Patient monitoring system

• US 8,419,660 B1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medical Depot Incorporated (Drive Medical Design & Manufacturing)
• Original Assignee: Primus Medical Incorporated
• Inventors: Shaw, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoekstra, Jeffrey G
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, FANGEMONIQUE A
• Application Number:
  US11/145,491
• Time in Patent Office: 2,874 Days
• Field of Search: 600/595, 600/300, 600/301, 600/534, 600/535, 600/549, 600/587, 601/152
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/123 for beds or mattresses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats

Abstract

A patient monitoring system including a migration sensor that includes a compressible member that defines a chamber at least partially filled with fluid and a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the member. The member is attached to the mattress at a selected location to detect movement of the patient. The monitoring system includes a controller that monitors the pressure sensor, and is adapted to notify a care giver upon detecting a selected pressure change within the member.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring patient migration on a mattress, the system comprising:

plural migration sensors, each migration sensor including a compressible member defining a chamber at least partially filled with fluid, and a pressure sensor in sensing communication with said member;

a controller in communication with each pressure sensor, wherein said controller receives a pressure value from said pressure sensor and stores said pressure value in a memory, said controller upon detecting a substantially simultaneous change in the pressure values reported from compressible members on opposite sides of the mattress, being adapted to zero said pressure values in memory.

2. A system for monitoring patient migration used in combination with a mattress, the mattress comprising:

a center-line, said mattress being pivotable about an axis that is transverse to said center-line; and

said system comprising plural migration sensors extending parallel to said center-line and located on opposite sides thereof;

said migration sensors each include a compressible member defining a chamber at least partially filled with fluid, and a pressure sensor in sensing communication with said compressible member adapted to detect a pressure within said compressible member; and

a controller in communication with each of said pressure sensors and adapted to receive said pressure from said pressure sensors, wherein said controller is adapted to compare said pressures from each of said migration sensors, and upon detecting a substantially simultaneous change in pressure in at least two migration sensors located on opposite sides of said center-line of said mattress, the controller automatically calibrates itself to zero until the substantially simultaneous change is no longer detected.