Seat Force Sensor

• US 20070272450A1
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Stolpmann, James, Skinner, Andrew, Richter, Terry
• Granted Patent: US 7,459,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 177/144
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/42 for inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/445 in a horizontal position
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/94 with alarm means

Abstract

A weighing system associated with a mattress and configured to measure a patient'"'"'s weight while the patient is positioned on the mattress.

Claims

1. A patient support comprising:

a frame;

a deck supported by the frame;

a mattress supported by the deck;

an inflatable cell operatively coupled to the mattress and configured to contain a fluid;

an air source configured to inflate the inflatable cell;

a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure of the fluid in the inflatable cell; and

a controller coupled to the pressure sensor and the air source, the controller configured to determine a weight of a patient positioned on the patient support, and control the air source in response thereto.

2. The patient support of claim 1, wherein the inflatable cell is positioned below the mattress.

3. The patient support of claim 1, wherein the mattress includes a foam material.

4. The patient support of claim 1, wherein the mattress includes at least one inflatable bladder.

5. The patient support of claim 4, wherein the inflatable cell is positioned within the at least one inflatable bladder of the mattress.

6. The patient support of claim 1, wherein the mattress includes a head section, a seat section, and a foot section and the inflatable cell is positioned within the seat section.

7. The patient support of claim 1, wherein the mattress includes a head section, a seat section, and a foot section and the inflatable cell is positioned under the seat section.

8. The patient support of claim 1, further comprising a collector plate wherein the inflatable cell is placed below the collector plate.

9. The patient support of claim 1, wherein the mattress includes a first section and a second section positioned under the first section.

10. The patient support of claim 1, wherein the inflatable cell is positioned between the first and second mattress sections.

11. The patient support of claim 10, wherein the first and second mattress sections include a foam material.

12. The patient support of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a pressure of the at least one inflatable bladder.

15. The patient support of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display the patient'"'"'s weight.

13. The patient support of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the pressure of the at least one inflatable bladder based upon the patient'"'"'s weight.

14. The patient support of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to automatically adjust the pressure of the at least one inflatable bladder after determining the patient'"'"'s weight.

16. A method of determining a weight of a patient positioned on a patient support, the patient support including a frame, an inflatable mattress positioned on the frame, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an inflatable cell adjacent to the mattress, a pressure sensor coupled to the inflatable cell and configured to measure a pressure inside the inflatable cell, and a controller configured to receive input from the pressure sensor,

measuring the pressure inside the inflatable cell;

deflating the inflatable cell to a predetermined pressure;

inflating the inflatable cell for a predetermined time period; and

measuring the pressure in the inflatable cell.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of comparing the measured pressure of the inflatable cell with a comparison table.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of determining the weight of the patient positioned on the patient support based on the measured pressure.

19. An apparatus including:

an inflatable mattress;

an inflatable bladder;

a pressure sensor coupled to the inflatable bladder and configured to output a signal indicative of the pressure in the inflatable bladder; and

a controller configured to receive the signal and control the pressure in the inflatable mattress based on the signal.

20. A method of detecting when a patient has exited a patient support, the method including the steps of:

providing a patient support including a mattress and an inflatable cell;

monitoring the pressure in the inflatable cell; and

actuating a signal when the pressure in the inflatable cell drops.