# US 11,298,281 B2 · System and method to detect and prevent neonate fall from an infant care device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,298,281 B2 - Document ID: US11298281B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/440,190 - Filed: 2019-06-13 - Published: 2020-12-17 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-13 - Assignees: GE Precision Healthcare LLC - Applicants: GE Precision Healthcare LLC - Inventors: Shruti Abhijit Gadgil; Nagapriya Kavoori Sethumadhavan; Helge B. Klockow - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298281B2 ## CPC - A61G 11/00: Baby-incubators; Couveuses - A61B 5/1117: {Fall detection} - A61B 5/6892: {Mats} - A61G 7/0525: {Side-bolsters (rests specially adapted for beds A61G7/065; non-medical devices for prevention against falling-out A47C21/08)} - A61B 5/11: Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb {(A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721)} - A61B 2503/045: Newborns, e.g. premature baby monitoring - A61B 2562/0252: Load cells - A61G: TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS (appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00); OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES (embalming corpses A01N1/00) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract An infant care device includes a mattress and mattress tray configured to support a baby and an enclosure/barrier surrounding the mattress to create a chamber around the baby. A plurality of sensors, such as load cells, are distributed beneath the mattress and mattress tray. A control unit receives information from the load cells and is able to determine the position of the baby on the mattress. A safe zone and a potential fall zone are defined in the control unit. When the determined location of the baby is within the potential fall zone, the control unit operates a resistance mechanism to restrict movement of the baby toward a perimeter edge of the mattress and generates an alarm. Multiple embodiments of the resistance mechanism are disclosed to restrict the movement of the baby. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An infant care device for use with a baby, comprising: a mattress tray; a mattress positioned on the mattress tray and configured to support the baby within the infant care device; a location system operable to determine the location of the baby on the mattress; and a resistance mechanism operable to create resistance to baby movement on the mattress, wherein the resistance mechanism is operated based on the determined location of the baby on the mattress. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The infant care device of claim 1 wherein the location system comprises: a plurality of sensors located beneath the mattress or mattress tray; and a control unit that receives information from the plurality of sensors, wherein the control unit is operable to determine the location of the baby on the mattress based on the information from the plurality of sensors. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The infant care device of claim 2 wherein mattress includes a perimeter edge and the plurality of sensors are a plurality of load cells distributed near the perimeter edge of the mattress and beneath a center of the mattress. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The infant care device of claim 3 wherein the control unit defines a safe zone and a potential fall zone for the mattress and operates the resistance mechanism when the baby is located within the potential fall zone. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The infant care device of claim 1 wherein the mattress and mattress tray have a first side edge, a second side edge, a first end and a second end, wherein the resistance mechanism is operable to tilt the mattress and mattress tray toward either the first side edge or the second side edge or toward either of the first end or the second end based on the determined location of the baby on the mattress. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The infant care device of claim 5 wherein the resistance mechanism is operable to elevate the first side edge, the second side edge, the first end or the second end of the mattress and mattress tray. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The infant care device of claim 1 wherein the mattress and mattress tray have a first side edge and a second side edge, wherein the resistance mechanism is operable to elevate both the first side edge or the second side edge of the mattress and mattress tray based on the determined location of the baby on the mattress. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The infant care device of claim 1 wherein the mattress and mattress tray have a first side edge, a second side edge, a first end and a second end, wherein the resistance mechanism is operable to elevate the first side edge, the second side edge, the first end or the second end of the mattress tray based on the determined location of the baby on the mattress. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The infant care device of claim 1 wherein the mattress and mattress tray have a first side edge, a second side edge and a first end, wherein the resistance mechanism includes a first wedge recessed into the first side edge of the mattress tray, a second wedge recessed into the second side edge of the mattress tray and a third wedge recessed into the first end, wherein the first, second and third wedges can be extended to restrict movement of the baby based on the determined location of the baby on the mattress. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The infant care device of claim 1 wherein the resistance mechanism includes inflatable bolster located along a perimeter edge of the mattress tray, wherein the inflatable bolster can be inflated to extend above at least a portion of the perimeter edge of the mattress tray based on the determined location of the baby on the mattress. ### Claim 11 An infant care device for use with a baby, comprising: a mattress tray; a mattress positioned on the mattress tray and configured to support the baby; a plurality of sensors located beneath the mattress or mattress tray; a control unit that receives information from the plurality of sensors; and a resistance mechanism operable to create resistance to baby movement on the mattress, wherein the control unit is operable to determine the location of the baby on the mattress based on the information from the plurality of sensors and to operate the resistance mechanism to create resistance to baby movement on the mattress. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The infant care device of claim 11 wherein the plurality of sensors are a plurality of load cells distributed beneath the mattress near the perimeter edge of the mattress and beneath a center of the mattress. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The infant care device of claim 12 wherein the control unit defines a safe zone and a potential fall zone for the mattress and operates the resistance mechanism when a center of gravity of the baby is located within the potential fall zone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The infant care device of claim 13 wherein the control unit generates an alarm when the baby is located within the potential fall zone. ### Claim 15 A method of preventing a baby from falling from an infant care device including a mattress supported on a mattress tray, comprising: positioning a plurality of sensors beneath the mattress or the mattress tray; determining a location of the baby on the mattress based on information received from the plurality of sensors; and activating a resistance mechanism to restrict movement of the baby based on the determined position of the baby on the mattress. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the plurality of sensors are in communication with a control unit and wherein the control unit controls the activation of the resistance mechanism. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the control unit defines a safe zone and a potential fall zone for the mattress and operates the resistance mechanism when the baby is located within the potential fall zone. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the control unit generates an alarm when the baby is located within the potential fall zone. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the plurality of sensors are a plurality of load cells distributed beneath the mattress near the perimeter edge of the mattress and beneath a center of the mattress.