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Dolphin FIS Standard Therapy Systems

Low-Profile Dolphin FIS System (8-Inch Therapy Surface)

The Low Profile is the 8-inch build of the Dolphin FIS therapy mattress: the same fluid immersion surface and the same AutoVector control unit as the standard 10-inch model, two inches shallower, and with one feature the standard mattress does not have. Dolphin, Dolphin FIS, Fluid Immersion Simulation and AutoVector are registered trademarks of Joerns Healthcare LLC. We are an authorized Joerns dealer and we supply the configuration the frame and the care plan call for, not the one with the biggest number on it.

Two inches of depth is the whole argument for this model, and it is a bigger argument than it sounds. Bed height is measured from the floor to the top of the surface the person is sitting on. Take two inches out and a transfer to a wheelchair gets closer to level, a person standing from the edge of the bed has less distance to drop into, and the side rails sit two inches higher relative to the body — which is either a safety gain or a reach problem depending on who is in the bed. The second argument is what Joerns puts inside these models and no others: a foam based safety cell to protect patients from bottoming out in the event of a power failure that exceeds battery life.

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Scale drawing

Width and rated capacity are not the same thing

Dolphin FIS surface widths at 82 inches long, with the rated weight capacity of each A scale drawing. 35 inches wide, 42 inches wide, 48 inches wide — all 82 inches long, drawn to one scale so the widths compare directly. Below the footprints a bar for each width shows its rated weight capacity: 35 inch, 500 pounds; 42 inch, 500 pounds; 48 inch, 1,000 pounds. The 35 inch and 42 inch bars are the same height as each other; the 48 inch bar is 2 times as tall. 82″ long 35″ 42″ 48″ RATED WEIGHT CAPACITY 500 lb 500 lb 1,000 lb

The same three figures, in words: every surface above is 82″ long, and only the width changes.

35″ × 82″
rated 500 lb — Standard Dolphin FIS, Low-Profile System
42″ × 82″
rated 500 lb — Wide 42-Inch
48″ × 82″
rated 1,000 lb — Extra-Wide 48-Inch

Wider across is not the same as higher rated. The 42-inch surface is 7 inches wider than the 35-inch and carries exactly the same 500 lb rating. The rating steps up once, at 48 inches, to 1,000 lb. Anyone quoting you a figure between the two is quoting something no Joerns document contains.

The marked column is the surface this page is about: 35″ wide, 82″ long, rated 500 lb.

Joerns states these as mattress capacities only. The bed frame underneath has its own rated load, and the combined weight must not exceed it — which is one of the things we check with you before anything ships.

How do you want Low-Profile System? Choose monthly rental or outright purchase.

Rent by the month

Call for a quote

The monthly rate depends on the model we match to the patient. Ask the order desk and we will quote it before you order.

  • Billed monthly for as long as the surface is in use
  • Return it when the need ends, with no long-term commitment
  • One surface matched to the patient and the care plan
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Buy outright

Call for a quote

Purchase pricing depends on the configuration and the quantity. Ask the order desk for a written quote.

  • One-time price, with no monthly billing
  • The surface stays with the facility or the household
  • Warranty terms are the manufacturer’s; ask us to confirm them before you order
  • Often eligible for HSA or FSA funds with a Letter of Medical Necessity; your plan administrator decides.
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Models we carry

  • Joerns Healthcare Dolphin® FIS® Low Profile Therapy Mattress
  • Shipped by freight, with the lane quoted before you order
  • Cleaned and function-tested before it ships
  • Itemized invoices for plan and facility claims

Who this rental is for, and when it is needed

This is the configuration for a person who still transfers. Someone with a pressure injury who nonetheless gets to a wheelchair twice a day, a person who sits on the edge of the bed to dress, a household where a sit-to-stand transfer is already at the limit of what the caregiver can manage — in each case the bed is not only a place to lie down, and the height it sits at is a daily event rather than a specification. Joerns describes the technology as highly effective for the prevention and healing of pressure injuries through Stage 4 and for treating patients with post-operative flaps and grafts, and says it may also be used for patients whose medical condition precludes turning and repositioning; none of that changes with depth. What changes is how the person gets on and off it.

