Hospital headwall communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10679489-B2
Application number	US-201816215911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2018
Priority date	Dec 14, 2017
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A patient support apparatus includes a first transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with a second transceiver of a headwall interface that is positioned off of the patient support apparatus. A communication link is automatically established between the first and second transceivers without requiring a user of the patient support apparatus to activate a designated control and without requiring the user to identify the headwall interface. The first transceiver includes a unique identifier assigned to the headwall interface in its messages to the headwall interface. The first transceiver may also automatically transmit a disconnect signal to the headwall interface indicating the termination of the communication link is not accidental. The disconnect signal is sent based on one or more of the following: (1) a brake being off, (2) an A/C power cord being unplugged; and/or (3) a signal strength between the transceivers decreasing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A patient support apparatus comprising:
a support surface adapted to support a patient thereon;
a first transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with a stationary unit mounted in a room of a healthcare facility;
a second transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with the stationary unit; and
a controller adapted to transmit audio signals from the patient support apparatus to the stationary unit, the controller adapted to initially attempt to transmit the audio signals to the stationary unit via the first transceiver and, if the initial attempt is unsuccessful, to subsequently attempt to transmit the audio signals via the second transceiver, the controller further adapted to:
(a) maintain heartbeat messages between the patient support apparatus and the stationary unit while the patient support apparatus is positioned in the room, each of the heartbeat messages includes a transmission and an acknowledgement;
(b) alternate the heartbeat messages between the first and second transceivers;
(c) respond to a transmission from the stationary unit received via one of the first and second transceivers with an acknowledgement sent over the other of the first and second transceivers; and
(d) issue an alert if the heartbeat messages stop.

2. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a wired transceiver adapted to communicate with a nurse call system port mounted to a wall of the room, wherein the controller is further adapted to transmit the audio signals from the patient support apparatus to the nurse call system port if the initial attempt to transmit the audio signals to the stationary unit using the first transceiver and the subsequent attempt to transmit the audio signals to the stationary unit using the second transceiver are both unsuccessful.

3. The patient support apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:
a base having a plurality of wheels;
a frame on which the support surface is supported;
a lift subsystem for raising and lowering the frame with respect to the base;
a plurality of siderails adjacent the support surface, the siderails movable between raised and lowered positions; and
a sensor adapted to detect a parameter relating to a component of the patient support apparatus;
wherein the controller is further adapted to transmit the parameter to the stationary unit using the first transceiver, or if the initial attempt is unsuccessful, using the second transceiver.

4. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first transceiver is a radio frequency (RF) transceiver and the second transceiver is an infrared transceiver.

5. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is further adapted to receive caregiver audio signals from a nurse call system in communication with the stationary unit and to forward the caregiver audio signals to a speaker onboard the patient support apparatus, the controller receiving the caregiver audio signals via the first transceiver, or if the initial attempt is unsuccessful, via the second transceiver.

6. A patient support apparatus comprising:
a support surface adapted to support a patient thereon;
a first transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with a stationary unit mounted in a room of a healthcare facility;
a second transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with the stationary unit; and
a controller adapted to transmit audio signals from the patient support apparatus to the stationary unit, the controller adapted to initially attempt to transmit the audio signals to the stationary unit via the first transceiver and, if the initial attempt is unsuccessful, to subsequently attempt to transmit the audio signals via the second transceiver, wherein the controller is further adapted to perform the following: (a) pair the first transceiver and the stationary unit by sending a pairing key to the stationary unit via the second transceiver; (b) only transmit the audio signals via the first transceiver after pairing the first transceiver and the stationary unit; and (c) delete the pairing key from all memory on the patient support apparatus after a communication session between the first transceiver and the stationary unit has ended.

7. The patient support apparatus of claim 6 wherein the controller generates the pairing key using a hash function and a plurality of values, the plurality of values including at least one of the following: a serial number, a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a time, a date, or a location.

8. The patient support apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:
a base having a plurality of wheels;
a frame on which the support surface is supported;
a lift subsystem for raising and lowering the frame with respect to the base;
a plurality of siderails adjacent the support surface, the siderails movable between raised and lowered positions; and
a sensor adapted to detect a parameter relating to a component of the patient support apparatus;
wherein the controller is further adapted to transmit the parameter to the stationary unit using the first transceiver, or if the initial attempt is unsuccessful, using the second transceiver.

9. The patient support apparatus of claim 6 wherein the controller is further adapted to receive caregiver audio signals from a nurse call system in communication with the stationary unit and to forward the caregiver audio signals to a speaker onboard the patient support apparatus, the controller receiving the caregiver audio signals via the first transceiver, or if the initial attempt is unsuccessful, via the second transceiver.

10. The patient support apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a wired transceiver adapted to communicate with a nurse call system port mounted to a wall of the room, wherein the controller is further adapted to transmit the audio signals from the patient support apparatus to the nurse call system port if the initial attempt to transmit the audio signals to the stationary unit using the first transceiver and the subsequent attempt to transmit the audio signals to the stationary unit using the second transceiver are both unsuccessful.

11. The patient support apparatus of claim 6 wherein the first transceiver is a radio frequency (RF) transceiver and the second transceiver is an infrared transceiver.

12. A patient support apparatus comprising:
a support surface adapted to support a patient thereon;
a first transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with a stationary unit mounted in a room of a healthcare facility;
a second transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with the stationary unit; and
a controller adapted to transmit audio signals from the patient support apparatus to the stationary unit and to exchange heartbeat messages with the stationary unit, the controller exchanging heartbeat messages by alternating the heartbeat messages between the first and second transceivers, the controller further adapted to:
(a) issue an alert if the heartbeat messages stop;
(b) pair the first transceiver and the stationary unit by sending a pairing key to the stationary unit via the second transceiver; and
(c) only transmit the audio signals via the first transceiver after pairing the first transceiver and the stationary unit.

13. The patient support apparatus of claim 12 wherein each of the heartbeat messages includes a transmission and an acknowledgement, and the controller is adapted to respond to a transmission from the stationary unit received via one of the first and second transceivers with an acknowledgement sent over the other of the first and second transceivers.

14. The patient support apparatus of claim 12 furth

Assignees

• Stryker Corp

Inventors

• Bodurka Alexander Josef
• Trepanier Jerald A
• Bhimavarapu Krishna Sandeep

Classifications

• A61G7/05 Primary

  Parts, details or accessories of beds (devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 {; mattresses A47C27/00}) · CPC title

• A61G2205/60

  using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags · CPC title

• H04L43/10

  Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route · CPC title

• G08B25/004 Primary

  Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi® not available use GSM · CPC title

• A61G7/018

  Control or drive mechanisms · CPC title