Infection control bedding product

Abstract

An infection control bedding product such as a pillow, duvet, mattress, cushion or such like having a sealed cover and having a deformable filling material, may comprise a liquid impermeable air permeable microbial barrier vent. The vent includes an oleophobic expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane extending past the perimeter of the aperture and a nonwoven layer extending past the perimeter of the aperture. A gasket may be bonded to the PTFE membrane, the nonwoven layer and the cover to form a liquid impermeable seal rendering the infection control bedding product liquid impermeable.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An infection control bedding product having a deformable filling material, the infection control product comprising:
 a cover enclosing the filling material, the cover including an aperture configured to vent the infection control bedding product;   a filter medium covering the aperture and being sealingly attached to the cover, the filter medium including a filter membrane and a strengthening layer providing mechanical strength to the filter medium,   wherein the filter medium allows air flow therethrough but is substantially impermeable to liquid while maintaining a barrier to particles of microbial size.   
     
     
         2 . An infection control bedding product as in  claim 1 , further comprising a gasket forming a liquid impermeable seam between the cover and the filter medium 
     
     
         3 . An infection control bedding product as in  claim 2 , wherein the strengthening layer is disposed intermediate the filter membrane and the gasket. 
     
     
         4 . An infection control bedding product as in  claim 2 , wherein the filter membrane, the strengthening layer, the gasket and the cover are bonded together to form a liquid impermeable seal. 
     
     
         5 . An infection control bedding product as in  claim 2 , wherein the gasket and the cover comprise a first material. 
     
     
         6 . An infection control bedding product as in  claim 5 , wherein the first material comprises polyurethane. 
     
     
         7 . An infection control bedding product as in  claim 6 , wherein the cover comprises a polyurethane coated polymeric material. 
     
     
         8 . An infection control bedding product as in  claim 1 , wherein the gasket and the cover are bonded to form a vent seam, the infection control bedding product includes a perimeter seam, and the vent seam is not integral with the perimeter seam. 
     
     
         9 . An infection control bedding product as in  claim 1 , wherein the filter membrane has a pore size between about 2 and 4 microns, and the filter membrane and the strengthening layer have air flow between about 20 and 40 liters per minute per square centimeter at 1 bar differential pressure, and resistance to water of between about 0.2-0.8 bar entry pressure. 
     
     
         10 . An infection control bedding product as in  claim 1 , wherein the filter membrane comprises an oleophobic expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane. 
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacture of an infection control bedding product comprising:
 a) providing a filter membrane   b) providing a strengthening layer   c) providing a cover of the bedding product, the cover having an aperture; and   d) sealingly bonding the filter membrane and the strengthening layer to the cover over the aperture to form a seam with the cover, the seam being impermeable to liquid, whereby the filter membrane and the strengthening material provide a vent in the infection control bedding product.   
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacture as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein a gasket manufactured of thermoplastic material is provided between steps b) and c) and the gasket is also bonded together with the filter membrane and the strengthening layer, to the cover of the product. 
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacture as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the gasket and the cover comprise a first material. 
     
     
         14 . A method of manufacture as in  claim 13 , wherein the first material comprises polyurethane. 
     
     
         15 . A method of manufacture as in  claim 11 , wherein the cover comprises polyamide polymeric material and is coated on one side with the first material, and the strengthening layer is disposed between the cover and the filter membrane adjacent to the polyurethane coated on one side of the polyamide polymeric material. 
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacture as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein sealingly bonding comprises one of RF bonding, adhesive bonding, and welding. 
     
     
         17 . An infection control bedding product as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the polymeric material comprises polyamide, and the strengthening layer is disposed between the cover and the filter membrane adjacent to a polyurethane coated side of the polyurethane coated polymeric material.