Pneumatic diagnostic method and system for detecting leakage in a pneumatic system
First Claim
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1. A method of testing a pneumatic component on a patient support for leakage, said method comprising:
- providing the patient support with a control system;
providing the control system with a sensor;
the control system of the patient support pressurizing the pneumatic component to a first pressure;
sensing when the pneumatic component has reached the first pressure with the sensor;
after reaching the first pressure, the control system ceasing the pressurizing for a settling-in time period greater than zero;
after the settling-in time period has ended, the control system measuring a settled-in pressure of the pneumatic component with the sensor;
the control system measuring a decay time period starting at the end of the settling-in time period;
the control system sensing and measuring a decayed pressure with the sensor at the end of the decay time period, which represents a pressure after decay of the settled-in pressure of the pneumatic component;
the control system determining a determined rate of decay of pressure from the settled-in pressure to the decayed pressure in the pneumatic component over the decay time period;
the control system comparing the determined rate of decay to an acceptable stored decay rate to determine whether there is a leak in the pneumatic component; and
the control system generating a signal when the determined rate of decay is greater than the acceptable stored decay rate indicating a leak in the pneumatic component.
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Abstract
A method of diagnosing a pneumatic system that (1) pressurizes the system to a first inflation pressure, (2) ceases the pressurizing for a settling-in time period, (3) measures a settled-in pressure after the settling-in time period, (4) measures a decayed pressure after a decay time period, (5) determines a determined rate of decay of the pressure in the system over the decay time period, and (6) compares the determined rate of decay to a first stored decay rate.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of testing a pneumatic component on a patient support for leakage, said method comprising:
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providing the patient support with a control system; providing the control system with a sensor; the control system of the patient support pressurizing the pneumatic component to a first pressure; sensing when the pneumatic component has reached the first pressure with the sensor; after reaching the first pressure, the control system ceasing the pressurizing for a settling-in time period greater than zero; after the settling-in time period has ended, the control system measuring a settled-in pressure of the pneumatic component with the sensor; the control system measuring a decay time period starting at the end of the settling-in time period; the control system sensing and measuring a decayed pressure with the sensor at the end of the decay time period, which represents a pressure after decay of the settled-in pressure of the pneumatic component; the control system determining a determined rate of decay of pressure from the settled-in pressure to the decayed pressure in the pneumatic component over the decay time period; the control system comparing the determined rate of decay to an acceptable stored decay rate to determine whether there is a leak in the pneumatic component; and the control system generating a signal when the determined rate of decay is greater than the acceptable stored decay rate indicating a leak in the pneumatic component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A patient support comprising:
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a pneumatic component; a pneumatic system having a pump for inflating said pneumatic component; and a leak testing system comprising; a control system, said control system having one or more memory devices and a sensor, said sensor detecting the pressure in said pneumatic component, and said one or more memory devices comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising stored code, said stored code configured to; control said pump to pressurize said pneumatic component; pressurize said pneumatic component to a first pressure; after reaching the first pressure, cease the pressurization for a settling-in time period greater than zero; after the settling-in time period, detect a settled-in pressure in said pneumatic component based on one or more signals from said sensor; at the end of the settling-in time period, measure a decay time period; at the end of the decay time period, sense and measure a decayed pressure in said pneumatic component, which represents a pressure after decay of the settled-in pressure; determine a determined rate of decay of the pressure between the settled-in pressure and the decayed pressure in said pneumatic component over the decay time period; compare the determined rate of decay to an acceptable decay rate to determine if there is a leak in the pneumatic component; and generating a signal when the determined rate of decay is greater than the acceptable decay rate indicating a leak in the pneumatic component. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification