Occupancy driven patient room environmental control
AssigneeSiemens Industry, Inc.
InventorKimberly Ann Barker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Using a real-time location system, the hospital environment is controlled locally. By categorizing individuals detected at different locations, the proper control may be provided to enhance energy savings and maintain a comfortable patient environment without sacrificing safety. By altering the environment within a room for patients and not staff and/or based on the type of patient, more optimized and localized control may be provided, such as implementing a number of air changes per hour appropriate for detected patients within rooms.
Claims21
A method for environmental control in a hospital, the method comprising:
- operating a ventilation system for a room of the hospital at a first rate of air changes per hour;
- detecting a presence of an occupant in the room of the hospital;
- distinguishing the occupant as a patient from other types of occupants;
- determining a type of patient for the patient;
- controlling the operating of the ventilation system for the room such that the first rate is changed to a second rate in response to the detecting of the presence of the occupant and that the occupant is the patient, the second rate being based on the type of patient;
- detecting that the patient is no longer in the room;
- and
- controlling the operating of the ventilation system for the room such that the second rate is changed to the first rate in response to the detecting that the patient is no longer in the room.
In a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for environmental control in a medical facility, the storage medium comprising instructions for:
- detecting a location of a patient in a medical facility;
- identifying the patient or a patient category of the patient;
- and
- controlling an environment local to the location of the patient as a function of the identified patient or the identified patient category of the patient.
A system for environmental control in a medical facility, the system comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory in communication with the processor and configured to store processor-executable instructions to:
- wirelessly detect a mobile device in a room of the medical facility;
- wirelessly receive an identifier of the mobile device;
- determine a number of air changes per hour setting as a function of the identifier;
- and
- control a ventilation system based on the number.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.