U.S. patent application number 13/802855 was filed with the patent office on 2015-10-15 for patient support apparatus communication systems.
The applicant listed for this patent is Stryker Corporation. Invention is credited to David Terrance Becker, Aaron Douglas Furman, John P. Geer, Jonathan Mark Greenbank, Michael Joseph Hayes, Christopher John Hopper, Joshua Elmer Mix.
Application Number | 20150290060 13/802855 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49476023 |
Filed Date | 2015-10-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150290060 |
Kind Code |
A9 |
Hayes; Michael Joseph ; et
al. |
October 15, 2015 |
PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
Abstract
Patient support apparatuses, such as beds, cots, stretchers,
recliners, operating tables, and the like include wireless mesh
network transceivers that enable them to communicate with each
other, and other devices, via mesh networks and/or ad hoc networks.
One or more additional wireless transceivers are included, such as
WiFi transceivers, that enable direct communication with a
healthcare facility network, such as an Ethernet. The mesh network
communication between patient support apparatuses and other devices
is used for any one or more of: extending the communication range
of the existing IT infrastructure, efficiently routing data to the
healthcare facility network, determining location of the patient
support apparatuses and devices, transporting patient data from one
patient support to the next as the patient moves, and for other
aspects.
Inventors: |
Hayes; Michael Joseph;
(Kalamazoo, MI) ; Furman; Aaron Douglas;
(Kalamazoo, MI) ; Hopper; Christopher John;
(Kalamazoo, MI) ; Geer; John P.; (Ann Arbor,
MI) ; Mix; Joshua Elmer; (Portage, MI) ;
Becker; David Terrance; (Grand Rapids, MI) ;
Greenbank; Jonathan Mark; (Plainwell, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Stryker Corporation |
Kalamazoo |
MI |
US |
|
|
Prior
Publication: |
|
Document Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20130283529 A1 |
October 31, 2013 |
|
|
Family ID: |
49476023 |
Appl. No.: |
13/802855 |
Filed: |
March 14, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13680699 |
Nov 19, 2012 |
8674826 |
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13802855 |
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13356204 |
Jan 23, 2012 |
8319633 |
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13680699 |
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12573545 |
Oct 5, 2009 |
8102254 |
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13356204 |
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11277838 |
Mar 29, 2006 |
7598853 |
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12573545 |
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61640138 |
Apr 30, 2012 |
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60665955 |
Mar 29, 2005 |
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60734083 |
Nov 7, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
5/600 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61G 2203/46 20130101;
G16H 40/20 20180101; A61G 7/018 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A61G 7/018 20060101
A61G007/018 |
Claims
1. A patient support apparatus comprising: a base; a frame
supported by said base; a patient support deck supported by said
frame, said patient support deck adapted to provide support for a
patient; and a control system on said patient support apparatus
adapted to control a feature of said patient support apparatus,
said control system including a first transceiver and a second
transceiver, said control system adapted to be able to wirelessly
receive information via said first transceiver from a different
patient support apparatus, said information relating to the
different patient support apparatus, and said control system
adapted to be able to forward said information off of the patient
support apparatus via said second transceiver.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first transceiver operates
in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standard, and said second transceiver
operates in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said information includes at
least one of the following: information identifying said different
patient support apparatus, information relating to a patient
supported on the different patient support apparatus, and
information identifying a location of said different patient
support apparatus.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control system is further
adapted to be able to forward said information off of the patient
support apparatus via said first transceiver, and said control
system chooses between said first and second transceivers for
forwarding said information off of the patient support
apparatus.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said control system chooses
between said first and second transceivers by assessing signal
strengths of said first and second transceivers with potential
recipients of said information.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control system is further
adapted to process location information received via said first
transceiver from the different patient support apparatus, said
control system processing said location information in order to
generate an estimate of a location of said patient support
apparatus.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said estimate of location is
based at least partially upon a signal strength of the location
information received via said first transceiver from the different
patient support apparatus.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said estimate of location is
based upon location information received via said first transceiver
from a plurality of different patient support apparatuses.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control system stores, in
a memory positioned on the patient support apparatus, patient data
about a patient currently supported on the patient support
apparatus, and said control system is adapted to wirelessly
transmit said patient data to another patient support apparatus
when the patient is transferred to the another patient support
apparatus.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said patient support apparatus
wirelessly transmits said patient data to the another patient
support apparatus in response to a caregiver manually manipulating
a control on said patient support apparatus.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said patient support
apparatus includes a visual display adapted to provide a visual
indication when said patient data has been successfully transmitted
to said another patient support apparatus.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said control system is adapted
to clear said patient data from said memory when a caregiver
manually manipulates a control on said patient support
apparatus.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first transceiver is
further adapted to receive medical device data from a medical
device, and said control system is adapted to be able to forward
said medical device data off of the patient support apparatus via
said second transceiver.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said control system is
further adapted to be able to forward said medical device data off
of the patient support apparatus via said first transceiver, and
said control system chooses between said first and second
transceivers for forwarding said information off of the patient
support apparatus.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said medical device is one of
a ventilator, a vital signs monitor, a respirator, an infusion
pump, an IV pump, a temperature sensor, a thermal management
system, or a blood oxygen saturation monitor.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first transceiver is
further adapted to transmit network data to a medical device, said
network data being received by said patient support apparatus from
a healthcare network.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said patient support
apparatus receives said network data either from said first or said
second transceivers.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said patient support apparatus
further includes a radio frequency (RF) transceiver adapted to read
patient information from an RF identification (ID) tag worn by a
patient positioned on said patient support apparatus.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said control system is
further adapted to associate said patient information with a unique
identifier of said patient support apparatus and to forward both
said patient information and said unique identifier to a healthcare
network.
20. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said control system is adapted
to choose another patient support apparatus to which said
information is forwarded via said first transceiver.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said control system
dynamically updates the choice of the another patient support based
at least partially upon a current connection strength to the
another patient support apparatus.
22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first transceiver is
further adapted to wirelessly receive data from a mattress
positioned on said patient support apparatus.
23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said patient support apparatus
is one of a bed, a stretcher, a recliner, a cot, or an operating
table.
23. A patient support apparatus comprising: a base; a frame
supported by said base; a patient support deck supported by said
frame, said patient support deck adapted to provide support for a
patient; an electronic memory; a control system adapted to control
a feature of said patient support apparatus and to store patient
information in said memory about a patient positioned on said
patient support deck; and a wireless transceiver adapted to
wirelessly transmit said patient information stored in said memory
to another patient support apparatus when the patient is
transferred from said patient support apparatus to the another
patient support apparatus.
24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said control system is
further adapted to receive patient information via said wireless
transceiver when a patient is first transferred to said patient
support apparatus.
25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said control system is
adapted to receive said patient information via said wireless
transceiver from a different patient support apparatus.
26. The apparatus of claim 23 further including a second
transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate via a different
communications protocol than said wireless transceiver, said
control system adapted to receive said patient information via said
second transceiver and to store said patient information in said
memory.
27. The apparatus of claim 23 further including a user control in
communication with said control system, said user control adapted
to control when said wireless transceiver transmits said patient
information to said another patient support apparatus.
28. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said patient information
includes a patient identifier.
29. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said patient information
includes information related to the patient's fall risk or
susceptibility to bed sores.
30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said patient support
apparatus includes a display that displays an identifier of the
another patient support apparatus to which the patient information
is wirelessly transmitted.
31. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said patient support
apparatus further includes a scale system adapted to weigh a
patient positioned on said patient support deck, said control
system adapted to issue an alert if said patient information is
transmitted to said another patient support apparatus without said
scale system detecting an exit of the patient off of the patient
support deck.
32. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said wireless transceiver
transmits said patient information to said another patient support
apparatus automatically.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent
application Ser. No. 61/640,138 filed Apr. 30, 2012 by applicants
Michael Hayes et al. and entitled PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS
COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, the complete disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to patient support
apparatuses, such as cots, stretchers, beds, recliners, operating
tables, and other structures used to support patients in a
healthcare environment. More particularly, the present invention
relates to systems and methods by which the patient support
apparatuses may communicate with each other and with other
structures for one or more purposes.
[0003] In a healthcare setting, it is often desirable for
information about a patient support apparatus to be forwarded from
the patient support apparatus to a one or more remote locations,
such as a nurses' station, where caregivers can review such
information without the need to physically travel to each and every
room in the healthcare environment (e.g. a hospital, medical
center, long term care facility, or the like). Often such
information is forwarded to a healthcare computer network, such as
an Ethernet, where one or more servers make the information
available for display on any one or more computers or mobile
devices that are communicatively coupled to the healthcare computer
network.
