Bed status information system for hospital beds

• US 6,362,725 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2000
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Scott, Tom, Ulrich, Daniel J., Novak, Joe, Myers, Julie, Jennings, Bob, Weismiller, Matthew W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/711,641
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 340/280.07, 340/286.06, 340/286.08, 340/825.52, 340/573, 340/332, 340/286.01, 340/825.19
• US Class Current: 340/286.07
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/00 Accommodation for nursing, e.g. in hospitals, not covered by groups A61G1/00 - A61G11/00, e.g. trolleys for transport of medicaments or food service or tea-tables, trolleys or wagons A47B31/00; Prescription lists
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/12 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/70 with special adaptations, e.g. for safety or comfort
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/014 Alarm signalling to a central station with two-way communication, e.g. with signalling back
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/12 Manually actuated calamity alarm transmitting arrangements emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm, activators, e.g. details of alarm push buttons mounted on an infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/222 Personal calling arrangements or devices, i.e. paging systems selective calling systems and call receivers H04W84/00, H04W68/00
• 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: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

An apparatus is configured to control at least one function of a bed located in a room from a remote location outside of the room. The apparatus includes a controller configured to control the at least one bed function, an interface device coupled to the controller, and an input device located at the remote location. The input device is configured to generate a message signal to control the at least one bed function. The message signal is transmitted from the input device to the interface device and from the interface device to the controller to control the at least one bed function from the remote location.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to control at least one function of a bed located in a room from a remote location outside of the room, the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to control the at least one bed function;

an interface device coupled to the controller; and

an input device located at the remote location, the input device being configured to generate a message signal to control the at least one bed function, the message signal being transmitted from the input device to interface device and from the interface device to the controller to control the at least one bed function from the remote location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface device includes a bed interface device coupled to the controller and a wall interface device coupled to the bed interface device, the wall interface device being coupled to the input device located at the remote location.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one bed function is a patient exit detection system, and wherein the message signal activates the patient exit detection system from the remote location.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one bed function is a position adjustment apparatus configured to adjust a position of a component of the bed.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the position adjustment apparatus is a height adjustment mechanism of the bed.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one bed function is a mattress firmness adjustment apparatus, and wherein the message signal adjusts a firmness of a mattress on the bed.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a status signal generator located on the bed, the status signal generator being configured to monitor a condition of the bed and to generate a status signal indicative of the status of the monitored bed condition, the status signal generator being coupled to the interface device, and further comprising a processing station located at a remote location, the processing station being coupled to the interface device and configured to receive the status signal from the interface device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the status signal generator is configured to provide status information on at least one of a physical position of a mattress on the bed, an operational condition of a brake of the bed, a physical position of a siderail of the bed, a position of a component of the bed, and whether a patient exit detection system is in an activated status.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one bed condition sensor system coupled to the bed, the sensor system being configured to monitor a condition of the bed and to generate a status signal indicative of a status of the monitored condition, and a processing station located at a remote location outside the room, the processing station being coupled to the sensor system by the interface device and being configured to receive the status signal and to process the status signal to provide an indication on a display device of the status of the monitored condition.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface device includes a datalink.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one bed condition sensor system includes one of a bed exit detection system activated sensor, a bed exit detection sensor, a pressure sensor, a siderail location sensor, a bed height sensor, a bed brake sensor, and a bed operating mode sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of beds are coupled to the input device by a plurality of interface devices, the message signal generated by the input device being directed to a selected one of the plurality of beds to control the at least one bed function on the selected bed from the remote location.

13. An apparatus configured to control at least one function of a bed located in a room from a remote location outside of the room, the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to control the at least one bed function;

an input device located at the remote location, the input device being configured to generate a message signal to control the at least one bed function; and

means for coupling the input device to the controller to transmit the message signal from the input device to the controller to control the at least one bed function from the remote location.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one bed function is one of a patient exit detection system, a position adjustment apparatus configured to adjust a position of a component of the bed, a mattress firmness adjustment apparatus, and a brake control apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a status signal generator located on the bed, the status signal generator being configured to monitor a condition of the bed and to generate a status signal indicative of the status of the monitored bed condition, the status signal generator being coupled to the interface device, and further comprising a processing station located at a remote location, the processing station being coupled to the interface device and configured to receive the status signal from the interface device.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a plurality of beds are coupled to the input device by the coupling means, the message signal generated by the input device being directed to a selected one of the plurality of beds to control the at least one bed function on the selected bed from the remote location.

17. A bed control and status monitoring apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to control at least one bed function of a bed;

a status signal generator configured to monitor at least one condition of the bed and to generate a status signal indicative of a status of the monitored condition;

a processing station located at a remote location from the bed, the processing station being coupled to the status signal generator to receive the status signal; and

an input device located at a remote location from the bed, the input device being configured to generate a message signal to control the at least one bed function, the message signal being transmitted from the input device to the controller to control the at least one bed function from the remote location.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising an interface board having a processor which is electrically coupled to the status signal generator, said interface board being configured to receive and process the status signal to create a bed condition message indicating the status of the monitored condition.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processing station is coupled to the interface board by a datalink, the processing station configured to receive the bed condition message over the datalink and process the bed condition message, the processing station including an indication device configured to indicate, in a humanly perceptible form, the status of the monitored condition of the bed and the contents of the bed condition message.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one bed function is one of a patient exit detection system, a position adjustment apparatus configured to adjust a position of a component of the bed, a mattress firmness adjustment apparatus, and a brake control apparatus.