Patient health based support apparatus configuration

• US 8,437,876 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Receveur, Timothy J., Flint, Stephen C., Lachenbruch, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasenge, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEVENS, THOMAS H
• Application Number:
  US12/537,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20110035057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 5 8/11.R, 5 8/11.C, 5 8/11.T, 560/0, 700/275, 700/301, 700/302, 700/306
• US Class Current: 700/275
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/16 bariatric, e.g. heavy or obese
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/36 for motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/002 having adjustable mattress frame
• 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 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/108 Weighing means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A person-support apparatus operates according to a set of default operating parameters, processes information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus from a receiver to determine if an optimal value for an operating parameter is different from the default value, modifies a default operating parameter to an optimal value based on the information corresponding to the occupant of the person-support apparatus to create a modified operating parameter, and operates the person-support apparatus utilizing the modified operating parameter.

Claims

1. A person-support apparatus comprising

a control system including, a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, the receiver configured to receive information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus, and a memory device coupled to the processor, the memory device including a default value and allowable range of adjustment for each of a plurality of operating parameters of the person-support apparatus and including instructions, that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to, (i) operate the person-support apparatus such that an actual value of each of the plurality of operating parameters is maintained within the allowable range of adjustment of each of the plurality of default values, (ii) process information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus from the receiver to determine an optimal value and range of adjustment for an operating parameter, (iii) determine if the optimal value for an operating parameter is different from the default value, (iv) if a difference between the optimal value and the default value of an operating parameter is indicated, modify the default value and allowable range of adjustment of the operating parameter to the optimal value and range of adjustment respectively, and (v) operate the person-support apparatus such that the actual value of the operating parameter is maintained within the modified allowable range of adjustment of the operating parameter.

2. The person-support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is in communication with a hospital network storing information that associates the information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus to an optimal value for an operating parameter of the person-support apparatus.

3. The person-support apparatus of claim 2, wherein the memory device includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, accesses the hospital network to retrieve an optimal value for an operating parameter of the person-support apparatus that corresponds to the information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus sensed by the receiver.

4. The person-support apparatus of claim 3, wherein the receiver comprises a sensor configured to detect a characteristic of an occupant of the person-support apparatus, the characteristic utilized to determine an optimal value of an operating parameter of the person-support apparatus.

5. The person-support apparatus of claim 4, wherein the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, monitor the characteristic over time to establish additional information corresponding to the occupant of the person-support apparatus.

6. The person-support apparatus of claim 5, wherein the characteristic corresponds to an activity level of the occupant.

7. The person-support apparatus of claim 5, wherein the characteristic corresponds to the weight of the occupant.

8. The person-support apparatus of claim 7, wherein the characteristic further corresponds to mobility of the occupant, the person-support apparatus further comprises an inflatable mattress, and the operation of the inflatable mattress is modified based on the characteristic to set the operational parameters of the inflatable mattress to minimize potential for skin damage to the occupant.

9. The person-support apparatus of claim 8, wherein the person-support apparatus further comprises a user interface and the receiver receives information regarding an occupant of the person-support apparatus from the user interface.

10. The person-support apparatus of claim 2, wherein the information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus includes a unique identifier of the occupant and wherein the control system accesses the hospital network to acquire optimal operating parameters associated with the unique identifier stored on the hospital network.

11. The person-support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the person-support apparatus further includes a transmitter to transmit the modified operating parameter to a hospital network.

12. The person-support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver receives information regarding a disease diagnosis of the occupant.

