Development of a new bed system with improved decubitus prophylaxis for bed-ridden patients

An adaptable bedding surface for the prophylaxis and treatment of decubitus ulcers was developed and evaluated in a number of preclinical studies. The new bed reduced the average contact pressure peaks in prolonged supine bed rest while significantly decelerating the onset and progression of pressure sores. A special advantage of the surface is its discrete, independently-mobile pin elements that allow localized implementation of sensors and diagnostic tools in the bed structure. The bed is currently being evaluated in clinical trials with at series of different patient populations with different pressure ulcer pathologies. The system's overall ability to prevent the conditions that contribute to the onset of ulcers as indicated by improvements on the ulcer incidence rate is presented here.