Hospital bed, a method for moving a patient, and a system including a detachable sanitary station

A system for providing sanitation to a non-ambulatory patient, the method comprising:

• a hospital bed including a flexible mattress, a belt having a first end attached to the flexible mattress at a foot of the flexible mattress and a second end attached to a head of the flexible mattress, a frame having a pallet for supporting the flexible mattress and having legs extending to the floor, multiple rollers for directing the belt, including a first roller positioned at a first end of the frame corresponding to a foot of the hospital bed for bending the flexible mattress around the first end of the frame, and a second roller positioned at a second end of the frame over which the belt travels when the head of the flexible mattress is moved toward the first end of the frame, whereby the foot of the flexible mattress is guided underneath the pallet and the head of the flexible mattress is moved toward the first end of the frame to transport the patient to the foot of the hospital bed, and a motor for rotating one of the multiple rollers to move the flexible mattress and the belt;
• and
• a movable sanitary station including a cabinet having a front side, a back side, a right side, a left side, a bottom, and a top having a toilet seat integrated in a central portion thereof and surrounding a first aperture formed through the top of the cabinet wherein the back side of the cabinet has a concave shape forming a semi-cylindrical cavity having a central axis extending laterally along the back of the cabinet for permitting the flexible mattress to protrude forward into the semi-cylindrical cavity, while permitting the top to extend over the flexible mattress to cover a gap between the foot of the flexible mattress and the back side of the cabinet, wherein the movable sanitary station further includes a set of wheels for supporting and moving the cabinet.

A method of supporting and moving a patient, comprising:

• supporting the patient on a flexible mattress;
• supporting the flexible mattress on a frame having a pallet that supports the flexible mattress and having legs extending to the floor;
• rotating a first segment of the pallet extending from a head of the hospital bed to raise a back of the patient to a first seated position atop the hospital bed, when a head of the flexible mattress is positioned at the head of the hospital bed, by activating a first linear motor for raising and lowering the first segment of the pallet;
• rotating a second segment of the pallet when the foot of the flexible mattress is positioned within the chute and the head of the flexible mattress is positioned on the second segment, to raise a back of the patient while the patient is seated on the movable sanitary station positioned at the foot of the hospital bed, by activating a second linear motor for raising and lowering the second segment of the pallet;
• operating a control pod coupled to the first linear motor and the second linear motor, wherein the activating the first linear motor and the activating the second linear motor are commenced by actuating a single control of the control pod to raise both the first segment and the second segment of the pallet in concert, so that a length of extension of the belt between the second end of the belt at the head of the flexible mattress and the second roller remains substantially the same as the second segment of the pallet is raised, preventing substantial movement of the flexible mattress when the second linear motor is actuated to raise the second segment of the pallet;
• moving the flexible mattress with a belt having a first end attached to the flexible mattress at a foot of the flexible mattress and second end attached to a head of the flexible mattress, by activating a motor that rotates one of a plurality of rollers that guide the belt and the flexible mattress;
• bending the flexible mattress over another one of the plurality of rollers positioned at a first end of the frame corresponding to a foot of the hospital bed;
• and
• passing the foot of the flexible mattress into a chute attached to the frame and disposed beneath the pallet, whereby the foot of the flexible mattress is guided underneath the pallet and the head of the flexible mattress is moved toward the first end of the frame to transport the patient to the foot of the hospital bed.