Communication system for patient handling devices
AssigneeStryker Corporation
InventorsDavid Terrance Becker, Michael Joseph Hayes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A patient handling device communication system enables patient handling devices, such as bed, cots, stretchers, and the like, to communicate with other patient handling devices. Communication from one or more patient handling devices may thereby be forwarded to other patient handling devices. Such information may also be forwarded to a healthcare communication network. The patient handling devices may form a mesh network for communicating information amongst themselves and/or to the healthcare communications network.
Claims21
A patient handling device comprising:
- a base;
- a frame supported by said base;
- a patient support deck supported by said frame, said patient support deck adapted to provide support for a patient;
- and
- a communication module on said patient handling device adapted to wirelessly receive data from another patient handling device and to forward said data onto a recipient, said recipient being different from said another patient handling device.
A patient handling device communication system comprising:
- a first patient handling device having a first communication module thereon;
- and
- a second patient handling device having a second communication module thereon;
- wherein said first communication module is adapted to wirelessly communicate with said second communication module and to transfer information about said first patient handling device to said second patient handling device.
A patient handling device communication system comprising:
- a first patient handling device having a first communication module thereon;
- a second patient handling device having a second communication module thereon;
- a third patient handling device having a third communication module thereon;
- and
- a network transceiver communicatively coupled to a healthcare communication network;
- wherein said first communication module is adapted to choose a communication path from amongst a plurality of potential communication paths for forwarding information about said first patient handling device to said network transceiver, said plurality of communication paths including a first path in which the information is forwarded to said second communication module before being forwarded to said network transceiver, and a second path in which the information is forwarded to said third communication module before being forwarded to said network transceiver.
A method of communicating information about a first patient handling device to a healthcare communication network, said method including:
- wirelessly transmitting the information from the first patient handling device to a second patient handling device;
- and
- wirelessly transmitting the information from the second patient handling device to the healthcare communication network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.