Semi-rigid air pallet type patient mover

Abstract

An air pallet type patient mover is formed by top, intermediate and bottom thin flexible sheets of electrically conductive sheet material stitched along given lines by conductive thread to define at least a plenum chamber between the intermediate thin flexible sheet and the bottom thin flexible sheet and a semi-rigid backing member defined by the top and intermediate thin flexible sheets. Completely sealed high pressure tubes formed by the top and intermediate thin flexible sheets pressurized at relatively high air pressure may constitute the backing member for the patient mover. Alternatively, the tubes may receive low pressure low air flow prior to that air flow passing to the plenum chamber and discharging through a plurality of closely spaced small diameter pinhole type perforations opening directly into the plenum chamber and outwardly onto an underlying fixed support surface. Preferably, the perforations form a diamond shaped pattern beneath the imprint of the load. A semi-rigid sheet of a length less than the plenum chamber of an effective width less than the plenum chamber facilitates frictionless movement of a patient over a soft and depressible support surface such as that formed by a hospital bed mattress, which semi-rigid sheet overlies and encompasses the diamond shaped pattern of perforations within the bottom thin flexible sheet.