# US 9,517,034 B2 · Healthcare communication system for programming bed alarms > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,034 B2 - Document ID: US9517034B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/054,217 - Filed: 2016-02-26 - Published: 2016-06-23 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2004-08-02 - Assignees: Hill-Rom Services, Inc. - Applicants: Hill-Rom Services, Inc. - Inventors: Williams F. Collins, Jr.; James M. Allen; Keith A. Huster; Carl W. Riley; Patricia A. Glidewell; Irvin J. Vanderpohl, III; Richard J. Schuman; Christopher A. Mathura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517034B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/7435: {Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface} - A61B 5/002: {Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building (A61B5/0017 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/02055: {Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature} - A61B 5/1115: {Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair} - A61B 5/742: {using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339)} - A61B 5/746: {Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms} - A61G 7/012: raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame (A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence) - A61G 7/015: divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position - A61G 7/0516: {with height adjustability} - A61G 7/0527: {Weighing devices} - A61G 7/1021: {Inflatable cushions} - A61H 9/0092: {Cuffs therefor} - A61M 5/142: Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps - G07C 3/00: Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles - G08B 5/22: using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission - G08B 21/0211: {Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature} - G08B 21/028: {Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network} - G08B 21/04: responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons (G08B21/06 takes precedence) - G08B 21/0438: {Sensor means for detecting} - G08B 25/005: {Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station} - G08B 25/016: {Personal emergency signalling and security systems (emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12)} - G08C 19/00: Electric signal transmission systems (G08C17/00 takes precedence) - G16H 15/00: ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof - G16H 40/20: for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms - G16H 40/67: for remote operation - A61B 5/021: Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels - A61B 5/024: Measuring pulse rate or heart rate - A61B 5/0816: {Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency (measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00)} - A61B 5/14542: {for measuring blood gases (A61B5/14551 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/6891: {Furniture} - A61G 2203/42: for inclination - A61G 2203/44: for weight - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61G: TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS (appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00); OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES (embalming corpses A01N1/00) - A61H: PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY (electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, radiation therapy or ultrasound therapy A61N) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G) - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract A system that monitors various conditions of a plurality of hospital beds located in different rooms of a healthcare facility is provided. Alternatively or additionally, other types of equipment may be monitored by the system. Various configurations of network interface units that are coupleable to or integrated into a hospital bed are also disclosed. The system receives data from the hospital beds and/or other equipment and initiates a communication to a wireless communication device of at least one designated caregiver in response to the received data being indicative of an alarm condition. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for alerting caregivers carrying wireless communication devices of alert conditions associated with a hospital bed having a frame, the system comprising at least one computer device that is remote from the hospital bed and that receives data from the hospital bed; a display screen associated with the computer device; the computer device being operable to display at least one template screen on the display screen; the at least one template screen permitting a user to select types of alerts, including alerts regarding features of the frame, to which designated caregivers are to be notified; a default template with preprogrammed alert conditions being assigned by the computer device to each patient based on information received by the computer device from a second computer device of another system; the computer device being operable to initiate a communication to the wireless communication device of at least one of the designated caregivers in response to the data received from the hospital bed being indicative of at least one of the alert conditions of the default template or at least one of the types of alerts selected on the at least one template screen. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one template screen is configured to permit entry of one or more numerical quantities representing associated threshold values above which or below which an alert condition is considered to exist. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computer device is operable by the user to create a new template screen in which alert conditions of the user's choosing are included on the new template screen. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one template screen is configured to permit users to select which of a plurality of levels of priority is to be assigned to at least one of the alert conditions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the communication initiated by the computer device comprises an alphanumeric message destined for receipt by the wireless communication device of the at least one caregiver. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the communication initiated by the computer device comprises an audio message destined for receipt by the wireless communication device of the at least one caregiver. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein, if a first of the designated caregivers does not respond to the communication within a predetermined period of time, then the computer device operates to automatically initiate the communication to a second of the designated caregivers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computer device is operable to display on the display screen an image representing the hospital bed with at least a portion of the image representing the hospital bed being color coded to indicate an alert condition associated with the portion of the image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computer device is operable to display information about one or more of the following associated with a hospital bed: a head section angle, a bed exit system, a patient position monitoring system, a height of an upper frame relative to a base frame, a siderail position, a therapy provided by a patient-support surface, a turn assist function of a patient-support surface, an inflatable garment which is inflated via components included on the hospital bed, whether the hospital bed is receiving power from a wall outlet, or whether certain functions of the hospital bed are disabled. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computer device is operable to communicate via a network of the healthcare facility with one or more of the following: an electronic medical records database, a nurse call badge, a nurse location badge, a workflow process system, a personal data assistant (PDA), a voice communication badge, a badge having text message capability, or a pager. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer device is operable by users to designate a first set of alert conditions to which at least one designated caregiver is to be alerted during a first period of time and to designate a second set of alert conditions to which at least one designated caregiver is to be alerted during a second period of time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a network interface unit coupled to an Ethernet and the network interface unit being operable to convert data received from the hospital bed formatted according to a first protocol into an Ethernet protocol for transmission to the computer device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the network interface unit is configured to receive data transmitted wirelessly from the hospital bed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the network interface unit is configured to make wireless transmissions. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the hospital bed further includes a mattress supported by the frame and the at least one template screen is also configured to permit a user to select alerts regarding features of the mattress. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the second computer device of another system comprises a computer of an admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT) system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the second computer device of another system comprises a computer of an electronic medical record (EMR) system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer device is operable to display a whiteboard screen that includes a list of patients and bed status information for each respective patient of the listed patients. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein at least one alert icon appears on the whiteboard screen next to each respective patient of the listed patients for which an associated alarm condition is detected. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the whiteboard screen has call buttons for each assigned caregiver of the assigned caregivers, the call buttons being selectable to place a call to the wireless communication device carried by the assigned caregiver.