Patient support apparatuses with reconfigurable communication

• US 10,235,845 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2018
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Bhimavarapu, Krishna Sandeep, Trepanier, Jerald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Murillo Garcia, Fabricio R
• Application Number:
  US15/945,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20180293849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 3405731
• 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 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7465 Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/30 characterised by sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/32 for force
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0524 characterised by integrated accessories, e.g. bed control means, nurse call or reading lights
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/228 combined with other devices having a different main function, e.g. watches
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• 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 patient support apparatus includes a frame, support surface, cable interface, switches, a location detector, and a controller. The switches are electrically coupled to the interface and the controller selects a configuration for the plurality of switches based on a current location of the patient support apparatus within a healthcare facility. Alternatively or additionally, a user interface may display a plurality of identifiers that each identifies a predefined configuration for the switches wherein the controller configures the switches according to an identifier selected by the user. A transceiver on board the patient support apparatus may communicate with different fixed transmitters and the controller may implement different switch configurations based on messages from the different fixed transmitters.

Claims

1. A patient support apparatus comprising:

a frame;

a support surface adapted to support a patient thereon;

an interface adapted to couple to a multi-pin connector of a nurse call cable, the nurse call cable adapted to couple to a nurse call system;

a plurality of switches electrically coupled to the interface;

a memory in which is stored a plurality of predefined configuration settings defining neutral states for the plurality of switches;

a location detector; and

a controller adapted to receive location data from the location detector wherein the location data is indicative of a current location of the patient support apparatus in a healthcare facility, to select a predefined configuration setting from amongst the plurality of predefined configuration settings based upon the location data received from the location detector, and to use the selected predefined configuration setting for communicating status data of the patient support apparatus to the nurse call system via the plurality of switches and the interface.

2. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the location detector includes a wireless transceiver adapted to communicate with a short-range beacon positioned within the healthcare facility at a fixed location off-board the patient support apparatus.

3. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an exit detection system adapted to detect when a patient exits from the support surface, wherein the controller changes a state of at least one of the switches in response to detecting a patient exiting from the support surface.

4. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a nurse call control adapted to be activated by the patient and to prompt communication with a remotely positioned nurse when activated, wherein the controller changes a state of at least one of the switches in response to the nurse call control being activated.

5. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a memory having a plurality of location identifiers stored therein and an index indicating which configuration settings correspond to which location identifiers.

6. The patient support apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a transceiver adapted to communicate with an off-board device, wherein the controller is adapted to receive additional location identifiers from the off-board device and update the index indicating which of the configuration settings correspond to the additional location identifiers.

7. The patient support apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a transceiver adapted to communicate with an off-board device, wherein the controller is adapted to receive additional configuration settings from the off-board device and update the index indicating which of the location identifiers correspond to the additional configuration settings.

8. The patient support apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a transceiver adapted to communicate with an off-board device, wherein the controller is adapted to receive an updated index indicating which of the configuration settings correspond to which of the location identifiers.

9. The patient support apparatus of claim 5 wherein each predefined configuration setting corresponds to a particular commercially available headwall interface.

10. A patient support apparatus comprising:

a frame;

a support surface adapted to support a patient thereon;

an interface adapted to couple to a multi-pin connector of a nurse call cable, the nurse call cable adapted to couple to a nurse call system;

a plurality of switches electrically coupled to the interface;

a memory in which is stored a plurality of predefined configuration settings defining neutral states for the plurality of switches;

a user interface having a display; and

a controller adapted to display on the display a plurality of identifiers, each identifier identifying a location and corresponding to a particular predefined configuration setting from amongst the plurality of predefined configuration settings, the controller further adapted to allow a user to select one of the identifiers and to configure the plurality of switches according to the particular predefined configuration setting corresponding to the selected one of the identifiers, the controller further being adapted to use the particular predefined configuration setting for communicating status data of the patient support apparatus to the nurse call system via the plurality of switches and the interface.

11. The patient support apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of the identifiers indicates a name of a particular location within a healthcare facility.

12. The patient support apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a transceiver adapted to communicate with an off-board device, wherein the controller is adapted to receive additional identifiers for additional predefined configuration settings for the plurality of switches, to display on the display the additional identifiers, and to allow a user to select one of the additional identifiers.

13. The patient support apparatus of claim 12 wherein the transceiver is a wireless transceiver and the off-board device is a server on a healthcare facility network.

14. The patient support apparatus of claim 13 wherein the server is in communication with a geographically remote server and adapted to receive from the geographically remote server the additional identifiers and additional predefined configuration settings.

15. The patient support apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a transceiver adapted to communicate with an off-board device, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit to the off-board device a patient support apparatus identifier uniquely identifying the patient support apparatus and to receive the predefined configuration settings from the off-board device.

16. The patient support apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of the identifiers corresponds to a particular commercially available nurse call system.

17. The patient support apparatus of claim 16 wherein the user interface is adapted to allow a user to modify one or more individual switch settings of the predefined configuration settings.

18. A patient support apparatus comprising:

a frame;

a support surface adapted to support a patient thereon;

a plurality of switches;

an interface adapted to receive a multi-pin connector that electrically communicates with the plurality of switches such that a nurse call system off-board the patient support apparatus is able to determine a status of at least some of the plurality of switches via signals sent through the multi-pin connector;

a transceiver adapted to communicate with a remote server and receive a first setting or a second setting from the remote server, each of the first and second settings defining neutral states for the plurality of switches;

a memory in which the first or second setting is stored after receipt from the remote server; and

a controller adapted to configure the plurality of switches according to the first setting when the transceiver receives a first message from the remote server and to configure the plurality of switches according to the second setting when the transceiver receives a second message from the remote server, wherein the controller transmits status data of the patient support apparatus to the nurse call system via the plurality of switches and the interface.

19. The patient support apparatus of claim 18 further comprising an exit detection system adapted to detect when a patient exits from the support surface, wherein the controller opens a first one of the switches when configured according to the first setting in response to detecting the patient exiting from the support surface;

and wherein the controller closes the first one of the switches when configured according to the second setting in response to detecting the patient exiting from the support surface.

20. The patient support apparatus of claim 18 wherein the first message identifies a first location and the second message identifies a second location.

21. The patient support apparatus of claim 18 wherein the transceiver is a wireless transceiver.