Occupant Support With An Extended Functionality Occupant Position Monitoring System

• US 20140210610A1
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Tatinclaux, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 8,836,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/501
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0252 Load cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/94 with alarm means

Abstract

An occupant support comprises an occupant support structure which includes an occupant position monitoring system comprising a sensor for producing a sensor output signal as a function of occupant position on the occupant support structure, and an alarm state selector for enabling or disabling an alarm. A controller receives the sensor output signal and produces a controller output signal for commanding the alarm and a nonalarm device such that such that when the alarm is disabled the controller output signal governs operation of the nonalarm device but not operation of the alarm device and when the alarm is enabled the controller output signal governs operation of the nonalarm device and the alarm device.

Claims

1. An occupant support comprising:

an occupant support structure;

an occupant position monitoring system comprising;

a sensor for producing a sensor output signal as a function of occupant position on the occupant support structure;

an alarm state selector for enabling or disabling an alarm;

a controller configured to receive the sensor output signal and to produce a controller output signal for commanding the alarm and a nonalarm device such that such that;

when the alarm is disabled the controller output signal governs operation of the nonalarm device but not operation of the alarm device and;

when the alarm is enabled the controller output signal governs operation of the nonalarm device and the alarm device.

2. The occupant support of claim 1 including a position monitoring state selector for changing the state of the position monitoring system between an armed state and a disarmed state, the armed state being a default state, and wherein:

when the monitoring system is armed and the alarm is disabled the controller output signal governs operation of the nonalarm device but not operation of the alarm device and;

when the monitoring system is armed and the alarm is enabled the controller output signal governs operation of the nonalarm device and the alarm device.

3. The occupant support of claim 2 wherein when the monitoring system is disarmed the controller does not govern operation of the alarm and the nonalarm device.

4. The occupant support of claim 2 wherein the nonalarm device is a light, a time monitor or both and the controller output signal commands the alarm device and nonalarm device as set forth below:

5. The occupant support of claim 2 wherein the nonalarm device is a light, a time monitor or both and the controller output signal commands the alarm device and nonalarm device as set forth below:

6. The occupant support of claim 1 wherein the nonalarm device is a light, a time monitor or both and the controller output signal commands the alarm device and nonalarm device as set forth below:

7. The occupant support of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to produce an EXITED output signal corresponding to an occupant having exited the occupant support and at least one other signal corresponding to the occupant having not exited the occupant support.

8. The occupant support of claim 7 wherein the at least one other signal comprises a PRE-EXIT signal corresponding to an occupant being in a position suggestive of an intent to exit the occupant support and a POSITION signal corresponding to an occupant being in an unsatisfactory or unauthorized position on the occupant support other than the position suggestive of an intent to exit the occupant support.

9. The occupant support of claim 1 wherein the nonalarm device is a light.

10. The occupant support of claim 1 wherein the nonalarm device is a time monitor.

11. The occupant support of claim 1 including a sensitivity selector for selecting among at least two occupant position monitoring sensitivity settings and wherein the controller output signal is a function of the sensitivity setting.

12. The occupant support of claim 1 including a sensitivity selector for selecting among exactly three occupant position monitoring sensitivity settings and wherein the controller output signal is a function of the sensitivity setting.

13. The occupant support of claim 1 including a sensitivity selector for selecting among three occupant position monitoring settings, an EXITED setting, a PRE-EXIT setting and a POSITION setting.

14. The occupant support of claim 13 wherein:

the EXITED setting, if selected, causes the occupant position monitoring system to be triggered if the controller perceives that the occupant has exited the occupant support;

the PRE-EXIT setting, if selected, causes the occupant position monitoring system to be triggered if the controller perceives that the occupant is in a position suggestive of an intent to exit the occupant support;

the POSITION setting if selected, causes the occupant position monitoring system to be triggered if the controller perceives that the occupant is in an unsatisfactory or unauthorized position other than the position suggestive of an intent to exit the occupant support.

15. The occupant support of claim 1 wherein the occupant position is responsive to changes in weight applied to the occupant support structure.

16. The occupant support of claim 1 wherein the occupant position is responsive to changes in position of the occupant on the occupant support structure.

17. An occupant support comprising:

an occupant support structure;

a sensor for producing a sensor output signal as a function of occupant position;

an occupant position monitoring system having an armed state and a disarmed state;

a position monitoring state selector for changing the state of the position monitoring system;

an alarm state selector for enabling or disabling an alarm;

a controller configured to receive the sensor output signal and to produce a controller output signal for commanding the alarm and a nonalarm device such that such that;

when the monitoring system is armed and the alarm is disabled the controller output signal governs operation of the nonalarm device but not operation of the alarm device and;

when the monitoring system is armed and the alarm is enabled the controller output signal governs operation of the nonalarm device and the alarm device.

18. The occupant support of claim 17 wherein the armed state of the position monitoring system is a default state.