Control System For Hospital Bed Mattress

• US 20080109964A1
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill - Rom Industries SA
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Basilio, Jean-Marie, Camus, Gilles, Flocard, Thierry, Viard, Jean-Louis
• Granted Patent: US 7,849,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/713
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05776 with at least two groups of alternately inflated chambers

Abstract

A mattress system includes a mattress, a control unit spaced from the mattress, and a connector assembly that pneumatically and electrically interconnects the control unit with the mattress. The control unit has a main housing and a plurality of user interface modules that are selectively coupleable to the control unit and that are programmed differently to provide different modes of operation for the mattress system. A pressure sensor inside the mattress detects the presence or absence of a person on the mattress. The mattress system has a bed exit alarm system that, when armed, provides a bed exit alarm if the pressure sensor in the mattress detects that a patient has exited the mattress. The connector assembly includes a dual mode connector having both electrical and pneumatic couplers and a dual lumen hose assembly that extends from the dual mode connector to the mattress.

Claims

1. A mattress system comprising

a mattress having at least one inflatable bladder, and

a control unit comprising a main housing, a source of pneumatic pressure carried by the main housing and operable to inflate the at least one inflatable bladder, and a plurality of user interface modules that are coupleable to the main housing, each user interface module being programmed to control inflation of the at least one air bladder differently in at least one operational mode of each of the plurality of user interface modules.

2. The mattress system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user interface modules include an alternating pressure module and a continuous low pressure module.

3. The mattress system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user interface modules include a rotation therapy module.

4. The mattress system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of user interface modules may have user inputs that are used to change a mode of operation of the associated user interface module.

5. The mattress system of claim 1, wherein the control unit further comprises a latch coupled to the main housing and movable between a locked position in which a selected one of the plurality of user interface modules is locked to the main housing and an unlocked position in which the selected one of the plurality of user interface modules is detachable from the main housing.

6. The mattress system of claim 5, wherein the latch has a hook and each of the user interface modules has a post that is captured by the hook when the associated user interface module is locked to the main housing by the latch.

7. The mattress system of claim 6, wherein the main housing has at least one slot and each of the plurality of interface modules has at least one tab that is received in the slot provided in the main housing when the associated user interface module is coupled to the housing.

8. The mattress system of claim 7, wherein each of the user interface modules comprises a main body, the post and the at least one tab of each of the plurality of user interface modules are located on opposite ends of the associated user interface modules, and the post and the at least one tab of each of the plurality of user interface modules extend away from the associated main body in opposite directions.

9. The mattress system of claim 1, wherein the main housing has a recess into which each of the user interface modules is insertable.

10. The mattress system of claim 9, wherein the control unit includes a first electrical connector coupled to the main housing, each of the user interface modules includes a second electrical connector that automatically mates with the first electrical connector upon insertion of the user interface module into the recess of the main housing.

11. The mattress system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of user interface modules has a lockout switch that is usable to lockout at least one operational mode of the associated user interface module.

12. The mattress system of claim 11, wherein the lockout switch is located adjacent a surface of the associated user interface module that is inaccessible to a user when the associated user interface module is coupled to the main housing.

13. The mattress system of claim 12, wherein the lockout switch is located adjacent a back surface of the associated user interface module.

14. The mattress system of claim 12, wherein the operational mode that the lockout switch is usable to lockout comprises a maximum inflation mode in which the at least one inflatable bladder is inflated to a maximum threshold pressure which renders the at least one air bladder suitably hard for patient transfer.

15. The mattress system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of user interface modules includes inputs that are engageable to enable a bed exit alarm system of the control unit.

16. The mattress system of claim 15, wherein the bed exit alarm system receives an input signal from the mattress indicative of a pressure sensed by a pressure sensor situated in an interior region of the mattress.

17. The mattress system of claim 1, wherein the source of pneumatic pressure of the control unit comprises an air compressor within a noise-dampening housing that is situated within an interior region of the main housing.

18. The mattress system of claim 17, wherein the noise-dampening housing may have an air chamber that serves as a pressure reservoir which stabilizes air flow to the at least one air bladder of the mattress.

19. The mattress system of claim 1, wherein the mattress has at least one valve located within an interior region of the mattress and the valve is opened and closed to control pressure in the at least one inflatable bladder in a manner dictated by the programming of the selected user interface module that is coupled to the main housing.

20. The mattress system of claim 1, wherein the mattress has at least one pressure sensor is situated within an interior region of the mattress and an output signal from the at least one pressure sensor is communicated to the selected user interface module that is coupled to the main housing.

21. The mattress system of claim 1, wherein at least one cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) input is coupled to the mattress and is movable mechanically to deflate the at least one air bladder of the surface, wherein movement of the CPR input results in a CPR signal being communicated to the selected user interface module that is coupled to the main housing, and the selected user interface module deactivates operation of the source of pneumatic pressure in response to receiving the CPR signal.

22. The mattress system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of user interface modules includes at least one visual indicator that is operable to provide visual indication of the operational status of the mattress system.

23. A mattress system comprising

a mattress including at least one inflatable bladder and a pressure sensor situated within an interior region of the mattress, and

a control unit spaced from the mattress and having circuitry that receives a signal from the mattress which is indicative of a pressure sensed by the pressure sensor, the circuitry using the signal to establish at least one target pressure to which the at least one inflatable bladder is controlled and the circuitry also using the signal to determine whether to activate a bed exit alarm.

