Automated systems, devices, and methods for transporting and supporting patients

• US 10,274,957 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Malaska, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutchinson, Alan D
• Application Number:
  US14/943,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20160070267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0275 having driven wheels, e.g. motorised
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0281 having a steering device
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0287 having brakes, e.g. slowing down and/or holding details of brake actuators on castors B60B33/0078; brakes on hand carts B62B5/04; brakes in general F16D49/00 - F16D65/853
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/04 motor-driven A61G5/06 takes precedence; motor-operated rests A61G5/12; for vehicles with handlebars, equipped with three or more wheels B62K5/003, B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05 Parts, details or accessories of beds devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 ; mattresses A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0528 Steering or braking devices for castor wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/08 Apparatus for transporting beds
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are described for moving a patient to and from various locations, care units, etc., within a care facility. For example, a transport and support vehicle includes a body structure including a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the vehicle to a travel path and to move the vehicle along the travel path, and a surface structured and dimensioned to support an individual subject. A transport and support vehicle can include, for example, an imager operably coupled to one or more of a power source, a steering assembly, one or more of the plurality of rotatable members, etc., and having one or more modules operable to control the power source, steering assembly, one or more of the plurality of rotatable members, etc., so as to maintain an authorized operator in the image zone.

Claims

1. A self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system, comprising:

an operator-guided vehicle navigation controller including

one or more sensors operable to detect at least one human operator within an operator-guide zone associated with a self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed having

a bedframe structure including a surface configured to support an individual subject,

a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed to a travel path and to move the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed along the travel path,

a steering assembly operable to vary a steering angle of at least one of the plurality of rotatable members,

a power source, and

a motor for driving one or more of the plurality of rotatable members,

the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller operable to provide one or more control signals to navigate the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed to a target location based on one or more inputs indicative of a change in health status of the individual subject; and

an operator movement mapping module operably coupled to the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller and to at least one of the plurality of rotatable members, the power source, and the motor;

the operator movement mapping module configured to

map one or more physical movements of the at least one human operator within the operator-guide zone to at least one input correlated with one or more navigation control commands for controlling the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed, and

generate a control signal to at least one of the plurality of rotatable members, the power source, and the motor to navigate the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed based on the one or more navigation control commands.

2. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 1, wherein the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller is configured to detect the at least one human operator within the operator-guide zone located proximate the self-propelled hospital bed based on at least one measurand from the one or more sensors.

3. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 1, wherein the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller includes one or more transducers operable to detect an acoustic authorization signal from an identification device associated with the at least one human operator.

4. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 1, wherein the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller is operably connected to a physical coupling member associated with the at least one human operator via an input-or-output port, the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller including a verification module including circuitry operable to determine whether the physical coupling member associated with the at least one human operator corresponds to an authorized human operator.

5. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a fail-safe control system that physically couples the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed to the at least one human operator, the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller operable to activate a fail-safe protocol during a fail-safe mode of operation.

6. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a fail-safe control system having a connection assembly for coupling the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed to a physical coupling member associated with the least one human operator, the fail-safe control system operable to activate a fail-safe protocol when the coupling to the physical coupling member is lost.

7. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio-activated control module operable to receive an audio input and to correlate the audio input to at least one navigation control command for controlling at least one of propulsion, braking, and steering of the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed.

8. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a speech recognition device including a speech control module configured to correlate speech input to at least one navigation control command for controlling at least one of propulsion, braking, and steering of the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed.

9. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a collision avoidance system operably coupled to the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller and including one or more sensors operable to detect a travel path condition, the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller configured to generate a control signal to at least one of the plurality of rotatable members, the power source, a braking mechanism, and the motor to navigate the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed based on one or more measurands outputs from the collision avoidance system.

10. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 1, wherein the operator movement mapping module is configured to acquire patient identification information associated with the individual subject, and wherein the operator movement mapping module includes circuitry operable to generate route-to-destination information based on the acquired patient identification information associated with the individual subject.

11. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 1, wherein the operator movement mapping module includes circuitry operable to determine a compliance status based on at least one of detection of the at least one human operator or identification of the individual subject.

12. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more weight sensors operably coupled to the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller, wherein the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller is configured to generate one or more navigation control commands based on at least one measurand from the one or more weight sensors.

13. A self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system, comprising:

an operator-guided vehicle navigation controller including

one or more sensors operable to detect at least one human operator within an operator-guide zone associated with a self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed having

a bedframe structure including a surface configured to support an individual subject,

a plurality of omnidirectional rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed to a travel path and to move the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed along the travel path,

a power source, and

a motor for driving one or more of the plurality of omnidirectional rotatable members,

the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller operable to provide one or more control signals to navigate the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed to a target location based on one or more inputs indicative of a change in health status of the individual subject; and

an operator movement mapping module operably coupled to the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller and to at least one of the plurality of rotatable members, the power source, and the motor;

the operator movement mapping module configured to

map one or more physical movements of the at least one human operator within the operator-guide zone to at least one input correlated with one or more navigation control commands for controlling the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed, and

generate a control signal to at least one of the plurality of omnidirectional rotatable members, the power source, and the motor to navigate the self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed based on the one or more navigation control commands.

14. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 13, wherein the operator movement mapping module is configured to acquire patient identification information associated with the individual subject, and wherein the operator movement mapping module includes circuitry operable to generate route-to-destination information based on the acquired patient identification information associated with the individual subject.

15. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 13, wherein the operator movement mapping module includes circuitry operable to determine a compliance status based on at least one of detection of the at least one human operator or identification of the individual subject.

16. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 13, further comprising:

one or more weight sensors operably coupled to the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller, wherein the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller is configured to generate one or more navigation control commands based on at least one measurand from the one or more weight sensors.