Patient support apparatus with multi-sensor fusion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11730400-B2
Application number	US-202117356003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2018
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A patient support apparatus includes a plurality of primary sensors adapted to measure different parameters used in the control of the patient support apparatus. One or more suites of secondary sensors are added to the patient support apparatus to provide data about the primary sensors. The secondary sensors may be used to detect errors in the primary sensors, to modify outputs from the primary sensors, and/or to provide usage and/or diagnostic data about the use of the patient support apparatus. The suite(s) of secondary sensors may measure parameters that affect the outputs of one or more of the primary sensors. In some embodiments, the suite(s) of secondary sensors include one or more dormant sensors that are not used on the patient support apparatus until a code modification is received from one or more external sources instructing the control system of the patient support apparatus to begin using the dormant sensor(s).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A patient support apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a support surface adapted to support a patient thereon;
a primary sensor adapted to measure a primary parameter related to a component of the patient support apparatus;
a dormant sensor adapted to measure a secondary parameter capable of affecting measurements of the primary parameter, the secondary parameter being different from the primary parameter;
a controller adapted to control an aspect of the patient support apparatus using factory-installed code, the factory-installed code using outputs from the primary sensor but not the dormant sensor; and
a transceiver adapted to receive a code modification from an off-board device, the code modification modifying the factory-installed code such that the controller uses outputs from the dormant sensor to determine if an error exists in measurements of the primary parameter.

2. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the code modification causes the controller to send data from the dormant sensor to a remote server.

3. The patient support apparatus of claim 2 wherein the remote server is adapted to process outputs from the dormant sensor to determine if an error condition exists with respect to the patient support apparatus.

4. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the code modification causes the controller to adjust outputs from the primary sensor based on outputs from the dormant sensor.

5. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the secondary parameter is at least one of the following: humidity, air pressure, angular acceleration, linear acceleration, speed, temperature, geomagnetic orientation, position, and an angle.

6. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the primary sensor is a force sensor adapted to detect force exerted on the patient support apparatus.

7. The patient support apparatus of claim 6 wherein outputs from the force sensor are used to control a motor on the patient support apparatus.

8. The patient support apparatus of claim 6 wherein outputs from the force sensor are used to determine a weight of the patient supported on the support surface.

9. A patient support apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a support surface adapted to support a patient thereon;
a primary sensor adapted to measure a primary parameter related to a component of the patient support apparatus;
a dormant sensor having a dormant state and a non-dormant state, the dormant sensor adapted to measure a secondary parameter capable of affecting measurements of the primary parameter when the dormant sensor is in the non-dormant state, the secondary parameter being different from the primary parameter;
a primary controller adapted to control an aspect of the patient support apparatus using outputs from the primary sensor but not the dormant sensor;
a secondary controller adapted to process outputs from the dormant sensor when the dormant sensor is in the non-dormant state; and
a transceiver adapted to receive an instruction from an off-board device, the instruction causing the dormant sensor to switch from the dormant state to the non-dormant state to determine if an error exists in measurements of the primary parameter.

10. The patient support apparatus of claim 9 wherein the instruction is forwarded from the transceiver to the primary controller and causes the primary controller to instruct the secondary controller to process outputs from the dormant sensor.

11. The patient support apparatus of claim 9 wherein the instruction is forwarded from the transceiver to the primary controller and causes the primary controller to activate dormant software on-board the patient support apparatus, the dormant software being executed by the secondary controller.

12. The patient support apparatus of claim 9 wherein the instruction causes the primary controller to download software from an on-board location, the software used for processing outputs from the dormant sensor.

13. The patient support apparatus of claim 9 wherein the instruction causes the primary controller to send data from the dormant sensor to a remote server.

14. The patient support apparatus of claim 9 wherein the instruction causes the primary controller to use outputs from the dormant sensor to determine if an error exists in measurements of the primary parameter.

15. The patient support apparatus of claim 9 wherein the instruction causes the primary controller to adjust outputs from the primary sensor based on outputs from the dormant sensor.

16. The patient support apparatus of claim 9 wherein the secondary parameter is at least one of the following: humidity, air pressure, angular acceleration, linear acceleration, speed, temperature, geomagnetic orientation, position, and an angle.

17. The patient support apparatus of claim 9 wherein the primary sensor is a force sensor adapted to detect force exerted on the patient support apparatus.

18. The patient support apparatus of claim 17 wherein outputs from the force sensor are used for at least one of the following purposes: to control a motor on the patient support apparatus or to determine a weight of a patient supported on the support surface.

Assignees

• Stryker Corp

Inventors

• Kostic Marko N
• Sukumaran Sujay
• Greenbank Jonathan Mark

Classifications

• A61B5/1115 Primary

  Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair · CPC title

• A61B5/6891

  Furniture · CPC title

• A61C5/85

  Filling bands, e.g. matrix bands; Manipulating tools therefor · CPC title

• A61C9/0053

  Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam · CPC title

• A61C19/004

  Hand-held apparatus, e.g. guns · CPC title