[0004] In some instances, the patient support apparatuses forward
such information via a direct wireless connection to one or more
wireless access points of the healthcare network. Such information
may be forwarded via IEEE 802.11 standards. In other situations,
such information may be forwarded via a wired connection to the
healthcare network. Regardless of the manner in which the patient
support apparatus is forwarded to the healthcare network, it is
desirable for the patient support apparatus information to include
data that either identifies the location of the patient support
apparatus, or that allows a computer--such as, but not limited to,
a server on the network--to determine the location of the patient
support apparatus. Such information allows caregivers to know where
in the healthcare facility the patient support apparatus is
located. In this manner, if any of the information requires action
on the part of the caregiver, the caregiver knows where to go to
take the proper action.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention provides systems and methods for
determining the location of patient support apparatuses, as well as
systems and methods that improve the communications ability of the
patient support apparatuses. Such improved communications may be
with a healthcare computer network, and/or such improved
communications may be between the patient support apparatuses
themselves. In still other embodiments, such improved
communications may be with medical devices positioned within a
vicinity of the patient support apparatus. In some embodiments, the
improved communication may expand the communication range of a
healthcare computer network without being dependent upon the
healthcare facility's infrastructure to transmit data from device
to device
[0006] The improved communication relates to either or both of the
content of the information communicated, as well as the quality of
the reception and transmission of the electromagnetic signals that
carry the information. In some embodiments, patient information is
communicated between patient support apparatuses during the
transfer of a patient from one support apparatus to another,
thereby allowing the patient information to follow the patient in
whatever patient support apparatus he or she is positioned on. In
other embodiments, the location of a patient support apparatus is
determined by triangulation with signals received from other
patient support apparatuses. In still other embodiments, a mesh
network is created between patient support apparatuses for
communicating information from the support apparatuses to the
healthcare network. Such information includes information about the
status of various features of the patient support information,
and/or it includes information about medical devices positioned
near to the patient support apparatuses, and/or it includes patient
information.
[0007] According to one embodiment, a patient support apparatus is
provided that includes a base, a frame supported by the base, a
patient support deck, and a control system. The patient support
deck is supported by the frame and adapted to provide support for a
patient. The control system controls a feature of the patient
support apparatus and includes first and second transceivers. The
control system is further adapted to be able to wirelessly receive
information via the first transceiver from a different patient
support apparatus about a feature of the different patient support
apparatus, and the control system is further adapted to be able to
forward the information off of the patient support apparatus via
the second transceiver.
[0008] In other aspects, the first transceiver operates in
accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standard, and the second transceiver
operates in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard, although other
communication protocols may be used for both transceivers. The
transmitted information includes information identifying the
different patient support apparatus and information identifying a
location of the different patient support apparatus. The control
system is further adapted to be able to forward the information off
of the patient support apparatus via the first transceiver, wherein
the control system chooses between the first and second
transceivers for forwarding the information off of the patient
support apparatus. Such a choice may be made based at least
partially upon assessing signal strengths of the first and second
transceivers with potential recipients of the information.
[0009] The control system is adapted to process location
information received via the first transceiver from the different
patient support apparatus and use the location information in order
to generate an estimate of a location of the patient support
apparatus. The estimate of location may be based at least partially
upon a signal strength of the location information received via the
first transceiver from the different patient support apparatus.
Alternatively, the estimate of location may be based upon location
information received via the first transceiver from a plurality of
different patient support apparatuses.
[0010] A memory positioned on the patient support apparatus is
adapted to store data about a patient currently supported on the
patient support apparatus, and the control system is adapted to
wirelessly transmit the patient data to another patient support
apparatus when the patient is transferred to the another patient
support apparatus. The patient support apparatus is able to
wirelessly transmit the patient data to the another patient support
apparatus in response to a caregiver manually manipulating a
control on the patient support apparatus. The patient support
apparatus also includes a visual display adapted to provide a
visual indication when the patient data has been successfully
transmitted to the another patient support apparatus. The control
system is also adapted to clear the patient data from the memory
when a caregiver manually manipulates a control on the patient
support apparatus, or when some other indicator provides an
indication that patient transfer is complete.
[0011] The patient support apparatus is also configurable such that
the first transceiver is able to receive medical device data from a
medical device, and the control system can forward the medical
device data off of the patient support apparatus via the second
transceiver. In other embodiments, the control system is configured
to forward the medical device data off of the patient support
apparatus via the first transceiver as well, and the control system
chooses between the first and second transceivers for forwarding
the information off of the patient support apparatus. The medical
device may include one or more of the following: a ventilator, a
vital signs monitor, a respirator, an infusion pump, an IV pump, a
temperature sensor, a temperature management device, and a blood
oxygen saturation monitor.
[0012] The first transceiver may be configured to transmit network
data to a medical device, wherein the network data is received by
the patient support apparatus from a healthcare network. The
patient support apparatus may receive the network data either from
the first or the second transceivers.
[0013] An RF transceiver may be included on the patient support
apparatus that is adapted to read patient information from an RF
identification (ID) tag worn by a patient positioned on the patient
support apparatus. The control system associates the patient
information with a unique identifier of the patient support
apparatus and forward both the patient information and the unique
identifier to a healthcare network.
[0014] The control system may be configured to choose another
patient support apparatus to which the information is forwarded via
the first transceiver. This choice may be dynamically updated based
at least partially upon a current connection strength to the
another patient support apparatus. Stronger connection strengths
are preferred over weaker connection strengths, although other
factors may also influence the choice of the another patient
support apparatus.
[0015] The first transceiver of the patient support apparatus may
further be adapted to wirelessly receive data from a mattress
positioned on the patient support apparatus.
[0016] According to another embodiment, a patient support apparatus
is provided that includes a base, a frame, a patient support deck,
an electronic memory, a control system, and a wireless transceiver.
The frame is supported by the base, and the patient support deck is
supported by the frame. The patient support deck is adapted to
provide support for a patient. The control system controls a
feature of the patient support apparatus and stores patient
information in the electronic memory about a patient positioned on
the patient support deck. The control system wirelessly transmits
the patient information to another patient support apparatus via
the wireless transceiver when the patient is transferred from the
patient support apparatus to the another patient support
apparatus.
[0017] According to other aspects, the control system may also
receive patient information via the wireless transceiver when a
patient is first transferred to the patient support apparatus. Such
information is then be stored in the electronic memory. The
received patient information may come from another patient support
apparatus, or it may come from another source, such as, but not
limited to, the healthcare computer network. If it comes from
another source, a second wireless transceiver is included on the
patient support apparatus for receiving the patient
information.
[0018] A user control is included that controls when the control
system wirelessly transmits the patient information to the another
patient support apparatus. The patient information includes a
patient identifier, and/or it includes information related to the
patient's fall risk or susceptibility to bed sores. A display may
be included on the patient support apparatus that displays an
identifier of the another patient support apparatus to which the
patient information is wirelessly transmitted. A scale system for
weighing the patient that is built into the patient support
apparatus may serve as a double checking mechanism such that the
control system issues an alert if the patient information is
transmitted to the another patient support apparatus without the
scale system detecting an exit of the patient off of the patient
support deck.
[0019] According to still another embodiment, a patient support
apparatus is provided that includes a base, a frame, a patient
support deck, a control system, and a wireless transceiver. The
frame is supported on the base and the patient support deck is
supported on the frame. The patient support deck provides support
for a patient. The control system is adapted to control a feature
of the patient support apparatus. The wireless transceiver
wirelessly receives signals from another patient support apparatus
and the signals include location information that indicates a
location of that another patient support apparatus within a
healthcare facility. The control system is adapted to use the
location information, along with a measurement of a strength of the
signals, to estimate a location of the patient support apparatus
within the healthcare facility.
[0020] In other aspects, the wireless transceiver receives signals
from a plurality of patient support apparatuses and use them, along
with a measurement of their strength, to estimate a location of the
patient support apparatus within the healthcare facility. The
control system is able to transmit the estimate of the location of
the patient support apparatus to a recipient using the wireless
transceiver. Alternatively, the control system transmits the
estimate of the location of the patient support apparatus to a
healthcare network using a different wireless transceiver
positioned on the patient support apparatus.
[0021] An electronic memory may be included that stores patient
information about a patient positioned on the patient support deck,
wherein the control system is further adapted to wirelessly
transmit the patient information from the memory to a different
patient support apparatus when the patient is transferred from the
patient support apparatus to the different patient support
apparatus. The patient support apparatus may further include a user
control that enables a user to control when the wireless
transceiver transmits the patient information, and a display that
displays an identifier of the different patient support apparatus
to which the patient information is transmitted. The patient
information may include a patient identifier.
[0022] In still other aspects, the control system may wirelessly
receive information via the transceiver from a different patient
support apparatus about a feature of the different patient support
apparatus, and the control system thereafter forwards the received
information off of the patient support apparatus via the
transceiver. The received and forwarded information includes any
one or more of the following: a bed exit condition of the different
patient support apparatus, a siderail condition of the different
patient support apparatus, a height of the different patient
support apparatus, a brake status of the different patient support
apparatus, and an angular orientation of a component of the
different patient support apparatus.
[0023] The transceiver may also receive medical device data from a
medical device, and have the control system forward the medical
device data off of the patient support apparatus via the
transceiver. Alternatively, the control system is able to forward
the medical device data off of the patient support apparatus via a
different transceiver, wherein the control system chooses between
the two transceivers for forwarding the information off of the
patient support apparatus. The medical device may be any one of a
ventilator, a vital signs monitor, a respirator, an infusion pump,
an IV pump, a temperature sensor, and a blood oxygen saturation
monitor.
[0024] A second wireless transceiver may be included on the patient
support apparatus that is in communication with the control system,
wherein the control system is able to forward the estimate of
location of the patient support apparatus off of the patient
support apparatus via the second wireless transceiver. The control
system selects a recipient of the estimate of location based upon
data received from a plurality of potential recipients wherein the
data includes information about the communication capabilities of
the potential recipients with a healthcare Ethernet.
[0025] According to still another embodiment, a system is provided
for locating a plurality of patient support apparatuses within a
healthcare facility. The system includes a plurality of stationary
location devices, a plurality of patient support apparatuses in
communication with at least one of the stationary location devices.
