COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS FOR PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES

• US 20140080413A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Hayes, Michael Joseph, Downey, Adam Darwin, Furman, Aaron Douglas, Bhimavarapu, Krishna Sandeep, Greenbank, Jonathan Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,966,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• 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: H04B 5/0031 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0037 for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0093 with one coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/02 using transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A patient support apparatus, such as a bed, cot, stretcher, or the like, uses the ability to communicate with a device via near field communication to determine that the device is physically proximate the support apparatus. The support apparatus uses this determination to associate itself with the device. In some instances, the associated device is a mattress positioned on the support apparatus; a footboard on the support apparatus; a medical device used with a patient supported on the support device; a nearby piece of furniture; another patient support apparatus; or an ID tag worn by a caregiver or patient, or attached to a piece of equipment. After the support apparatus and device are associated, they communicate information between each other using far field communication, which supports higher data transfer rates. Flux concentrators are added in some embodiments to extend and/or shape the range of near the field communication.

Claims

1. A patient support apparatus comprising:

a patient support deck adapted to support a patient thereon;

a controller adapted to control at least one aspect of said patient support apparatus;

a near field communication transceiver adapted to communicate with a device; and

a far field communication transceiver adapted to communicate with said device.

2. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein said controller associates said device with said patient support apparatus so long as said near field communication transceiver is able to communicate with said device.

3. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein said patient support apparatus stops communicating with said device using the far field transceiver if the patient support apparatus is no longer able to communicate with the device using the near field communication transceiver.

4. The patient support apparatus of claim 3 wherein said device is any one of:

a mattress positioned on said patient support deck, a pedestal positioned on said patient support apparatus and adapted to control a mattress on said support deck, a medical device associated with a patient supported on said patient support apparatus, a piece of furniture, a footboard on said patient support apparatus, and a portable computing device that is transportable by authorized personnel.

5. The patient support apparatus of claim 3 further including a flux concentrator spaced from said near field communication transceiver, said flux concentrator adapted to concentrate magnetic flux from said near field communication transceiver.

6. The patient support apparatus of claim 4 wherein said patient support apparatus is one of a bed, stretcher, cot, chair, or operating table.

7. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 further including:

a base having a plurality of wheels;

a height adjustment mechanism for raising and lowering said patient support deck with respect to said base; and

a plurality of siderails positioned along respective sides of said patient support deck, said siderails being movable between a raised and a lowered position.

8. The patient support apparatus of claim 3 wherein said controller, after associating said device with said patient support apparatus, forward data indicating said association to a location remote from both said device and said patient support apparatus.

9. The patient support apparatus of claim 8 wherein said controller forwards said data wirelessly to a healthcare computer network in the same facility in which said patient support apparatus is located.

10. The patient support apparatus of claim 9 wherein said data is forwarded wirelessly by a transceiver positioned on said patient support apparatus that is different from said near field communications transceiver and said far field communications transceiver.

11. The patient support apparatus of claim 2 wherein said controller is adapted to determine an identity of said device by communicating with said device through either said near field or far field communication transceivers.

12. The patient support apparatus of claim 11 further including a display on said patient support apparatus that is in communication with said controller, said display adapted to display information indicating the association between said device and said patient support apparatus.

13. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 further including transmitting information indicative of a location of said patient support apparatus from said patient support apparatus to said device.

14. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein said patient support apparatus includes a plurality of said near field communication transceivers, and said controller is adapted to associate said device and said patient support apparatus if any one of said plurality of near field communication transceivers is able to communicate with said device.

15. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein said device is a mattress positionable on said patient support deck and said controller is positioned inside one of a footboard attached to said patient support apparatus and a pedestal attached to said patient support apparatus.

16. The patient support apparatus of claim 15 further including a flux concentrator positioned between said near field communication transceiver and a second near field communication transceiver incorporated into said mattress.

