US 2016/0078740 A1 · PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS

Abstract

A patient support apparatus comprises a substantially rigid support deck for supporting a patient support element, a first sensing element and a second sensing element arranged on the support deck and separated from one another in a direction along the width of the patient support apparatus. Each sensing element is configured to determine, in use, the force or pressure applied to it by the patient support element and a patient on the patient support element. One or more processors, coupled to the sensing elements, are configured to determine the location of the center of gravity of a patient on the patient support element, along the width of the patient support apparatus, based upon outputs of the first and second sensing elements. An alarm may be activated when the location of the center of gravity along the width of the patient support apparatus is outside a predetermined range of values.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A patient support apparatus comprising

a substantially rigid support deck for supporting a patient support element, and
a plurality of sensing elements arranged on the support deck, wherein each sensing element determines the force or pressure applied to it by the patient support element and a patient on the patient support element,
wherein the sensing elements are located on the support deck so that, in use, one or more of the sensing elements are located underneath a seat of a patient in a normal supine position on the patient support element, and one or more sensing elements are located underneath thighs of the patient in the normal supine position on the patient support element,
the apparatus including one or more processors coupled to the sensing elements for determining a location for the center of gravity of the patient on the patient support element, along a width of the apparatus, and a load variation along the length of the apparatus, from outputs of the sensing elements.

1 more element

A patient support apparatus comprising:

a substantially rigid support deck for supporting a patient support element;
a first sensing element and a second sensing element arranged on the support deck and separated from one another in a direction along the width of the patient support apparatus, wherein each sensing element is configured to determine, in use, the force or pressure applied to it by the patient support element and a patient on the patient support element;
and
one or more processors, coupled to the sensing elements, the one or more processors being configured to:
determine the location of the center of gravity of a patient on the patient support element, along the width of the patient support apparatus, based upon outputs of the first and second sensing elements;
determine a load variation, being a variation in the total force applied to the sensing elements by the patient support element and a patient on the patient support element;
receive user input selecting one of two or more presets, each preset corresponding to a patient movement sensitivity level and comprising a predetermined range of values for the location of the center of gravity and/or a predetermined load variation value stored on a memory;
access the memory to receive the parameters associated with the selected preset;
and
provide an output to activate an alarm when the location of the center of gravity along the width of the patient support apparatus is outside the predetermined range of values and/or the load variation exceeds the predetermined value.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Patient support apparatus

Life of this patent

Patient support apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22