US 10,500,401 B2Granted

Network communication for patient support apparatuses

AssigneeStryker Corporation

InventorMichael Joseph Hayes

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Patient support apparatuses, such as beds, cots, stretchers, chairs, or the like, include wireless communication systems that are adapted to communicate with a non-local wireless receiver positioned outside of the healthcare facility and not associated with the healthcare facility. A computer positioned within the healthcare facility and coupled a local area network of the healthcare facility receives messages from the patient support apparatuses that have been forwarded by the non-local wireless receiver to the local area network. In some embodiments, the wireless receiver is local and positioned within the healthcare facility. In such instances, a second computer, such as a server, forwards a first subset of the patient support apparatus messages to a first computer via the local area network and a second subset of the patient support apparatus messages to a device remote from the healthcare facility. Patient support apparatuses that communicate using visible light are also disclosed.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A patient support apparatus for use in a healthcare facility having a local area network with a wireless access point, a server coupled to the local area network, and at least one network appliance adapted to communicate with both the local area network and a device remote from the patient support apparatus, the patient support apparatus comprising:

a support surface adapted to support a patient thereon;
a wireless transmitter adapted to transmit data to the server via a first path or a second path, the first path including the device remote from the patient support apparatus but excluding the wireless access point, the second path including the wireless access point but excluding the device remote from the patient support apparatus, the first and second paths each extending all of the way from the patient support apparatus to the server;
and
a controller adapted to control when the wireless transmitter transmits data from the patient support apparatus to the server via the first path and when the wireless transmitter transmits data to the server via the second path.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/831,466Filed 5 Dec 2017 · us provisional application
Priority: 6 Dec 2016
Published: US 2018/0154162 A17 Jun 2018
Granted: 10 Dec 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

A61N 1/37282
Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data: characterised by…
G06F 1/163
For portable computers: wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
G08B 21/0453
Sensor means for detecting: worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing
G08B 21/0461
Sensor means for detecting: integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking…

Family

Application62/430,500Us provisional application · filed 6 Dec 2016
US 2018/0154162 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Jun 2018
US 10,500,401 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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