US 5,845,352 · Granted 1998-12-08
The Pressure-Relief Cushion Patent That Changed Hospital Bedding
Imagine a pillow that's part foam, part air bubbles—designed so you don't get pressure sores when sitting or lying down for hours. It has a stretchy waterproof cover and custom air pockets that push back exactly where your body needs support most, especially around your hips and tailbone.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a composite cushion made by combining a foam base with partially-filled air cell modules positioned inside a chamber beneath the foam. What's protected is the specific construction: a two-layer skin (stretchy outer layer plus waterproof inner layer), the contoured foam shape designed to relieve pressure on specific body points, and the manufacturing method of pre-collapsing air cells in molds before sealing them into the base to trap air at precise levels.
Why it matters
This patent addresses a genuine medical problem: pressure ulcers that form when people sit or lie in one position too long. By combining foam's cushioning with air cells' adjustability, the design prevents the concentrated pressure points that cause tissue damage. This matters for hospitals, nursing homes, and anyone with mobility limitations—it's the kind of seemingly simple innovation that can prevent serious complications and improve quality of life for vulnerable patients.
Real-world use
Every time a hospital patient in a wheelchair or bed gets repositioned, or a caregiver selects a pressure-relief cushion, they're using technology descended from this hybrid foam-and-air design.
Original USPTO abstract
A composite foam base air cell module cushion having a water resistant skin, a contoured foam base designed to relieve pressure on the trochanters and the ischia and an air cell module having two sets of air cells, each partially filled, positioned inside the foam base in a chamber beneath the rear of the base. The skin is of two layer construction with a two-way stretch outer layer and a water impervious inner layer. The bottom of the base is covered with a water impervious sheet and the edges are secured to the edges of the top skin covering. The air cell is made by placing the preformed top into molds smaller in depth than the air cells to partially collapse the air cells before a base is applied to the top to close the open ends of the air cells and trap air therein.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,845,352
- Filing date
- 1996-07-12
- Grant date
- 1998-12-08
- Assignee
- Roho, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- MATSLER; WINFIELD R., GRAEBE; KURT
- CPC class
- A47C7/021
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