权利要求：
What is claimed is:
1. A mattress comprising: a mattress body; a control unit at the mattress body; a plurality of air conduits defined at the mattress body, wherein the plurality of air conduits is in fluid communication with the control unit; and a plurality of air passages extending within the mattress body, wherein each one of the plurality of air passages includes an air passage open end at a surface of the mattress body, wherein each one of the plurality of air passages is in fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of air conduits such that the plurality of air conduits are configured to convey pressurized air from the control unit to the plurality of air passages and the plurality of air passages is configured to output the pressurized air from the plurality of air conduits at the surface of the mattress body via the air passage open end at each one of the plurality of air passages.
2. The mattress of claim 1, wherein the surface of the mattress body at which the plurality of air passages is configured to output the pressurized air is a top surface of the mattress body at which a user would lay when using the mattress.
3. The mattress of claim 1, further comprising: a valve, the valve including a valve inlet portion, a valve outlet portion, and a valve actuator, wherein the valve inlet portion is in fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of air conduits and the valve outlet portion is in fluid communication, via the valve actuator, with at least one of the plurality of air passages.
4. The mattress of claim 3, wherein the valve actuator is configured, when actuated, to move between an air retention configuration and an air release configuration, wherein, in the air release configuration, the valve actuator is configured to increase an opening at the valve outlet portion, relative to a size of the opening at the valve outlet portion when the valve actuator is in the air retention configuration, to cause an increase in a volume of pressurized air that passes from the valve outlet portion to the at least one of the plurality of air passages.
5. The mattress of claim 3, wherein the valve outlet portion is in in fluid communication, via the valve actuator, with a first air passage of the plurality of air passages and a second air passage of the plurality of air passages, and wherein the valve outlet portion is configured to output the pressurized air in a first direction to the first air passage of the plurality of air passages and in a second, different direction to the second air passage of the plurality of air passages.
6. The mattress of claim 5, further comprising: a first air passage connector fluidly connecting the valve outlet portion to the first air passage of the plurality of air passages, the first air passage connector extending, from the valve outlet portion toward the first air passage of the plurality of air passages, in a direction toward a top surface of the mattress body at which a user would lay when using the mattress; and a second air passage connector fluidly connecting the valve outlet portion to the second air passage of the plurality of air passages, the second air passage connector extending, from the valve outlet portion toward the second air passage of the plurality of air passages, in a direction toward the top surface of the mattress body.
7. The mattress of claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of air passages includes the air passage open end at a top surface of the mattress body and a second air passage open end at a bottom surface of the mattress body.
8. The mattress of claim 1, wherein a volumetric ratio of the plurality of air passages to the mattress body is 1.1: 1 or more.
9. The mattress of claim 1, wherein an area defined at a top surface of the mattress body defines a top surface area, and wherein the top surface area has 75% or less of the top surface area made up of the mattress body and 25% or more of the top surface area made up of the plurality of air passages.
10. The mattress of claim 1, wherein the plurality of air conduits extend from the control unit along a perimeter portion of the mattress body and into a more central region of the mattress body between two or more of the plurality of air passages.
11. The mattress of claim 1, wherein the mattress body includes a perimeter portion that is more rigid than a more central portion of the mattress body.
12. The mattress of claim 11, wherein the perimeter portion includes a plurality of perimeter air passages in fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of air conduits, and wherein the plurality of perimeter air passages have a smaller cross-sectional area than the plurality of air passages located at the more central portion of the mattress body.
13. The mattress of claim 12, wherein the plurality of perimeter air passages are spaced closer to one another than the plurality of air passages located at the more central portion of the mattress body.
14. The mattress of claim 13, wherein the mattress body makes up a greater percentage of a top surface area at the perimeter portion than the plurality of perimeter air passages at the perimeter portion.
15. The mattress of claim 1, wherein the mattress body is a single, integral piece that includes a fluid impermeable polymer material.
16. The mattress of claim 15, wherein the singe, integral piece mattress body further includes an antimicrobial additive.
17. The mattress of claim 1, wherein the mattress body includes a first layer and a second layer integrated with the first layer, wherein the first layer has a different rigidity than the second layer.
18. The mattress of claim 17, wherein the first layer is at a top surface of the mattress body and the second layer is located inward within the mattress body and extends from the first layer toward a bottom surface of the mattress body, and wherein the second layer is more rigid than the first layer.
19. The mattress of claim 1, further comprising:
a sheet attachment member at the mattress body, the sheet attachment member includes a coupling that projects out from the mattress body and is configured to received and hold a sheet over a top surface of the mattress body.
20. The mattress of claim 1, further comprising: a first sensor type at the mattress body and in communication with the control unit; a second sensor type at the mattress body and in communication with the control unit; a third sensor type at the mattress body and in communication with the control unit; and a fourth sensor type at the mattress body and in communication with the control unit, wherein each of the first sensor type, the second sensor type, the third sensor type, and the fourth sensor type is configured to sense a different condition, and wherein the first sensor type, the second sensor type, and the third sensor type are located adjacent one another at a common region of the mattress body while the fourth sensor type is spaced apart from the common region.