OBSTRUCTION DETECTION APPARATUS FOR A BED

• US 20070296600A1
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Riley, Douglas Menkedick, Eugene Osborne, Jack Wilker, James Findlay, James Jones, Steven Dixon, William Jacques
• Original Assignee: Carl Riley, Douglas Menkedick, Eugene Osborne, Jack Wilker, James Findlay, James Jones, Steven Dixon, William Jacques
• Inventors: Jones, James, Jacques, William, Osborne, Eugene, Riley, Carl, Dixon, Steven, Findlay, James, Wilker, Jack, Menkedick, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,834,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/32 for force
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/72 for collision prevention
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/723 Impact absorbing means, e.g. bumpers or airbags
• 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 7/05 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0507 Side-rails
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0509 sliding or pivoting downwards
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0513 covering particular sections of the bed, e.g. one or more partial side-rail sections along the bed
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0524 characterised by integrated accessories, e.g. bed control means, nurse call or reading lights
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0528 Steering or braking devices for castor wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6315 allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for detecting the presence of an obstruction with respect to a height-adjustable bed. The apparatus includes sensors coupled to the bed. At least one of the sensors has an output signal which is variable in response to changes in a weight applied to the support surface. The apparatus also includes a controller having inputs configured to receive the output signals from the sensor or sensors. The controller is configured to monitor the output signals, and to provide an indication of the presence of an obstruction with respect to a change in position of the bed.

Claims

1. An obstruction detection apparatus for a bed, the obstruction detection apparatus comprising:

a sensor apparatus coupled to a second frame of a bed having a first frame, a second frame coupled to the first frame, and an adjustable-height frame coupled to the second frame, the sensor apparatus being configured to generate an output signal during downwardly movement of the adjustable-height frame, and

control circuitry configured to monitor the output signal from the sensor apparatus, determine whether the output signal is indicative of contact by the adjustable-height frame with an obstruction during downwardly movement of the adjustable-height frame, generate a control signal including instructions to stop movement of the adjustable-height frame if contact by the adjustable-height frame with an obstruction is detected, and send the control signal to the bed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor apparatus is mounted at least partially underneath the second frame.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the sensor apparatus is coupled between the base frame and the adjustable-height frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate an alarm signal if contact by the adjustable-height frame with an obstruction is detected.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor apparatus includes a plurality of sensors, each sensor is configured to generate an output signal representative of a voltage, and the control circuitry is configured to monitor changes in the voltage over time to determine whether an obstruction is present.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the output signal is generated by downwardly deflection of the sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bed includes a support surface located above the adjustable-height frame and a plurality of second sensors located adjacent the support surface, wherein each of the plurality of second sensors is electrically coupled to the processor to sense a different condition relative to the bed than the sensor apparatus.

8. A condition detection apparatus for a bed, the condition detection apparatus comprising:

a plurality of sensors, each sensor being configured to generate an output signal in response to deflection of the sensor,

a coupler adapted to couple at least four of the sensors proximate to corners of the bed,

at least one controller configured to receive output signals from the sensors, determine whether a change in a condition of the bed has occurred based on the output signals, generate a control signal including instructions relating to at least one function of the bed in response to a change in a condition of the bed, and send the control signal to the bed in response to the output signals, and

at least one communication medium adapted to operably couple the sensors to the at least one controller and operably couple the at least one controller to the bed.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the deflection of the sensor generates a voltage change.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least four sensors are load cells.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the condition ofthe bed relates to one of patient position relative to the bed and contact of the bed with an obstruction during movement of the bed.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising at least one second sensor having an output signal that is variable in response to changes in the position of a body located on the bed.

13. A patient support comprising:

a base frame,

a weigh frame coupled to the base frame,

an intermediate frame coupled to the weigh frame,

a plurality of sensors configured to generate output signals indicative of a weight applied to the patient support,

at least one coupler to couple the sensors to the weigh frame, and

control circuitry configured to process the output signals, detect an occurrence of a condition relative to the patient support based on a change in the output signals, generate control signals to activate or deactivate a function of the patient support in response to the processing of the output signals.

14. The patient support of claim 13, wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect an obstruction obstructing downwardly movement of the intermediate frame based on a change in the output signals over time.

15. The patient support of claim 14, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to detect a change in a patient position relative to the patient support based on a change in the output signals over time.

16. The patient support of claim 13, wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide at least three modes of operation of the patient support, the three modes of operation including a first mode resulting in an alarm being activated when a patient moves toward exiting the patient support by a first amount, a second mode resulting in an alarm being activated when the patient moves toward exiting the mattress by a second amount greater than the first amount, and a third mode resulting in an alarm being activated when the patient exits the patient support, further comprising a control panel coupled to the control circuitry to permit a caregiver to select at least one of the first, second and third modes of operation.

17. The patient support of claim 16, wherein the control panel includes inputs to permit an operator to control operation of an entertainment device and a lockout switch configured to disable the portion of the control panel that permits an operator to control operation of the entertainment device.

18. The patient support of claim 13, further comprising a removable member, a control panel located on the removable member, an apparatus for aligning a first electrical connector electrically coupled to the control panel with a second electrical connector electrically coupled to the control circuitry of the patient support.

19. A method of detecting an obstruction relative to a movable portion of a bed, the method comprising:

receiving a first output signal from a first sensor coupled to a first frame portion of a bed while a movable portion of a bed is moving downwardly,

receiving a second output signal from the first sensor coupled to the first frame portion of the bed,

comparing the first output signal to the second output signal,

determining whether an obstruction is present relative to the movable portion of the bed based on the results of the comparing step,

generating a control signal based on the results of the determining step, and

sending the control signal to a controller operably coupled to the movable portion of the bed to stop movement of the movable portion of the bed.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising a third output signal, wherein the second and third output signals are averaged to provide an averaged signal and the comparing step compares the first output signal to the averaged signal.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the comparing step includes subtracting the first output signal from the second output signal and analyzing the difference resulting from the subtracting step.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the analyzing step includes comparing the difference to a predetermined tolerance range.

23. A method of detecting a condition relative to a bed, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of output signals from load cells coupled proximate corners of a bed, the output signals being indicative of weight applied to the bed,

analyzing the output signals over time,

determining whether a first condition relative to the bed has occurred by comparing a weight change to a first predetermined value,

determining whether a second condition has occurred relative to the bed by comparing a weight change to a second predetermined value,

determining whether a third condition has occurred relative to the bed by comparing a weight change to a third predetermined value,

generating an alert signal if at least one of the first, second, and third conditions has occurred, and

communicating the alert to a caregiver.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first condition is a patient has exited the bed and the first predetermined value relates to a change in weight that is indicative of a patient having exited the bed, the second condition is a patient has moved from a first position to a second position on the bed and the second predetermined value relates to a change in weight that is indicative of a patient having moved from a first position to a second position on the bed, and the third condition is a patient has moved from a first position off the bed to a second position at least partially on the bed and the third predetermined value relates to a change in weight that is indicative of a patient having moved from a first position off the bed to a second position at least partially on the bed.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the alert is communicated over a communication network.