Control system for patient support apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10512573-B2
Application number	US-201715399896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2017
Priority date	Oct 26, 2012
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

A system includes a patient support apparatus that has one or more therapies. The therapies are optionally available depending on the acuity of the patient. A request for enablement of a therapy is transferred to a service provider for approval and, when approved, the therapy is enabled by the service provider. The patient support apparatus may be in communication with a server that is in communication with multiple patient support apparatuses so that the server is operable to selectively enable therapies on various patient support apparatuses.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising
a medical device having at least one feature that is optionally and independently operational, the medical device also having a control system including a controller having a processor and a memory device, the memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to enable or disable operation of the at least one feature of the medical device;
a computer device associated with a service provider and independent of the medical device, the computer device operable to receive a request to enable or disable the at least one feature from the control system of the medical device, and determine, based on information stored at the computer device, whether the request is authorized and provide an indication as to whether the requested enablement or disablement of the at least one feature of the medical device is authorized; and
a server in communication with the controller of the control system of the medical device and the computer device, the server operable to transmit the request from the control system to the computer device, the server further operable transmit a signal from the computer device to the control system indicative of an authorization of the request by the computer device,
wherein the control system is operable to enable or disable operation of the at least one feature based on an authorization of the requested enablement or disablement, and
wherein the server is operable to modify a bill based on the enablement or disablement of the at least one feature.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is operable to generate a bill based on an amount of time the at least one feature is enabled.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising an input device coupled the control system, wherein the request is input into the input device, wherein the computer device is located at a service provider that is remote from the medical device, the computer device receiving the request input into the input device via the server.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the server is in communication with a hospital information system, the hospital information system operable to receive the request input into the input device and communicate the request to the server, the server being operable to transmit the authorization of the request from the computer device to the control system through the hospital information system to enable or disable the at least one feature, the hospital information system maintaining a record of the request and the authorization of the request.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one feature is configured to at least one of provide air fluidized therapy to a patient supported on the medical device, provide micro-climate management therapy to the patient supported on the medical device, provide percussion therapy to the patient supported on the medical device, or provide deep vein thrombosis therapy to the patient supported on the medical device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system further comprises:
a sensor in communication with the controller, the sensor detecting a parameter related to a patient associated with the medical device or a status of the at least one feature,
wherein the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, monitor a signal from the sensor and determine whether the signal from the sensor indicates that an event has occurred, and, if an event has occurred, add the occurrence to a record associated with the medical device.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, determine whether the event is a patient event.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, determine whether caregiver interaction is required to respond to the patient event, and, if caregiver interaction is required, communicate with a caregiver to prompt interaction by the caregiver with the medical device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, log the event and the caregiver interaction.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, determine whether a non-patient event has occurred.

11. A method comprising:
transmitting, via a server, a request to either enable a disabled at least one feature or disable an enabled at least one feature of a medical device to a computer device at a service provider and independent of the at least one medical device;
determining, at the computer device and based on information stored at the computer device, whether the request to enable or disable the at least one feature of the medical device is authorized;
if the request to either enable or disable the at least one feature is authorized, transmitting, via the server, an authorization to enable or disable the at least one feature of a medical device to a control system;
enabling or disabling the at least one feature with the control system; and
generating, with the server, a modified bill reflecting the authorization for enablement or disablement of the at least one feature, wherein the bill is based on at least one of enablement or disablement of the at least one feature or an amount of time the at least one feature is enabled or disabled.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the computer device is located at a service provider that is remote from the medical device, the method further comprising:
inputting the request into an input device coupled to at least one of the control system or the medical device; and
transmitting the request to the computer device at the service provider.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
receiving, at a hospital information system, the request input into the input device;
communicating the request to the server with the hospital information system;
transmitting the authorization from the computer device to the control system to enable or disable the at least one feature through the hospital information system; and
maintaining a record of the request and the authorization of the request with the hospital information system.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising at least one of providing air fluidized therapy to a patient supported on the medical device, providing micro-climate management therapy to the patient supported on the medical device, providing percussion therapy to the patient supported on the medical device, or providing deep vein thrombosis therapy to the patient supported on the medical device based on the authorization.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
detecting a parameter related to a patient associated with the medical device or a status of the at least one feature with a sensor;
monitoring a signal from the sensor; and
determining whether the signal from the sensor indicates that an event has occurred, and, if an event has occurred, add the occurrence to a record associated with the medical device.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising determining whether the event is a patient event or a non-patient event.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
determining whether caregiver interaction is required to respond to the patient event; and
if caregiver interaction is required, communicating with a caregiver to prompt interaction by the caregiver with the medical device.

18. The meth

Assignees

• Hill Rom Services Inc

Inventors

• Johannigman Nicole
• Morrison William A
• Seim Douglas A

Classifications

• A61G2210/70

  for cooling · CPC title

• A61G7/018 Primary

  Control or drive mechanisms · CPC title

• A61G2210/90

  for heating · CPC title

• A61G2203/46

  for temperature · CPC title

• A61G7/012

  raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame (A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence) · CPC title