Patient position detection for patient support surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9358168-B2
Application number	US-201313769975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2013
Priority date	Sep 4, 2012
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A patient support apparatus includes a patient support surface to support a patient. The patient support surface has at least one air bladder that is inflated and/or deflated to achieve a turn assist function and/or a therapy function of the patient support surface. A graphical user interface (GUI) is configured to receive user inputs from a caregiver to initiate the turn assist or therapy functions. The patient support apparatus has control circuitry coupled to the GUI. The GUI is controlled by the control circuitry to display information indicating that the patient is improperly positioned on the patient support surface for either the turn assist function or the therapy function. Alternatively or additionally, the control circuitry indicates that the patient is improperly positioned for raising a head section of a bed frame.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A patient support apparatus comprising
a patient support surface to support a patient, the patient support surface having at least one air bladder that is at least one of inflated and deflated to achieve at least one of a turn assist function and a therapy function of the patient support surface, the patient support surface being longer in a longitudinal dimension defined between a head end and a foot end of the patient support surface than a lateral dimension defined between opposite sides of the patient support surface,
a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to receive user inputs from a caregiver to initiate the at least one of the turn assist function and the therapy function, and
control circuitry coupled to the GUI, the GUI being controlled by the control circuitry to display information which is other than a surface map and which indicates, when the patient is lying down on the patient support surface about midway between the opposite sides of the patient support surface so that the patient is substantially centered in the lateral dimension of the patient support surface, that the patient is improperly positioned in the longitudinal dimension of the patient support surface due to being shifted too far towards the head end or too far towards the foot end for the at least one of the turn assist function and the therapy function.

2. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information indicating that the patient is improperly positioned includes information indicating that the patient is shifted too far toward at least one of the head end and the foot end of the patient support surface.

3. The patient support apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the information indicating that the patient is shifted too far toward at least one of the head end and the foot end of the patient support surface includes a text box with a message conveying the information.

4. The patient support apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the information indicating that the patient is shifted too far toward at least one of the head end and the foot end of the patient support surface includes a pictorial representation of a patient lying on the patient support surface too close to the at least one of the head end and foot end.

5. The patient support apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the information indicating that the patient is shifted too far toward at least one of the head end and the foot end of the patient support surface includes a hip position icon that is color coded.

6. The patient support apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the hip position icon is positioned over a pictorial representation of the patient lying on the patient support surface.

7. The patient support apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the information indicating that the patient is shifted too far toward at least one of the head end and the foot end of the patient support surface includes at least two of the following: (i) a text box with a message conveying the information, (ii) a pictorial representation of a patient lying on the patient support surface too close to the at least one of the head end and foot end, and (iii) a hip position icon that is color coded.

8. The patient support apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the information indicating that the patient is shifted too far toward at least one of the head end and the foot end of the patient support surface includes all three of the following: (i) a text box with a message conveying the information, (ii) a pictorial representation of a patient lying on the patient support surface too close to the at least one of the head end and foot end, and (iii) a hip position icon that is color coded.

9. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the turn assist function and the therapy function initiated by the caregiver proceeds automatically despite the improper position of the patient on the patient support surface.

10. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the turn assist function and the therapy function initiated by the caregiver is suspended until after the caregiver selects a first icon on the GUI to ignore the information indicating that the patient is improperly positioned.

11. The patient support apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the GUI displays a second icon that is selectable by the caregiver to abort the at least one of the turn assist function and the therapy function.

12. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, before the information indicating that the patient is improperly positioned on the patient support surface is displayed on the GUI, the GUI displays a patient information icon that must be selected by the caregiver.

13. The patient support apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the patient information icon flashes on the GUI in response to the caregiver attempting to initiate the at least one of the turn assist function and the therapy function.

14. The patient support apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the information indicating that the patient is improperly positioned on the patient support surface that appears on the GUI after the patient information is selected includes at least one of the following: (i) a text box with a message conveying the information, (ii) a pictorial representation of a patient lying on the patient support surface too close to at least one of a head end and a foot end of the patient support surface, and (iii) a hip position icon that is color coded.

15. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bed frame that supports the patient support surface, the bed frame including a foot board, and the GUI and control circuitry being included in a housing that is supported on the foot board.

16. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bed frame that supports the patient support surface, the bed frame including a siderail, and the GUI being mounted to the siderail.

17. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bed frame that supports the patient support surface and a plurality of sensors that are carried by the bed frame, that are used to determine a weight of the patient, and that are used to determine a position of the patient on the patient support surface.

18. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the patient support surface further has a plurality of patient support bladders and a plurality of pressure sensors that are used to determine a position of the patient on the patient support surface based on signals from the pressure sensors being indicative as to which of the plurality of bladders the patient is atop.

19. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information indicating that the patient is improperly positioned on the patient support surface for the at least one the turn assist function and the therapy function is displayed on the GUI prior to the caregiver using the user inputs to initiate the at least one of the turn assist function and the therapy function.

20. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the GUI is also controlled by the control circuitry to display information indicating that the patient is properly positioned on the patient support surface.

21. A patient support apparatus comprising
a patient support structure to support a patient, the patient support structure having a head end and a foot end spaced apart in a longitudinal dimension of the patient support structure that is larger than a lateral dimension of the patient support structure, the patient support structure

Assignees

• Hill Rom Services Inc

Inventors

• Williamson Rachel L
• Lachenbruch Charles A
• Receveur Timothy J
• Zerhusen Robert M

Classifications

• A47C27/10

  with two or more independently-fillable chambers · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• A61G7/001 Primary

  with means for turning-over the patient · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61G7/05792

  with low air loss function, e.g. in mattresses, overlays or beds · CPC title