Obstruction detection system and method

A control system for controlling an actuator of a patient support, the actuator displacing a component of the patient support in response to being driven by an electric motor, said control system comprising:

• a motor driver operably coupled to the electric motor, said motor driver configured to supply power via a supply output to the electric motor to drive the actuator such that the component of the patient support is displaced from a first position to a second position over a first range of motion and a second range of motion;
• a speed sensor configured to provide a speed output indicative of a speed of at least one of the electric motor and the actuator;
• a motor sensor operably coupled to said supply output of said motor driver, said motor sensor configured to provide a motor sensor output indicative of a sensed characteristic of the power that is output from said supply output of said motor driver and supplied to the electric motor;
• and
• a controller operably coupled to said motor driver to control supply of power to the electric motor, said controller operably coupled to said motor sensor and said speed sensor, said controller configured to detect a pinch event as a function of said motor sensor output indicative of said sensed characteristic of the power that is output from said supply output of said motor driver and said speed output indicative of the speed of at least one of the electric motor and the actuator.

A method for controlling an actuator of a patient support to displace a component of the patient support, the actuator displacing the component in response to being driven by an electric motor, said method comprising:

• supplying power, from a supply output of a motor driver, to the electric motor to drive the actuator such that the component of the patient support is displaced from a first position to a second position over a first range of motion and a second range of motion;
• sensing a speed of at least one of the electric motor and the actuator;
• sensing a characteristic of the power that is output from the supply output of the motor driver and supplied to the electric motor;
• and
• detecting a pinch event as a function of the sensed characteristic of the power that is output from the supply output of the motor driver and the sensed speed.