The plurality of stationary location devices are positioned within
a healthcare facility at known locations and the patient support
apparatuses are adapted to determine information about their
respective locations from communications with the stationary
location devices. The system further includes at least one patient
support apparatus that, when it is not in communication with any of
the location devices, is able to determine its location relative to
the plurality of patient support apparatuses by triangulating
wireless signals received from the plurality of patient support
apparatuses.
[0026] According to other aspects, the at least one patient support
apparatus wirelessly transmits its determined location to a
healthcare network. The stationary location devices communicate
with the patient support apparatuses via infrared communications.
Such communications may be physically limited to situations where
the patient support apparatus is positioned within the same room as
the stationary location device, and/or positioned within five to
ten feet or less of a stationary location device.
[0027] In any of the embodiments, the patient support apparatus can
be a bed, a stretcher, a recliner, a cot, or any other type of
support structure used in a healthcare setting for providing
support to a patient.
[0028] These and other features will be more fully understood and
appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the
embodiments below and the accompanying drawings.
[0029] Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to
the details of operation or to the details of construction and the
arrangement of the components set forth in the following
description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be
implemented in various other embodiments and is capable of being
practiced or carried out in alternative ways not expressly
disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology
and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including" and
"comprising" and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items
listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional
items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in
the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly
stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting
the invention to any specific order or number of components. Nor
should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the
scope of the invention any additional steps or components that
might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or
components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] FIG. 1 is side elevational diagram of a patient support
apparatus into which one or more of the features of the present
invention may be incorporated;
[0031] FIG. 2 is a diagram of one embodiment of an electrical
control system that may be used with the patient support apparatus
of FIG. 1, or with any of the other patient support embodiments
described herein;
[0032] FIG. 3 is a plan view diagram of a plurality of patient
support apparatuses according to one embodiment showing a mesh
network that enables the patient support apparatuses to communicate
with each other and/or an access point of a healthcare network;
[0033] FIG. 4 is an plan view diagram similar to FIG. 3 showing how
the mesh network may be used to forward information from patient
support apparatuses outside a range of the access point to one or
more other patient support apparatuses that are within range of the
access point;
[0034] FIG. 5 is a plan view diagram of an arbitrary portion of
floor plan of a healthcare facility that illustrates how some
patient support apparatus embodiments of the present invention may
determine their location using triangulation techniques of signals
received from other patient support apparatuses;
[0035] FIG. 6 is a plan view diagram of another arbitrary portion
of a floor plan of a healthcare facility that illustrates how some
patient support apparatus embodiments of the present invention may
transfer patient information from one patient support apparatus to
another as a patient is transferred from one patient support
apparatus to another;
[0036] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a plurality of patient support
apparatuses that are configured to receive data from one or more
medical devices positioned within the vicinity of the patient
support apparatuses, and to forward said data to a healthcare
network access point;
[0037] FIG. 8A is a plan view of a mesh network arrangement of a
plurality of patient support apparatuses wherein a potential data
path from a first patient support apparatus to an access point of a
healthcare network is highlighted;
[0038] FIG. 8B is a plan view of the mesh network of FIG. 8A shown
with one patient support apparatus removed and an alternative data
path for transmitting data from the first patient support apparatus
to the access point of the healthcare network;
[0039] FIG. 9 is a diagram of an alternative electrical control
system that may be used with any of the patient support apparatuses
described herein; and
[0040] FIG. 10 is a plan view diagram of an arbitrary portion of a
floor plan of a healthcare facility showing patient support
apparatuses that are configured to wirelessly receive and transmit
medical data, patient data, and other signals from other patient
support apparatuses.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0041] A patient support apparatus 20 that may incorporate one or
more of the aspects of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1.
Patient support apparatus 20 may be a cot, a stretcher, a bed, a
recliner, an operating table, or any other type of structure used
to support a patient in a healthcare setting. In general, patient
support apparatus 20 includes a base 22 having a plurality of
wheels 24, a pair of elevation adjustment mechanisms 26 supported
on said base, a frame 28 supported on said elevation adjustment
mechanisms, and a patient support deck 30 supported on said frame.
Patient support apparatus 20 further includes a headboard 32 and a
footboard 34.
[0042] Base 22 includes a brake (not shown) that is adapted to
selectively lock and unlock wheels 24 so that, when unlocked,
patient support apparatus 20 may be wheeled to different locations.
Elevation adjustment mechanisms 26 are adapted to raise and lower
frame 28 with respect to base 22. Elevation adjustment mechanisms
26 may be hydraulic actuators, electric actuators, or any other
suitable device for raising and lowering frame 28 with respect to
base 22. In some embodiments, elevation adjustment mechanisms 26
are operable independently so that the orientation of frame 28 with
respect to base 22 can also be adjusted.
[0043] Frame 28 provides a structure for supporting patient support
deck 30, headboard 32, and footboard 34. Patient support deck 30
provides a surface on which a mattress (not shown), or other soft
cushion is positionable so that a patient may lie and/or sit
thereon. Patient support deck 30 is made of a plurality of
sections, some of which are pivotable about generally horizontal
pivot axes. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, patient support deck
30 includes a head section 36, a seat section 38, a thigh section
40, and a foot section 42. Head section 36, which is also sometimes
referred to as a Fowler section, is pivotable between a generally
horizontal orientation (not shown in FIG. 1) and a plurality of
raised positions (one of which is shown in FIG. 1). Thigh section
40 and foot section 42 may also be pivotable, such as is shown in
FIG. 1.
[0044] Although not illustrated in the patient support apparatus 20
depicted in FIG. 1, patient support apparatus will sometimes
include a plurality of siderails (not shown) coupled to frame 28.
If patient support apparatus 20 is a bed, there are typically four
such siderails, one positioned at a left head end of frame 28, a
second positioned at a left foot end of frame 28, a third
positioned at a right head end of frame 28, and a fourth positioned
at a right foot end of frame 28. If patient support apparatus 20 is
a stretcher or a cot, there are typically fewer siderails. In other
embodiments, there are no siderails on patient support apparatus
20. Regardless of the number of siderails, such siderails are
movable between a raised position in which they block ingress and
egress into and out of patient support apparatus 20, and a lowered
position in which they are not an obstacle to such ingress and
egress.
[0045] The construction of any of base 22, elevation adjustment
mechanisms 26, frame 28, patient support deck 30, headboard 32,
footboard 34, and/or the siderails may be the same as disclosed in
commonly assigned, U.S. Pat. No. 7,690,059 issued to Lemire et al.,
and entitled HOSPITAL BED, or as disclosed in commonly assigned
U.S. Pat. publication No. 2007/0163045 filed by Becker et al. and
entitled PATIENT HANDLING DEVICE INCLUDING LOCAL STATUS INDICATION,
ONE-TOUCH FOWLER ANGLE ADJUSTMENT, AND POWER-ON ALARM
CONFIGURATION; or as disclosed in the Stryker Maintenance Manual
for the Model 3002 S3 MedSurg Bed, available from Stryker
Corporation of Kalamazoo, Mich., the disclosures of all three of
these which are incorporated herein by reference. The construction
of any of base 22, elevation adjustment mechanisms 26, frame 28,
patient support deck 30, headboard 32, footboard 34 and/or the
siderails may also take on forms different from what is disclosed
in the aforementioned documents.
[0046] Patient support apparatus 20 of FIG. 1 further includes a
mesh network node 84 that allows apparatus 20 to form an ad hoc
electrical communications network with one or more other patient
support apparatuses 20 and/or one or more medical devices. Each of
the other patient support apparatuses 20 and/or medical devices
includes similar electronics that form a mesh network node that is
able to communicate with node 84, as well as any other nodes 84 on
other apparatuses 20 or medical devices that are within
communication range. Each node 84--whether positioned on a patient
support apparatus 20, a medical device, or something else--is
therefore able to not only disseminate data that originates from
the structure to which it is coupled, but also to serve as a relay
for forwarding information it receives from other nodes onto to
still other nodes, or onto a healthcare network 70 (FIG. 10), as
will be described in greater detail below. Further, because the
positions of patient support apparatus 20, as well as medical
devices and other structures, are likely to change over time, the
mesh network formed by the nodes 84 is dynamic such that the data
paths change with changing locations and/or other conditions.
[0047] FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of an electrical control
system 44 that is incorporated into patient support apparatus 20.
Electrical control system 44 includes, in the illustrated
embodiment, an internal communications network 46. Internal
communications network 46 is a Controller Area Network, although it
will be understood by those skilled in the art that it could be
another type of network, such as, but not limited to, a CANOpen
network, DeviceNet network, other networks having a CAN physical
and data link layer), a LONWorks network, a Local Interconnect
Network (LIN), a FireWire network, or any other known network for
communicating messages between electronic structures on patient
support apparatus. Internal communications network 46 includes a
number of controllers or internal nodes that are in communication
with each other over the internal network 46. These include a
footboard controller 48, an actuator/sensor controller 50, a scale
system controller 52, a first side rail controller 54, a second
side rail controller 56, a first transceiver controller 58, a
second transceiver controller 60, and a mattress controller 62.
Before describing in further detail the structure and functions of
these controllers, it should be pointed out that patient support
apparatus 20 could alternatively be designed without any internal
communications network, but instead have various controllers
communicate with each other in a non-networked manner, or by
combining the functions of these various controllers into one
controller that handles all of these tasks, or in still other
manners that do not utilize any sort of communications network on
the patient support apparatus 20.
[0048] Each controller that communicates over internal
communications network 46 includes one or more microprocessors,
microcontrollers, field programmable gate arrays, systems on a
chip, volatile or nonvolatile memory, discrete circuitry, and/or
other hardware, software, or firmware that is capable of carrying
out the functions described herein, as would be known to one of
ordinary skill in the art.
[0049] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the electrical control system
44 of patient support apparatus 20 includes a first transceiver 64
that is electrically and communicatively coupled to a first
transceiver controller 58, as well as a second transceiver 66 that
is electrically and communicatively coupled to second transceiver
controller 60. It will be understood by those skilled in the art
that the use of the terms "first transceiver" and "second
transceiver" herein has been done for communicative convenience,
and that in no way do the "first" and "second" labels connote any
significance to, or ranking of, the respective transceivers, nor
are they intended to suggest a limit to the number of transceivers
that may be present on a given patient support apparatus 20.
[0050] First transceiver controller 58 is adapted to process
messages that are communicated on electrical communications network
46 that are intended for first transceiver controller 58. Such
messages will typically, although not exclusively, include messages
containing data that is meant to be transmitted off of patient
support apparatus 20 via first transceiver 64. Similarly, second
transceiver controller 60 is adapted to process messages that are
communicated on electrical communications network 46 that are
intended for second transceiver controller 60. Such messages will
typically, although not exclusively, include messages containing
data that is meant to be transmitted off of patient support
apparatus 20 via second transceiver 66. First and second
transceiver controllers 58 and 60 are further adapted to process
messages received by first and second transceivers 64 and 66,
respectively, and, where applicable, forward the content of those
messages onto internal communications network 46 for sharing with
one or more of the various controllers on network 46.
[0051] Together, first transceiver 64 and first transceiver
controller 58 form mesh network node 84. Transceiver 64 therefore
receives messages and/or signals from other transceivers that are
meant to be forwarded off of patient support apparatus 20, rather
than consumed by patient support apparatus 20. Controller 58
processes the received messages sufficiently to determine whether
the messages are for internal consumption or whether they are to be
relayed onto another recipient. Messages that are to be relayed are
temporarily stored in memory that is accessible to controller 58
until such messages have been successfully forwarded onto another
recipient. Messages that are to be consumed by patient support
apparatus 20 are processed by controller 58 and directly delivered
to the appropriate device on patient support apparatus 20 by
hardwire or other direct connection, or their content is
distributed via internal communications network 46 for use by one
or more of the controllers on network 46.
[0052] In one embodiment of patient support apparatus 20, first and
second transceivers 64 and 66 are different types of transceivers.
That is, each transceiver is adapted to transmit and receive
electrical signals using two different communication protocols. For
example, in one embodiment, first transceiver 64 is adapted to
transmit and receive wireless electrical signals using the Zig bee
protocol, or the IEEE 802.15.4 protocol, while the second
transceiver 66 is adapted to transmit and receive wireless
electrical signals using the Wi-Fi protocol, or the IEEE 802.11
protocol. In other embodiments, first transceiver 64 uses the
Zigbee or IEEE 802.15.4 protocol while second transceiver 66 is
adapted to transmit and receive electrical signals over a wire or
cable connected to patient support apparatus 20. Such a wire or
cable may constitute a universal serial bus (USB) connection, or it
may include an RS-232 or RS-485 connection, or it may include a
wired Ethernet cable. In still other embodiments, still other
communication protocols are used instead of those listed herein,
whether wired or wireless, including, but not limited to, infrared
communication, Bluetooth communication, and other types of
communication.
[0053] Regardless of the specific communications format used, first
transceiver 64 is designed to communicate with one or more nearby
structures, such as, but not limited to, medical devices, sensing
systems, and/or with other patient support apparatuses. First
transceiver 64 therefore sends messages to and receives messages
from medical devices equipped with transceivers that are compatible
with first transceiver 64, and/or it sends messages to and receives
messages from sensing systems equipped with compatible
transceivers, and/or it sends messages to and receives messages
from other first transceivers positioned on one or more other
patient support apparatuses.
[0054] If communicating with another patient support apparatus, the
other patient support apparatus need not be identical to patient
support apparatus 20, but instead merely has to be able to have the
ability to send and receive messages using the same protocol used
by first transceiver 64. Thus, in some situations, if patient
support apparatus 20 is a bed, it is able to communicate via first
transceiver 64 with a stretcher, or with a cot, or a recliner, or
some other type of patient support apparatus that is of a different
physical type than a bed. Further, even if the other patient
support apparatus is a bed, it need not be constructed in the same
manner as patient support apparatus 20. It may be a different model
of bed in some cases, or it may be made by a different manufacturer
in some cases, or it may be of the exact same type of bed as
patient support apparatus 20. The same is true if patient support
apparatus 20 is a cot, a stretcher, a recliner, or something
else--the other patient support apparatuses to which it
communicates via first transceiver 64 may be the same or a
different type of patient support apparatus.
[0055] As noted, in some embodiments, first transceiver 64 is also
configured to communicate with one or more medical devices 110
(see, e.g. FIG. 7 or 10). Such medical devices include any medical
devices that are usable in a healthcare setting in a patient's
room, or otherwise within a nearby vicinity of a patient positioned
on a patient support apparatus 20. A non-exhaustive list of such
potential medical devices includes ventilators, vital signs
monitors, respirators, infusion pumps, IV pumps, temperature
sensors, and/or blood oxygen saturation monitors. When
communicating with these medical devices, first transceiver 64 and
its associated controller 58--which together form one mesh network
node 84--become part of a mesh network that includes other nodes
84. In such cases, node 84 of support apparatus 20 is able to relay
information received from the medical devices 110 onto a healthcare
communication network 70. This relay is able to take place via
different routes. First, the relay of information may take place
via a direct connection between the support apparatus 20 and
network 70, or this relay of information may be routed through one
or more other support apparatuses 20 before it is delivered to
network 70. These alternative routes are selected by the nodes 84
and intelligence shared between them regarding signal strength,
traffic, and/or other factors, as will be discussed more below.
[0056] In still other embodiments, first transceiver 64 of patient
support apparatus 20 is configured to communicate with sensing
systems that are used to sense one or more characteristics,
features, conditions, and/or states of the caregiver, the patient,
or other personnel. For example, in one embodiment, such a sensing
system includes an interface pressure sensing sheet position on top
of a mattress on the patient support apparatus 20, such as
disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application serial
number PCT/US12/27402 filed Mar. 2, 2012 by applicants Balakrishnan
et al., and entitled SENSING SYSTEM FOR PATIENT SUPPORTS, the
complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In such an embodiment, first transceiver 64 is configured to
communicate with any one or more of the sensor array 22, the
controller 24, the user interface 26, the sensor controller 28,
and/or the tablet 44 disclosed in the PCT/US12/27402 patent
application. The data from the interface pressure sensing system is
forwarded via mesh network node 84 of patient support apparatus 20
onto healthcare network 70, either directly from support apparatus
20, or via one or more additional support apparatuses 20 or other
types of intermediate mesh network nodes 84. Still further, in some
embodiments, the data from the interface pressure sensing system is
partially or wholly consumed by patient support apparatus 20, or a
device positioned on patient support apparatus 20.
[0057] In another embodiment, first transceiver 64 is configured to
communicate with a video monitoring system, such as that disclosed
in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/242,022
filed Sep. 23, 2011 by applicants Derenne et al. and entitled VIDEO
MONITORING SYSTEM, the complete disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference. In such an embodiment, first
transceiver 64 is configured to communicate with any one or more of
the cameras 22, computer devices 24, and/or image projectors 30
disclosed in the Ser. No. 13/242,022 patent application. The data
from the video system and/or cameras is forwarded via mesh network
node 84 of patient support apparatus 20 onto healthcare network 70,
either directly from support apparatus 20, or via one or more
additional support apparatuses 20 or other types of intermediate
mesh network nodes 84. Still further, in some embodiments, the data
from the video monitoring system is partially or wholly consumed by
patient support apparatus 20, or a device positioned on patient
support apparatus 20.
[0058] In still another embodiment, first transceiver 64 is
configured to communicate with hand washing stations, or other
devices, such as disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/570,934, filed Aug. 9, 2012, by applicants
Hayes et al., and entitled PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS WITH IN-ROOM
DEVICE COMMUNICATION, the complete disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference. In such an embodiment, first
transceiver 64 is configured to communicate with any of the
electronic tags 24 (e.g. mobile tags 24a, stationary tags 24b, and
patient tags 24c) and/or the transceiver 52 disclosed in the Ser.
No. 13/570,934 application. The data from the hand washing station,
or other device, is forwarded via mesh network node 84 of patient
support apparatus 20 onto healthcare network 70, either directly
from support apparatus 20, or via one or more additional support
apparatuses 20 or other types of intermediate mesh network nodes
84. Still further, in some embodiments, the data from the hand
washing station is partially or wholly consumed by patient support
apparatus 20, or a device positioned on patient support apparatus
20. In yet other embodiments, the patient hand washing station is
configured to be, or include, a mesh network node itself, in which
case the hand washing station may be the recipient of data relayed
off of patient support apparatus 20 that is destined for
communication to healthcare network 70.
[0059] In still other embodiments, first transceiver 64 is
configured to communicate with any combination of the devices
disclosed herein, including, but not limited to, any of those
disclosed in the patent references incorporated herein by
reference. Still further, patient support apparatus 20 may be
modified to include a third or fourth transceiver that, instead of,
or in addition to, first transceiver 64, communicates with any of
the devices disclosed herein, including, but not limited to, any of
those disclosed in the patent references incorporated herein by
reference.