It is also the configuration to think hardest about where the power is unreliable. Rural service, wildfire shutoffs, ice storms, a generator that covers the refrigerator and not much else: in any of those, the difference between this model and the standard 10-inch one is a documented one. Joerns describes the foam safety cell explicitly as protection against bottoming out in the event of a power failure that exceeds battery life — that is, past the approximately 12 hours the control unit’s sealed 12 VDC battery provides. It is not a permanent internal layer doing something during normal therapy, and it is not a second power source. It is what is under the person when the air is gone.

The surface someone is placed on is a clinical decision. Bring the wound care nurse or the discharge planner the depth question directly, because they may have a view about rail height, transfer mechanics or an existing pressure injury on a heel or a shoulder that settles it one way or the other. We supply what they specify and we will tell you when we think the question has not been asked.

Situations we set this up for

  • The person still transfers to a chair, a commode or standing
  • Sleeping height is already marginal for the caregiver doing the lift
  • Side rail height relative to the body has been raised as a concern
  • A home where power outages are long, seasonal or expected
  • A pressure injury with an ongoing need for a therapy surface, not a short recovery
  • An existing frame where 10 inches would put the surface above the rail line
  • A bed that has to work for care during the day and sleep at night

Models and specifications

Figures below are the manufacturer's published specifications. We confirm the exact unit and its ratings with you before it ships.

Low-Profile System at a glance

Published specifications for Low-Profile Dolphin FIS System
Sleep surface 35″ × 82″
Surface depth 8″
Weight capacity Up to 500 lb
Therapy type Autofirm; returns to the previous setting after approximately 15 minutes
Power and battery Sealed 12 VDC rechargeable; approximately 12 hours
Alarms Not published
HSA and FSA Often eligible with a Letter of Medical Necessity; your plan administrator decides

Figures are the manufacturer’s published specifications. Anything shown as "Not published" is a figure we have not confirmed in writing; ask us and we will check the spec sheet for the exact unit before it ships.

Joerns Healthcare

Dolphin® FIS® Low Profile Therapy Mattress

Joerns lists the Low Profile therapy mattress in three widths — 35, 42 and 48 inches — all 82 inches long and 8 inches deep. The 35-inch and 42-inch surfaces sit in Joerns’ standard block at 500 lb. We are deliberately not carrying the 1,000 lb figure across to a 48-inch low-profile build: Joerns publishes that capacity against the 48-inch bariatric surface at 10 inches deep, and a rating that belongs to one configuration is not ours to reassign to another. If you need a 48-inch width at 8 inches deep, we confirm the rating on the unit and its documentation before anything ships, and we will tell you the answer either way.

As on every Dolphin surface, the capacity figure is the mattress figure. Joerns’ footnote says total weight must not exceed the bed frame manufacturer’s specified load capacity, and in a home the frame is very often the limiting number. We want the frame make and model before we quote, not after.

The therapy behavior is identical to the standard model. The AutoVector control unit — 11.5 by 12.5 by 6 inches, 10 lb — monitors the support surface more than 100 times per second for patient movement or surface changes, in Joerns’ wording, and automatically measures the specific anthropometric characteristics of the individual patient as they engage the support surface, producing an individualized immersion profile that Joerns describes as creating a near neutrally buoyant state. Autofirm is available for transfers and care and returns to the previous setting after approximately 15 minutes. A quick CPR deflation valve is fitted. The cover is smooth nylon with low friction and low shear properties, breathable and moisture vapour permeable.

The foam safety cell is the feature that belongs to these models and no others. Joerns states it for Low Profile therapy mattress models only: a foam based safety cell to protect patients from bottoming out in the event of a power failure that exceeds battery life. Read that carefully before you buy on the strength of it. It is not extra therapy, it is not extra runtime, and it does not operate while the system is running normally. It is the layer that keeps a person off the bed platform after roughly twelve hours without mains power. That is a meaningful thing to have and a modest thing to claim, and we would rather you bought it knowing which it is.