24. The mattress system of claim 23, wherein the pressure sensor comprises a bag filled with silicon oil.

25. The mattress system of claim 24, wherein the mattress comprises an inflatable underlay having a space that receives the bag filled with silicon oil.

26. The mattress system of claim 23, wherein the at least one inflatable bladder comprises at least one inflatable layer that overlies the pressure sensor.

27. The mattress system of claim 26, wherein the at least one inflatable layer comprises first and second inflatable layers that overlie the pressure sensor.

28. The mattress system of claim 27, wherein the first inflatable layer comprises a plurality of laterally extending air bladders, at least two of which are inflatable to different pressures, and the second inflatable layer extends approximately the full length of the mattress and is inflatable to a single target pressure.

29. The mattress system of claim 23, wherein the bed exit alarm comprises a flashing light that is carried by the control unit.

30. The mattress system of claim 23, wherein the bed exit alarm comprises a sound-producing device carried by the control unit.

31. A mattress system comprising

a mattress having at least one inflatable bladder, at least one electrical component situated within an interior region of the mattress, a first pneumatic port in communication with the at least one inflatable bladder, and a first electrical connector in communication with the at least one electrical component,

a control unit spaced from the mattress and comprising a main housing, a source of pneumatic pressure carried by the main housing and operable to inflate the at least one inflatable bladder, and circuitry programmed to control the manner in which the at least one inflatable bladder is inflated, the circuitry including a second electrical connector, the control unit including a second pneumatic port in communication with the source of pneumatic pressure, and

a connector assembly to pneumatically connect the first pneumatic port with the second pneumatic port and to electrically connect the first electrical connector with the second electrical connector, the connector assembly including a pneumatic line, at least one electrical line, and a dual mode plug configured to permit connection of the pneumatic line with the second pneumatic connector substantially simultaneously with connection of the at least one electrical line with the second electrical connector.

32. The mattress system of claim 31, wherein the connector assembly includes a dual lumen hose having side-by-side first and second lumens, the first lumen serves as the pneumatic line for communication of pneumatic pressure from the second pneumatic port of the control unit to the at first pneumatic port of the mattress and the second lumen serves as an electrical conduit through which the at least one electrical line is routed.

33. The mattress system of claim 32, wherein a first end of the dual lumen hose is coupled to the dual mode plug, wherein the connector assembly has a pneumatic coupler mounted to the first lumen at a second end of the dual lumen hose, and wherein the at least one electrical line extends beyond the second lumen at the second end of the dual lumen hose.

34. The mattress system of claim 31, wherein the dual mode plug includes a plug housing and at least one latch member coupled to the plug housing, the at least one latch member being movable between a first position locking the dual mode plug to the main housing of the control unit and a second position unlocking the dual mode plug for detachment from the main housing of the control unit.

35. The mattress system of claim 34, wherein the at least one latch member is spring-biased toward the first position.

36. The mattress system of claim 34, wherein the at least one latch member comprise a pair of latch members, each situated on an opposite side of the plug housing.

37. The mattress system of claim 36, wherein the plug housing includes a pair of recesses and at least a portion of each latch member is received within a respective one of the pair of recesses.

38. The mattress system of claim 36, wherein the pair of latch members are movable toward the plug housing to move the pair of latch members between the respective first and second positions.

39. The mattress system of claim 31, wherein the dual mode plug includes a front wall, a pneumatic coupler extending away from the front wall, and an electrical coupler extending away from the front wall;

wherein the pneumatic coupler is configured to mate with the second pneumatic port; and

wherein the electrical coupler is configured to mate with the second electrical connector.

40. The mattress system of claim 39, wherein the pneumatic coupler is formed integrally with the front wall and the front wall has an aperture through which the electrical coupler extends.

41. The mattress system of claim 39, wherein the dual mode plug includes a check valve in communication with the pneumatic coupler.

42. A mattress system comprising

a mattress having at least one person support element,

a pressure sensor situated within an interior region of the mattress, the pressure sensor being situated beneath the at least one person support element and comprising an enclosure containing a liquid, and

circuitry that receives a signal from the pressure sensor and that determines, based on the signal, whether a bed exit condition has been detected.

43. The mattress system of claim 42, wherein the at least one person support element comprises at least one foam element.

44. The mattress system of claim 42, wherein the at least one person support element comprises a plurality of foam elements.

45. The mattress system of claim 42, wherein the at least one person support element comprises at least one foam element and at least one inflatable bladder.

46. The mattress system of claim 42, wherein the liquid contained in the enclosure comprises a silicon oil.

47. The mattress system of claim 42, wherein the liquid contained in the enclosure fills substantially all of an interior region of the enclosure.

48. The mattress system of claim 42, wherein the enclosure comprises a flexible bag.

49. The mattress system of claim 42, wherein the mattress further comprises an underlay that is situated beneath the at least one person support element and that has a space which receives the enclosure containing the liquid.

50. The mattress system of claim 42, wherein the circuitry includes a sound-producing device that is activated if the circuitry determines that a bed exit condition has been detected.

51. The mattress system of claim 42, wherein the circuitry is positioned within the mattress.

52. The mattress system of claim 42, further comprising a control unit having a housing spaced from the mattress, the circuitry is carried by the housing, and the pressure sensor is operably coupled to the circuitry.

53. The mattress system of claim 52, wherein the pressure sensor is operably coupled to the circuitry via at least one electrical line that extends from the mattress to the control unit.

54. The mattress system of claim 52, wherein the pressure sensor is operably coupled to the circuitry via a wireless coupling.