RETROFIT FOR PATIENT CALL SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREFOR
First Claim
1. A patient call system adapted to retrofit onto a preexisting patient call system, said preexisting patient call system having at least one patient-activated call switch disposed near a patient and electrically coupled to a room port located in a patient room, each said room port electronically coupled to a central monitoring station and sending a patient alarm signal to said central monitoring station, the retrofit patient call system comprising:
- a patient call unit adapted to be securely mounted on said patient, said patient call unit having a user actuated control coupled to a transmitter, said transmitter generating a patient call signal upon actuation of said user control; and
a wall unit adapted to be mounted in a retrofit manner near said room port, said wall unit having a receiver in communication with said transmitter in said patient call unit, and said wall unit adapted to be coupled to said room port such that said receiver generates said patient alarm signal upon receipt of said patient call signal from said patient call unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The patient call system, in accordance with the principles of the present invention, is adapted to retrofit onto a preexisting patient call system. The patient call system, retrofit onto the preexisting system, consists of a patient call unit which is securely mounted on a patient using a wristband or strap and a wall unit retrofit mounted near the preexisting patient call system room port. The patient call unit allows the patient to activate a user actuated control electrically coupled to a transmitter which generates a radio frequency (RF) patient call signal. The wall unit, which is in communication with the RF transmitter in the patient call unit, receives the patient call signal and produces a patient alarm signal. The wall unit is electrically coupled to the preexisting room port and sends the patient alarm signal to the room port upon receipt of the patient call signal. The wall unit is programmed either to send the patient alarm signal in the same form as the preexisting hard-wired patient call switch or to activate the preexisting room port to generate the alarm. The patient alarm signal is then received by the preexisting central monitoring station in the same manner as if the alarm signal had been sent by the preexisting patient call switch. The retrofit patient call system includes a coupling interface with the preexisting patient call switch (such as a T coupler) to permit a healthcare facility to utilize both the present invention and the preexisting patient call switch (the switch at the end of the flexible cable or conductors). The patient call unit may include a fall detector electrically coupled to the transmitter. If the patient falls or the fall detector otherwise detects an abrupt jarring (a measurement of acceleration), the transmitter sends an RF patient call signal to the wall unit. The wall unit may include a display which displays information such as time elapsed since receipt of a patient call signal, the time of receipt of a patient call signal, programming information and power source information. The wall unit may also include a reset switch to reset the system after receipt of a patient call signal. The wall unit can be programmed to send multiple patient alarm signals at predetermined time intervals to the preexisting patient call system after receipt of a patient alarm signal from the patient call unit typically strapped to the patient'"'"'s wrist.
97 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A patient call system adapted to retrofit onto a preexisting patient call system, said preexisting patient call system having at least one patient-activated call switch disposed near a patient and electrically coupled to a room port located in a patient room, each said room port electronically coupled to a central monitoring station and sending a patient alarm signal to said central monitoring station, the retrofit patient call system comprising:
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a patient call unit adapted to be securely mounted on said patient, said patient call unit having a user actuated control coupled to a transmitter, said transmitter generating a patient call signal upon actuation of said user control; and
a wall unit adapted to be mounted in a retrofit manner near said room port, said wall unit having a receiver in communication with said transmitter in said patient call unit, and said wall unit adapted to be coupled to said room port such that said receiver generates said patient alarm signal upon receipt of said patient call signal from said patient call unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of retrofitting a preexisting patient call system having at least one patient-activated call switch disposed near a patient and electrically coupled to a room port located in a patient room, each said room port electronically coupled to a central monitoring station and sending a patient alarm signal to said central monitoring station, the method of retrofitting comprising the steps of:
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providing a patient call unit and a remotely disposed wall unit;
securely mounting said patient call unit on said patient;
electrically coupling said wall unit to said preexisting patient call system by retrofit mounting said wall unit next to said room port;
transmitting a radio frequency (RF) patient call signal from said patient call unit to said wall unit upon actuation of said patient call unit by said patient; and
converting at said wall unit said RF patient call signal into said patient alarm signal via said wall unit and said room port. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification