Patient position detection for patient support apparatus

• US 10,363,181 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2016
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Williamson, Rachel L., Lachenbruch, Charles A., Receveur, Timothy J., Zerhusen, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Santos, Robert G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Throop, Myles A
• Application Number:
  US15/133,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20160250088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 5615, 5715, 5600, 5706
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/10 with two or more independently-fillable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/16 Touchpads
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/20 Displays or monitors
• 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 7/001 with means for turning-over the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/002 having adjustable mattress frame
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/012 raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0507 Side-rails
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05792 with low air loss function, e.g. in mattresses, overlays or beds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A patient support apparatus includes a patient support surface to support a patient. The patient support surface has at least one air bladder that is inflated and/or deflated to achieve a turn assist function and/or a therapy function of the patient support surface. A graphical user interface (GUI) is configured to receive user inputs from a caregiver to initiate the turn assist or therapy functions. The patient support apparatus has control circuitry coupled to the GUI. The GUI is controlled by the control circuitry to display information indicating that the patient is improperly positioned on the patient support surface for either the turn assist function or the therapy function. Alternatively or additionally, the control circuitry indicates that the patient is improperly positioned for raising a head section of a bed frame.

Claims

1. A patient support apparatus comprising

a patient support structure configured to support a patient, the patient support structure having a head end and a foot end spaced apart in a longitudinal dimension of the patient support structure, the patient support structure having a head section that is configured to support a torso of a patient and that is movable between a raised position for supporting the patient in a sitting up position and a lowered position for supporting the patient in a lying down position,

a set of user inputs configured to receive input from a caregiver to initiate the movement of the head section between the raised and lowered positions,

a graphical user interface (GUI) supported by the patient support structure, and

control circuitry coupled to the GUI, the GUI being controlled by the control circuitry to display information indicating, when the patient is lying down on the patient support structure about midway between opposite sides of the patient support structure, that the patient is improperly positioned on the patient support structure in the longitudinal dimension of the patient support structure due to being shifted too far towards the head end or too far towards the foot end for the movement of the head section toward the raised position, wherein the information indicating that the patient is improperly positioned includes all three of the following:

(i) a text box with a message conveying the information, (ii) a pictorial representation of a patient lying on the patient support surface too close to the at least one of the head end and foot end, and (iii) a hip position icon that is color coded.

2. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movement of the head section toward the raised position is suspended until after the caregiver selects a first icon on the GUI to ignore the information indicating that the patient is improperly positioned.

3. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movement of the head section toward the raised position is prevented until after the patient is moved to a proper position on the patient support structure.

4. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the patient support structure includes a bed frame that includes a siderail and the GUI being mounted to the siderail.

5. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the patient support structure includes a bed frame having a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors are used to determine a weight of the patient, and the plurality of sensors are used to determine a position of the patient on the patient support surface.

6. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information indicating that the patient is improperly positioned is displayed on the GUI prior to the caregiver using the user inputs to initiate the raising of the head section.

7. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the GUI is also controlled by the control circuitry to display information indicating that the patient is properly positioned on the patient support structure.

8. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of user inputs includes a plurality of buttons spaced from the GUI and at least one button of the plurality of buttons is used to initiate movement of the head section toward the raised position.

9. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the GUI is also controlled by the control circuitry to display information which indicates, when the patient is lying down on the patient support surface about midway between the opposite sides of the patient support structure, that the patient is improperly positioned in the longitudinal dimension of the patient support structure due to being shifted too far towards the head end or too far towards the foot end for at least one of a turn assist function and a therapy function of a mattress supported by the patient support structure.

10. The patient support apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the turn assist function and the therapy function initiated by the caregiver proceeds automatically despite the improper position of the patient on the patient support structure.

11. The patient support apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the turn assist function and the therapy function initiated by the caregiver is suspended until after the caregiver selects a first icon on the GUI to ignore the information indicating that the patient is improperly positioned.

12. The patient support apparatus of claim 9, wherein the GUI displays an icon that is selectable by the caregiver to abort the at least one of the turn assist function and the therapy function.

13. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein, before the information indicating that the patient is improperly positioned on the patient support structure is displayed on the GUI, the GUI displays a patient information icon that must be selected by the caregiver.

14. The patient support apparatus of claim 13, wherein the patient information icon flashes on the GUI when the information is being displayed.

15. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the patient support structure includes a bed frame having a foot board and wherein the GUI is supported on the foot board.

16. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the patient support structure includes a plurality of patient support bladders and at least one pressure sensor that is used to determine a position of the patient on the patient support surface based on signals from the at least one pressure sensor being indicative as to which of the plurality of bladders the patient is atop.

17. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the GUI is also controlled by the control circuitry to display information indicating whether the patient is shifted too far towards the head end or too far towards the foot end.

18. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hip position icon is triangular.

19. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hip position icon is color coded to indicate an amount that the patient is shifted too far towards the head end or too far towards the foot end.

20. The patient support apparatus of claim 19, where in the hip position icon is color coded yellow or is color coded red depending upon the amount that the patient is shifted too far towards the head end or too far towards the foot end.