LOCATION-BASED INCONTINENCE DETECTION

• US 20170309155A1
• Filed: 04/18/2017
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Tallent, Dan R., Monson, Gavin M., Voll, James D., Potter, Victor
• Granted Patent: US 10,115,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/029 Humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/202 Assessing bladder functions, e.g. incontinence assessment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7495 using a reader or scanner device, e.g. barcode scanner
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/44 with radio-opaque material or signalling means for residual material
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/30 characterised by sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/057 Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor ventilation openings in mattresses A47C21/042; pneumatic or hydraulic mattresses A47C27/08
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

The present disclosure include devices, systems, and methods for location-based incontinence detection and monitoring including a communication device receiving incontinence event indicators occurrence and location indicators.

Claims

1. An incontinence detection system, comprising:

a patient bed,

an incontinence detection device positioned on the patient bed to detect incontinence events, the incontinence detection device including a sensor adapted to sense the presence of a threshold amount of moisture on the patient bed and to communicate a detection signal indicating the presence of the threshold amount of moisture and an RFID-incontinence transmitter in communication with the sensor and adapted to send an incontinence RFID signal indicating that the threshold amount of moisture has been sensed in response to the detection signal,

an RFID-location transmitter fixed relative to the patient bed and configured to send a location RFID signal indicating a unique location identifier, and

an RFID reader configured to receive the incontinence RFID signal and the location RFID signal, and to communicate the occurrence of an incontinence event and the unique location identifier in response to receiving the incontinence RFID signal and the location RFID signal.

2. The incontinence detection system of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader is configured to generate a communications signal indicating both the occurrence of an incontinence event and the unique location identifier to remote devices.

3. The incontinence detection system of claim 1, wherein the RFID-incontinence transmitter comprises a passive RFID device.

4. The incontinence detection system of claim 3, wherein the passive RFID device receives excitation from the RFID reader to power the RFID-incontinence transmitter.

5. The incontinence detection system of claim 4, wherein the RFID reader is configured to transmit excitation signals at regular intervals to the RFID-incontinence transmitter to power the RFID-incontinence transmitter.

6. The incontinence detection system of claim 1, wherein the RFID-location transmitter comprises an active RFID device.

7. The incontinence detection system of claim 6, wherein the active RFID device includes a power source comprising a photovoltaic cell.

8. The incontinence detection system of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader is attached to the patient bed.

9. The incontinence detection system of claim 1, wherein the incontinence device comprises a removable and replaceable pad.

10. An incontinence detection system, comprising:

an incontinence detection device for detecting incontinence events, the incontinence detection device including an incontinence pad and an RFID-incontinence transmitter, the incontinence pad including at least one sensor adapted to sense the presence of moisture and to communicate a detection signal indicating the presence of moisture to the RFID-incontinence transmitter, the RFID-incontinence transmitter being adapted to send an incontinence RFID signal indicating that moisture has been sensed in response to receiving the detection signal,

an RFID-location transmitter fixed relative to the patient bed and configured to send a location RFID signal indicating a unique location identifier, and

an RFID reader configured to receive the incontinence RFID signal and the location RFID signal, and configured send a communication signal, in response to receiving the incontinence RFID signal and the location RFID signal, indicating the occurrence of an incontinence event and the unique location identifier.

11. The incontinence detection system of claim 10, wherein the RFID-incontinence transmitter comprises a passive RFID device.

12. The incontinence detection system of claim 11, wherein the passive RFID device receives excitation from the RFID reader to power the RFID-incontinence transmitter.

13. The incontinence detection system of claim 12, wherein the RFID reader is configured to transmit excitation signals at regular intervals to the RFID-incontinence transmitter to power the RFID-incontinence transmitter.

14. The incontinence detection system of claim 10, wherein the RFID-location transmitter comprises an active RFID device.

15. The incontinence detection system of claim 14, wherein the active RFID device includes a power source comprising a photovoltaic cell.

16. The incontinence detection system of claim 10, wherein the RFID reader is attached to the patient support device.

17. The incontinence detection system of claim 10, wherein the incontinence pad comprises a removable and replaceable pad.

18. A method of detecting an incontinence event on a patient support device having an RFID reader, comprising:

receiving with the RFID reader a location RFID signal indicating a unique location identifier,

receiving with the RFID reader an incontinence RFID signal indicating the presence of moisture of the patient support device, and

in response to receiving the incontinence RFID signal, generating a communications signal indicating the occurrence of an incontinence event and the unique location identifier.

19. The method of detecting an incontinence event of claim 18, wherein receiving with the RFID reader a location RFID signal indicating a unique location identifier includes storing the unique location identifier, and wherein generating a communications signal includes retrieving the unique location identifier in response to receiving the incontinence RFID signal.

20. The method of detecting an incontinence event of claim 18, wherein receiving at least one excitation signal for powering a passive RFID transmitter includes receiving an excitation signal from the RFID reader at regular intervals.