Nurse call system with mobile device interface

• US 10,013,868 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rauland-Borg Corporation (Ametek Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rauldand-Borg Corporation
• Inventors: Cox, Carl T., Holden, Jennifer A., Perkins, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US15/010,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20170221344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A nurse call system includes: a host device; and a multifunctional nurse call cable, comprising a nurse call button. The host device includes an interface for the multifunctional nurse call cable. The multifunctional nurse call cable is configured to be connected to the host device and a patient'"'"'s mobile device, and is further configured to provide power from the host device to the patient'"'"'s mobile device. The multifunctional nurse call is further configured to initiate a nurse call to a nurse station via the host device in response to the nurse call button being pressed.

Claims

1. A nurse call system comprising:

a host device; and

a multifunctional nurse call cable, comprising a nurse call button;

wherein the host device comprises an interface for the multifunctional nurse call cable;

wherein the multifunctional nurse call cable is configured to be connected to the host device and a patient'"'"'s mobile device, and is further configured to provide power from the host device to the patient'"'"'s mobile device; and

wherein the multifunctional nurse call cable is further configured to initiate a nurse call to a nurse station via the host device in response to the nurse call button being pressed.

2. The nurse call system according to claim 1, wherein the power provided from the host device to the patient'"'"'s mobile device via the multifunctional nurse call cable is National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 99 compliant.

3. The nurse call system according to claim 1, wherein the multifunctional nurse call cable is further configured to provide data communications between the host device and the patient'"'"'s mobile device.

4. The nurse call system according to claim 1, wherein the host device is configured to detect disconnection of the patient'"'"'s mobile device from the multifunctional nurse call cable while the multifunctional nurse call cable is connected to the host device, and in response to detecting the disconnection, transmit a notification to the nurse station.

5. The nurse call system according to claim 1, wherein the host device is configured to detect disconnection of the multifunctional nurse call cable from the host device, and in response to detecting the disconnection, transmit a notification to the nurse station.

6. The nurse call system according to claim 1, wherein the host device is configured to detect disconnection of the patient'"'"'s mobile device from the multifunctional nurse call cable while the multifunctional nurse call cable is connected to the host device, and to detect disconnection of the multifunctional nurse call cable from the host device;

and

wherein the host device is further configured to transmit a first type of notification to the nurse station in response to detecting disconnection of the patient'"'"'s mobile device from the multifunctional nurse call cable while the multifunctional nurse call cable is connected to the host device, and to transmit a second type of notification to the nurse station in response to detecting disconnection of the multifunctional nurse call cable from the host device.

7. The nurse call system according to claim 1, wherein the host device is configured to communicate with the patient'"'"'s mobile device via a short-range wireless protocol.

8. The nurse call system according to claim 7, wherein the patient'"'"'s mobile device is further configured to be paired to the host device via the short-range wireless protocol.

9. The nurse call system according to claim 1, wherein the host device is a wall-mounted computing device located in a hospital room.

10. The nurse call system according to claim 1, wherein the host device is configured to provide a communications interface through which the patient'"'"'s mobile device communicates with an internal hospital network.

11. A multifunctional nurse call cable, comprising:

a first interface, configured to connect the multifunctional nurse call cable to a host device;

a mechanical nurse call button, configured to generate a nurse call signal for initiating a nurse call via the multifunctional nurse call cable and the host device in response to being pressed; and

a second interface, configured to connect the multifunctional nurse call cable to a patient'"'"'s mobile device, wherein the second interface is configured to provide power to the patient'"'"'s mobile device for charging the patient'"'"'s mobile device.

12. The multifunctional nurse call cable according to claim 11, wherein the power provided to the patient'"'"'s mobile device through the multifunctional nurse call cable is National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 99 compliant.

13. The multifunctional nurse call cable according to claim 11, wherein the first interface and/or the second interface are interfaces configured for a serial communications protocol.

14. The multifunctional nurse call cable according to claim 11, wherein the second interface is further configured to provide data from the host device to the patient'"'"'s mobile device and the first interface is further configured to provide data from the patient'"'"'s mobile device to the host device.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, the processor-executable instructions, when executed by a processor, facilitating performance of the following:

connecting, by a patient'"'"'s mobile device, via a multifunctional nurse call cable, to a host device connected to an internal hospital network, wherein the multifunctional nurse call cable comprises a mechanical nurse call button configured to generate a nurse call signal for initiating a nurse call via the multifunctional nurse call cable and the host device in response to being pressed;

initiating, by the patient'"'"'s mobile device, a nurse call to a nurse station via the multifunctional nurse call cable, the host device, and the internal hospital network; and

conducting, by the patient'"'"'s mobile device, the nurse call via the multifunctional nurse call cable, the host device, and the internal hospital network.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein connecting to the host device comprises pairing the patient'"'"'s mobile device to the host device via a short-range wireless protocol.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further facilitate performance of the following:

receiving, by the patient'"'"'s mobile device, a user command; and

communicating, by the patient'"'"'s mobile device, the user command to a corresponding control system.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the user command is communicated to the corresponding control system via the host device and the internal hospital network.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the corresponding control system is one of the group consisting of:

an entertainment system, a lighting system, and a heating ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further facilitate performance of the following:

detecting, by the patient'"'"'s mobile device, that the patient'"'"'s mobile device is dropped; and

transmitting, by the patient'"'"'s mobile device, in response to detecting the patient'"'"'s mobile device being dropped, a communication to a nurse station via the host device and the internal hospital network.

21. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further facilitate performance of the following:

determining, by the patient'"'"'s mobile device, a location of the patient'"'"'s mobile device; and

transmitting, by the patient'"'"'s mobile device, the determined location to a nurse station via the host device and the internal hospital network.