System and method for bathing immobile or partially immobile individual

1 . A bathing system comprising:

an enclosure having a base and a movable enclosure portion operably hinged or slidably coupled to the enclosure to permit opening for placement of an individual within the enclosure and to close around the individual,

the enclosure defining a head opening sized to allow a head of the individual to remain outside the enclosure during operation;

a resting support mounted to the base within the enclosure and configurable between a generally vertical sitting position and a prone position;

a first rolling device disposed at a base of the resting support and a second rolling device disposed on an inside surface of the movable enclosure portion,

each rolling device including a conveying element carrying a textile cleaning medium, the first and second rolling devices positioned to simultaneously contact opposing anterior and posterior sides of the individual in the prone position;

a plurality of flexible straps spanning each conveying element to retain the textile cleaning medium on the conveying element,

each flexible strap including an internal fluid passage with a plurality of lateral discharge orifices to dispense liquid from the strap toward the individual,

and the straps being fluidly coupled to a pump such that liquid pressure and flow through the straps are variable under electronic control;

at least one extendable and retractable scrubbing device mounted to an inside surface of the enclosure,

the scrubbing device having a telescoping handle terminating at a brush and a force sensor configured to limit contact pressure applied to the individual;

and a controller comprising a processor configured to receive signals from one or more sensors indicative of body dimensions of the individual and, responsive thereto, to generate a user-specific cleaning plan that controls at least extension of the scrubbing device, liquid pressure and temperature, rotational speed and direction of the rolling devices,

and operation of at least one powered actuator coupled between the enclosure and a support structure to tilt or rotate the enclosure to facilitate ingress and egress.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each flexible strap is a removable tubular member formed with the internal fluid passage and the plurality of lateral discharge orifices, and wherein the controller varies liquid pressure delivered through the straps independently of liquid delivered to water jets in the enclosure.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second rolling devices are driven in counterrotating directions during a cleaning cycle to scrub the anterior and posterior sides simultaneously.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises an artificial intelligence system nonnmodule configured to compute the user specific cleaning plan from sensor data including at least weight measured by a scale at the resting support and at least one captured image of the individual.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the scrubbing device automatically retracts flush with the inside surface when not in use and the force sensor enforces a maximum allowable contact pressure threshold.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a powered base configured to tilt the enclosure about a horizontal axis and to rotate the enclosure about a vertical axis, and optionally to vibrate the enclosure.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the head opening includes a liquid blocking gasket and a headrest having a face aperture permitting a prone facendown position with breathing clearance.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one armrest of the resting support incorporates liquid dispensing nozzles.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a drainage system including a drain, a trap, and a removable filter to collect debris from used liquid within the enclosure.

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a drying system configured to direct heated air toward the individual and to dry interior surfaces of the enclosure after the individual exits.

11 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a lighting system including visible light emitters for illumination, infrared emitters to provide chromotherapy, and ultraviolet emitters to sanitize the enclosure in an interlocked post and use cycle when the enclosure is vacant.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotational directions of the first and second rolling devices are selected to reduce net lateral shear on skin over bony prominences of the individual.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible straps both retain the textile cleaning medium on the conveying element and deliver liquid through the internal fluid passage and further include quick release connectors to facilitate removal of the textile cleaning medium for laundering or replacement.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the resting support includes a seat and a back support jointly adjustable from approximately 0° (prone) to approximately 90° (sitting).

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least a scale integrated into the resting support and at least one optical sensor configured to capture an image of the individual for determination of body dimensions used by the controller to set extension of the scrubbing device and positions of the rolling devices.

16 . A method of bathing an individual in an enclosure having a base and a movable enclosure portion operably hinged or slidably coupled to the enclosure, comprising:

receiving, by a controller, sensor data indicative of body dimensions of the individual;

generating, by the controller, a user-specific cleaning plan specifying at least liquid temperature and pressure,

extension of an extendable scrubbing device,

rotational speeds and directions of first and second rolling devices mounted respectively at a base of a resting support and on an inside surface of the movable enclosure portion,

and a tilt or rotation position of the enclosure produced by at least one powered actuator;

placing the individual on the resting support and positioning the individual in a prone or sitting position with a head outside the enclosure through a head opening;

closing the movable enclosure portion around the individual while maintaining the head outside the head opening;

simultaneously driving the first and second rolling devices to contact opposing sides of the individual while delivering liquid through flexible straps spanning each rolling device,

the flexible straps having internal fluid passages and lateral discharge orifices;

operating the extendable scrubbing device with force-limited contact pressure;

and after cleaning, performing a drying cycle and, when the enclosure is vacant, a sanitizing cycle using ultraviolet emitters.