[0060] Second transceiver 66, as noted earlier, is configured to
communicate with one or more wireless access points 68 of a
healthcare communications network 70. An example of one such
communications network 70 is shown in FIG. 10. Such a network is
often an Ethernet network, although it may use other networking
communication protocols. The devices, applications, and/or servers
that are coupled to the network 70 will vary from facility to
facility because they will be dependent upon a particular
healthcare institution's choice of what third-party software and/or
systems they have installed on their network. In the illustrative
embodiment shown in FIG. 10, network 70 includes a plurality of
nurses stations 72, tablet and/or phones 74, computers on wheels
(COW) 76, work stations 80, and one or more personal computers 82.
An electronic medical records (EMR) server 78 may also be included.
As noted, network 70 may further include one or more additional
devices, applications, and/or servers, or it may include one or
fewer devices, applications, and/or servers, depending upon the
particular configuration that has been implemented at a particular
healthcare facility. Such additional devices, applications, and/or
servers may include an Admission, Discharge, and Transfer (ADT)
system that manages the admission, discharge, and transfer of
patients in the healthcare facility; a workflow server that manages
the work assignments of caregivers in the healthcare facility;
and/or wireless alerting system that automatically forwards alarms
and alerts to appropriate healthcare personnel via wireless
communication technology. Such wireless communication technology
may include the forwarding of alerts via cell phones, WIFI devices,
pagers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or by other means. Any
information that is transmitted to network 70 via one or more of
the mesh network nodes 84 may therefore cause an alert to be
forwarded to the appropriate caregiver(s), depending upon the
contents of such information. The nurses station 72, tablets 74,
computers on wheels 76, work stations 80, personal computers 82,
electronic medical record systems 78, ADT systems, work flow
systems, and wireless alerting systems may all be conventional
products that are commercially available from one or more different
suppliers, as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the
art.
[0061] FIG. 3 illustrates an arbitrary example of a mesh network 86
that created by a plurality of patient support apparatuses and
their respective mesh network nodes 84. In the example shown, the
mesh network 86 includes four patient support apparatuses 20 that
are beds (20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d), one patient support apparatus 20
that is a stretcher (20e), and one patient support apparatus 20
that is a cot (20f). Each patient support apparatus 20 includes a
mesh network node 84 that comprises first transceiver 64 and first
transceiver controller 58. Each node 84 broadcasts signals that are
responded to by all of the other nodes that are sufficiently close
to receive the broadcasted signals. This broadcasting and
responding enables each patient support apparatus 20 to determine
what other patient support apparatuses 20 are within communication
distance. When responding to such broadcasts, a node 84 also
responds with information identifying what nodes 84 it itself is in
communication distance with. For example, if stretcher 20e sends
out an initial broadcast, beds 20a, 20b, and 20d, along with cot
20f, will respond because they are all sufficiently close to be
within communication range of stretcher 20e (for purposes of
discussion, it will be assumed that bed 20c is out of direct
communication range with stretcher 20e). The response from beds
20a, 20b, and 20d and cot 20f includes information indicating the
nodes that each of these apparatuses 20 are in communication with.
Thus, for example, bed 20a might respond to stretcher 20e by
indicating that it is able to communicate with bed 20b, bed 20c,
cot 20f, and bed 20d. Similarly, bed 20d might respond to stretcher
20e by indicating that it is able to communicate with beds 20a,
20b, and 20c, as well as cot 20f. Still further, in addition to
forwarding information about what nodes a particular node is
currently able to communicate with, information identifying the
relative signal strengths of each of the currently available nodes
is also included. In this manner, routing of the information can be
accomplished by selecting routes having relatively higher signal
strengths, or at least signal strengths above a predetermined
threshold, thereby ensuring that more bandwidth is available for
transmitting information.
[0062] In some embodiments, the response back to stretcher 20e also
includes information indicating whether any of the nodes 84 are
able to communicate with a wireless access point 68 of healthcare
network 70. Thus, for example, bed 20a might respond to stretcher
20e by indicating that not only is it able to communicate with beds
20b, 20c, and 20d, and cot 20f (and also their signal strengths),
but also that bed 20b is able to communicate directly with a
wireless access point 68, which, in the example of FIG. 3, is a
WiFi access point, although it will be understood by those skilled
in the art that other types of access points could be used. Because
beds 20c and 20d, as well as cot 20f, are all in communication with
bed 20b, they too might all respond to stretcher 20e with
information indicating that bed 20b is in direction communication
with access point 68. Each apparatus 20 is therefore able to
include in its response to stretcher 20e an indication that it is
or that it is not is direct communication with a wireless access
point, as well as a similar indication for all of the apparatuses
it is in communication with. Depending upon the size of the mesh
network 86, additional levels of communication abilities may be
provided for nodes 84 that are even further downstream from
stretcher 20e.
[0063] In addition to responding to stretcher 20e's initial
broadcast, each apparatus 20 that is within communication distance
may also respond with additional information that may be useful for
stretcher 20e. As was noted, such additional information may
include information about the signal strength of each of the
communication channels between apparatuses 20, and/or the signal
strength between an apparatus 20 and an access point 68. Such
additional information alternatively, or additionally, includes
information indicating a current level of communication traffic
and/or information backlog and/or available bandwidth and/or the
congestion that a node is experiencing. Still further, such
information includes information that uniquely identifies each
node, and/or information that uniquely identifies each patient
support apparatus 20.
[0064] All of the information that stretcher 20e receives in
response to its initial broadcast message is stored in a memory
accessible to first transceiver controller 58. This information
enables controller 58 to determine which route, or portion of a
route, is the best route for transmitting data to access point 68.
That is, stretcher 20e uses the information it receives from the
other nodes (e.g. 84a, 84b, 84d, and 840 to select an initial
recipient of any data that it needs to forward to network 70 (which
would be via access point 68 in FIG. 3, although there may be
multiple access points in other examples). Once this initial
recipient is chosen, node 84e of stretcher 20e transmits the
desired information to that recipient, which then forwards the
information onto access point 68, either directly or by some other
route, depending upon circumstances. In some embodiments, the
original source of the transmitted information (in this example,
stretcher 20e) includes information indicating its preferred
complete routing path to access point 68, while in other
embodiments, the original source of the transmitted information
only chooses the initial recipient of the transmitted data and
leave subsequent routing decisions to the discretion of the
recipient node and any other downstream nodes that relay the
information to access point 68.
[0065] As was noted, the choice of the initial recipient of the
information is made based upon any one or more of the items of
information received from the other nodes. The choice of the
initial recipient may also be combined with predefined data or
programming instructions. Such predefined data or programming
instructions may, for example, dictate that, absent extenuating
circumstances, an apparatus 20 will try to communicate information
to access point 68 in the most direct route (i.e. the route
involving the fewest number of communications hops between the
source of the data and network 70). Thus, as an example, stretcher
20e may be programmed to initially select by default bed 20b as the
initial recipient of its transmitted data because bed 20b is in
direct communication with access point 68. However, such
programming could also take into account the signal strength of the
communication path 88 between stretcher 20e and bed 20b and, if it
is below a desired threshold level, cause node 84e to seek an
alternate initial recipient with which it has a communication path
88 having a stronger signal. Stretcher 20e may therefore, as an
example, determine that path 88 between stretcher 20e and bed 20b
is too weak, and therefore choose to initially send its data to bed
20a. This choice of bed 20a as an alternative to the default
initial recipient may be based upon any of the information
stretcher 20e has received from the other nodes 84. Thus, the
choice of bed 20a as the alternative initial recipient of the data
from stretcher 20e may be made, for example, because the
communication path 88 between stretcher 20e and bed 20a is stronger
than any of the other communication paths stretcher 20e has with
the other patient support apparatuses 20c, 20d, and 20f.
[0066] The data that is able to be transmitted from a patient
support apparatus 20 includes a variety of different types of data,
some of which will be discussed in greater detail below. In some
embodiments, data about one or more sensors and/or systems on the
patient support apparatus 20 is communicated. Such data includes
information indicating whether the side rails of a patient support
apparatus are up or down; whether the brake is locked or unlocked;
the height of the frame 28 or patient support deck 30 above the
base 22 (in those apparatuses where this height can be changed by a
user); the angle of one or more sections of deck support 30 (such
as head section 36--which may be useful to know for helping to
prevent ventilator associated pneumonia and/or for other purposes);
the output from a bed exit system that is incorporated into patient
support apparatus 20 (such as, but not limited to, the bed exit
system disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,432
issued to Travis and entitled PATIENT EXIT DETECTION MECHANISM FOR
HOSPITAL BED, the complete disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference); information indicating whether a
bed exit system is armed or disarmed; the output from a patient
movement detection system that is incorporated into patient support
apparatus 20 (such as, but not limited to, the patient movement
detection system disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No.
6,822,571 issued to Conway and entitled PATIENT MOVEMENT DETECTION
SYSTEM FOR A BED INCLUDING A LOAD CELL MOUNTING ASSEMBLY, the
complete disclosure of which is also incorporated herein by
reference); the output from a patent interface pressure detection
system (such as, but not limited to, that disclosed in the
PCT/US12/27402 application filed Mar. 2, 2012, discussed above);
data from one or more medical devices that are either supported on
apparatus 20, or in communication with apparatus 20 (such as via
first transceiver 64); information from a video monitoring system
(such as that disclosed in the Ser. No. 13/242,022 patent
application mentioned above); and information from other devices or
structures in the room that have wireless communication abilities
(such as, but not limited to, the devices disclosed in the Ser. No.
13/570,934 application discussed above.
