Apparatuses for supporting and monitoring a person

• US 8,281,433 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Riley, Carl William, Receveur, Timothy J., Ribble, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Santos, Robert G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sosnowski, David E.
• Application Number:
  US12/581,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20100101022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 560/0, 561/3, 561/7, 594/0, 561/6, 128/845
• US Class Current: 5/600
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/168 Fluid filled sensor housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05 Parts, details or accessories of beds devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 ; mattresses A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0514 mounted to individual mattress supporting frame sections
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0524 characterised by integrated accessories, e.g. bed control means, nurse call or reading lights
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05776 with at least two groups of alternately inflated chambers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein related to person support apparatuses and systems, and in particular, to such apparatuses and systems that incorporate or are used with vital signs monitoring devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus for supporting and monitoring of a person, the apparatus comprising:

a bedframe,

a mattress support deck coupled to the bed frame, the mattress support deck including a head deck section that is made of substantially rigid material, that is movable between a raised position and a lowered position and that is sized and configured to support the person'"'"'s upper body,

a sensing device fixed to the head deck section and configured to provide a monitoring signal indicative of at least one physiological sign of the person, the substantially rigid material of the head deck section being molded around the sensing device such that the sensing device is embedded in the head deck section, and

a processor coupled to the bedframe and configured to receive the monitoring signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing device is embedded in the head deck section such that the sensing device is completely encased in the head deck section.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the head deck section is molded around the sensing device via at least one of injection molding, insert molding, fiberglass molding, pultrusion, and fiberglass layering processes.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sensing device comprises a piezoelectric element that is placed under stress by stress that is induced in the head deck section during a molding process.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing device comprises a housing and a piezoelectric diaphragm member within the housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second sensing device fixed to the bedframe and configured to sense at least one physiological sign of the person.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mattress support deck comprises a seat deck section adjacent the head deck section and further comprising a second sensing device fixed to the seat deck section and configured to sense at least one physiological sign of the person.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the head deck section is substantially non-planar in shape.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the head deck section has a generally parabolic shape.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the head deck section is curved along its length and along its width.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a waveguide coupled to the sensing device and configured to transmit energy to the sensing device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the waveguide comprises at least one of the following:

a beam member, a wire member, and a strip member.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing device comprises an array of spaced apart piezoelectric sensor devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the head deck section has a first side edge and a second side edge and the sensing device is located about midway between the first and second side edges.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing device is fixed to the head deck section at a central region of the head deck section.