US 6,307,476 B1Granted

Smart binary switch for use with an electronic patient monitor

AssigneeBed-Check Corporation

InventorsToby E. Smith, Patrick W. Lovely

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Abstract

This invention relates generally to monitoring systems and more particularly concerns devices and systems used to monitor bed patients in hospital or other care-giving environments. In accordance with a first aspect of the instant invention, there is provided a binary switch-type device (e.g., a “mat”) for use in patient monitoring situations which contains, in addition to a conventional patient detection circuit, identification circuitry that can be sensed by an attached electronic monitor. The identification circuitry can be sensed by the electronic monitor and is designed to be configured to serve many different purposes, including, by way of example only, identification of the type of mat attached thereto, detection of connectivity problems, tracking mat usage time, and identifying mats that are nearing the end of their useful lives.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A device for detecting a presence or an absence of a patient, comprising:

(a) a binary switch, said binary switch being responsive to at least two conditions,
(a1) a first condition corresponding to said presence of said patient on said binary switch, and,
(a2) a second condition corresponding to said absence of said patient from said binary switch;
(b) a validation circuit;
(c) a first electrical connection, said first electrical connection being in electrical communication with said binary switch;
(d) a second electrical connection, said second electrical connection being in electrical communication with said validation circuit;
and,
(e) an electronic patient monitor in electrical communication with said first electrical connection and said second electrical connection, wherein,
(e1) said electronic patient monitor is responsive to at least said binary switch and said validation circuit, and,
(e2) said electronic patient monitor has a microprocessor in electrical communication with at least said second electrical connection, said microprocessor at least for reading said validation circuit and being responsive thereto.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.