Person support apparatus having physiological sensor

• US 9,775,758 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Riley, Carl W., Receveur, Timothy J., Ribble, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US15/379,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20170095162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• 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 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/005 tiltable around transverse horizontal axis, e.g. for Trendelenburg position rocking beds for physical therapy A61H1/003; hanging patient inclined downwardly for drawing him out A61H2203/0493

Abstract

A person support apparatus includes a frame and a support surface cooperating with the frame to support a person. The person support apparatus also has a sensor coupled to one of the frame and the support surface. The sensor detects at least one characteristic associated with the person. A controller is coupled to the sensor. In response to at least one of a condition of the frame, a condition of the support surface, a position of the person, or a condition of the person, the controller operates to control the sensor by at least one of changing a gain of the sensor and changing a manner in which a signal from the sensor is filtered. In some instances, the controller turns the sensor off.

Claims

1. A person support apparatus comprising:

a frame including a plurality of deck sections including a head section to support a person'"'"'s head and a portion of the person'"'"'s torso, the head section being pivotable between raised and lowered positions,

a mattress supported by the plurality of deck sections;

a physiological sensor to detect at least one physiological characteristic of the person, the physiological sensor being located above the head section and being pivotable with the head section as the head section pivots, the physiological sensor detecting the at least one physiological characteristic through at least a portion of the mattress;

a force sensor coupled to the frame and operable to sense at least a portion of a weight of the person;

a pressure sensor coupled to the frame and operable to sense pressure associated with an inflatable bladder of the mattress;

at least one controller coupled to the frame; and

a network bus coupling the physiological sensor, the force sensor, and the pressure sensor to the at least one controller, wherein the at least one controller generates an alert signal in response to data from the physiological sensor meeting a threshold condition.

2. The person support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to adjust a sensitivity of the physiological sensor.

3. The person support apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one controller adjusts the sensitivity of the physiological sensor in response to information from the force sensor or the pressure sensor.

4. The person support apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one controller adjusts the sensitivity of the physiological sensor by changing a gain of the physiological sensor or by changing a manner in which a signal from the physiological sensor is filtered.

5. The person support apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one controller adjusts the sensitivity of the physiological sensor by changing a gain of the physiological sensor and by changing a manner in which a signal from the physiological sensor is filtered.

6. The person support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to turn power to the physiological sensor on and off.

7. The person support apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one controller is configured to turn power to the physiological sensor on and off in response to information from the force sensor.

8. The person support apparatus of claim 7, wherein power to the physiological sensor is turned on by the at least one controller in response to the force sensor sensing that the person is present on the patient support apparatus.

9. The person support apparatus of claim 7, wherein power to the physiological sensor is turned off by the at least one controller in response to the force sensor sensing that the person is absent from the patient support apparatus.

10. The person support apparatus of claim 1, wherein a signal from the physiological sensor is used by the at least one controller to determine the person'"'"'s heart rate and respiration rate.

11. The person support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is coupled to an electronic medical record (EMR) system via an external network.

12. The person support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is coupled to a signaling system via an external network.

13. The person support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is coupled to a communication system via an external network.

14. The person support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to post information to an external network.

15. The person support apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information posted to the network pertains to signals from one of the physiological sensor, the force sensor, and the pressure sensor.

16. The person support apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information posted to the network pertains to signals from two of the physiological sensor, the force sensor, and the pressure sensor.

17. The person support apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information posted to the network pertains to signals from all three of the physiological sensor, the force sensor, and the pressure sensor.

18. The person support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the force sensor comprises a load cell or a pressure sensing strip.

19. The person support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the force sensor comprises a plurality of force sensors that generate signals which are used to determine the weight of the person on the person support apparatus and to determine a position of the person on the person support apparatus.

20. The person support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor comprises a plurality of pressure sensors that sense pressures in respective inflatable bladders of the mattress.