SPEED CONTROL FOR PATIENT HANDLING DEVICE
First Claim
1. A patient handling device comprising:
- a frame;
a patient support surface adapted to at least partially support a weight of a patient positioned on said patient handling device, said patient support surface supported by said frame;
a plurality of wheels adapted to allow said patient handling device to be rolled to different locations;
a motor adapted to drive at least one of said wheels;
a power assist control positioned on said patient handling device, said power assist control adapted to be activated by a person;
a sensor coupled to said patient handling device adapted to detect objects within a proximity to the patient handling device; and
a controller in communication with said power assist control, said motor, and said sensor, said controller adapted to drive said motor such that a speed of said device follows a predetermined speed profile while the object continues to be detected and said power assist control continues to be activated.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A patient handling device, such as a bed, stretcher, cot, or the like, includes a motor for driving one or more wheels to assist in the movement of the device. At least one proximity sensor is positioned on the device in order to detect the presence of one or more objects that may lie in the path of the device when it moves. A controller on the device determines the distance between itself and the object and automatically controls the speed of the device in a manner designed to reduce the likelihood of a collision and/or to mitigate the impact of a collision. The automatic speed control of the device may follow one or more predetermined profiles that correlate certain parameters, such as a distance to the object or relative velocity, with a maximum acceptable speed of the device.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A patient handling device comprising:
-
a frame; a patient support surface adapted to at least partially support a weight of a patient positioned on said patient handling device, said patient support surface supported by said frame; a plurality of wheels adapted to allow said patient handling device to be rolled to different locations; a motor adapted to drive at least one of said wheels; a power assist control positioned on said patient handling device, said power assist control adapted to be activated by a person; a sensor coupled to said patient handling device adapted to detect objects within a proximity to the patient handling device; and a controller in communication with said power assist control, said motor, and said sensor, said controller adapted to drive said motor such that a speed of said device follows a predetermined speed profile while the object continues to be detected and said power assist control continues to be activated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method of controlling a motor adapted to drive at least one wheel on a patient support handling device, said method comprising:
-
providing a sensor on the patient handling device, said sensor adapted to detect an object within a proximity to the patient handling device, providing a power assist control on the patient handling device, said power assist control adapted to be activated by a person; driving said motor in a manner to cause said patient handling device to move forward when a person activates said power assist control; monitoring said sensor to determine if an object is detected by said sensor; and if an object is detected by said sensor, determining a distance from said patient handling device to said object and automatically adjusting the motor in such a manner that said patient handling device will reduce its speed, but not completely stop, so long as the person continues activating said power assist control. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method of controlling a motor adapted to drive at least one wheel on a patient support handling device, said patient handling device including at least one surface on which a patient may lie down, said method comprising:
-
providing a sensor on the patient handling device, said sensor adapted to detect an object within a proximity to the patient handling device, providing a power assist control on the patient handling device, said power assist control adapted to be activated by a person; driving said motor in a manner to cause said patient handling device to move forward when a person pushes on said power assist control; monitoring said sensor to determine if an object is detected by said sensor; and if an object is detected by said sensor, automatically controlling an absolute speed of said device to match a predetermined speed profile. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A patient handling device comprising:
-
a frame; a patient support surface adapted to at least partially support a weight of a patient positioned on said patient handling device, said patient support surface supported by said frame; a plurality of wheels adapted to allow said patient handling device to be rolled to different locations; a motor adapted to drive at least one of said wheels; a power assist control positioned adjacent a first end of said frame, said power assist control adapted to be activated by a person; a sensor coupled to said device and adapted to detect objects within a proximity to the patient handling device; and a controller in communication with said power assist control, said motor, and said sensor, said controller adapted to drive said motor in a manner based upon a relative velocity between said patient handling device and an object detected by said sensor. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
-
Specification