[0067] Any of the data that is transmitted from a patient support
apparatus 20 is data that originates from that particular patient
support apparatus, or it is data that is received from another
patient support apparatus 20 that is to be relayed onto another
node 84 or an access point 68. Regardless of whether the data that
is to be transmitted originates from the support apparatus 20, or
was received from another support apparatus 20, the algorithms used
for determining the next recipient of the data are the same. Thus,
for example, in the arbitrary example discussed above with respect
to FIG. 3 wherein stretcher 20e is transmitting data that is to be
forwarded to access point 68, the logic used by stretcher 20e to
determine the initial recipient of its data is the same, regardless
of whether the transmitted data originated from stretcher 20e, or
it was received by stretcher 20e from another support apparatus
(such as, for example, bed 20d). Similarly, once stretcher 20e
transmits the data to an initial recipient (e.g. bed 20a), that
recipient utilizes the same logic and/or algorithms that stretcher
20e used in deciding what node to forward the data to.
[0068] By forwarding information through mesh network 86 to access
point 68, the information is able to avoid bottlenecks, route
around weak communication channels, and in some cases (such as
discussed below with respect to FIG. 4) avoid areas where
communication with access point 68 is not possible. The routing
algorithms used therefore ensure that data is efficiently, yet
effectively, transferred to the healthcare network 68 so that the
appropriate servers and/or applications on the network 68 can used
the transmitted data in the desired manner.
[0069] FIG. 4 illustrates another arbitrary example wherein some of
the patient support apparatuses 20 and associated nodes 84 are
completely outside the communication range of access point 68. In
the example of FIG. 4, a boundary line 90 indicates the furthest
extent of the communication range of access point 68. Thus, only
beds 20b and 20c are within communication range of access point 68.
Any information to be transmitted from beds 20a and 20d, or cot 20f
and stretcher 20e to network 70 must therefore pass (in this
example) through either bed 20b or bed 20c. By enabling patient
support apparatuses 20 to communicate over, and form, a mesh
network 86, the communication range of access point 68 is
effectively extended. That is, because those apparatuses 20 within
range of access point 68 (e.g. beds 20b and 20c) can talk to
apparatuses outside of range 90 and relay information from these
apparatuses 20 to access point 68, the effective communication
range of access point 68 is enlarged. This allows healthcare
facilities to avoid the expensive extra infrastructure that might
otherwise be necessary to provide sufficient communication
abilities throughout a facility (i.e. it may not be necessary to
install as many wireless access points 68 in a given facility when
the facility uses the mesh-network equipped patient support
apparatuses 20 disclosed herein).
[0070] When a patient support apparatus 20 is forwarding data to
network 70 via mesh network 86 and there are multiple patient
support apparatuses 20 in direct communication with one or more
access points 68 (such as, for example, the situation illustrated
in FIG. 4), the choice of which apparatus 20 to forward data to may
be made in the same manner as discussed above. That is, in the
example of FIG. 4, the choice between routing data through bed 20b
or 20c is based upon one or more of the following: a default
preferred path, relative signal strengths, available bandwidth,
traffic congestion, communication backlogs, and/or other factors.
If such factors present an equal case for routing through beds 20b
and 20c, then the ultimate choice may be based on a random
selection, or some other factor.
[0071] In the examples of FIGS. 3 and 4, the data transmitted from
a support apparatus 20 to access point 68 has been ultimately
transmitted to access point 68 via a second transceiver 66 on one
of patient support apparatuses 20. If that data has been received
from another patient support apparatus 20 (and is thus being
relayed to access point 68), the receipt of data is via first
transceiver 64. Thus, mesh network communications is accomplished
via first transceivers 64, while communications with one or more
access points 68 is via second transceivers 66.
[0072] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all
of the first transceivers 64 do not have to be identical to each
other. Similarly, it will be understood by those skilled in the art
that all of the second transceivers 66 do not have to be identical
to each other. If disparate types of first and/or second
transceivers 64 and/or 66 are incorporated into the support
apparatuses 20 of a given mesh network 86, then the communication
abilities of the transceivers may also be relayed to each of the
nodes and used in the algorithms for determining routing. For
example, in some embodiments, some patient support apparatuses have
a second transceiver 66 that is able to communicate in accordance
with IEEE 802.11b standards, while other patient support
apparatuses 20 are able to communicate in accordance with IEEE
802.11g or 802.11n standards, both of which are faster than 802.11b
standards. This information is factored into the algorithms for
choosing the most efficient routing of data to network 70.
[0073] Mesh network 86 is also useful for disseminating data from
one or more sources on healthcare network 70. When disseminating
such data, the same or similar algorithms can used for routing the
data through mesh network 86 to the appropriate destination. Such
disseminated data includes, but is not limited to, patient
information (such as, but not limited to, information that
identifies a particular patient who is occupying a particular
patient support apparatus), caregiver information (such as, but not
limited to, information identifying the what caregiver(s) have been
assigned to a particular patient, room, or support apparatus 20),
medical information (such as, but not limited to, information about
the fall risk or a patient, information about the susceptibility of
a patient to bed sores--such as a Braden scale rating, information
and/or any other relevant medical information about a particular
patient), commands (such as, but not limited to, commands to change
the status of a system or component on patient support apparatus
20), requests for data, acknowledgements, and/or any other type of
data that is desirably communicated to one or more patient support
apparatuses 20, or to any of the devices or other structures that a
patient support apparatus 20 is in communication with via one or
more of its transceivers.
[0074] Each node 84 of mesh network 86 is configured to dynamically
and regularly update its communication abilities and/or status so
that the routing of data through mesh network 86 is dynamically
adapted to changing conditions. Such changing conditions can
include, for example, the movement of one or more patient support
apparatuses 20 to different locations, traffic congestion, the
addition or deletion of one or more data sources or destinations
(e.g. one or more medical devices or support apparatuses 20),
and/or any other conditions that might usefully influence the
efficient routing of data through mesh network 86.
[0075] FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate one example in which a mesh
network 86 dynamically updates itself when a patient support
apparatus 20 exits the mesh network 86. In the example of FIG. 8A,
a bed 20u is communicating data to a bed 20v via two intermediate
patient support apparatuses 20; namely, a bed 20w and a stretcher
20x. The information is being transmitted through nodes 84w and 84x
of these two intermediate support apparatuses 20. This data path,
however, may change, such as, for example, by the movement of one
or both of support apparatuses 20w and/or 20x. In the example of
FIG. 8B, stretcher 20x has been moved to a new location that is
outside of mesh network 86. In order for patient support
apparatuses 20u and 20v to continue to communicate, a new data path
is automatically created by mesh network 86. In the example of FIG.
8B, the new data path is from bed 20v to bed 20w to bed 20y to bed
20v, and/or the reverse. By dynamically changing the routing of
data when one or more nodes 84 are either added or removed from
mesh network 86, communication can still be accomplished without
interruption.
[0076] Alternatively, or in addition to, the data transfer
abilities of mesh network 86 described above, some embodiments of
patient support apparatuses 20 are configured to use mesh network
86 to determine their location within a healthcare facility. This
is especially useful for healthcare facilities where some
apparatuses 20 are not able to determine their location at all
times, such as, for example, during movement of the apparatus 20
from one location within the facility to another location within
the facility. FIG. 5 illustrates one manner in which mesh network
86 is used to determine the location of one or more patient support
apparatuses. Specifically, stretchers 20g and 20h are shown in a
corridor or hallway 92 within an arbitrary portion of a healthcare
facility 98. Stretcher 20g includes a mesh network node 84g while
stretcher 20h includes a mesh network node 84h. These nodes 84g and
84h are able to wirelessly communicate with other nodes 84 that are
within a vicinity of these nodes (the size of the vicinity will
depend upon the specific communication protocol and/or standards
used by nodes 84, as well as the communication and reception power
of the electronics in nodes 84). Nodes 84g and 84h (as well as, in
some cases, the nodes 84 on beds 20i, 20j, 20k, 20l, 20m, and 20n)
are adapted to determine their location by using triangulation
techniques, or trilateration techniques, or some combination of the
two, with the other nodes 84 that are within communication range.
Such triangulation techniques will enable the nodes to calculate
their relative position to the other nodes that are within
communication range. If one or more of the other nodes that are
within communication range knows its absolute location within
health care facility 98, or otherwise possesses information that
enables its absolute location to be determined within facility 98,
then those other nodes that know their relative location to these
nodes are able to calculate their absolute position within the
facility.
[0077] If configured to determine location based upon
triangulation, each node 84g and 84h includes one or more antennas
that are adapted to determine the direction in which signals from
the other nodes 84 are received at nodes 84g and 84h, respectively.
Such antennas and/or other equipment may be conventional equipment,
as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art. If a node
(e.g. 84g and/or 84h) receives signals from a sufficient number of
other nodes, the angular information determined from those signals
will be sufficient for the node (84g or 84h) to determine its
relative location to the patient support apparatuses 20 from which
it received signals. This relative position can be converted into
an absolute position within the healthcare facility if the absolute
position of the patient support apparatuses that transmit signals
to nodes 84g and/or 84h are known. In some embodiments, this
conversion of relative position to absolute position is performed
by one or more processors located on the patient support 20 itself,
while in other embodiments, it is performed by a server or
application that is running on healthcare network 70.
