Control system for patient support apparatus

• US 10,512,573 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2017
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Johannigman, Nicole, Morrison, William A., Seim, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US15/399,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20170112696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/16 Touchpads
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/20 Displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2210/70 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2210/90 for heating
• 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 7/012 raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence
• 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 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• 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: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system includes a patient support apparatus that has one or more therapies. The therapies are optionally available depending on the acuity of the patient. A request for enablement of a therapy is transferred to a service provider for approval and, when approved, the therapy is enabled by the service provider. The patient support apparatus may be in communication with a server that is in communication with multiple patient support apparatuses so that the server is operable to selectively enable therapies on various patient support apparatuses.

Claims

1. A system comprising

a medical device having at least one feature that is optionally and independently operational, the medical device also having a control system including a controller having a processor and a memory device, the memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to enable or disable operation of the at least one feature of the medical device;

a computer device associated with a service provider and independent of the medical device, the computer device operable to receive a request to enable or disable the at least one feature from the control system of the medical device, and determine, based on information stored at the computer device, whether the request is authorized and provide an indication as to whether the requested enablement or disablement of the at least one feature of the medical device is authorized; and

a server in communication with the controller of the control system of the medical device and the computer device, the server operable to transmit the request from the control system to the computer device, the server further operable transmit a signal from the computer device to the control system indicative of an authorization of the request by the computer device,

wherein the control system is operable to enable or disable operation of the at least one feature based on an authorization of the requested enablement or disablement, and

wherein the server is operable to modify a bill based on the enablement or disablement of the at least one feature.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is operable to generate a bill based on an amount of time the at least one feature is enabled.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising an input device coupled the control system, wherein the request is input into the input device, wherein the computer device is located at a service provider that is remote from the medical device, the computer device receiving the request input into the input device via the server.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the server is in communication with a hospital information system, the hospital information system operable to receive the request input into the input device and communicate the request to the server, the server being operable to transmit the authorization of the request from the computer device to the control system through the hospital information system to enable or disable the at least one feature, the hospital information system maintaining a record of the request and the authorization of the request.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one feature is configured to at least one of provide air fluidized therapy to a patient supported on the medical device, provide micro-climate management therapy to the patient supported on the medical device, provide percussion therapy to the patient supported on the medical device, or provide deep vein thrombosis therapy to the patient supported on the medical device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system further comprises:

a sensor in communication with the controller, the sensor detecting a parameter related to a patient associated with the medical device or a status of the at least one feature,

wherein the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, monitor a signal from the sensor and determine whether the signal from the sensor indicates that an event has occurred, and, if an event has occurred, add the occurrence to a record associated with the medical device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, determine whether the event is a patient event.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, determine whether caregiver interaction is required to respond to the patient event, and, if caregiver interaction is required, communicate with a caregiver to prompt interaction by the caregiver with the medical device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, log the event and the caregiver interaction.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, determine whether a non-patient event has occurred.

11. A method comprising:

transmitting, via a server, a request to either enable a disabled at least one feature or disable an enabled at least one feature of a medical device to a computer device at a service provider and independent of the at least one medical device;

determining, at the computer device and based on information stored at the computer device, whether the request to enable or disable the at least one feature of the medical device is authorized;

if the request to either enable or disable the at least one feature is authorized, transmitting, via the server, an authorization to enable or disable the at least one feature of a medical device to a control system;

enabling or disabling the at least one feature with the control system; and

generating, with the server, a modified bill reflecting the authorization for enablement or disablement of the at least one feature, wherein the bill is based on at least one of enablement or disablement of the at least one feature or an amount of time the at least one feature is enabled or disabled.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the computer device is located at a service provider that is remote from the medical device, the method further comprising:

inputting the request into an input device coupled to at least one of the control system or the medical device; and

transmitting the request to the computer device at the service provider.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving, at a hospital information system, the request input into the input device;

communicating the request to the server with the hospital information system;

transmitting the authorization from the computer device to the control system to enable or disable the at least one feature through the hospital information system; and

maintaining a record of the request and the authorization of the request with the hospital information system.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one of providing air fluidized therapy to a patient supported on the medical device, providing micro-climate management therapy to the patient supported on the medical device, providing percussion therapy to the patient supported on the medical device, or providing deep vein thrombosis therapy to the patient supported on the medical device based on the authorization.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a parameter related to a patient associated with the medical device or a status of the at least one feature with a sensor;

monitoring a signal from the sensor; and

determining whether the signal from the sensor indicates that an event has occurred, and, if an event has occurred, add the occurrence to a record associated with the medical device.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising determining whether the event is a patient event or a non-patient event.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining whether caregiver interaction is required to respond to the patient event; and

if caregiver interaction is required, communicating with a caregiver to prompt interaction by the caregiver with the medical device.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising logging the patient event and the caregiver interaction into the record associated with the medical device.

19. A system comprising

a medical device having at least one feature that is optionally and independently operational;

and

a server in communication with the medical device, the server operable to communicate a request from the medical device to a service provider independent of the server and the medical device, wherein the request is for authorization to enable or disable the at least one feature, the server being further operable to transmit an authorization of the request from the service provider to the medical device,

wherein operation of the at least one feature is enabled or disabled based on the authorization of the request, and

wherein the server is operable to generate a bill based on enablement or disablement of the at least one feature.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

a processor and a memory device, the processor in communication with the memory device; and

a sensor in communication with the processor, the sensor operable to detect a parameter related to a patient associated with the medical device or a status of the at least one feature,

wherein the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor;

monitor a signal from the sensor and determine whether the signal from the sensor indicates that an event has occurred, and, if an event has occurred, add the occurrence to a record associated with the medical device,

determine whether the event is a patient event or a non-patient event,

determine whether caregiver interaction is required to respond to the patient event,

if caregiver interaction is required, communicate with a caregiver to prompt interaction by the caregiver with the medical device, and

log the event and the caregiver interaction.