Dimensions
35", 42" or 48" W × 82" (208 cm) L × 8" D
Weight capacity
500 lb at 35" and 42" — mattress capacity only; the frame has its own rated limit
Safety cell
Foam, Low Profile models only; bottom-out protection when a power failure exceeds battery life
Control unit
AutoVector®, 11.5" W × 12.5" H × 6" D, 10 lb (4.5 kg)
Sensing rate
Joerns: monitors the support surface more than 100 times per second
Battery backup
Sealed 12 VDC rechargeable; approximately 12 hours
Care mode
Autofirm; returns to the previous setting after approximately 15 minutes
Emergency
Quick CPR deflation valve
Electrical
115/230 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 0.34/0.21 A
Operating conditions
50–95 °F (10–35 °C), 30–75% RH non-condensing, IPX2
Warranty
Two years mattress, two years control unit (Joerns)

Joerns Healthcare

Dolphin® FIS® EX Expandable-Length Therapy Mattress

The EX is the other 8-inch surface in the Dolphin line, and it exists for one problem: a person too tall for an 82-inch bed. Joerns lists it at 35 inches wide, 8 inches deep, and 80 to 92 inches long — 208 to 234 cm — with a 500 lb rating in the standard block.

What makes the length work is a feature Joerns documents for EX models only: adjustable inflation and deflation of the length-extension cells, which, with a compatible bed, allow the bed and mattress to extend from 80 to 92 inches in length. The phrase "with a compatible bed" is the whole question. An extending surface on a fixed 80-inch frame gets you nothing except a surface hanging off the end, which is precisely the gap Joerns warns about at the foot panel. Before an EX is quoted we need to know the frame extends and how far.

Note what the EX does not have. The foam safety cell is documented for Low Profile models; Joerns does not attribute it to the EX, and neither do we. If bottom-out protection during a long outage is the reason you are on this page, the Low Profile is the model that carries it.

Dimensions
35" W × 80"–92" (208–234 cm) L × 8" D
Weight capacity
500 lb — mattress capacity only; the frame has its own rated limit
Length extension
Adjustable inflation/deflation of length-extension cells; with a compatible bed, 80 to 92 inches
Control unit
AutoVector®, 10 lb (4.5 kg)
Battery backup
Sealed 12 VDC rechargeable; approximately 12 hours
Safety cell
Not documented by Joerns for EX models

What makes it work at home

Two inches lower at the transfer

Eight inches deep rather than ten. That shows up every time someone pivots to a chair, stands from the edge of the bed, or a caregiver takes weight. It also raises the rails two inches relative to the body.

Foam safety cell — these models only

Joerns fits a foam based safety cell to Low Profile therapy mattress models only, to protect patients from bottoming out in the event of a power failure that exceeds battery life. It is not on the standard 10-inch mattress.

The same therapy as the standard model

Identical AutoVector control unit, identical automatic behavior. Joerns states the module monitors the support surface more than 100 times per second and re-optimizes as the patient moves. You lose two inches of depth, not the technology.

Three widths on one depth

Joerns lists the Low Profile at 35, 42 and 48 inches wide by 82 inches long. Width is chosen from the frame and from how the person turns, not from their weight alone.

Battery through an outage

A sealed 12 VDC rechargeable battery carries the control unit approximately 12 hours if the system is disconnected or the power fails, and recharges when mains returns. Past that point, the foam cell is what is under the person.

An EX option for a tall person

The 8-inch EX runs 80 to 92 inches with adjustable length-extension cells, on a compatible extending bed. The bed has to extend too; the mattress alone will not solve a short frame.

