Mattress for a hospital bed for use in a healthcare facility and management of same
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A mattress for use in a healthcare facility having a communication system and a plurality of bed frames, the mattress comprising:
- a support member;
a unique electronic identifier, associated with the mattress, to uniquely identify the mattress; and
a transceiver, associated with the mattress and operably coupled to the communication system, to transmit the unique electronic identifier over the communication system;
a bed frame transceiver associated with a bed frame from the plurality of bed frames;
an install-confirming device comprising a user input button that is used to confirm placement of the mattress on one of the bed frames of the plurality of bed frames;
a communications network coupled to the transceiver, the bed frame transceiver, and the install-confirming device, the communications network used to communicate data between the transceiver, the bed frame transceiver, and the install-confirming device;
a first visual indicator to indicate whether the mattress is successfully associated with one of the bed frames of the plurality of bed frames, the first visual indicator coupled to the install-confirming device;
a second visual indicator to indicate whether the transceiver associated with the mattress is successfully communicating with the communication system of the healthcare facility, the second visual indicator coupled to the install-confirming device, the second visual indicator becoming enabled when the bed frame transceiver receives, via the communications network, a confirmation signal from the communication system of the healthcare facility, the bed frame transceiver receiving the confirmation signal and causing the bed frame transceiver to enable the second visual indicator; and
a controller coupled to the transceiver and the install-confirming device, the controller receiving a signal from the user input button to confirm that the mattress is placed on one of the bed frames of the plurality of bed frames, to activating the first visual indicator in response to determining a successful association, and activating the second visual indicator in response to determining successful communication with the communication system of the healthcare facility.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mattress or support surface including an identifier to enable the mattress or support surface to be associated with a location in the healthcare facility and more particularly a room within the healthcare facility.
334 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A mattress for use in a healthcare facility having a communication system and a plurality of bed frames, the mattress comprising:
-
a support member; a unique electronic identifier, associated with the mattress, to uniquely identify the mattress; and a transceiver, associated with the mattress and operably coupled to the communication system, to transmit the unique electronic identifier over the communication system; a bed frame transceiver associated with a bed frame from the plurality of bed frames; an install-confirming device comprising a user input button that is used to confirm placement of the mattress on one of the bed frames of the plurality of bed frames; a communications network coupled to the transceiver, the bed frame transceiver, and the install-confirming device, the communications network used to communicate data between the transceiver, the bed frame transceiver, and the install-confirming device; a first visual indicator to indicate whether the mattress is successfully associated with one of the bed frames of the plurality of bed frames, the first visual indicator coupled to the install-confirming device; a second visual indicator to indicate whether the transceiver associated with the mattress is successfully communicating with the communication system of the healthcare facility, the second visual indicator coupled to the install-confirming device, the second visual indicator becoming enabled when the bed frame transceiver receives, via the communications network, a confirmation signal from the communication system of the healthcare facility, the bed frame transceiver receiving the confirmation signal and causing the bed frame transceiver to enable the second visual indicator; and a controller coupled to the transceiver and the install-confirming device, the controller receiving a signal from the user input button to confirm that the mattress is placed on one of the bed frames of the plurality of bed frames, to activating the first visual indicator in response to determining a successful association, and activating the second visual indicator in response to determining successful communication with the communication system of the healthcare facility. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A method of determining the location of a mattress within a healthcare facility having a communication system, a plurality of bed frames, and a plurality of mattresses, comprising the steps of:
-
providing a plurality of mattresses each having a unique identifier stored in an electronic device; placing one of the uniquely identified mattresses on one of the plurality of bed frames; confirming placement of one of the uniquely identified mattresses on the one of the plurality of bed frames using an install-confirming device which is coupled to one of the plurality of bed frames and sends a signal to a controller to confirm that the mattress is placed on one of the bed frames of the plurality of bed frames; determining whether one of the uniquely identified mattresses is successfully associated with one of the plurality of bed frames by viewing a first visual indicator coupled to the install-confirming device, the first visual indicator being activated by the controller in response to determining a successful association; determining whether one of the uniquely identified mattresses is successfully communicating with the communication system of the healthcare facility by viewing a second visual indicator coupled to the install-confirming device, the second visual indicator being activated by the controller in response to determining successful communication with the communication system of the healthcare facility; and sending the unique identifier assigned to one of the uniquely identified mattresses over the communication system. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A system for use in a healthcare facility comprising:
-
a communication system; a transceiver associated with a mattress among a plurality of mattresses; a plurality of uniquely identified mattresses, each of the uniquely identified mattresses including a unique electronic identifier; a plurality of bed frames; a bed frame transceiver associated with a bed frame from the plurality of bed frames; a plurality of install-confirming devices, each install-confirming device operable to receive user input to confirm the placement of one of the plurality of mattresses on one of the plurality of bed frames; a communications network coupled to the transceiver, the bed frame transceiver, and an install-confirming device from the plurality of install-confirmation devices, the communications network used to communicate data between the transceiver, the bed frame transceiver, and the install-confirming device; a first visual indicator coupled to each one of the plurality of install-confirming devices to indicate whether each bed frame is successfully associated with a respective mattress of the plurality of mattresses; a second visual indicator coupled to each one of the plurality of install-confirming devices to indicate whether the respective transceiver associated with the mattress is successfully communicating with the communication system of the healthcare facility, the second visual indicator becoming enabled when the bed frame transceiver receives, via the communications network, a confirmation signal from the communication system of the healthcare facility, the bed frame transceiver receiving the confirmation signal and causing the bed frame transceiver to enable the second visual indicator; and a plurality of controllers, each controller of bed each controller coupled to one of the plurality of install-confirming devices and receiving a signal from one of the plurality of install-confirming devices to confirm that one of the mattresses is placed on one of the plurality of bed frames, activating the first visual indicator in response to determining a successful association, and activating the second visual indicator in response to determining successful communication with the communication system. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification