Patient support surface with vital signs sensors

• US 8,031,080 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Repik, Marla, Bries, Nick, Price, James H., Thomas, James Milton Cherry, Caldwell, Karl, Taylor, Geoffrey Locke, Mensching, Kerry J., Stolpmann, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US12/418,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20090183312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 340/666, 340/665, 340/667, 340/575, 200/85.R, 200/85.A, 731/72, 177/144, 569/8
• US Class Current: 340/666
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/447 specially adapted for aiding the prevention of ulcer or pressure sore development, i.e. before the ulcer or sore has developed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/32 for force
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/74 for anti-shear when adjusting furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 Weighing devices
• 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: G01G 19/445 in a horizontal position
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3728 : with wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 5/006 : with pneumatic means

Abstract

A patient support surface comprises a cover defining an interior region, a modifiable support layer situated in the interior region and having at least one air bladder, and a sensor layer situated in the interior region and having at least one sensor configured to detect a physiological parameter of a patient atop the patient support surface.

Claims

1. A patient support surface comprising:

a cover defining an interior region,

a support layer situated in the interior region and having a plurality of air bladders, and

at least one sensor situated in the interior region above at least one air bladder of the plurality of air bladders, the at least one sensor having a first sensor configured to sense at least one vital sign of a patient atop the patient support surface, and the at least one sensor comprising a second sensor which is used to determine whether to adjust a pressure of one or more of the plurality of air bladders of the support layer.

2. The patient support surface of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises one of a heart rate sensor, a respiration rate sensor, and a temperature sensor.

3. The patient support surface of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a sensor layer including a piezoelectric material located between the air bladder and the cover.

4. The patient support surface of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors configured to detect a plurality of vital signs of a patient atop the patient support surface.

5. The patient support surface of claim 4, wherein the plurality of vital signs comprise one or more of a heart rate, a respiration rate, a body temperature, and blood oxygenation.

6. The patient support surface of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to generate an alert if the at least one vital sign sensed by the at least one sensor is outside a predefined range.

7. The patient support surface of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to send the alert to a nurse station.

8. The patient support surface of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a weight sensor.

9. The patient support surface of claim 8, wherein the weight sensor comprises a pressure sensing material.

10. The patient support surface of claim 9, further comprising a controller configured to monitor a patient'"'"'s weight or changes in a patient'"'"'s weight based on information received from the weight sensor.

11. The patient support surface of claim 1, wherein each air bladder of the plurality of air bladders is independently controllable and each of the first and second sensors is situated atop a respective one of the plurality of air bladders.

12. The patient support surface of claim 11, further comprising a controller configured to adjust pressure in the independently controllable air bladders based on an interface force sensed by the second sensor.

13. The patient support surface of claim 1, further comprising an anti-sheer layer located between the cover and the sensor.

14. The patient support surface of claim 1, further comprising a foam layer beneath the at least one air bladder.

15. The patient support surface of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the first and second sensors, the controller being configured to determine the at least one vital sign of the person based on a first output signal from the first sensor and the controller configured to adjust pressure in the support layer based on a second output signal from the second sensor.

16. The patient support surface of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a temperature sensor to measure a temperature of a patient.

17. The patient support surface of claim 16, further comprising a controller configured to monitor a patient'"'"'s temperature or changes in a patient'"'"'s temperature based on information received from the at least one temperature sensor.

18. The patient support surface of claim 16, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a temperature sensing fabric.

19. The patient support surface of claim 16, wherein the temperature sensor comprises at least one thermistor.

20. The patient support surface of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is located between the at least one air bladder and the cover.