Patient support apparatus with patient information sensors

• US 10,376,214 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Hayes, Michael Joseph, Becker, David Terrance, Desaulniers, Annie, Furman, Aaron Douglas, Buckingham, Brandon J., Steffler, Michael W., Derenne, Richard A., Mix, Joshua Elmer
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Niketa I
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huh, Vynn V
• Application Number:
  US14/776,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20160022218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0252 Load cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• 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: A61G 2203/30 characterised by sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/32 for force
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/00 : Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons stretchers with facilities for picking up patients or disabled persons A61G1/003
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/005 : tiltable around transverse horizontal axis, e.g. for Trendelenburg position rocking beds for physical therapy A61H1/003; hanging patient inclined downwardly for drawing him out A61H2203/0493
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/008 : tiltable around longitudinal axis, e.g. for rolling
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 : divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 : Control or drive mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0509 : sliding or pivoting downwards
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0514 : mounted to individual mattress supporting frame sections
• 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: A61G 7/05776 : with at least two groups of alternately inflated chambers
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/445 : in a horizontal position
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation

Abstract

A person support apparatus includes sensors for monitoring aspects of a person positioned thereon. The outputs from the sensors are used to distinguish between new and prior occupants of the support apparatus, automatically zero an integrated scale system, distinguish between objects and humans on the support apparatus, determine if a person is sleeping or awake, monitor and characterize movement levels of the person, record a log of likely events regarding a support surface of the apparatus, propose identifications of objects added to or removed from the support surface, record force outputs, and/or other purposes. A person'"'"'s sleep state may also be obtained and forwarded to a remote location. The sleep state data may be used to mute and/or control alerts or indicators, and/or to predict when a person is going to wake up and likely exit the support apparatus.

Claims

1. A person support apparatus comprising:

a support surface;

a vital sign sensor, the vital sign sensor adapted to detect a vital sign of a person positioned on the support surface;

an indicator adapted to issue an indication in response to a triggering event, the indication including at least one of an aural and visual characteristic;

a controller in communication with the vital sign sensor and the indicator, the controller adapted to use the vital sign sensor to determine a first sleep state of the person positioned on the support surface; and

a transceiver adapted to communicate with a second person support apparatus and to receive a second sleep state of a second person supported on the second person support apparatus;

wherein the controller is further adapted to alter the at least one of the aural and visual characteristic when the triggering event occurs and the first sleep state is an awake state and the second sleep state is an asleep state.

2. The person support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller categorizes the first sleep state of the person into three or more sleep states, and the controller changes the at least one of the aural and visual characteristic based upon the categorization of the first sleep state.

3. The person support apparatus of claim 2 wherein the three or more sleep states comprise three or more of the following:

awake, asleep, deep sleep, awakening, and falling asleep.

4. The person support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller alters the at least one of the aural and visual characteristic of the indicator by changing a volume of a sound emitted from the indicator.

5. The person support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vital sign sensor comprises both a respiration sensor and a heart rate sensor, the respiration sensor adapted to detect a respiration rate of the person positioned on the support surface, and the heart rate sensor adapted to detect a heart rate of the person positioned on the support surface.

6. The person support apparatus of claim 5 wherein the respiration sensor and the heart rate sensor both operate without making direct contact with the person supported on the support surface.

7. The person support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is further adapted to forward a sleep status message indicative of the first sleep state to a device separate from the person support apparatus.

8. The person support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the person support apparatus is one of a bed and a stretcher, and the indicator is one of a buzzer, beeper, and speaker.

9. The person support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller delays activation of the indicator in response to the triggering event if the controller determines that the first sleep state is an asleep state.

10. The person support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the indicator is adapted to emit sound in response to the triggering event and the person support apparatus further comprises a user interface adapted to allow a user to reduce a volume of the sound if the triggering event occurs while the first sleep state is the awake state and the second sleep state is the asleep state, and to eliminate the sound if the triggering event occurs while both the first sleep state and the second sleep state are the asleep state.

11. The person support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the triggering event is an expiration of a timer associated with medical care of the person supported on the support surface, the indication is a sound emission, and the at least one of the aural and visual characteristic altered by the controller is a volume of the sound emission.

12. The person support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the triggering event is a pressing of a button on the person support apparatus, the indication is a beeping sound, and the at least one of the aural and visual characteristic altered by the controller is a volume of the beeping sound.

13. The person support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the triggering event is an activation of a television, the indication is a sound emission, and the at least one of the aural and visual characteristic altered by the controller is a volume of the sound emission.