Touch screen control for lateral rotation of a hospital bed mattress

• US 20060117482A1
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gregory W. Branson
• Original Assignee: Gregory W. Branson
• Inventors: Branson, Gregory W.
• Application Number:
  US11/292,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20060117482A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/600
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/001 with means for turning-over the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers

Abstract

A controller for a patient support surface, such as a mattress having air bladders used for rotational therapy, has touch screen control for lateral rotation of a patient. The touch screen includes graphical user interface display elements for controlling and displaying the rotational status of the support structure. Illustrative display elements include a patient icon that can be rotated to set a desired rotation angle or amount. The patient icon is rotated by touching the icon with a finger and moving the finger on the screen to rotate the icon to the desired support surface rotation setting. Illustrative display elements also include graphical and/or numerical indicators of time that may be used to select and indicate a desired dwell time for the support surface in left, right, and central rotational positions.

Claims

1. A patient support apparatus, comprising:

a patient support surface capable of being rotated to a first position;

a control system for controlling the rotation of the support surface;

a touch screen coupled to the control system; and

a first display element displayed on the touch screen, the display element corresponding to the rotational position of the patient support surface and capable of being rotated by at least one of touching and dragging to an orientation associated with the first position.

2. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first display element includes a graphical depiction of an axial view of a patient from at least one of a foot end and a head end.

3. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second display element capable of being rotated by at least one of touching and dragging to a second position;

and

wherein the first display element and the first position are associated with right hand rotation relative to the patient and the second display element and the second position are associated with left hand rotation relative to the patient.

4. The patient support apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a third display element capable of being rotated by at least one of touching and dragging to a central position, the central position located between the first and second positions.

5. The patient support apparatus of claim 4, further comprising at least a fourth display element including at least one of a graphical and a numerical indicator of a dwell time associated with at least one of right, left, and central positions.

6. The patient support apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least a fourth display element includes an indicating element for setting the dwell time by at least one of touching and dragging the indicating element to the dwell time.

7. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system includes a pneumatic control and the patient support surface includes at least one bladder pneumatically coupled to the pneumatic control.

8. A system for controlling a patient support surface, comprising:

a touch screen;

a controller coupled to the touch screen; and

software enabling the controller to;

display a first display element on the touch screen;

monitor touch of the first display element;

rotate the first display element in response to touch; and

command rotation of the support surface based on the rotation of the first display element.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first display element includes a graphical depiction of an axial view of a person from at least one of a foot end and a head end.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the software further enables the controller to:

display a second display element;

monitor touch of the second display element;

rotate the second display element in response to touch; and

command rotation of the support surface based on the rotation of the second display element;

wherein the first display element is associated with rotation of the support surface in a first direction and the second display element is associated with rotation of the support surface in a second direction.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the software further enables the controller to:

display a third display element;

monitor touch of the third display element;

rotate the display of the third display element in response to touch; and

command rotation of the support surface based on the rotation of the third display element.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the software further enables the controller to display at least a fourth display element including at least one of a graphical indicator and a numerical indicator of a parameter associated with at least one of right, left, and central rotational positions of the support surface.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the parameter includes dwell time.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the software further enables the controller to:

display and monitor touch of the at least one of a graphical indicator and a numerical indicator; and

set the parameter based on touch of the at least one of a graphical indicator and a numerical indicator.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the support surface includes a hospital bed mattress.

16. A method of controlling rotational parameters of a patient support surface comprising:

displaying graphical elements on a touch sensitive display screen;

monitoring touch of the graphical elements;

moving the graphical elements in response to touch; and

setting a rotational parameter based on the movement of the graphical element.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the graphical elements include an element illustrative of patient rotational position.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the rotational parameters includes at least one of a left rotational position, right rotational position, central rotational position, left dwell time, right dwell time, and central dwell time.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the graphical element illustrates at least one of rotational position and rotational position dwell time.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising controlling a pneumatic control system based on the rotational parameter, the pneumatic control system capable of inflating and deflating at least one pneumatic bladder associated with the patient support surface.