Transferable patient care equipment support

• US 7,884,735 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Newkirk, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang; Jack K.
• Application Number:
  US11/340,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20060179571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 5 8/1 H.S, 551/2, 560/0, 340/691.6, 248/125.8
• US Class Current: 340/691.6
• 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 12/004 mounted on the ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/005 mounted on the wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/107 Supply appliances supply appliances for dental machines A61C1/0007
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/80 for connecting a trolley to a device, e.g. bed or column table
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/012 raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/00 Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes stimulating the respiratory movement by mechanical, pneumatic or electrical means, iron lungs combined with gas breathing means A61H31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0007 introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/03 Gases in liquid phase, e.g. cryogenic liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/082 Mounting brackets, arm supports for equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/084 Supporting bases, stands for equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1413 Modular systems comprising interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A patient care equipment support includes power and data connectors configured to be coupled to power and data connectors of patient care equipment when the patient care equipment is coupled to the equipment support to provide a power coupling and a data coupling between the patient care equipment and the equipment support. The equipment support is transferable between a first device, such as a hospital bed, and a second device, such as an overhead support arm.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in a room having a floor, the apparatus comprising:

a hospital bed having a base frame and movable patient support portions located above the base frame,

a patient care equipment support having a bottom portion with a first electrical connector,

patient monitoring equipment coupled to the patient care equipment support and operable to monitor at least one patient physiological condition,

a user interface device coupled to the patient care equipment support, the user interface device including a display for displaying patient data and for displaying controls for controlling bed functions, and

a support structure having at least one segment coupled to the base frame and extending generally horizontally outwardly from the base frame in a cantilevered manner such that an unobstructed space is provided between the support structure and the floor, the patient care equipment support being coupled to the support structure and extending upwardly therefrom, the at least one segment being closer to the floor than to the display and also being pivotable relative to the base frame about a substantially vertical axis to orient the patient care equipment support at a plurality of positions relative to the hospital bed, the at least one segment having a second electrical connector that mates with the first electrical connector when the patient care equipment support is coupled to the support structure;

wherein the patient care equipment support has a width defined between opposite side walls of the patient care equipment support and is wider than the support structure so that, when the patient care equipment support is coupled to the support structure, a bottom wall of the patient care equipment support extends beyond opposite sides of the support structure;

wherein at least a portion of the display is situated in a recess provided between the opposite side walls of the patient care equipment support.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface device comprises a touchscreen display.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the touchscreen display is operable to display patient data and a plurality of icons that are touchable to move the movable portions of the hospital bed.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the touchscreen display is operable to display the patient data and the plurality of icons at the same time.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the touchscreen display is operable to display the patient data and the plurality of icons at different times.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the touchscreen display is coupled to the patient care equipment support above a set of cavities that are provided in the equipment support and that are configured to receive the patient monitoring equipment.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the patient care equipment support includes a microcontroller coupled to the touchscreen display, and the touchscreen display is operable to display a plurality of icons that are touchable to provide inputs to the microcontroller.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the patient data includes any one or more of the following:

blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation level, and patient weight.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is additionally configured to display the operational status of the hospital bed including information concerning one or more of the following:

lock-outs, bed articulation, bed elevation, siderail positions, and therapy surface data.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is additionally configured to display the operational status of the patient care equipment including information concerning one or more of the following:

alarm status, and equipment settings.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the hospital bed has an upper frame supported above the base frame, and the patient care equipment support is configured to support the touchscreen display higher in elevation than the upper frame.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the support structure extends outwardly from the base frame so that at least a portion of the support structure extends outside a footprint of the upper frame, and wherein the patient care equipment support is carried by the support structure outside the footprint of the upper frame.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the patient equipment support is configured to support any one or more of the following:

an infusion pump, a ventilator, a cardiac monitor, a pulse oximeter, a non-invasive blood pressure measuring device, a digital thermometer, a liquid oxygen module, a defibrillator, a respiratory rate measuring device, an oxygen tank, and an intra-venous bag.

16. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the patient care equipment support includes support legs with floor-engaging wheels which are supported on an underlying floor when the patient care equipment support is detached from the hospital bed and which are spaced apart from the underlying floor when the patient care equipment is coupled to the hospital bed.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the patient care equipment support comprises a main portion and the support legs are movable substantially vertically with respect to the main portion.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hospital bed includes a pair of spaced apart push handles situated adjacent a head end of the hospital bed and the user interface device is situated between the pair of spaced apart push handles when the patient care equipment support is at one of its positions at a head end of the hospital bed.

13. An apparatus for use in a room having a floor, the apparatus comprising:

a hospital bed having movable portions,

patient monitoring equipment coupled to the hospital bed to monitor at least one patient physiological condition,

a user interface device coupled to the hospital bed, the user interface device including a display for displaying patient data and for displaying controls for controlling bed functions, the user interface device comprising a touchscreen display, the hospital bed including a detachable patient care equipment support having a bottom portion with a first electrical connector, the touchscreen display being coupled to the patient care equipment support, the hospital bed having a base frame and an upper frame supported above the base frame, the patient care equipment support being detachably coupled to the base frame, and the patient care equipment support being configured to support the touchscreen display higher in elevation than the upper frame, and

a support structure having at least one segment coupled to the base frame and extending generally horizontally outwardly from the base frame in a cantilevered manner such that an unobstructed space is provided between the support structure and the floor with at least a portion of the support structure extending outside a footprint of the upper frame, the patient care equipment support being carried by the support structure outside the footprint of the upper frame and extending upwardly from the support structure, the at least one segment being closer to the floor than to the touchscreen display and also being pivotable relative to the base frame about a substantially vertical axis to orient the patient care equipment support at a plurality of positions relative to the hospital bed, the at least one segment having a second electrical connector that mates with the first electrical connector when the patient care equipment support is carried by the support structure;

wherein the patient care equipment support has a width defined between opposite side walls of the patient care equipment support and is wider than the support structure so that, when the patient care equipment support is coupled to the support structure, a bottom wall of the patient care equipment support extends beyond opposite sides of the support structure;

wherein at least a portion of the display is situated in a recess provided between the opposite side walls of the patient care equipment support.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the support structure is telescopic in a generally horizontal direction relative to the base frame and movable between an extended position and a retracted position so that when the support structure is in the retracted position, the patient care equipment support is supported closer to the hospital bed than when the support structure is in the extended position.