17. A patient support apparatus comprising:

a patient support deck adapted to support a patient thereon;

a near field communication transceiver adapted to communicate with a device if said device is positioned within a near field vicinity of said near field communication transceiver; and

a controller in communication with said near field communication transceiver, said controller adapted to associate said patient support apparatus and said device if said near field communication transceiver is able to communicate with said device.

18. The patient support apparatus of claim 17 wherein said near field communication transceiver is adapted to forward information identifying said patient support apparatus to said device.

19. The patient support apparatus of claim 17 further including a second near field communication transceiver adapted to communicate with said device if said device is positioned within a near field vicinity of said second near field communication transceiver, said controller adapted to associate said patient support apparatus and said device if either said near field communication transceiver or said second near field communication transceiver is able to communicate with said device.

20. The patient support apparatus of claim 17 wherein said patient support apparatus is one of a bed, stretcher, cot, chair, or operating table.

21. The patient support apparatus of claim 20 wherein said device is any one of a mattress positioned on said patient support deck, a pendant positioned on said patient support apparatus and adapted to control a mattress on said support deck, a medical device associated with a patient supported on said patient support apparatus, a piece of furniture, a footboard on said patient support apparatus, a portable computing device that may be transported by authorized personnel, a brake on the patient support apparatus, a swivel lock actuator for locking and unlocking a swiveled caster wheel on the patient support apparatus, a lift for raising and lowering a patient support deck of a cot, or still other structures.

22. The patient support apparatus of claim 17 further including:

a base having a plurality of wheels;

a height adjustment mechanism for raising and lowering said patient support deck with respect to said base;

an actuator adapted to change an angular orientation of said support deck; and

a plurality of siderails positioned along respective sides of said patient support deck, said siderails being movable between a raised and a lowered position.

23. The patient support apparatus of claim 17 wherein said controller, after associating said device with said patient support apparatus, wirelessly forwards data indicating said association to a healthcare computer network using a transceiver positioned on said patient support apparatus that is different from said near field communication transceiver.

24. The patient support apparatus of claim 22 further including a far field communication transceiver positioned on said patient support apparatus, said far field communication transceiver adapted to communicate with said device.

25. The patient support apparatus of claim 17 wherein said device is a footboard that is attachable to, and detachable from, said patient support apparatus, and said patient support apparatus further includes a first far field communications transceiver coupled to said patient support apparatus and a second far field communications transceiver coupled to said footboard, said first and second high speed communications transceivers adapted to communicate with each other.

26. The patient support apparatus of claim 25 wherein said footboard further includes a first inductive power coil adapted to inductively receive electrical power from a second inductive power coil positioned on said patient support apparatus, whereby said footboard may receive power through said first inductive power coil from said second inductive power coil.

27. A patient support apparatus comprising:

a base;

a frame supported on said base;

a patient support deck adapted to support a patient thereon;

a first transceiver adapted to communicate with a device using a first communication protocol having a first data transfer rate;

a second transceiver adapted to communicate with the device using a second communication protocol having a second data transfer rate that is higher than said first data transfer rate; and

a controller adapted to control the first and second transceivers such that said patient support apparatus communicates with said device using both said first and second communication protocols.

28. The patient support apparatus of claim 27 wherein said controller communicates with said device initially using said first communication protocol.

29. The patient support apparatus of claim 27 wherein said controller repetitively communicates with said device using the first communication protocol.

30. The patient support apparatus of claim 27 wherein said controller stops communicating with said device using the second communication protocol if the patient support apparatus is no longer able to communicate with the device using the first communication protocol.

31. The patient support apparatus of claim 30 wherein said second communications protocol is Bluetooth or Zig bee.

32. The patient support apparatus of claim 31 wherein said first communication protocol follows standard ISO/IEC 18092.

33. The patient support apparatus of claim 31 wherein said patient support apparatus is one of a bed, stretcher, or cot.

34. The patient support apparatus of claim 33 wherein said patient support apparatus records in memory times when said first transceiver establishes communication with the device, as well as information identifying the device.