Delivery and setup

The Low Profile ships as a therapy mattress and a 10 lb AutoVector control unit with hoses. Before dispatch we want the frame make, model and deck measurement and, on this configuration specifically, the height you are transferring to — a wheelchair seat, a commode, a chair. Getting the depth right is the point of choosing this model, and the only way to know whether eight inches lands where it needs to is to measure both ends. We would rather have that conversation before the surface is in the room.

At setup the existing mattress comes off, the therapy surface goes on the deck, and the control unit hangs at the foot with the hoses routed clear of the articulating sections. It goes to a wall outlet, not a strip. Joerns notes that the Storage Switch must be in the Battery On position for the battery to recharge, which is a detail that matters here more than on other models: a household that chose this configuration for its outage behavior should not discover during the outage that the battery has been sitting flat. We check it, we show the caregiver where the switch is, and we cover the CPR valve, Autofirm, and the hand check Joerns instructs after any comfort adjustment — confirming by hand that the patient is not touching the mattress support platform.

How in-home setup and pickup work

Before we arrive

  • Measure the seat height of whatever the person transfers to, and the current bed height.
  • Have the frame make, model and deck measurement ready before the order is placed.
  • Check where the side rails will sit once the surface is eight inches rather than ten.
  • Keep a wall outlet free at the foot of the bed, not a switched one and not a power strip.
  • Route hoses clear of the head and knee articulation and out of the walkway.
  • Note how long outages typically last here — it changes which model is right.
  • Keep the room within the 50–95 °F operating range Joerns publishes.
  • Have the discharge summary and wound care orders available at setup.

Choosing the right one

Against the standard 10-inch mattress, this comes down to two questions and they usually point the same way. Does the person transfer, and how long does the power stay off here? If someone gets out of bed under their own power or with one caregiver, two inches is worth having. If the power goes out for a day at a time, the foam safety cell is worth having. If neither is true — a person who is fully bedbound in a house on reliable municipal power — the standard 10-inch surface is the straightforward choice and the extra depth is not a disadvantage.

Against the other siblings, the decision is structural rather than preferential. A step-deck articulating frame takes the V-Matt, 88 inches and contoured, and nothing else fits it properly. A person who needs more room across rather than more depth takes the 42-inch width at the same 500 lb rating. Above 500 lb it is the 48-inch bariatric surface on a matching frame. And a person too long for 82 inches needs the EX and an extending bed together, not one or the other. Widths and depths on this line are not interchangeable once a frame is in the room, so tell us the frame first and let it rule options out.

Paying for the rental

This is a private purchase or a private rental. We do not bill Medicare and we do not file claims for you. Fluid immersion simulation has no HCPCS code, so there is no covered line item to point a claim at, and Dolphin FIS is not an air-fluidized bed — E0194 is defined by warm filtered air forced through silicone-coated ceramic beads, which is a different machine. What is worth understanding is the tier below: Group 2 powered surfaces, E0277, E0371, E0372 and E0373, whose coverage criteria turn on documented failure to improve over the past month on a comprehensive ulcer treatment program, or large or multiple stage 3 or 4 ulcers on the trunk or pelvis, or a recent flap or graft after a qualifying discharge. A Standard Written Order must reach the supplier before a claim is submitted. If your clinician can document any of that, ask them about a Group 2 surface before you talk to us about this one.

The realistic private route is a Letter of Medical Necessity. A mattress is a dual-purpose item — everyone owns one — so it is not on a pre-approved HSA or FSA eligibility list on its own. What changes that is a clinician’s letter tying the item to a diagnosed condition, naming the item, the reason and a duration. Your plan administrator applies the IRS rules to your specific claim and decides; we do not, and neither does a swipe of an FSA card, which administrators routinely ask you to substantiate afterwards. We provide an itemised receipt showing the item, the date, the amount and a description suited to substantiation. We will not draft the letter or pre-fill one for a clinician to sign — it is their document and its value depends on that being true.

Insurance and funding guides

Urgent order

Discharge tomorrow? Tell us before you commit to a date.

