Apparatus and method for monitoring a patient in a hospital bed
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring a patient in a hospital bed having at least three load cells positioned about a periphery of the bed, each load cell producing a signal corresponding to a distribution of patient weight on that load cell, the method comprising the steps of:
- establishing a plurality of sets of exit conditions about a periphery of the bed, each of the plurality of sets of exit conditions defining threshold values for each of the load cells, determining a current distribution of patient weight on each of the load cells, and determining that the patient is about to exit the bed if the current distribution of weight on at least some of the load cells exceeds corresponding ones of the threshold values of one of the sets of exit conditions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for monitoring a patient on a hospital bed includes load cells and a controller for detecting patient movement on, exit from, and impending exit from the hospital bed, including movement across or outside a virtual boundary or region located on the bed. The controller is configured to detect changes in the distribution of patient weight among the load cells. The controller is also configured to accommodate the installation or removal of medical equipment or other tare weights on the bed, head incline adjustment, and bed frame deformation or other changes in the system causing redistribution of weight among the load cells, while minimizing false alarms. A caregiver may select between various patient monitoring modes and remotely monitor patient movement relative to a reference load cell distribution, impending patient exit from the bed and patient exit from the bed.
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Citations
82 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring a patient in a hospital bed having at least three load cells positioned about a periphery of the bed, each load cell producing a signal corresponding to a distribution of patient weight on that load cell, the method comprising the steps of:
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establishing a plurality of sets of exit conditions about a periphery of the bed, each of the plurality of sets of exit conditions defining threshold values for each of the load cells, determining a current distribution of patient weight on each of the load cells, and determining that the patient is about to exit the bed if the current distribution of weight on at least some of the load cells exceeds corresponding ones of the threshold values of one of the sets of exit conditions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for monitoring a patient, comprising:
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a patient support surface configured to support the patient, at least three load cells each configured to produce a signal indicative of weight impressed on that load cell via the patient support surface, and a controller responsive to the signals produced by each of the at least three load cells to determine a current distribution of patient weight on each of the load cells, the controller determining that the patient is about to exit the bed if the current distribution of weight on at least some of the at least three load cells exceeds corresponding threshold values comprising one of a plurality of sets of exit conditions. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of monitoring a patient in a hospital bed having at least three load cells positioned about a periphery of the bed, each load cell producing a signal corresponding to a distribution of patient weight on that load cell, the method comprising the steps of:
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establishing a first plurality of sets of excessive patient movement conditions, each of the first plurality of sets of excessive patient movement conditions defining first threshold values for each of the at least three load cells, determining a total patient weight on the bed, for each of the first plurality of sets of excessive patient movement conditions, computing weight change values for each of the at least three load cells according to a patient movement model as a function of the total patient weight on the bed, and determining that patient movement is excessive if at least some of the weight change values exceed corresponding ones of the first threshold values for at least one of the first plurality of sets of excessive patient movement conditions. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A system for monitoring a patient, comprising:
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a patient support surface configured to support the patient, at least three load cells each configured to produce a signal indicative of weight impressed on that load cell via the patient support surface, and a controller responsive to the signals produced by each of the at least three load cells to determine a total patient weight on the patient support surface, the controller computing weight change values for each of the at least three load cells according to a patient movement model as a function of the total patient weight on the bed for each of a plurality of sets of excessive patient movement conditions, the controller determining that patient movement is excessive if at least some of the weight change values exceed corresponding ones of the first threshold values for at least one of the plurality of sets of excessive patient movement conditions. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of monitoring a patient in a hospital bed, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining whether the patient is within a safe arming zone of the hospital bed, and enabling monitoring of the patient in the hospital bed only if the patient is within the safe arming zone. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A method of monitoring a patient in a hospital bed having a head section that may be controllably elevated, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining a total patient weight on the bed, and enabling monitoring of the patient in the hospital bed if the total patient weight is greater than about 50 pounds and the head section of the bed is elevated in excess of 45 degrees relative to bed flat. - View Dependent Claims (59, 61)
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62. A method of monitoring a patient in a hospital bed according to a patient movement mode configured to determine whether patient movement relative to a reference distribution of weight on the bed is excessive, the bed having a head section that may be controllably elevated to a maximum head angle of at least about 65 degrees relative to bed flat, the method comprising the steps of:
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enabling monitoring of the patient according to the patient movement mode regardless of elevation of the head section of the bed relative to bed flat, and continuing to monitor the patient according to the patient movement mode without activating an alarm if the head section is articulated to an elevation, between the maximum head angle and bed flat, that is different than the elevation of the head section when the patient movement mode was enabled. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A method of monitoring a patient in a hospital bed according to a patient movement mode configured to determine whether patient movement relative to a reference distribution of weight on the bed is excessive, the method comprising the steps of:
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enabling monitoring of the patient according to the patient movement mode, and continuing to monitor the patient according to the patient movement mode without activating an alarm after further weight, less than a maximum further weight, is added to the bed regardless of total patient weight on the bed prior to adding the further weight. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. A method of monitoring a patient in a hospital bed according to a patient exit mode configured to determine whether the patient is about to exit the bed, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining a bed zero weight without the patient supported by the bed, determining a total patient weight on the bed as a function of the bed zero weight when the patient is supported by the bed, enabling monitoring of the patient in the bed according to the patient exit mode, and continuing to monitor the patient according to the patient exit mode without activating an alarm after further weight, less than a maximum further weight, is added to the bed after determining the bed zero weight. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A system for controlling air pressure in a number of different zones of an air mattress supporting an occupant, comprising:
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a plurality of load cells each configured to produce a signal indicative of weight impressed upon that load cell via the air mattress, and a controller responsive to the signals produced by the plurality of load cells to determine a current distribution of occupant weight on each of the load cells, the controller controlling air pressure within any one or more of the number of different zones of the air mattress based on the current distribution of occupant weight on at least some of the plurality of load cells.
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Specification