Location detection system for a patient handling device
First Claim
1. A location detection system for a facility, comprising:
- a patient handling device having a support surface for supporting a patient and being mobile for positioning at a location in the facility;
a locator fixed relative to said patient handling device for transmitting a unique location identifier corresponding to the location of said patient handling device;
a processing station remote from said patient handling device and said locator for receiving said unique location identifier such that the location of said patient handling device can be determined and monitored remotely from said patient handling device;
a communication device mounted to said patient handling device for receiving said unique location identifier from said locator; and
a communication module mounted to said patient handling device and in communication with said communication device, said communication module having a unique ID for said patient handling device and transmitting said unique ID and said unique location identifier received by said communication device from said patient handling device to said processing station such that said patient handling device acts as a communication link between said locator and said processing station, and said processing station receiving said unique location identifier and said unique ID and correlating said unique location identifier with said unique ID and further correlating said unique ID of said patient handling device with a patient supported by said patient handling device wherein said processing station can track said patient and/ or said patient handling device, said communication device transmitting a request signal to said locator, and said locator including a receiver for receiving said request signal from said communication device.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A location detection system for a facility including a patient handling device for supporting a patient and being mobile for positioning at a location in the facility, a locator fixed relative to the patient handling device for transmitting a unique location identifier corresponding to the location of the patient handling device, and a processing station remote from the patient handling device and the locator for receiving the unique location identifier such that the location of the patient handling device can be determined and monitored remotely from the patient handling device. The system further includes a receiver mounted to the patient handling device for receiving the unique location identifier from the locator and a communication module with a unique ID for the patient handling device mounted to the patient handling device and in communication with the receiver and transmitting the unique ID and the unique location identifier received by the receiver from the patient handling device to the processing station such that the patient handling device acts as a communication link between the locator and the processing station, and the processing station receiving the unique location identifier and the unique ID and correlating the unique location identifier with the unique ID and further correlating the unique ID of the patient handling device with a patient supported by the patient handling device wherein the processing station can track the patient handling device and the patient supported thereby.
68 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A location detection system for a facility, comprising:
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a patient handling device having a support surface for supporting a patient and being mobile for positioning at a location in the facility; a locator fixed relative to said patient handling device for transmitting a unique location identifier corresponding to the location of said patient handling device; a processing station remote from said patient handling device and said locator for receiving said unique location identifier such that the location of said patient handling device can be determined and monitored remotely from said patient handling device; a communication device mounted to said patient handling device for receiving said unique location identifier from said locator; and a communication module mounted to said patient handling device and in communication with said communication device, said communication module having a unique ID for said patient handling device and transmitting said unique ID and said unique location identifier received by said communication device from said patient handling device to said processing station such that said patient handling device acts as a communication link between said locator and said processing station, and said processing station receiving said unique location identifier and said unique ID and correlating said unique location identifier with said unique ID and further correlating said unique ID of said patient handling device with a patient supported by said patient handling device wherein said processing station can track said patient and/ or said patient handling device, said communication device transmitting a request signal to said locator, and said locator including a receiver for receiving said request signal from said communication device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A location detection system for a facility, comprising:
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a patient handling device having a support surface for supporting a patient and being mobile for positioning at a location in the facility; a locator fixed relative to said patient handling device for transmitting a unique location identifier corresponding to the location of said patient handling device; a processing station remote from said patient handling device and said locator for receiving said unique location identifier such that the location of said patient handling device can be determined and monitored remotely from said patient handling device; a receiver mounted to said patient handling device for receiving said unique location identifier from said locator; and a communication module mounted to said patient handling device and in communication with said receiver, said communication module having a unique ID for said patient handling device and transmitting said unique ID and said unique location identifier received by said receiver from said patient handling device to said processing station such that said patient handling device acts as a communication link between said locator and said processing station, and said processing station receiving said unique location identifier and said unique ID and correlating said unique location identifier with said unique ID and further correlating said unique ID of said patient handling device with a patient supported by said patient handling device wherein said processing station can track said patient handling device and the patient supported thereby, said locator including at least one infrared transmitter for transmitting said unique location identifier to said receiver and said receiver includes at least one infrared sensor for receiving said unique location identifier from said infrared transmitter, wherein said locator includes a plurality of infrared transmitters for transmitting said unique location identifier to said receiver and said receiver includes a plurality of infrared sensors for receiving said unique location identifier from said infrared transmitters thereby improving transmission of said unique location identifier.