Send the order desk the patient’s weight, the therapy the care team has specified and the ship-to address. We will come back to you with what is in stock, what the freight lane looks like and what can realistically arrive in time, before you promise anything to the family.

  • Weight and height of the patient
  • Therapy the care team has specified
  • Ship-to address and dock or door access
  • Date the surface has to be in the room
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More in dolphin fis standard therapy systems

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Standard Dolphin FIS Mattress

The 35-inch fluid immersion surface, re-profiling to the patient continuously.

Models: Joerns Healthcare Dolphin® FIS® Standard Therapy Mattress with AutoVector® Control Unit

  • 35" × 82" × 10"
  • 500 lb rated
  • Approx. 12 h battery backup
Specs & details
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Dolphin Step-Deck V-Matt System

A contoured 88-inch surface built for step-deck articulating frames.

Models: Joerns Healthcare Dolphin® V-Matt Step-Deck Therapy Mattress

  • 35" × 88" × 10"
  • Step-deck frames
  • CairEdge edge padding
Specs & details
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Low-Profile System: common questions

What is the difference between the Low Profile and the standard Dolphin FIS mattress?
Depth and one feature. The Low Profile is 8 inches deep where the standard therapy mattress is 10, which lowers the sleeping surface by two inches and raises the side rails by the same amount relative to the person. Joerns also fits a foam based safety cell to Low Profile therapy mattress models only, to protect patients from bottoming out in the event of a power failure that exceeds battery life. The therapy itself and the AutoVector control unit are the same.
What does the foam safety cell actually do?
Joerns describes it as a foam based safety cell to protect patients from bottoming out in the event of a power failure that exceeds battery life, and documents it for Low Profile therapy mattress models only. It is not a second battery, it does not add therapy while the system is running, and it does nothing during normal operation. It is what supports the person after roughly twelve hours without mains power.
How long does the battery last?
Joerns states the rechargeable sealed 12 VDC battery provides alternate power to the control unit for approximately 12 hours if the system is disconnected or during a power failure, and that it recharges when power is restored. Joerns also notes the Storage Switch must be in the Battery On position for the battery to recharge, which we check at setup and show the caregiver.
What widths does the Low Profile come in?
Joerns lists the Low Profile therapy mattress at 35, 42 and 48 inches wide by 82 inches long by 8 inches deep. The 35-inch and 42-inch surfaces sit in Joerns’ standard weight block at 500 lb. We do not carry the 1,000 lb bariatric figure across to an 8-inch 48-inch build; if you need that width at this depth we confirm the rating against the unit’s own documentation before shipping.
Is the EX the same as the Low Profile?
They share the 8-inch depth and the 500 lb rating, but they are different models. The EX is 35 inches wide and runs 80 to 92 inches long using adjustable length-extension cells which, in Joerns’ words, with a compatible bed allow the bed and mattress to extend from 80 to 92 inches. Joerns documents the foam safety cell for Low Profile models, not for the EX.
Will two inches really make a difference to transfers?
It depends entirely on what the person is transferring to and from. Measure the seat height of the chair or commode and the current bed height before deciding, and ask the occupational therapist or the nurse if one is involved. We will give you the dimensions; whether two inches resolves a difficult transfer is a clinical and practical judgement, not something we can promise from a spec sheet.
Can it sit on top of the existing mattress?
No. It replaces the mattress on the bed deck. Stacking a therapy surface on a foam mattress raises the sleeping height, changes where the rails sit and defeats the reason for choosing an 8-inch surface. It also risks the gaps at the head panel, foot panel and rails that Joerns warns create an entrapment hazard.
How much does the Low Profile system cost?
There is no published band for this configuration, so it is quoted. Both rental and outright purchase are possible, and which makes sense depends on the width, how long the surface is needed and whether a frame is part of the order. Ask us for a written quote with the configuration named on it.

Rent or buy the Low-Profile System

Tell us who it is for, the date it has to be in the room and where it ships to. We will confirm the model, the price both ways and the freight lane before you commit.

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