Location-based incontinence detection

• US 10,115,291 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2017
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Tallent, Dan R., Monson, Gavin M., Voll, James D., Potter, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Laura
• Application Number:
  US15/490,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20170309155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/029 Humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/202 Assessing bladder functions, e.g. incontinence assessment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7495 using a reader or scanner device, e.g. barcode scanner
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/44 with radio-opaque material or signalling means for residual material
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/30 characterised by sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/057 Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor ventilation openings in mattresses A47C21/042; pneumatic or hydraulic mattresses A47C27/08
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• 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: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

The present disclosure include devices, systems, and methods for location-based incontinence detection and monitoring including a communication device receiving incontinence event indicators occurrence and location indicators.

Claims

1. An incontinence detection system, comprising:

a patient bed,

an incontinence detection device positioned on the patient bed to detect incontinence events, the incontinence detection device including a sensor adapted to sense the presence of a threshold amount of moisture on the patient bed and to communicate a detection signal indicating the presence of the threshold amount of moisture and an RFID-incontinence transmitter in communication with the sensor and adapted to send an incontinence RFID signal indicating that the threshold amount of moisture has been sensed in response to the detection signal,

an RFID-location transmitter fixed relative to the patient bed and configured to send a location RFID signal indicating a unique location identifier, and

an RFID reader configured to receive the incontinence RFID signal and the location RFID signal, configured to generate an identification code indicating both an occurrence of the threshold amount of moisture as an incontinence event and the unique location identifier, and configured to send, responsive to an incontinence event, a communications signal indicating the identification code to at least one remote device in response to receiving the incontinence RFID signal and the location RFID signal.

2. The incontinence detection system of claim 1, wherein the RFID-incontinence transmitter comprises a passive RFID device.

3. The incontinence detection system of claim 2, wherein the passive RFID device receives excitation from the RFID reader to power the RFID-incontinence transmitter.

4. The incontinence detection system of claim 3, wherein the RFID reader is configured to transmit excitation signals at regular intervals to the RFID-incontinence transmitter to power the RFID-incontinence transmitter.

5. The incontinence detection system of claim 1, wherein the RFID-location transmitter comprises an active RFID device.

6. The incontinence detection system of claim 5, wherein the active RFID device includes a power source comprising a photovoltaic cell.

7. The incontinence detection system of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader is attached to the patient bed.

8. The incontinence detection system of claim 1, wherein the incontinence device comprises a removable and replaceable pad.

9. The incontinence detection system of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader is configured to send the communications signal indicating the identification code to at least one remote device via a nurse call system of a care facility.

10. The incontinence detection system of claim 1, wherein the threshold amount of moisture is a sensing threshold of the sensor.

11. The incontinence detection system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to communicate an indication of no incontinence event when the threshold amount of moisture is absent.

12. An incontinence detection system, comprising:

an incontinence detection device for detecting incontinence events, the incontinence detection device including an incontinence pad and an RFID-incontinence transmitter, the incontinence pad including at least one sensor adapted to sense the presence of moisture and to communicate a detection signal indicating the presence of moisture to the RFID-incontinence transmitter, the RFID-incontinence transmitter being adapted to send an incontinence RFID signal indicating that moisture has been sensed in response to receiving the detection signal,

an RFID-location transmitter fixed relative to a patient support device and configured to send a location RFID signal indicating a unique location identifier, and

an RFID reader configured to receive the incontinence RFID signal and the location RFID signal, and configured to generate an identification code and to transmit an indication of the identification code as a communication signal, in response to receiving the incontinence RFID signal and the location RFID signal, wherein the identification code indicates both an occurrence of the presence of moisture as an incontinence event and the unique location identifier to at least one remote device.

13. The incontinence detection system of claim 12, wherein the RFID-incontinence transmitter comprises a passive RFID device.

14. The incontinence detection system of claim 13, wherein the passive RFID device receives excitation from the RFID reader to power the RFID-incontinence transmitter.

15. The incontinence detection system of claim 14, wherein the RFID reader is configured to transmit excitation signals at regular intervals to the RFID-incontinence transmitter to power the RFID-incontinence transmitter.

16. The incontinence detection system of claim 12, wherein the RFID-location transmitter comprises an active RFID device.

17. The incontinence detection system of claim 16, wherein the active RFID device includes a power source comprising a photovoltaic cell.

18. The incontinence detection system of claim 12, wherein the RFID reader is attached to the patient support device.

19. The incontinence detection system of claim 12, wherein the incontinence pad comprises a removable and replaceable pad.

20. The incontinence detection system of claim 12, wherein the RFID reader is configured to transmit the communications signal over a nurse call system of a care facility.

21. A method of detecting an incontinence event on a patient support device having an RFID reader, comprising:

receiving with the RFID reader a location RFID signal indicating a unique location identifier and storing the unique location identifier,

receiving with the RFID reader an incontinence RFID signal indicating the presence of moisture, and

in response to receiving the incontinence RFID signal, generating an identification code indicating an occurrence of an incontinence event and the unique location identifier, wherein generating the identification code includes retrieving the unique location identifier from storage, and transmitting a communications signal indicating the identification code.

22. The method of detecting an incontinence event of claim 21, further including receiving at least one excitation signal for powering a passive RFID transmitter, including receiving an excitation signal from the RFID reader at regular intervals.