13. A method of operating a person-support apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

operating the person-support apparatus according to a default value of a number of operating parameters,

processing information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus,

determining an optimal value for an operating parameter based on the information corresponding to the occupant,

determining if the optimal value for the operating parameter is different from the default value,

if a difference between the optimal value and the default value of an operating parameter is indicated, modifying the default value of the operating parameter to the optimal value to create a modified value for the operating parameter, and

operating the person-support apparatus within an allowable range of adjustment of the modified value for the operating parameter.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of

communicating the information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus to a hospital network,

receiving an optimal value for an operating parameter for the person-support apparatus from the hospital network, and

operating the person-support apparatus utilizing the optimal value for the operating parameter.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of processing information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus includes determining a unique identifier associated with the occupant of the person-support apparatus.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of

transmitting the unique identifier to a hospital network,

receiving an optimal value for an operating parameter associated with the unique identifier from the hospital network,

operating the person-support apparatus according to the optimal value for the operating parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the optimal value for an operating parameter is related to movement of the person-support apparatus.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the optimal value for the operating parameter is related to delivery of a therapy by the person-support apparatus.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the optimal value for the operating parameter is related to an alarm condition.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of

determining that insufficient information is available to determine the optimal value for an operating parameter,

outputting a prompt to a user interface requesting additional information,

receiving additional information from the user interface, and

processing the additional information to determine the optimal value for an operating parameter.

21. A person-support apparatus comprising

a control system including, a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, the receiver configured to receive information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus, and a memory device coupled to the processor, the memory device including a default value and allowable range of adjustment for each of a plurality of operating parameters of the person-support apparatus and including instructions, that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to, (i) operate the person-support apparatus such that an actual value of each of the plurality of operating parameters is maintained within the allowable range of adjustment of each of the plurality of default values, (ii) process information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus from the receiver to determine an optimal value and range of adjustment for an operating parameter, (iii) determine if the optimal value for an operating parameter is different from the default value, (iv) if a difference between the optimal value and the default value of an operating parameter is indicated, modify the default value and allowable range of adjustment of the operating parameter to the optimal value and range of adjustment respectively, and (v) operate the person-support apparatus such that the actual value of the operating parameter is maintained within the modified allowable range of adjustment of the operating parameter,

wherein the receiver comprises a sensor configured to detect a characteristic of an occupant of the person-support apparatus, the characteristic utilized to determine an optimal value of an operating parameter of the person-support apparatus, and

wherein the characteristic further corresponds to mobility of the occupant, the person-support apparatus further comprises an inflatable mattress, and the operation of the inflatable mattress is modified based on the characteristic to set the operational parameters of the inflatable mattress to minimize potential for skin damage to the occupant.

22. The person-support apparatus of claim 21, wherein the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, monitor the characteristic over time to establish additional information corresponding to the occupant of the person-support apparatus.

23. A person-support apparatus comprising

a control system including, a processor, a sensor coupled to the processor, the sensor configured to detect a characteristic of an occupant of the person-support apparatus, and a memory device coupled to the processor, the memory device including a default value and allowable range of adjustment for each of a plurality of operating parameters of the person-support apparatus and including instructions, that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to, (i) operate the person-support apparatus such that an actual value of each of the plurality of operating parameters is maintained within the allowable range of adjustment of each of the plurality of default values, (ii) process information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus from the receiver to determine an optimal value and range of adjustment for an operating parameter, (iii) determine if the optimal value for an operating parameter is different from the default value, (iv) if a difference between the optimal value and the default value of an operating parameter is indicated, modify the default value and allowable range of adjustment of the operating parameter to the optimal value and range of adjustment respectively, and (v) operate the person-support apparatus such that the actual value of the operating parameter is maintained within the modified allowable range of adjustment of the operating parameter.

24. The person-support apparatus of claim 23, wherein the characteristic further corresponds to mobility of the occupant.

25. The person-support apparatus of claim 24, further comprising an inflatable mattress, and the operation of the inflatable mattress is modified based on the characteristic to set the operational parameters of the inflatable mattress to minimize potential for skin damage to the occupant.

26. A method of operating a person-support apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

operating the person-support apparatus according to a default value of a number of operating parameters,

processing information corresponding to an occupant of the person-support apparatus,

determining an optimal value for an operating parameter based on the information corresponding to the occupant,

determining if the optimal value for the operating parameter is different from the default value without input from a user,

if a difference between the optimal value and the default value of an operating parameter is indicated, modifying the default value of the operating parameter to the optimal value to create a modified value for the operating parameter without input from a user, and

operating the person-support apparatus within an allowable range of adjustment of the modified value for the operating parameter without input from a user.