Patient support apparatuses with navigation and guidance systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11684526-B2
Application number	US-202117355374-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2021
Priority date	Jun 22, 2015
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

Patient support apparatuses, such as beds, cots, stretchers, recliners, or the like, include control systems with one or more image, radar, and/or laser sensors to detect objects and determine if a likelihood of collision exists. If so, the control system controls the speed and steering of the patient support apparatus in order to reduce the likelihood of collision. The control system may be adapted to autonomously drive the patient support apparatus, to transmit a message to a remote device indicating whether it is occupied by a patient or not, and/or to transmit its route to the remote device. The remote device may determine an estimate of a time of arrival of the patient support apparatus at a particular destination and/or determine a distance of the patient support apparatus from the particular destination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A patient support apparatus system comprising:
a patient support apparatus having a frame, wheels, a support surface, a navigation system, a wireless transceiver, and a control system adapted to transmit data from the navigation system and a unique identifier corresponding to the patient support apparatus; and
a remote device adapted to receive the data and to determine an estimated time of arrival of the patient support apparatus at a particular destination within a healthcare facility based upon the data,
wherein the remote device is further adapted to perform the following: keep track of a current location of a plurality of patient support apparatuses; keep track of an availability of the plurality of patient support apparatuses for transporting patients; and determine, out of the plurality of patient support apparatuses, the closest currently available one to a selected location.

2. The patient support apparatus system of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver is a WiFi radio and the remote device is a server hosted on a computer network of the healthcare facility.

3. The patient support apparatus of claim 2 wherein the server is further adapted to transmit messages over the computer network indicating the estimated time of arrival.

4. The patient support apparatus of claim 3 wherein the messages are transmitted to a second server on the computer network that is adapted to forward the messages wirelessly to a cell phone carried by a person associated with the healthcare facility.

5. The patient support apparatus system of claim 2 wherein the server is further adapted to maintain in memory a history of locations the patient support apparatus has traveled to.

6. The patient support apparatus system of claim 2 wherein the server is further adapted to determine a distance traveled by the patient support apparatus, and to repetitively update and to record that distance in memory.

7. The patient support apparatus system of claim 6 wherein the server is further configured to generate an alert message when the distance exceeds a threshold.

8. The patient support apparatus system of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver is a WiFi radio, the remote device is a server is hosted on a computer network of the healthcare facility, and the server is further adapted to transmit messages over the computer network indicating the estimated time of arrival.

9. A patient support apparatus system comprising:
a patient support apparatus having a frame, wheels, a support surface, a navigation system, a wireless transceiver, and a control system adapted to transmit data from the navigation system and a unique identifier corresponding to the patient support apparatus; and
a remote device adapted to receive the data and to determine an estimated time of arrival of the patient support apparatus at a particular destination within a healthcare facility based upon the data;
wherein the navigation system of the patient support apparatus further includes an accelerometer for detecting accelerations of the patient support apparatus, a magnetometer for detecting a geographical orientation of the patient support apparatus, and an altimeter adapted to detect an elevation of the patient support apparatus.

10. A patient support apparatus system comprising:
a patient support apparatus having a frame, wheels, a support surface, a navigation system, a wireless transceiver, and a control system adapted to transmit data from the navigation system and a unique identifier corresponding to the patient support apparatus;
a remote device adapted to receive the data and to determine an estimated time of arrival of the patient support apparatus at a particular destination within a healthcare facility based upon the data; and
an image sensor positioned at the patient support apparatus, the image sensor adapted to capture images of an area within a field of view of the image sensor;
wherein the control system is adapted to analyze the images to detect landmarks within the healthcare facility and to utilize the detected landmarks to autonomously drive the patient support apparatus from its current location to the particular destination.

11. The patient support apparatus system of claim 10 wherein the wireless transceiver is a WiFi radio, the remote device is a server hosted on a computer network of the healthcare facility, the server is adapted to transmit messages over the computer network to a second server indicating the estimated time of arrival, and the second server is adapted to forward the messages wirelessly to a cell phone carried by a person associated with the healthcare facility.

12. A patient support apparatus system comprising:
a plurality of patient support apparatuses, each having a frame, wheels, a support surface, a navigation system, a wireless transceiver, and a control system adapted to transmit data from the navigation system and a unique identifier corresponding to each one of the plurality of patient support apparatuses; and
a remote device adapted to receive the data from the plurality of patient support apparatuses and to determine distances of each of the patient support apparatuses from a selected location within a healthcare facility, the remote device further adapted to receive information indicating which of the plurality of patient support apparatuses are currently available for transporting a patient and to determine which one of the available patient support apparatuses is closest to the selected location.

13. The patient support apparatus system of claim 12 wherein the plurality of patient support apparatuses are adapted to be steered and driven autonomously.

14. The patient support apparatus system of claim 12 wherein the information indicating which of the plurality of patient support apparatuses are currently available for transporting a patient is transmitted by the patient support apparatuses to the remote device.

15. The patient support apparatus system of claim 14 wherein the remote device is adapted to summon the closest available patient support apparatus to the selected location.

16. The patient support apparatus system of claim 15 wherein the remote device is adapted to generate an estimated time of arrival of the summoned patient support apparatus to the selected location.

17. The patient support apparatus system of claim 12 wherein the patient support apparatuses include batteries, the control systems are adapted to monitor a charge status of the batteries, and the patient support apparatuses are adapted to transmit messages to the remote device indicating that they are unavailable for transport when the charge status of their batteries falls below a threshold.

18. The patient support apparatus system of claim 12 wherein the wireless transceiver is a WiFi radio and the remote device is a server on a computer network of the healthcare facility.

19. A patient support apparatus system comprising:
a plurality of patient support apparatuses, each having a frame, wheels, a support surface, a navigation system, a wireless transceiver, and a control system adapted to transmit data from the navigation system and a unique identifier corresponding to each one of the plurality of patient support apparatuses; and
a remote device adapted to receive the data from the plurality of patient support apparatuses and to determine distances of each of the patient support apparatuses from a selected location within a healthcare facility, wherein the remote device includes a user interface adapted to allow a user to selec

Assignees

• Stryker Corp

Inventors

• Hayes Michael Joseph
• Bhimavarapu Krishna Sandeep
• Brosnan Daniel Vincent
• Furman Aaron Douglas
• Campbell Jonathan David
• Puvogel Thomas Alan
• Galer James K
• Vanderplas Jason A

Classifications

• A61G1/0281 Primary

  having a steering device · CPC title

• G05D1/024

  in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S) · CPC title

• B60K31/0008

  including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path · CPC title

• G05D1/0248

  in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S) · CPC title

• G05D1/0289

  with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93) · CPC title