Patient room and bed management apparatus and system

• US 8,334,777 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Bradley T., Pesot, Whitney W., Vigneron, Katherine J., McCleerey, Michelle E., Saucier, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US12/708,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20110205061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.07, 340/573.1, 340/506, 340/517, 340/521, 340/524, 340/525, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/286.11, 705/2
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23043 Remote and local control panel, programming unit, switch
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23044 Transparent overlay with touch sensors, put over display panel, select function
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2608 Hospital bed
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A bed system includes a user interface module that is not mounted to a patient'"'"'s bed. The user interface module may provide bed controls that allow a staff person to initiate an electronically controlled function of the bed from the user interface module. The user interface module may also be in data communication with a health information system used by a healthcare facility. The bed may include a built-in weigh scale, and the user interface module may initiate zeroing of the weigh scale. The user interface module may allow a staff person to activate bed controls that are not available at the bed.

Claims

1. A bed system comprising

a bed having a bed identifier uniquely identifying the bed to the bed system, a bed network, and a bed function controller configured to control a plurality of electronically-controllable functions of the bed by sending control signals over the bed network,

at least one first user control module supported by the bed and operably coupled to the bed network to enable a user to control one or more of the electronically-controllable functions of the bed, and

a second user control module spaced from the at least one first user control module, spaced from the bed, electrically isolated from the bed, supported by an architectural structure, and operably coupled to the bed network, the second user control module comprising a housing, at least one input device supported by the housing, a display supported by the housing, memory in which data and computer-executable instructions are stored, and a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions to cause the display to display information about the bed identified by the bed identifier, and send a signal to the bed function controller of the bed identified by the unique identifier to cause the bed function controller to execute an electronically-controlled function selected at the input device of the second user control module.

2. The bed system of claim 1, wherein the second user control module is in data communication with a health information system of a healthcare facility.

3. The bed system of claim 1, wherein the bed has first and second bed functions that are electronically controllable via first and second bed controls, respectively, the at least one first user control module is configured to make the first user control available for activation by a user but not the second user control, and the second user control module is configured to make the second user control available for activation by a user.

4. The bed system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the second user control module is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to control at least one electronically controllable non-bed function.

5. The bed system of claim 1, wherein the second user control module is operably coupled to the bed network using a wireless link.

6. The bed system of claim 5, wherein the wireless link comprises an infrared communications link.

7. The bed system of claim 5, wherein the wireless link comprises a low power radio frequency communications link.

8. The bed system of claim 1, wherein the second user control module is operably coupled to the bed network using a wired link.

9. The bed system of claim 8, wherein the wired link comprises a fiber optic cable.

10. The bed system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first infrared transceiver,

a cable operably coupling the second user control module and the first infrared transceiver, and

a second infrared transceiver capable of communicating with the first infrared transceiver, the second infrared transceiver supported by the bed and operably coupled to the bed network.

11. The bed system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first infrared transceiver operably coupled to the second user control module,

a second infrared transceiver supported by the bed and operably coupled to the bed network, and

a flexible cable assembly having an infrared transceiver mounted on either end, the flexible cable assembly capable of relaying communications between the first infrared transceiver and the second infrared transceiver.

12. A bed system comprising

a bed having a bed identifier uniquely identifying the bed to the bed system, a bed network, a built-in weigh scale, and a bed function controller configured to control a plurality of electronically-controllable functions of the bed by sending control signals over the bed network,

at least one first user control module supported by the bed and operably coupled to the bed network to enable a user to control one or more of the electronically-controllable functions of the bed, and

a second user control module spaced from the at least one first user control module, spaced from the bed, electrically isolated from the bed, operably coupled to the bed network, and in data communication with a healthcare information and communication system of a healthcare facility, the second user control module comprising a housing, at least one input device supported by the housing, a display supported by the housing, memory in which data and computer-executable instructions are stored, and a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions to initiate zeroing of the weigh scale in response to a signal received from the healthcare information and communication system.

13. A bed control device operably coupled to, spaced from, and electrically isolated from one or more beds, each bed having a bed identifier uniquely identifying the bed, a bed network, and a bed function controller configured to control a plurality of electronically-controllable functions of the bed by sending control signals over the bed network, wherein the bed control device comprises:

a housing supported by an architectural structure,

at least one input device supported by the housing,

a display supported by the housing,

memory in which data and computer-executable instructions are stored, and

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions to;

display information about the one or more beds using the display, and

send a control signal to the bed function controller of a bed selected from the one or more beds to execute an electronically-controlled function of the bed, wherein the bed and the electronically-controlled function are selected at the at least one input device.

14. The bed control device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to display information about the one or more beds identified by the bed identifier of each bed.

15. The bed control device of claim 13, wherein the bed control device is operably coupled with the one or more beds using one or both of a wired link and a wireless link.

16. The bed control device of claim 13, comprising computer circuitry to receive a weigh scale signal indicating that a bed'"'"'s weigh scale has been zeroed and send the control signal in response to the weigh scale signal.

17. The bed control device of claim 13, configured to receive data indicating whether a room in which a bed is located needs to be cleaned, and to display, at the bed control device, information relating to whether the room needs to be cleaned.

18. The bed control device of claim 13, configured to receive data from multiple beds and selectively send control signals to each of the beds.