Patient weighing apparatus

• US 6,180,893 B1
• Filed: 03/03/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PatienTech, LLC
• Original Assignee: Peter Salgo
• Inventors: Salgo, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy W.
• Application Number:
  US09/261,362
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 177/144, 177/210.R, 177/245, 177/126, 340/666
• US Class Current: 177/144
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/445 in a horizontal position

Abstract

An apparatus for weighing a patient while the patient remains in bed including at least one flexible potentiometer mounted on top of a bed or mattress having a known compliance, i.e. known degree of flexure for a given weight, and connected to an electrical system for detecting and measuring the resistance of the potentiometer, so as to indicate the weight of the patient. The flexible potentiometer may also be adhered to a sheet of plastic, such as Mylar, and placed upon the bed like a protective sheet for the bed. The apparatus may include a multiple of flexible potentiometers. Further, the device to which the flexible potentiometer is connected may be used to help control servo mechanisms in medication dispensing devices such as infusion pumps and/or hemodialysis machines (artificial kidneys).

Claims

1. A system for weighing a patient in a bed, said system including:

mattress having a known degree of flexure for given weights;

a flexible potentiometer mounted on top of said mattress;

an electrical monitoring system for monitoring the resistance of the potentiometer to indicate the weight of said patient; and

circuitry connected to a medical device for providing a signal indicative of the resistance of the potentiometer device to control said medical device.

2. The system for weighing a patient in a bed as described in claim 4 also including:

a sheet of material; and

wherein said flexible potentiometer is adhered to said sheet of material.

3. The system for weighing a patient in a bed as described in claim 2 also including:

a second flexible potentiometer adhered to said sheet of material to enable weighing said patient without regard to the position of said patient in said bed.

4. The system for weighing a patient in a mattress as described in claim 1 when said medical device is a medicine-dispensing machine.

5. The system for weighing a patient in a mattress as described in claim 1 when said medical device is a dialysis machine.

6. The system for weighing a patient in a mattress as described in claim 1 when said medical device is an intravenous fluid-dispensing machine.

7. The system for weighing a patient in a bed as described in claim 4 also including:

a second flexible potentiometer adhered to said sheet of material to enable weighing said patient without regard to the position of said patient in said bed.

8. The system for weighting a patient in a bed as described in claim 2 in which said material is a plastic.