the side arms having a height beyond that of the center panel. The individual can be disposed in a prone position resting on the center panel, and gently constrained by the inner surfaces of the side arms. The center panel, therefore, has a width equal to or slightly smaller that a width of the chest and/or belly area of the individual to be disposed thereon. The inner surfaces of the side arms provide a gentle constraint to maintain the individual in the desired position. [0010] In a related aspect, the side arms can be elongated structures extending from the center panel such that an inner well is formed defined by extended inner surfaces of the side arms and an inner edge of the center panel. Lower extremities of the individual can extend from the center panel into the inner well area where they can be supported by the extended inner surfaces of the side arms. [0011] In a further related aspect, one or more center attachments can increase the height of the center panel and/or reshape its upper surface. The center attachment can be secured to the upper surface of the center panel using a variety of means either permanently or releasably. Alternatively, or in addition to, multiple center attachments of the same or varying heights can be used in a stackable configuration. A center attachment can also have an inclined, declined or peaked formation to provide a non-horizontal surface on which the individual rests while disposed in the channel. A center attachment can be concave or convex in shape to provide additional comfort and/or support for the individual resting thereon. [0012] Width attachments are also provided which, like the center attachments, can be used singularly or in plurality. They are can be secured along an inner surface of a side arm and positioned so as to reduce the width of the channel. [0013] In another aspect, the invention provides a support structure for positioning an infant for a period of time. The support structure has a well-defined, soft elastic center panel disposed between and secured to two flexible cantilevers. The cantilevers extend from the center panel in opposing directions and curve back around until remote ends of each are in proximity or touching, defining an inner well between inner surfaces of the cantilevers and an inner edge of the center panel. The center panel has a height that is less that that of at least a length of the cantilevers in proximity to the center panel, and thus, a channel is formed as defined by an upper surface of the center panel and inner surfaces of the cantilevers. An individual can be disposed within the channel resting on the center panel and gently constrained by the inner surfaces of the cantilevers. Lower extremities of the individual extend beyond the center panel into the inner well, and flex the remote ends of the cantilevers that can provide support of the waist and/or legs of the individual. [0014] In another aspect, the invention provides a support structure to position an individual in a prone position and to maintain that position for a length of time. It has a center panel and sides arms as generally described above, albeit, the side arms can be elongated, substantially straight structures, and thus, the support structure has a general U-shape configuration. An individual disposed within the structure is gently constrained from rolling over, yet his or her lower extremities are free to move about. Alternatively, the width of the channel can be decreased to be less than the width of her chest, and provide increased constraint. [0015] In still another aspect, the invention provides a support structure to position an individual in a prone position for a length of time without substantially impacting normal development cycles such as vision-depth and/or vision-motor development. The support structure is, as already generally described, but has a center panel that can be inclined, declined, or peaked providing a comfortable support from which an infant can extend and use his or her upper extremities. Alternatively, the center panel can be concave or otherwise shaped to provide a comfortable platform for the individual disposed thereon. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0016] These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description below, in which reference is made to the following drawings, wherein: [0017] FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of a support apparatus constructed in accordance with the teachings of the invention having a well-defined center panel and cantilevered side arms; [0018] FIG. 2 is an anterior view of the support apparatus of FIG. 1, showing height variances between the center panel and side arms; [0019] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a center attachment for use with a support apparatus such as the one shown in FIG. 1; [0020] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a width attachment for use with a support apparatus such as the one shown in FIG. 1. Continue reading about Support device for positioning a patient in a prone position... Full patent description for Support device for positioning a patient in a prone position Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Support device for positioning a patient in a prone position patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Support device for positioning a patient in a prone position or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Patient support apparatus Next Patent Application: Breast comfort padding system Industry Class: Beds ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Support device for positioning a patient in a prone position patent info. 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