Wireless control system for a patient support apparatus

• US 20060260054A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Findlay, James K., Walke, James L., Lubbers, David P., Zerhusen, Robert M., Hoffman, Brian, Visca, Matthew C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,710,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/621
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/12 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/38 for torque
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms
• 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 7/0506 Head or foot boards head or foot boards for comfort or ergonomics A47C19/022

Abstract

A patient support apparatus comprising a wireless control system is provided. The wireless control system includes a device for sending a wireless signal, a receiver for receiving the wireless signal, and circuitry for processing the wireless signal. The circuitry may have a learn mode in which a device is associated with the control signal to the exclusion of commands from other devices not associated with the circuitry. Also, the device may transmit a wireless signal redundantly over a plurality of frequencies. The control system may choose a signal frequency and receiver combination to maintain a quality signal. The device may be limited provide commands to operate a function of the patient support apparatus only when the function has been enabled through a sequence of input activations. The wireless control system is capable of controlling any of a number of functions associated with the patient support apparatus. Illustratively, the control system operates a patient repositioning apparatus. The repositioning apparatus includes a retractor, a tether coupled to the retractor and configured to be retracted by the retractor, and a sheet attachment device coupled to the tether opposite the retractor, the sheet attachment device configured to engage a sheet on the patient support apparatus. The sheet attachment device includes a user interface configured to provide wireless inputs to the retractor. The retractor includes a controller configured to receive inputs, process the inputs, and provide outputs to activate the retractor.

Claims

1. A control system for a patient support apparatus, the control system comprising:

a device operable to send a wireless signal that controls at least one function of the patient support apparatus,

a wireless receiver coupled to the patient support apparatus and configured to receive the wireless signal, and

a circuit operatively coupled to the wireless receiver, the circuit having a first mode of operation in which the circuit associates the device with the patient support apparatus and a second mode of operation in which the circuit controls the at least one function of the patient support apparatus in response to the wireless signal.

2. The control system of claim 1, further comprising a visual indicator operatively coupled to the circuit and configured to provide an indication that the device has been successfully associated with the patient support apparatus.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises a memory device configured to store an association parameter transmitted wirelessly by the device.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein the device transmits the wireless signal at a plurality of frequencies.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein the memory device comprises a plurality of memory devices, each memory device storing an association parameter for each of the plurality of frequencies at which the device transmits.

6. The control system of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of visual indicators operatively coupled to the circuit, each visual indicator being associated with a respective one of the plurality of frequencies at which the wireless control device transmits, and each visual indicator being operable to provide an indication that the device has been successfully associated with the circuit at a particular frequency.

7. A control system for a patient support apparatus, the control system comprising:

a plurality of wireless receivers, each wireless receiver configured to alternately receive a signal transmitted at a plurality of wireless frequencies, and

a circuit operatively coupled to the wireless receivers and configured to sequentially poll combinations of each wireless receiver and each frequency until a signal of suitable quality is detected and to maintain the receiver and frequency combination at which the signal of suitable quality is detected.

8. The control system of claim 7, wherein the circuit analyzes the wireless signal to determine if the signal includes a signal source identifier that is recognized by the circuit to determine that the wireless signal is of suitable quality.

9. The control system of claim 8, wherein the circuit determines that the signal source identifier is received in a first signal transmission and a second signal transmission immediately following the first signal transmission to determine that the wireless signal is of suitable quality.

10. The control system of claim 7, wherein the wireless receivers each comprise an antenna that tends to be immune to a particular interference source.

11. The control system of claim 10, wherein the circuit comprises a printed circuit board, at least one of the antennae is a trace of the printed circuit board, and at least one of the antennae is an external wire coupled to the printed circuit board.

12. The control system of claim 7, further comprising a device that transmits the signal to control a function of the patient support apparatus.

13. The control system of claim 12, wherein the device is configured to operate a motor on the patient support apparatus.

14. The control system of claim 13, wherein the motor is a portion of a pull-up-in-bed system.

15. A control system for a patient support apparatus, the control system comprising:

a device including an enable input and a function input, the device sending a wireless signal to operate a function of the patient support apparatus if the function input is activated within a predetermined period of time of the enable input being activated,

a wireless receiver coupled to the patient support apparatus and configured to receive the wireless signal, and

a circuit operatively coupled to the wireless receiver and configured to process the wireless signal to determine if the device has been associated with the circuit and if the device has been associated with the circuit, process the command from the device to operate the function of the patient support apparatus.

16. The control system of claim 15, further comprising a memory device operatively coupled to the circuit, the memory device storing an association variable that identifies the associated remote wireless control device.

17. The control system of claim 16, wherein the device comprises a transmitter and the association variable stored in the memory device comprises a serial number of the transmitter.

18. The control system of claim 15, wherein the device redundantly transmits the wireless signal over a plurality of frequencies.

19. The control system of claim 18, wherein the wireless signal is a radio frequency signal.

20. The control system of claim 15, wherein the device transmits a signal to control a motor of the patient support apparatus.

21. The control system of claim 20, wherein the motor comprises part of a pull-up-in-bed system.

22. The control system of claim 21, wherein the pull-up-in-bed system includes a retractor coupled to a first frame of the patient support apparatus, a sheet attachment unit coupled to a second frame of the patient support apparatus, the second frame of the patient support apparatus moveable relative to the first frame of the patient support apparatus, and a tether having a first end coupled to the sheet attachment unit and a second end coupled to the retractor, the tether being tensioned to remain taut when the second frame moves relative to the first frame of the patient support apparatus.

23. The control system of claim 22, wherein the sheet attachment unit includes a compression molded housing and the device is coupled to the sheet attachment unit.