Patient support formed from an elastomeric composition including a polymer blend of seeps copolymers
This disclosure provides a person support formed from an elastomeric composition. The elastomeric composition includes a polymer blend with the polymer blend consisting essentially of a first and second SEEPS copolymer. The first and second SEEPS copolymers are present in the polymer blend in an amount of from 75 to 95 percent by weight and 5 to 25 percent by weight, respectively, based on the total weight of the polymer blend. In addition, the sum of the first and second SEEPS copolymers in the polymer blend is 100 percent by weight. The first and second SEEPS copolymers have a weight average molecular weight of weight of at least 200,000 and 125,000 to 175,000, respectively. The disclosure also provides a patient support for supporting a patient with the patient support formed from the elastomeric composition.
1. An elastomeric composition for use in a lattice of cells of a patient support, the elastomeric composition comprising a polymer blend, the polymer blend consisting essentially of:
from 85 to 95% by weight of a first SEEPS copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of at least 200,000 g/mol;
from 5 to 15% by weight of a second SEEPS copolymer having a weight average molecular weight ranging from 125,000 to 175,000 g/mol; and
mineral oil present in a weight ratio of mineral oil to polymer blend from 2.7:1 to 2.75:1;
wherein the sum of the first SEEPS copolymer and the second SEEPS copolymer in the polymer blend is 100 weight percent;
wherein the elastomeric composition has an indention force deflection of from 20 to 30 pounds as measured in accordance with ASTM D3574 B1 when the elastomeric composition is compressed to about 50% of its initial thickness.
2. The elastomeric composition of claim 1 wherein the first SEEPS copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of from 295,000 g/mol to 315,000 g/mol.
3. The elastomeric composition of claim 1 wherein the first SEEPS copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 308,000 g/mol.
4. The elastomeric composition of claim 1 wherein the second SEEPS copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 150,000 g/mol.
5. The elastomeric composition of claim 3 , wherein the second SEEPS copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 150,000 g/mol.
6. The elastomeric composition of claim 1 , wherein the styrene content of the first SEEPS copolymer is about 30 wt. %.
7. The elastomeric composition of claim 1 , wherein the styrene content of the second SEEPS copolymer is about 32 wt. %.
8. The elastomeric composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer blend consists essentially of 85% by weight of the first SEEPS copolymer and 15% by weight of the second SEEPS copolymer.
9. The elastomeric composition of claim 5 , wherein the polymer blend consists essentially of 85% by weight of the first SEEPS copolymer and 15% by weight of the second SEEPS copolymer.
10. A patient support for supporting a patient, the patient support comprising:
a crib assembly comprising a lattice of cells formed from an elastomeric composition, with the cells directly abutting adjacent cells, the elastomeric composition comprising a polymer blend, the polymer blend consisting essentially of:
from 75 to 95% by weight of a first SEEPS copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of weight of at least 200,000 g/mol; and
from 5 to 25% by weight of a second SEEPS copolymer having a weight average molecular weight ranging from 125,000 to 175,000 g/mol,
wherein the sum of the first SEEPS copolymer and the second SEEPS copolymer in the polymer blend is 100 weight percent.
11. The patient support of claim 10 , wherein the first SEEPS copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 308,000 g/mol and the second SEEPS copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 150,000 g/mol.
12. The patient support of claim 11 , wherein the styrene content of the first SEEPS copolymer is about 30 wt. % and wherein the styrene content of the second SEEPS copolymer is about 32 wt. %.
13. The patient support of claim 12 , wherein the polymer blend consists essentially of 85% by weight of the first SEEPS copolymer and 15% by weight of the second SEEPS copolymer.
14. The patient support of claim 12 , wherein the elastomeric composition further comprises mineral oil, and wherein the weight ratio of mineral oil to polymer blend in the elastomeric composition ranges from 2.7:1 to 2.75:1.
15. The patient support of claim 12 , wherein the elastomeric composition has an indention force deflection of from 15 to 60 pounds as measured in accordance with ASTM D3574 B1 when the elastomeric composition is compressed to about 50% of its initial thickness.
16. The patient support of claim 12 , wherein each cell in the lattice of cells has an indention force deflection of from 20 to 30 pounds as measured in accordance with ASTM D3574 B1 when the cell is compressed to about 50% of its initial thickness.
17. A patient support for supporting a patient, the patient support comprising:
a crib assembly comprising a lattice of cells formed from an elastomeric composition, with the cells directly abutting adjacent cells, the elastomeric composition comprising a polymer blend, the polymer blend consisting essentially of:
from 75 to 95% by weight of a first SEEPS copolymer; and
from 5 to 25% by weight of a second SEEPS copolymer having a weight average molecular weight at least 10,000 g/mol less than the first SEEPS copolymer,
wherein the sum of the first SEEPS copolymer and the second SEEPS copolymer in the polymer blend is 100 weight percent.