Modular hospital bed and method of patient handling

• US 5,513,406 A
• Filed: 04/21/1994
• Issued: 05/07/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Company Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Vogel, John D., Reeder, Ryan A., Foster, L. Dale, Ruehl, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRETTEL, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/230,061
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 5/600, 5/613, 5/616, 5/620, 5/81.1, 5/86.1, 5/658, 5/503.1, 5/604, 5/510
• US Class Current: 5/600
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/002 Supply appliances, e.g. columns for gas, fluid, electricity supply vertical ducts or channels for receiving utility lines E04F17/08; installations of electric cables or lines, wall trunking H02G3/0431; structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles F21V33/0068; stands or trestles as supports for apparatus or articles F16M11/00; buildings for public purposes E04H3/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/32 lying
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/34 sitting
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/36 standing
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/80 for connecting a trolley to a device, e.g. bed or column table
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2210/30 for intensive care
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/14 Standing-up or sitting-down aids
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/00 Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons stretchers with facilities for picking up patients or disabled persons A61G1/003
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/02 with toilet conveniences, or specially adapted for use with toilets
• 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 7/0527 Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/053 Aids for getting into, or out of, bed, e.g. steps, chairs, cane-like supports
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1017 Pivoting arms, e.g. crane type mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1019 Vertical extending columns or mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1046 Mobile bases, e.g. having wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1048 having auxiliary drive means
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1055 Suspended platforms, frames or sheets for patient in lying position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1057 Supported platforms, frames or sheets for patient in lying position
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2003/043 with a drive mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2003/046 : with braking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/04 : Wheeled walking aids for disabled persons A61H3/06 takes precedence

Abstract

A modular hospital bed and method of patient handling which permits a patient to remain on a single hospital bed from admittance to and through discharge from a hospital, thereby reducing the number of patient bed surface-to-surface transfers and the number of hospital beds. The method comprises providing a plurality of rollable modular beds, assigning a patient to one of the modular beds upon admittance to a hospital emergency room, providing a plurality of retrofittable modules for selective removable securement to the modular beds, with at least one module being provided from each of a patient transport module group, critical care module group and ambulatory/rehabilitation module group, and transforming the one modular bed as the patient is treated in and transferred from the emergency room and transferred to, treated in, and transferred from the surgery room, the critical care unit and the med/surg unit, and finally discharged, by securing to and removing from the one bed selected ones of the retrofittable modules thereby tailoring the one bed to the needs of the patient at any point from admittance to through discharge from the hospital.

Claims

1. A method of patient handling which permits a patent to remain on a single hospital bed from admittance to, and through discharge from, a hospital, thereby reducing the number of bed surface-to-surface transfers the patient must endure and reducing the number of different hospital beds required to treat a patient, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of rollable modular beds;

assigning a patient to one of the modular beds upon admittance to a hospital emergency room;

providing a plurality of retrofittable modules for selective removable securement to the modular beds, with at least one module being provided from each of a patient transport module group, critical care module group and ambulatory/rehabilitation module group; and

transforming the one modular bed as the patient is treated in and transferred from the emergency room and transferred to, treated in and transferred from the surgery room, the critical care unit and the med/surg unit and finally discharged, by securing to and removing from the one bed selected ones of the retrofittable modules thereby tailoring the one bed to the needs of the patient at any point from admittance to, through discharge from, the hospital.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrofittable modules when secured to the modular bed reside substantially within a bed footprint defined by projecting the periphery of the bed downwardly onto a floor surface.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the modular bed is provided with a base having a stem and a pair of outspread arms on each end of the stem, the stem and pairs of arms defining head and foot end cavities into which selected ones of the modules reside when secured to the modular bed.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the modular bed is further provided with a vacatable foot portion providing access to the foot end cavity by selected ones of the modules.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient transport module group consists of:

a rollable motorized transport module dockable to a head end of the bed to aid a care provider in moving the bed from place to place, and

a rollable care cart module dockable to a foot end of the bed providing life support to a patient on the bed during transport.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient critical care module group consists of:

a combination low air loss mattress with rigid internal bladder and air pallet module;

a rollable patient scale module dockable to a side of the bed;

compression boots;

hypothermia equipment;

pulse-oximetry equipment;

vital signs monitoring equipment; and

a CPM device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the ambulatory/rehabilitation module group consists of:

a rollable exerciser module dockable to a foot end of the bed for rehabilitation;

a combination rollable scooter and walker module dockable to the foot end of the bed for providing an independent means of ambulation;

a rollable toileting module dockable to the foot end of the bed;

a wheelchair module dockable to the foot end of the bed; and

a wireless nurse call/patient follower module providing an ambulatory patient a means of locating a nurse as well as providing staff a means of locating the patient.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the head end cavity is provided with a rollable motorized transport module dockable thereto to aid a care provider in moving the bed from place to place.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the foot end cavity is provided with a rollable care cart module dockable thereto providing life support to a patient on the bed during transport.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the foot end cavity and vacated foot portion is provided with a rollable ambulatory/rehabilitation module selected from the group consisting of an exerciser module, a walker module, a toilet module and a wheelchair module dockable thereto to aid a patient in ambulations and rehabilitation.