[0078] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of how, in one embodiment,
stretcher 20g determines its location using triangulation
techniques. By determining the direction from which signals are
received from nodes 84 on patient support apparatuses 20i and 20j,
which are in rooms 2 and 4, respectively, node 84g will be able to
determine a first angle 94 (FIG. 5). By determining the direction
from which signals are received from the nodes 84 on patient
support apparatuses 20j and 20m, which are in rooms 4 and 3,
respectively, node 84g will also be able to determine a second
angle 96 (FIG. 5). Further, because the locations of beds 20i, 20j,
and 20m is already known--as determined in any conventional manner,
at least one of which is described in greater detail below--node
84g on patient support apparatus 20g is able to determine its
absolute location within healthcare facility 98. The relative
signal strength of all of the received signals may also be used in
determining location.
[0079] It will be further understood by those skilled in the art
that the determination of the location of a patient support
apparatus 20 (such as stretcher 20g in FIG. 5) within a given
facility 98 may be, in some embodiments, a determination of an
approximate location. For example, the algorithms used to determine
location may, in some embodiments, specify the location of the
patient support apparatus merely to the level of a room or a
portion of a room, or a corridor or hallway, or a section of a
corridor or hallway, or some other generalized area. However, it
will also be understood that finer levels of position granularity
are determined in some embodiments.
[0080] If nodes 84 are equipped to determine location using
trilateration or multilateration techniques, either in lieu of, or
in addition to triangulation techniques, nodes 84 may be configured
to determine the time it takes for signals from other nodes 84 to
travel to the node whose destination is being determined. Such time
of flight measurements or computations can be used to determine
distances between nodes 84. This will enable a node 84 to determine
its relative location. Further, if some of the absolute positions
of the nodes are known, the relative position may be converted into
an absolute position within the healthcare facility 98.
[0081] In one embodiment, some of the patient support apparatuses
20 are able to determine their location within a healthcare
facility 98 by way of a location system that utilizes a plurality
of stationary modules 100 and stationary module transceivers 102.
The stationary modules 100 are positioned on walls, ceilings, or in
other fixed locations whose absolute positions within the
healthcare facility 98 are known. The module transceivers 102 are
incorporated into some or all of the patient support apparatuses
20. In the example of FIG. 2, the electrical control system 44 of
patient support apparatus 20 has transceivers 102 feeding into, and
controlled by, actuator/sensor controller 50. It will be understood
by those skilled in the art that transceivers 102 may be controlled
by other controllers, and/or integrated into a patient support
apparatus in different manners.
[0082] In one embodiment, a healthcare facility may have a
plurality of patient support apparatuses 20 that are beds that
include such transceivers 102, while other types of patient support
apparatuses 20--such as stretchers, cots, and the like--might not
include such module transceivers 102. Regardless of which specific
patient support apparatuses 20 have module transceivers 102
incorporated therein, any such apparatus 20 having a module
transceiver 102 incorporated therein will be able to communicate
with a fixed module 100 when the apparatus is within a relatively
close proximity thereto. Such proximity may be on the order of five
to ten feet, or it may be other distances. In some embodiments,
module transceiver 102 communicates with modules 100 via infrared
signals, although it will be understood by those skilled in the art
that other types of signals may be used for communication between
modules 100 and transceiver 102.
[0083] In general, because the locations of modules 100 is known,
and because the patient support apparatuses can only communicate
with a given module 100 (via transceivers 102) then they are within
a close proximity to the given module 100, the very establishment
of such communication indicates that the patient support apparatus
20 is in close proximity to a given module 100 whose location is
known. This allows the location of a patient support apparatus 20
to be determined.
[0084] In one embodiment, modules 100 are configured to respond to
interrogations received from transceiver 102 with an identifier
that uniquely identifies and distinguishes that particular module
100 from all other such modules 100 within the healthcare facility
98. The patient support apparatus 20 includes a map, table, or
other information that correlates that specific module 100 to a
known location, or it communicates with an application or server on
network 70 that maintains such a map, table, or other information.
In either case, the patient support apparatus is able to determine
its location. Further details of the operation of modules 100 and
transceivers 102, as well as the manner in which they can be used
to determine location, are found in commonly assigned, copending
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/573,545 filed Oct. 5, 2009 by
applicants David Becker et al. and entitled LOCATION DETECTION
SYSTEM FOR A PATIENT HANDLING DEVICE, the complete disclosure of
which is also incorporated by reference herein.
[0085] If a location system such as the one just described (i.e.
having modules 100 and transceivers 102) is used within a
healthcare facility, it is customary to only position such modules
100 near locations where beds are likely to be stationed or parked
(i.e. at the location in a room where the bed normally resides, or,
if in a multi-bed room, at each location where the bed is normally
parked). Such modules 100 are not typically placed in hallways or
other locations where the beds or other patient support apparatuses
are temporarily moved. The aforementioned triangulation and/or
trilateration techniques used with nodes 84 may therefore be used
to determine location when a patient support apparatus 20 is not
within an operational vicinity of a module 100. Further, the
aforementioned triangulation and/or trilateration techniques may be
used with those patient support apparatuses 20 that might not be
equipped with a location transceiver 102. Nodes 84 therefore
complement existing location determining systems and/or fill in
gaps in those existing location determining systems so that greater
location knowledge--in terms of both coverage throughout the
facility and/or in terms of the number of patient support
apparatus--is achievable within a healthcare facility. The location
information determined by way of nodes 84 is stored locally on the
respective patient support apparatus 20 and/or it is forwarded to
healthcare network 70 to one or more servers and/or applications
running on the network 70. The forwarding of such information takes
place using one or more mesh networks 86 in the manners described
above, or it takes place via a direct communication with an access
point 68 of network 70, or by other means.
[0086] In some embodiments, patient support apparatuses 20 that are
not equipped with location transceivers 102 are, after determining
their own locations, used to help determine the location or
locations of other patients, or other patient support apparatuses
20 that are also not equipped with location transceivers 102, or
that are equipped with such transceivers 102 but are currently
located outside the vicinity of a module 100. For example, if
stretcher 20g in FIG. 5 determines its location using its node 84g
and one of the triangulation and/or trilateration techniques
discussed above, node 84g is configured to respond to signals from
node 84h of stretcher 20h that are being sent by node 84h to
determine the location of stretcher 20h. In other words, node 84h
of stretcher 20h is thereafter able to measure its angular
relationship and/or its distance to stretcher 20g when determining
its location. Thus, once a patient support apparatus 20 uses its
node 84 to determine its location, it serves as a source of
location information for other patient support apparatuses 20. In
this way, it is possible to extend location determination abilities
farther and farther away from modules 100. Or, stated
alternatively, the node triangulation/trilateration position
determining system described herein augments any existing location
system, and may be cascaded upon itself so that patient support
apparatuses that can only communicate via nodes 84 with other
patient support apparatus 20 that themselves are outside the range
of modules 100 can still determine their location.
[0087] The node triangulation/trilateration position determining
system described herein may also be used with a position
determining system that is based upon WIFI signals and the known
location of the corresponding routers, access points, and/or other
stationary structures that communicate those WIFI to and from the
mobile patient support apparatuses 20. For example, if a patient
support apparatus 20 is communicating with a specific access point
68 via second transceiver 66, that patient support apparatus 20 may
be configured to determine its general location as being within a
general range of the access point 68. This general range is then
further refined by way of the triangulation/trilateration
techniques described above. Further, this
triangulation/trilateration technique is able to be used to extend
the range at which patient support apparatus 20 is capable of
determine its location beyond the communication range of the access
point 68. Indeed, the range may be extended--depending upon the
location of patient support apparatuses 20--to locations where
there are no available access points 68.
[0088] The patient support apparatus to patient support apparatus
communication that has so far been described can be used for two
separate and potentially independent purposes. First, as was
described previously, this communication may be used to create mesh
networks for better routing of information between patient support
apparatuses 20 and a healthcare network 70. Second, as was also
just described above, this patient support apparatus to patient
support apparatus communication may be used to determine location
and/or to augment or complement the location determining abilities
of another patient support apparatus location determining system.
As will be described below with reference to FIG. 6, this patient
support apparatus to patient support apparatus communication may be
used for yet another purpose: transferring patient information
between patient support apparatuses.
[0089] In lieu of, or in addition to, either of the mesh networking
and position determining functions of nodes 84, such nodes are also
useful for storing and transferring patient information, medical
information, or other information between patient support
apparatuses 20. That is, nodes 84 are configured to store
information about the patient that is currently being support on
the support apparatus 20. This information is received via
transceivers 64, or by any of the other transceivers positioned on
support apparatus 20. Further, the storage of this information may
be in a memory within node 84, or it may be in another location on
the patient support apparatus 20. Regardless of the source of the
information and regardless of its storage location on the patient
support apparatus, the information includes personal information
and/or medical information about the patient being supported on
apparatus 20. For example, the information may include the
patient's name, height, weight, allergies, fall risk assessment,
bed sore risk assessment, and/or any other medical or personal
information that may be usefully stored on the support
apparatus.
[0090] In some patient support apparatus embodiments, the stored
information is displayable on an LCD screen, touchscreen, or other
type of display on the patient support apparatus so that caregivers
will have visual access to the information. The patient support
apparatus 20 may also be configured to transmit the information
locally to a pendant supported on patient support apparatus 20, or
to a medical device that is plugged into, or otherwise
communicatively coupled, to patient support apparatus 20. In such
cases, the pendant and/or medical device are configured to display
the information. In still other embodiments, the patient support
apparatus wirelessly transmits the information to a portable
computer device, such as a laptop, smart cell phone, personal
digital assistant, or other device so that the information may be
displayed thereon.
[0091] Regardless of the manner in which the patient information is
displayed, or is displayable, patient support apparatus 20 is
configured to transfer the patient information to another patient
support apparatus 20 when the corresponding patient is transferred.