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14. A location detection system for a facility, comprising:
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a patient handling device having a support surface for supporting a patient and being mobile for positioning at a location in the facility; a locator fixed relative to said patient handling device for transmitting a unique location identifier corresponding to the location of said patient handling device; a processing station remote from said patient handling device and said locator for receiving said unique location identifier such that the location of said patient handling device can be determined and monitored remotely from said patient handling device; a receiver mounted to said patient handling device for receiving said unique location identifier from said locator; and a communication module mounted to said patient handling device and in communication with said receiver, said communication module having a unique ID for said patient handling device and transmitting said unique Ill and said unique location identifier received by said receiver from said patient handling device to said processing station such that said patient handling device acts as a communication link between said locator and said processing station, and said processing station receiving said unique location identifier and said unique ID and correlating said unique location identifier with said unique ID and further correlating said unique ID of said patient handling device with a patient supported by said patient handling device wherein said processing station can track said patient handling device and the patient supported thereby, said locator including at least one infrared transmitter for transmitting said unique location identifier to said receiver and said receiver includes at least one infrared sensor for receiving said unique location identifier from said infrared transmitter, wherein said locator includes at least one infrared sensor for receiving a request signal from said receiver and said receiver includes at least one infrared transmitter for transmitting said request signal from said receiver to said locator. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A location detection system for a facility, comprising:
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a patient handling device having a support surface for supporting a patient and being mobile for positioning at a location in the facility; a locator fixed relative to said patient handling device for transmitting a unique location identifier corresponding to the location of said patient handling device; a processing station remote from said patient handling device and said locator for receiving said unique location identifier such that the location of said patient handling device can be determined and monitored remotely from said patient handling device; a receiver mounted to said patient handling device for receiving said unique location identifier from said locator; and a communication module mounted to said patient handling device and in communication with said receiver. said communication module having a unique ED for said patient handling device and transmitting said unique ID and said unique location identifier received by said receiver from said patient handling device to said processing station such that said patient handling device acts as a communication link between said locator and said processing station, and said processing station receiving said unique location identifier and said unique ID and correlating said unique location identifier with said unique ID and further correlating said unique ID of said patient handling device with a patient supported by said patient handling device wherein said processing station can track said patient handling device and the patient supported thereby, said locator including at least one radio frequency identification tag for transmitting said unique location identifier to said receiver using radio frequency, wherein said locator includes a plurality of radio frequency identification tags for transmitting said unique location identifier to said receiver.
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18. A location detection system for a facility, comprising:
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a patient handling device having a support surface for supporting a patient and being mobile for positioning at a location in the facility; a locator fixed relative to said patient handling device for transmitting a unique location identifier corresponding to the location of said patient handling device; a processing station remote from said patient handling device and said locator for receiving said unique location identifier such that the location of said patient handling device can be determined and monitored remotely from said patient handling device; a receiver mounted to said patient handling device for receiving said unique location identifier from said locator; a communication module mounted to said patient handling device and in communication with said receiver, said communication module having a unique ID for said patient handling device and transmitting said unique ID and said unique location identifier received by said receiver from said patient handling device to said processing station such that said patient handling device acts as a communication link between said locator and said processing station, and said processing station receiving said unique location identifier and said unique ID and correlating said unique location identifier with said unique ID and further correlating said unique ID of said patient handling device with a patient supported by said patient handling device wherein said processing station can track said patient handling device and the patient supported thereby, said locator including at least one radio frequency identification tag for transmitting said unique location identifier to said receiver using radio frequency; and a nurse call interface port and a cable interconnecting said nurse call interface port and said patient handling device with said at least one radio frequency identification tag mounted to one end of said cable.
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19. A method of detecting a location of a patient and a patient handling device having a support surface supporting the patient and being adapted to be transported throughout a facility, said method comprising:
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transporting the patient handling device to the location in the facility, the patient handling device having a unique ID associated therewith; transmitting a request signal from said patient handling device to a locator fixed at the location; in response to receiving said request signal. transmitting a unique location identifier corresponding to the location of the patient handling device from the locator to a communication device mounted to the patient handling device; transmitting the unique location identifier and the unique ID from the patient handling device to a processing station remote from the patient handling device; correlating the unique location identifier with the unique ID; and correlating the unique ID with a patient supported by the patient handling device, such that the location of the patient and/or the patient handling device can be determined and monitored remotely from the patient handling device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method of detecting a location of a patient and a patient handling device having a support surface supporting the patient and being adapted to be transported throughout a facility, said method comprising:
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transporting the patient handling device to the location in the facility, the patient handling device having a unique ID associated therewith; transmitting a unique location identifier corresponding to the location of the patient handling device from a locator fixed at the location to a receiver mounted to the patient handling device; transmitting the unique location identifier and the unique ID from the patient handling device to a processing station remote from the patient handling device; correlating the unique location identifier with the unique ID; and correlating the unique ID with a patient supported by the patient handling device, such that the location of the patient handling device and the patient can be determined and monitored remotely from the patient handling device, said transmitting the unique location identifier from the locator to the patient handling device comprises transmitting an infrared location signal from an infrared transmitter of the locator to an infrared sensor of the receiver, said transmitting the unique location identifier from the patient handling device to the processing station further comprises transmitting the unique location identifier from a communication module supported by the patient handling device to the processing station such that the patient handling device acts as a communication link between the locator and the processing station, further comprising transmitting a request signal from the patient handling device to the locator to wake the locator from a sleep mode. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification