Managing mattress pressure on wounds

Abstract

A method, computer usable program product, or system for adjusting a mattress to minimize pressure on a patient wound including detecting a location of the patient wound relative to the mattress, and responsive to detecting the location of the patient wound relative to the mattress, adjusting the mattress to minimize pressure on the patient wound.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A computer usable program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage medium including computer usable code for use in adjusting a mattress to minimize pressure on a patient wound, the computer usable program product comprising code for performing steps of:
 detecting a location of the patient wound relative to the mattress having a first pressure; and   responsive to detecting the location of the patient wound relative to the mattress, adjusting pressure of the mattress to minimize pressure on the patient wound including decreasing mattress pressure near the wound less than the first pressure and increasing mattress pressure surrounding the wound greater than the first pressure.   
     
     
         10 . The computer usable program product of  claim 9  wherein a marker is placed on the patient wound and wherein the mattress contains sensors that determine the position of the marker relative to the mattress. 
     
     
         11 . The computer usable program product of  claim 10  wherein the mattress includes multiple individually pressurized fluid cells, the pressurized fluid cells selected from a group consisting of pressurized air cells and pressurized liquid cells. 
     
     
         12 . The computer usable program product of  claim 11  wherein the mattress includes a control system which decreases cell pressure under the patient wound to reduce pressure on the patient wound and which increases cell pressure radially away and near the patient wound to provide support. 
     
     
         13 . The computer usable program product of  claim 12  wherein a marker is placed on the patient wound and wherein the mattress contains sensors that determine the position of the marker relative to the mattress. 
     
     
         14 . The computer usable program product of  claim 13  wherein each mattress cell includes a sensor for locating whether the marker is proximate to the sensor. 
     
     
         15 . The computer usable program product of  claim 13  wherein the mattress includes external sensors for locating the marker relative to reference indicators located in the mattress. 
     
     
         16 . The computer usable program product of  claim 12  wherein information regarding the patient wound is provided to the control system and wherein the control system uses the patient wound information in adjusting the mattress cells. 
     
     
         17 . A data processing system for adjusting a mattress to minimize pressure on a patient wound, the data processing system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory storing program instructions which when executed by the processor execute steps of:   detecting a location of the patient wound relative to the mattress having a first pressure; and   responsive to detecting the location of the patient wound relative to the mattress, adjusting pressure of the mattress to minimize pressure on the patient wound including decreasing mattress pressure near the wound less than the first pressure and increasing mattress pressure surrounding the wound greater than the first pressure.   
     
     
         18 . The data processing system of  claim 17  wherein a marker is placed on the patient wound and wherein the mattress contains sensors that determine the position of the marker relative to the mattress. 
     
     
         19 . The data processing system of  claim 17  wherein the mattress includes multiple individually pressurized fluid cells, the pressurized fluid cells selected from a group consisting of pressurized air cells and pressurized liquid cells. 
     
     
         20 . The data processing system of  claim 19  wherein the mattress includes a control system which decreases cell pressure under the patient wound to reduce pressure on the patient wound and which increases cell pressure radially away and near the patient wound to provide support. 
     
     
         21 . The data processing system of  claim 20  wherein the marker is placed with a bandage on the patient wound and wherein the mattress contains sensors that determine the position of the marker relative to the mattress. 
     
     
         22 . The data processing system of  claim 21  wherein each mattress cell includes a sensor for locating whether the marker is proximate to the sensor. 
     
     
         23 . The data processing system of  claim 22  wherein the mattress includes external sensors for locating the marker relative to reference indicators located in the mattress. 
     
     
         24 . The data processing system of  claim 20  wherein information regarding the patient wound is provided to the control system and wherein the control system uses the patient wound information in adjusting the mattress cells. 
     
     
         25 . The computer usable program product of  claim 9  wherein detecting a location of the patient wound includes utilizing an external video camera to detect the location of the patient wound. 
     
     
         26 . The computer usable program product of  claim 25  wherein the external video camera utilizes reference indicators located in the mattress to detect the location of the patient wound relative to the reference indicators. 
     
     
         27 . The computer usable program product of  claim 25  wherein the external video camera detects heat. 
     
     
         28 . The data processing system of  claim 17  wherein detecting a location of the patient wound includes utilizing an external video camera to detect the location of the patient wound. 
     
     
         29 . The data processing system of  claim 28  wherein the external video camera utilizes reference indicators located in the mattress to detect the location of the patient wound relative to the reference indicators. 
     
     
         30 . The data processing system of  claim 28  wherein the external video camera detects heat.