US 7,562,458 B1
Device to reduce the incidence of aspiration
Robert Louis Clark, Jr., 8275 NW. 54th Ave., Johnston, Iowa 50131 (US); and Michael David Johnson, 513 High Ridge Dr., Friendswood, Tex. 77546 (US)
Filed on Apr. 10, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/401,162.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/670842, filed on Apr. 13, 2005.
Int. Cl. A61B 5/103 (2006.01); A61G 7/002 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 33—333  [33/512; 33/366.11; 5/617; 5/618; 5/424; 340/573.1; 340/689] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A medical device for indicating that an orientation of a bedridden patient's body falls outside a predetermined angular range for the purpose of reducing complications associated with bedridden patients, comprising:
an angle range indicator attached parallel to a lower portion of a bed, said angle range indicator displaying an angular range between an upper portion of said bed and said lower portion of said bed;
a pointer attached parallel to said upper portion of said bed, said pointer indicating an angular measurement difference between said upper portion of said bed and said lower portion of said bed by indicating said angular measurement difference on said angle range indicator;
a circuit comprising a power supply, said circuit closed upon said pointer reaching an unacceptable angular measurement difference, said circuit for powering an indicating device;
said angle indicating device powered by said circuit once said circuit is completed by said pointer, said indicating device further indicating that said unacceptable angular measurement has been reached.