Electronic control with emergency CPR feature for adjustable bed

• US 4,953,243 A
• Filed: 08/09/1989
• Issued: 09/04/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amedco Health Care Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Amedco Health Care Incorporated
• Inventors: Birkmann, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trettel, Michael F.
• Application Number:
  US07/391,886
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 5/60, 5/62-69
• US Class Current: 5/600
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms

Abstract

An emergency CPR feature is comprised of a timer and logic circuit mounted to a PC card with connections that are compatible to many existing control circuits for an adjustable hospital bed. The emergency CPR feature provides for "hands free" automatically repositioning of an adjustable hospital bed at a desired height, e.g., the full up position, with a flat mattress upon entry of a coded command by simultaneously depressing two switches, e.g., a foot and hand switch, by a trained attendant. The circuitry is contained on a single PC card which may be readily retrofit into existing adjustable hospital beds as well as incorporated into newly manufactured beds.

Claims

1. In an adjustable bed having means for repositioning a plurality of portions of said bed with respect to each other, the improvement comprising a control having means for permitting an operator to input a coded command to initiate the automatic repositioning of said plurality of portions so as to bring said bed into a pre-determined position on an emergency basis, said control means having a logic means responsive to the coded operator command in order to prevent inadvertent operation.

2. The control of claim 1 wherein said control means further comprises means for permitting hands free operation after entry of said coded operator command.

3. The control of claim 2 wherein said hands free means includes a timer, said timer comprising part of the logic means.

4. The control of claim 3 wherein said control includes a plurality of momentary contact switches connected to the logic means, said coded operator command comprising operation of said momentary contact switches in a pre-determined sequence.

5. The control of claim 4 wherein said logic means is responsive to substantially simultaneous operation of two of said momentary contact switches.

6. The control of claim 5 wherein one of said two switches is adapted for foot actuation and the other of said two switches is adapted for hand operation.

7. The control of claim 3 further comprising means to reset the timer and thereby interrupt the automatic re-positioning of said bed.

8. The control of claim 1 wherein said bed has a knee adjustable portion, a back adjustable portion, and an adjustable height, said pre-determined position comprising knee down and back down thereby forming a flat bed, and height up.

9. The control of claim 8 wherein the logic means includes a timer, said timer having means for activating said knee, back, and height adjustments, and said timer being set for an interval sufficiently long to re-position said bed at the limits of travel of said knee, back, and height adjustments.

10. An electronic circuit for retrofit into the control circuit of an existing adjustable bed, said adjustable bed having means for re-positioning a plurality of portions of said bed with respect to each other, said electronic circuit comprising a PC board, and a logic means mounted on said PC board for de-coding operator entry of a coded command to initiate the automatic re-positioning of said plurality of portions so as to bring said bed into a pre-determined position on an emergency basis, said PC board being adapted for connection to said existing control circuit.

11. The electronic circuit of claim 10 wherein said logic means includes a timer for re-positioning various bed portions for a pre-determined time period.

12. The electronic circuit of claim 11 further comprising means to reset the timer and thereby interrupt the automatic re-positioning of said bed.

13. The electronic circuit of claim 12 wherein the adjustable bed has means for limiting the travel of said various bed portions, said timer being set for a sufficiently long time period to assure the complete re-positioning of the desired bed portions into the desired orientation without operator intervention beyond initial entry of said coded command.