Bed having modular therapy devices

• US 6,047,424 A
• Filed: 09/23/1997
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: McCormick, Scott D., Mansfield, Dan, Osborne, Eugene E., Ulrich, David J., Schulte, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grosz, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US08/935,689
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 5/713, 5/710, 5/600, 5/714, 5/715
• US Class Current: 5/713
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/001 with means for turning-over the patient
• 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 7/008 tiltable around longitudinal axis, e.g. for rolling
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms
• 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 7/05715 with modular blocks, or inserts, with layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05776 with at least two groups of alternately inflated chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1021 Inflatable cushions
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/16 converting a lying surface into a chair

Abstract

A control apparatus is provided for at least one air therapy device stored on a bed which includes an electrical communication network, and an air handling unit. The apparatus includes a manifold having at least one chamber coupled to the air handling unit. The at least one chamber is formed to include an outlet, and a normally closed valve configured to seal the outlet. The manifold also includes a connector coupled to the at least one air therapy device, and an electrical connector coupled to the electrical communication network of the bed. The apparatus also includes a control module having a valve assembly including an inlet and an outlet. The control module also includes a controller, and an electrical connector coupled to the controller. The control module is configured to be inserted into the manifold so that the inlet of the control module is coupled to the outlet of the manifold and opens the normally closed valve to couple the valve assembly to the air handling unit. The outlet of the control module is configured to enter the connector to couple the outlet of the valve assembly to the at least one air therapy device on the bed. The electrical connector of the control module is configured to mate with the electrical connector in the manifold to couple the controller of the control module to the electrical communication network of the bed.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a plurality of air therapy devices stored on a bed which includes an electrical communication network, and an air handling unit, the apparatus comprising:

a manifold coupled to the bed, the manifold being formed to include a chamber coupled to the air handling unit and a plurality of module receiving portions, each module receiving portion having an electrical connector coupled to the communication network, an outlet coupled to the chamber, and a connector coupled to a selected air therapy device on the bed; and

a plurality of control modules, each control module being configured to be connected to a predetermined module receiving portion on the manifold, each control module including a valve having an inlet configured to be coupled to the outlet of the manifold, and an outlet configured to be coupled to the connector, each control module also including a controller and an electrical connector configured to mate with the electrical connector of the manifold to connect the controller to the electrical communication network on the bed, the controller being coupled to the valve, each module receiving portion on the manifold, and each control module, being formed to include an indicator to identify the predetermined module receiving portion on the manifold for each control module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indicator on the manifold includes at least one rib, and the indicator on the control module includes at least one slot formed in the control module, the at least one slot being configured to receive the at least one rib so that the control module can only be installed in its predetermined module receiving portion on the manifold.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indicators on the manifold and the control modules are color coding.

4. The apparatus of claim I, wherein the indicators on the manifold and control modules include a label identifying a specific control module type.

5. A control apparatus for at least one air therapy device stored on a bed which includes an electrical communication network, and an air handling unit, the apparatus comprising:

a manifold having at least one chamber coupled to the air handling unit, the at least one chamber being formed to include an outlet, and a normally closed valve configured to seal the outlet, the manifold also including a connector coupled to the at least one air therapy device, and an electrical connector coupled to the electrical communication network of the bed; and

a control module having a valve assembly including an inlet and an outlet, the control module also including a controller, and an electrical connector coupled to the controller, the control module being configured to be inserted into the manifold so that the inlet of the control module is coupled to the outlet of the manifold and opens the normally closed valve to couple the valve assembly to the air handling unit, the outlet of the control module being configured to enter the connector to couple the outlet of the valve assembly to the at least one air therapy device on the bed, and the electrical connector of the control module being configured to mate with the electrical connector in the manifold to couple the controller of the control module to the electrical communication network of the bed.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the manifold has a first chamber coupled to a pressure source and a second chamber coupled to a vacuum source, the manifold including first and second outlets in communication with the first and second chambers, respectively, and first and second normally closed valves located in the first and second outlets, the control module including first and second inlets configured to be coupled to the first and second outlets and to open the first and second normally closed valves to connect both a pressure source and a vacuum source to the valve assembly of the control module.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the valve assembly of the control module is configured to selectively supply one of the pressure source and the vacuum source to the outlet of the control module.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the manifold includes a plurality of module-receiving portions, each module-receiving portion including first and second outlets connected to the first and second chambers of the manifold, respectively, each of the first and second outlets having a normally closed valve configured to seal the first and second chambers, each of the module-receiving portions further including at least one outlet connector coupled to a selected air therapy device, and an electrical connector coupled to the electrical communication network of the bed.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control module includes a sensor coupled to the outlet of the valve assembly to monitor pressure supplied to the outlet of the control module and to the air therapy device.

10. The bed of claim 5, further comprising a user control interface coupled to the electrical communication network, the user interface being configured to transmit command signals for the plurality of air therapy devices over the electrical communication network to control operation of the plurality of air therapy devices.

11. The bed of claim 10, wherein the user control interface includes a display and a user input, each control module being configured to transmit display commands to the display related to the corresponding air therapy device.

12. The bed of claim 5, wherein one of the plurality of air therapy devices is a support surface air bladder located on a deck of the bed.

13. The bed of claim 12, wherein another of the plurality of air therapy devices includes a rotation bladder located between the deck and the support surface air bladder, and one of the control modules is a rotation control module for coupling the rotation air bladder to the air handling unit, the rotation control module being coupled to the electrical communication network.

14. The bed of claim 5, wherein one of the plurality of air therapy devices is a sequential compression therapy device, and one of the plurality of control modules is a sequential compression device air control module for coupling the sequential compression device to the air handling unit, the sequential compression device air control module being coupled to the electrical communication network.

15. The bed of claim 5, wherein one of the plurality of air therapy devices is a percussion and vibration bladder located on the deck for providing percussion and vibration therapy, and wherein one of the plurality of control modules is a percussion and vibration control module for coupling the percussion and vibration bladder to the air handling unit, the percussion and vibration module being coupled to the electrical communication network.

16. A control module to activate an air therapy device on a bed which includes an electrical communication network, an air handling unit, and a plurality of air therapy devices stored on the bed, the control module comprising:

at least one electrically controlled valve having an input and an output;

at least one pressure sensor having an input and an output;

an electronic controller coupled to and configured to control the at least one electrically controlled valve and coupled to the output of the at least one pressure sensor; and

a plurality of connectors configured to couple the input of the valve to the air handling unit on the bed, to couple the output of the valve to the selected air therapy device and the pressure sensor and to couple the controller to the electrical communication network on the bed.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a control interface coupled to the electrical communication network, the control interface being configured to transmit command signals to the communication network for use by the controller to control the selected air therapy device, the control interface including a display and a user input, and wherein the controller transmits display command signals to the control interface to display information related to the selected air therapy device on the display.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the selected air therapy device includes a plurality of air zones and the control module includes an electrically controlled valve for each of the plurality of air zones to couple the plurality of air zones to the air handling unit on the bed independently.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the control module includes a separate pressure sensor coupled to each of the plurality of air zones.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control module includes a first electrically controlled valve configured to couple an air pressure supply line to the air therapy device and a second electrically controlled valve configured to couple a vacuum pump to the air therapy device, the first and second valves being coupled to the controller.