HOSPITAL BED AND ROOM COMMUNICATION MODULES

• US 20170119606A1
• Filed: 01/11/2017
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: McNeely, Craig, Heimbrock, Richard H., Riley, Carl W., Huster, Keith A., Vanderpohl, III, Irvin J., McDaniel, Paul J., Manguiat, Oscar A., Tincher, Terry L., Collins, JR., Williams F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,925,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/081 of pneumatic type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/083 with pressure control, e.g. with pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/10 with two or more independently-fillable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/00 Details or accessories for chairs, beds, or the like, not provided for in other groups of this subclass, e.g. upholstery fasteners, mattress protectors, stretching devices for mattress nets
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/008 Use of remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/005 mounted on the wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/12 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/005 tiltable around transverse horizontal axis, e.g. for Trendelenburg position rocking beds for physical therapy A61H1/003; hanging patient inclined downwardly for drawing him out A61H2203/0493
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/012 raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence
• 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 7/0516 : with height adjustability
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0524 : characterised by integrated accessories, e.g. bed control means, nurse call or reading lights
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/665 : with built-in electronic circuit H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 : on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6691 : with built-in signalling means H01R13/717 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/02 : Intermediate parts for distributing energy to two or more circuits in parallel, e.g. splitter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/92
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 : Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1461 : Suppression of signals in the return path, i.e. bidirectional control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 : with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/909 : Medical use or attached to human body

Abstract

A system for use with a hospital bed having circuitry and a standard AC power outlet spaced from the hospital bed is provided. The system includes a cable assembly couplable to the circuitry of the hospital bed. The cable assembly has power conductors and at least one data conductor. The cable assembly also has a plug including a first power coupler coupled to the power conductors and a first data coupler coupled to the at least one data conductor. The system also includes a second data coupler mountable adjacent the standard AC power outlet. The second data coupler is configured to couple to the first data coupler when the first power coupler is coupled to the standard AC power outlet.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. Apparatus for use in a healthcare facility having an Ethernet, the apparatus comprising

a room module situated at a fixed location in a patient room of the healthcare facility, the room module configured for both wired and wireless communication with the Ethernet, and

a hospital bed including a first communication module and a second communication module, the first communication module providing a wireless bi-directional audio link and a wireless bi-directional data link with the room module, the second communication module configured for wireless communication with the Ethernet.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the second module is also configured for wired communication with the Ethernet.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the hospital bed further includes a bed control module to control at least one bed function.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one bed function includes at least one or more of the following:

raising and lowering an upper frame of the bed relative to a base frame of the bed, tilting the upper frame of the bed relative to the base frame, raising and lowering a head section of a mattress-support deck of the bed, raising and lowering a foot section and/or a thigh section of the mattress-support deck of the bed, operating a weigh system of the bed, operating a patient position monitoring (PPM) system of the bed, inflating or deflating air bladders included in the mattress of the bed, or adjusting the volume of a speaker.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the hospital bed further includes a bed speaker to play audio received over the wireless bi-directional audio link.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the audio received over the wireless bi-direction audio link comprises television audio or radio audio.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first communication module is operable to send control signals to the room module over the wireless bi-directional data link to control one or more room environment functions.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the control signals include one or more of the following:

room light control data indicating whether a room light should be turned on or off;

television (TV) control data indicating whether a TV should be turned on or off, whether a TV channel should be changed up or down, whether TV volume should be changed up or down;

radio control data indicating whether a radio should be on or off, whether a radio channel should be changed up or down, whether radio volume should be changed up or down;

or nurse call data.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the hospital bed includes a power cord terminating at a plug and the first communication module includes circuitry in the plug.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the hospital bed further includes a connector configured to be coupled to a nurse call cable to establish wired communication with a nurse call system of the healthcare facility.

31. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the hospital bed further includes a microphone to receive audio to be transmitted over the wireless bi-directional audio link to the room module.

32. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first communication module is operable to send alarm data to the room module over the wireless bi-directional data link.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the alarm data comprises one or more of the following:

bed exit data indicative of a position of a patient relative to the hospital bed, siderail down data indicative of a siderail of the hospital bed being in a lowered position, or a nurse call alarm indicative that a patient has manipulated a nurse call input of the hospital bed.

34. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the wireless bi-directional audio link comprises infrared (IR) signals.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the IR signals comprises frequency modulated IR (FMIR) signals.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein one of the FMIR signals is sent from the first communication module to the room module and is modulated at a first carrier frequency and the other of the FMIR signals is sent from the room module to the first communication module and is modulated at a second carrier frequency different than the first carrier frequency.

38. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the wireless bi-directional data link comprises infrared (IR) signals.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the IR signals comprises frequency modulated IR (FMIR) signals.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein one of the FMIR signals is sent from the first communication module to the room module and is modulated at a first carrier frequency and the other of the FMIR signals is sent from the room module to the first communication module and is modulated at a second carrier frequency different than the first carrier frequency.