Patient monitoring device

• US 5,137,033 A
• Filed: 07/15/1991
• Issued: 08/11/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John L. Norton
• Original Assignee: John L. Norton
• Inventors: Norton, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US07/730,046
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 128/885, 128/886, 340/235, 340/279, 340/573, 340/604, 340/603, 340/620, 200/61.05, 200/61.04
• US Class Current: 128/886
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/48 Devices for preventing wetting or pollution of the bed
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture

Abstract

A patient monitoring device for notifying through an alarm, a nurse or health care provider of a wet or distressed condition of a patient that involves a detecting pad for a bed or wheelchair to conduct an electric current when wet with urine. The monitoring device that is hard wired in one embodiment to provide for alerting a nurse at a nurses station of a bed ridden patient'"'"'s wet condition and in a wheelchair embodiment to notify through a ratio linkage, a nurse of patient'"'"'s wet condition or that the wheelchair has tipped over.

Claims

1. A patient monitoring device comprising, a detecting pad means that includes electrically conductive sections separated by a non-conductive material that will become conductive when wetted with human urine and is of a shape to allow it to be arranged as a wheelchair seat pad;

a system power supply;

a controller connected for receiving electrical power when said detecting pad means is in a conductive state that includes a locking relay that, on receipt of electrical power, can be reset only when the conducting detecting pad means is removed and replaced with a non-conducting detecting pad means, said controller is connected to a transmitter means to transmit an alarm signal to an alarm means located at a nurse station; and

alarm means that is operated on receipt of said alarm signal from said controller.

2. A patient monitoring device as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting pad means is made up of a pair of electrically conductive sections consisting of individual conductive strips that for each section are connected in parallel, and are separated by a pad of fabric material that is electrically non-conductive when dry and becomes electrically conductive when wet with urine.

3. A patient monitoring device as recited in claim 1, further including a sensitivity switch within the controller whereon sensing a certain minimum voltage presence at the detecting pad means the sensitivity switch operates to conduct current to the relay.

4. A patient monitoring device as recited in claim 1, wherein the alarm means is an audio alarm and light.

5. A patient monitoring device as recited in claim 4, further including a base station operated by the alarm means to transmit a signal to a nurse'"'"'s pager.

6. A patient monitoring device as recited in claim 1, further including a call button means for patient operation hard wire connected through the controller to operate the alarm means when activated.

7. A patient monitoring device as recited in claim 1, further including, with the controller a timer circuit and tilt switch means for sensing a displacement of a wheelchair, wherein the detecting pad means is arranged as a seat, from the vertical that, after a passage of a set period of time, operates the controller to transmit the alarm signal to operate the alarm means at the nurses station.

8. A patient monitoring device as recited in claim 7, further including a call button means wired to the controller for the patient to depress to cause the controller to transmit the alarm signal to the nurses station receiver.

9. A patient monitoring device as recited in claim 7, wherein the nurses station receiver is connected to a base station to transmit a signal to a nurse'"'"'s pager on receipt of an alarm signal.