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US 7,500,280 B2Granted
Hospital bed control apparatus
AssigneeHill-Rom Services, Inc.
InventorsSteven A. Dixon, Jeffrey R. Welling, James R. Stolpmann, Andrew F. Skinner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a hospital bed (10) including a force sensor (24) or scale apparatus configured to detect the weight of a patient (42).
Claims43
Apparatus for supporting a patient, the patient producing a weight force having a vertical direction, the weight force including a first force vector having a first magnitude and a second force vector having a second magnitude, the first force vector having a first direction aligned at angle relative to the direction of the weight force, the second force vector having a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the apparatus comprising:
- a supply configured to receive a control signal and supply a compressible medium in response to the control signal;
- a patient support including an inflatable portion coupled to the supply to receive the compressible medium therefrom, the inflatable portion being configured to be pressurized by the compressible medium;
- a pressure sensor coupled to the inflatable portion of the patient support to be exposed to the pressure therein, the pressure sensor being configured to generate a pressure signal in response to the pressure;
- a force sensor positioned to detect the first magnitude of the first force vector, the force sensor being configured to generate a force signal in response to the first magnitude;
- and
- a controller coupled to the pressure sensor to receive the pressure signal therefrom and coupled to the force sensor to receive the force signal therefrom, the controller being configured to generate the control signal in response to the pressure signal and the force signal so that the supply automatically keeps the inflatable portion of the patient support at a desired pressure based on the force signal continuously through movement of at least a portion of the patient support from a first position to a second position.
3 more elements
An apparatus for supporting a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a base;
- a frame;
- a patient support coupled to the frame;
- a lift mechanism coupled to the base and the frame, the lift mechanism being configured to selectably elevate a first end of the patient support relative to a second end of the patient support;
- a force sensor coupled to the patient support, the force sensor being configured to generate a force signal in response to a detected force;
- an angle sensor coupled to one of the frame and the patient support, the angle sensor being configured to generate an angle signal in response to an angle of the force sensor;
- a controller coupled to the angle sensor to receive the angle signal therefrom and coupled to the force sensor to receive the force signal therefrom, the controller being configured to automatically generate a weight signal in response to based on the angle signal and the force signal;
- and
- an output device coupled to the controller to receive the weight signal therefrom, the output device being configured to indicate a weight of the patient based on the weight signal.
6 more elements
A patient support comprising:
- a frame,
- a deck supported by the frame including a head section, a seat section, and a foot section, each of the sections being configured to articulate relative to each other,
- an inflatable mattress supported on the deck and including a head section, a seat section, and a foot section,
- a force sensor configured to sense the force applied to the mattress,
- an angle sensor configured to sense the angle of the head section of the deck relative to horizontal, and
- a controller configured to receive input from the force sensor and the angle sensor and in response thereto determine the weight of a patient upon the patient support, the controller further configured to determine baseline pressures for the sections of the mattress in response to input from the force sensor and the angle sensor.
3 more elements
A patient support comprising:
- a frame;
- a deck supported by the frame;
- a first force sensor operably coupled to the deck and configured to provide a first force output indicative of force applied to the deck;
- a mattress supported by the deck and including a fluid-filled seat section;
- a second force sensor operably coupled to the seat section of the mattress and configured to provide a second force output indicative of force applied to the seat section;
- and
- a controller including a processor configured to determine a first measured weight of the patient in response to the first force output and to determine a second measured weight of the patient in response to the second force output, the processor further configured to provide a diagnostic output if a differential between the first measured weight and the second measured weight exceeds a predetermined value.
4 more elements
A patient support comprising:
- at least one deck section;
- at least one fluid receiving cushion coupled to the at least one deck section;
- a weight sensor configured to detect the weight of a patient supported by the at least one fluid receiving cushion;
- an angle sensor configured to determine an angle of the at least one deck section;
- and
- a controller configured to set an inflation pressure for the at least one fluid receiving cushion based on input from the weight sensor and the angle sensor during movement of at least a portion of the patient support from a first position to a second position.
3 more elements
A patient support comprising:
- at least one deck section;
- at least one fluid receiving cushion coupled to the at least one deck section;
- a weight sensor configured to detect the weight of a patient supported by the at least one fluid receiving cushion;
- an angle sensor configured to determine an angle of the at least one deck section;
- and
- a controller configured to set an inflation pressure for the at least one fluid receiving cushion based on input from the weight sensor and the angle sensor,
- wherein the patient support includes a first force sensor operably coupled to a first deck section and configured to provide a first force output indicative of force applied to the first deck section and a second force sensor operably coupled to a second deck section and configured to provide a second force output indicative of force applied to the second deck section,
- wherein the controller includes a processor configured to determine a first measured weight of the patient in response to the first force sensor output and to determine a second measured weight of the patient in response to the second force sensor output, the processor further configured to provide a diagnostic output if a differential between the first measured weight and the second measured weight exceeds a predetermined value.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.