Mattress Pressure Mapping System: Tactilus

What Mattress Pressure Mapping Measures and Why It Matters Clinically

PRESSURE DATA. CLINICAL CLARITY.

Pressure injuries develop when sustained mechanical forces compress soft tissue between a bony prominence and an external surface, restricting microcirculatory perfusion and causing tissue ischemia. Interface pressure — the force per unit area at the contact point between a patient’s body and the support surface — is the primary measurable variable in that process.

Capillary closing pressure is typically cited at 32 mmHg. Sustained interface pressures above that threshold reduce or eliminate perfusion to the overlying tissue. Duration compounds the effect: low pressures sustained over hours cause damage that brief high-pressure episodes may not. Standard clinical assessment tools such as the Braden Scale identify patients at risk but do not quantify the interface pressure a specific patient generates on a specific surface. Pressure mapping does.

A mattress pressure mapping system captures:

• Peak pressure index (PPI) at high-risk anatomical zones
• Mean pressure across the full contact area
• Pressure distribution patterns indicating adequate or inadequate load spreading
• Contact area between the patient’s body and the surface
• Immersion depth and envelopment characteristics
• Real-time pressure shifts during position changes or Fowler elevation

This data gives clinicians an objective basis for surface selection, repositioning protocol adjustment, and wound care program documentation that subjective assessment cannot provide.

Clinical Software Platform

DATA CLINICIANS CAN ACT ON

The Tactilus Windows-based interface is designed for clinical deployment, not laboratory use. It displays pressure data in high-definition 2D and 3D formats, supports session recording, and generates exportable outputs compatible with wound care documentation and institutional reporting requirements.

• High-definition 2D and 3D pressure visualization
• Real-time session recording and playback
• Center of gravity indicator
• Average pressure graphing over time
• Region of interest (ROI) masking for anatomical zone analysis
• Side-by-side surface comparison — up to three surfaces simultaneously
• Notes field for clinical documentation
• Video export (.AVI format)
• Data export to Excel
• PDF report generation and sharing

The surface comparison function is particularly relevant for institutional purchasing decisions. Clinicians can map a patient on multiple surfaces and document which surface produces the most clinically appropriate pressure distribution for that individual. This supports both clinical decision-making and surface procurement justification.

Clinical Applications by Care Setting

FROM ICU TO LONG-TERM CARE

The Tactilus mattress pressure mapping system is deployed across the full continuum of care. Each setting presents distinct patient populations, clinical workflows, and documentation requirements that pressure mapping directly supports.

Hospitals and Acute Care

ICU and acute care patients, particularly those who are sedated, post-surgical, or neurologically compromised, cannot self-reposition and cannot communicate discomfort. Standard two-hour repositioning schedules do not account for individual variation in interface pressure. Pressure mapping provides objective data to individualize repositioning intervals and surface selection for high-risk patients. Research on continuous bedside pressure mapping (CBPM) technology has documented up to 88% overall reduction in pressure injury risk in peer-reviewed studies.

VA Hospitals

VA hospital patient populations present elevated pressure injury risk due to high rates of spinal cord injury, neurological conditions, and complex comorbidities. Pressure mapping supports individualized surface selection and rehabilitation equipment justification for veterans across inpatient and outpatient settings. Blue Chip Medical supplies the Tactilus system directly to VA hospitals and federal healthcare facilities.

Long-Term Care and Skilled Nursing Facilities

Residents in long-term care settings often remain on the same surface for extended periods. Pressure mapping identifies residents whose current surface is insufficient, supports clinical decisions to upgrade therapy, and generates the documentation facilities need for wound care program compliance and survey readiness.

Rehabilitation Facilities

Rehab settings use pressure mapping to optimize surfaces during the acute rehabilitation phase and to configure appropriate seating and positioning equipment prior to discharge. Mapping data informs both mattress and wheelchair cushion selection, connecting directly to Blue Chip’s Tactilus wheelchair seating pressure mapping system.

Pressure Mapping and Pressure Injury Prevention Standards

EVIDENCE-BASED. COMPLIANCE-READY.

The National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) establishes the clinical framework for pressure injury prevention and management in the United States. The NPIAP staging system classifies pressure injuries from Stage I through Stage IV, plus unstageable injuries and deep tissue pressure injury (DTPI).

Pressure mapping does not replace clinical staging or wound assessment. It provides objective interface pressure data that informs surface selection and repositioning decisions within a broader pressure injury prevention program. Used consistently, pressure mapping supports:

• Evidence-based surface selection aligned with NPIAP guidelines
• Documented clinical rationale for therapeutic surface upgrades
• Repositioning protocol development grounded in patient-specific pressure data
• Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program data in SNF settings
• CMS HAC documentation demonstrating proactive prevention measures

Surface Types Evaluated Using the Tactilus System

ANY SURFACE. ANY PATIENT.

The Tactilus mattress pressure mapping system is compatible with the full range of therapeutic support surfaces. Clinicians can map a patient on their current surface, then map again after switching to a therapeutic alternative to quantify the pressure reduction achieved.

• Alternating pressure mattresses
• Alternating pressure mattresses with low air loss
• Foam pressure redistribution mattresses
• Gel mattresses
• Water mattresses
• Mattress overlays (air, foam, gel, water)
• Lateral rotation mattresses

This side-by-side comparison is the most direct method available for validating surface selection decisions and communicating them to wound care teams, administrators, and payors.

Wheelchair Seating Pressure Mapping

COMPLETE THE CLINICAL PICTURE

A patient’s total interface pressure exposure does not begin and end with the mattress. Patients who use wheelchairs as their primary mobility device spend significant portions of the care day in seated positioning, where concentrated pressure at the ischial tuberosities generates some of the highest interface pressures encountered in any clinical setting.

Blue Chip Medical’s Tactilus wheelchair seating pressure mapping system extends the same clinical methodology to seating surfaces using a 20″ x 20″ piezoresistive sensing pad with 1,024 discrete sensing points, quadrant monitoring for asymmetric load assessment, and side-by-side comparison of up to three cushions simultaneously. The seating and mattress systems share the same Windows-based clinical interface, allowing facilities to operate both within a unified clinical pressure assessment program.

For rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, VA hospitals, and wound care programs managing patients with both mattress and seating pressure exposure, deploying both systems provides a complete picture of interface pressure risk across the full care day.

VIEW WHEELCHAIR SEATING PRESSURE MAPPING SYSTEM →