In this way, the patient information follows the patient around as
he or she is moved from one patient support apparatus 20 to another
within healthcare facility 98. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2,
node 84 with first transceiver 64 and first transceiver controller
58 are used to control this transfer of patient information between
support apparatuses 20, although it will be understood that any
other transceivers could be used that enable inter-support
apparatus communication.
[0092] In the example of FIG. 6, a bed 20o is shown transferring
patient data to a stretcher 20p. More specifically, node 840 of bed
20o is wirelessly communicating patient information to node 84p of
stretcher 20p. This information transfer includes any of the
information mentioned above, or any other desirably transferred
information. Such information will typically be transferred when a
patient (not shown) who was previously supported on bed 20o is
transferred to stretcher 20p. Once the patient and his or her
corresponding patient information have been transferred to
stretcher 20p, stretcher 20p may be transported to another
location, such as, for example, a room labeled "Room 2, Unit B" in
FIG. 6. At the second location, the patient may, in some cases, be
transferred to yet another patient support apparatus 20. In the
example of FIG. 6, the patient may be transferred off of stretcher
20p and onto a different bed 20q. When this patient transfer
occurs, the stretcher 20p will also transfer the corresponding
patient data to bed 20q as well. In this manner, bed 20q will be in
possession of the information that corresponds to the patient that
has just been transferred thereto. Such apparatus-to-apparatus 20
transfers enable patient information to be portable and to easily
accompany a patient as he or she is moved throughout a healthcare
facility.
[0093] In some embodiments, the transfer of patient information
from a first patient support apparatus 20 to a nearby second
patient support apparatus 20 is commenced in response to an
authorized individual, such as a caregiver, physically activating a
data transfer mechanism on one or both of the patient support
apparatuses. The mechanism is implemented as a touchscreen in one
embodiment, although it will be understood that it may
alternatively include one or more buttons, additional touchscreens,
one or more switches, levers, or other physical components. Such
mechanisms may be part of any of any of the user controls on
patient support apparatus, or it may be positioned elsewhere. In
the example of FIG. 2, patient support apparatus 20 includes a
first set of user controls 104a located on a first siderail, a
second set of user controls 104b located on a second siderail, and
a third set of user controls 104c located on a footboard of patient
support apparatus 20. The mechanism for transferring data between
support apparatuses 20 is positioned the third set of user controls
104c, although it could be positioned on any one or more of these
user controls 104.
[0094] In some embodiments, the transfer of patient data is
automatically commenced when patient support apparatus 20 senses
that a patient has exited and when another patient support
apparatus 20 is detected to be within close communication distance
(such as via a measurement of signal strength between nodes 84).
The detection of a patient exiting a support apparatus 20 may be
implemented by a conventional bed exit detection system 106, such
as, but not limited to, one of the type illustrated in FIG. 2,
which includes a plurality of load cells 108 that feed force data
into a scale system controller 52. The force data measurements
represent the forces exerted by the patient onto the patient
support deck 30, and their absence and/or diminishment beyond a
threshold indicate that the patient is off of deck 30.
[0095] A patient support apparatus 20 may also be configured to
receive patient information from another support apparatus 20, or
from another source, upon the manipulation of one or more user
controls 104, or it may take place automatically. When configured
to take place automatically, the node 84 of the receiving support
apparatus 20 monitors its bed exit detection system, or scale
system, to determine if there have been any recent increases in
weight (signifying the addition of a patient to a previously
unoccupied patient support deck 30). If there have, and if node 84
of the receiving support apparatus is detecting a nearby node 84
that is transferring patient data, the node 84 of the receiving
support apparatus 20 stores the incoming patient data and accepts
it as corresponding to the recently added patient. If the receiving
patient support apparatus has patient data stored therein from a
prior patient, this may be automatically overwritten by the new
data, or the old data may be stored therein for future user or
future retrieval.
[0096] A verification process is incorporated into the patient data
transfer such that a caregiver may easily determine whether the
patient data has been transferred correctly. In some embodiments, a
graphic or textual display on the receiving support apparatus 20
will display the received name of the patient and prompt the
caregiver to confirm that this corresponds to the patient now
positioned thereon. If it does not, then the support apparatus 20
discards or ignores the new patient data, or otherwise concludes
that it does not correspond to the patient currently occupying that
patient support apparatus. Once the data has been verified by the
caregiver as having been properly transferred, the receiving
support apparatus 20 sends a signal back to the transmitting
apparatus indicating it is OK to purge, overwrite, or no longer
save, the patient data that it just transferred. In this way, the
now empty patient support apparatus will have its memory
effectively empty so that it is able to receive patient data
corresponding to the next patient. In some embodiments, a patient
support apparatus 20 may retain the patient data after transferring
it to another support apparatus so that it may be retrieved for
potential further use.
[0097] In addition to patient data, the transferred data may also
include information about the usage of patient support apparatus,
such as the amount of time the patient support apparatus was used
by a particular patient, and/or any other information that may be
useful for billing purposes. Still further, as will be described in
greater detail below, the transferred information may include
information gathered by one or more medical devices that were used
or associated with the patient, including not only medical
information that may be useful for treating or caring for the
patient, but also usage information that may be useful for billing
purposes.
[0098] The automatic transfer of information to an adjacent patient
support apparatus may also be configured to be implemented based
upon an radio frequency (RF) tag, bracelet, or other structure worn
by a patient that may be detected automatically by one or more
sensors positioned on each of the patient support apparatuses. When
a support apparatus 20 detects a new patient has entered it via
such a tag, bracelet, or other device, it requests via one or more
node 84 transmissions that the adjacent patient support apparatus
transfer the corresponding patient information, or other
information, to it.
[0099] FIG. 7 illustrates yet another use for nodes 84 in one or
more patient support apparatuses. Specifically, FIG. 7 illustrates
how nodes 84 are useful for communicating medical information
received from one or more medical devices 110. The use of nodes 84
in patient support apparatuses 20 to communicate medical
information may be the sole use of nodes 84 in a given patient
support apparatus, or it may be combined with any of the
aforementioned use of nodes 84 in patient support apparatuses 20
(e.g. mesh network communication, location determination, and
patient information storage and transfer).
[0100] In the arbitrary example illustrated in FIG. 7, a patient
112 is shown positioned on a bed 20r having associated therewith
two medical devices 110a and 110b. Medical devices 110a and 110b
are configured to communicate with node 84r of bed 20r. Medical
devices 110a and 110b therefore are able to transfer data gathered
by the medical devices 110a and 110b to bed 20r, which either uses
some or all of the transferred information itself, or it forwards
it on for communication to healthcare network 70. Patient support
apparatus 20s similarly has two medical devices 110 associated with
it--devices 110c and 110d--which communicate information to node
84s on bed 20s. A third bed 20t is shown with no medical devices
associated with it, yet it may still be in communication via its
associated node 84t with node 84r and/or node 84s.
[0101] As was alluded to above, each patient support apparatus 20
in some embodiments includes a sensor for automatically detecting a
patient ID device 114 that is worn, or otherwise carried with, each
patient. The patient ID device 114 carries sufficient information
for one or more sensors on patient support apparatus 20 to
automatically determine the identity of a patient positioned
thereon. With this patient information, support apparatus 20 is
able to associate the data received from the one or more medical
devices 110 that are communicating data to support apparatus 20 so
that the medical data is correlated to a specific patient. The
patient support apparatus 20 then forwards this medical data, with
the corresponding patient identification, to network 70, which
includes one or more applications or servers that utilize this
data. Such servers or applications may include an electronic
medical records system, or other system.
[0102] When forwarding this data to network 70, the nodes 84 of the
respective support apparatuses 20 may forward the information
thereto by first transmitting the information to one or more
intermediate patient support apparatuses before the data ultimately
arrives at network 70. This may involve routing the data through a
mesh network, as described previously, or it may be forwarded in
other manners. As shown in FIG. 7, beds 20s and 20t both forward
data to access point 68, and receive data from access point 68, by
routing the data through bed 20r. Bed 20r, on the other hand, may
communicate directly with access point 68 via second transceiver
66.
[0103] FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative electrical control system
144 that may be used on any one or more of the patient support
apparatuses 20 described herein. Electrical control system 144
includes multiple components that are common to electrical control
system 44 described above (FIG. 2). Those components in common are
labeled with the same reference numbers, and operate in the same
manners described above. Further description of those components is
therefore not provided.
[0104] Electrical control system 144 differs from the previously
described control system 44 in that first and second transceivers
64 and 66, respectively, have been eliminated. A local transceiver
116 has also been added, along with a local transceiver controller
118. Local transceiver 116 is adapted to communicate with a
detachable computer 120 that is physically supportable on patient
support apparatus 20. More specifically, local transceiver 116
communicates via Bluetooth, Zigbee, or any other suitable wireless
protocol with a computer transceiver 122 incorporated into
detachable computer 120. Detachable computer 120 is a conventional
a laptop, a tablet computer (such as, but not limited to, an iPad),
or any other portable computer that may be removably coupled to
patient support apparatus 20. The removable coupling of the
computer 120 to patient support apparatus 20 may involve only a
physical coupling in which the computer is physically supported
and/or secured to patient support apparatus 20, but communication
takes place wirelessly. Alternatively, the coupling may involve one
or more wires, such as communication wires, that are connected
between the computer 120 and patient support apparatus 20. In
either case, the computer 120 is able to communicate with
transceiver 116 such that information may be sent from computer 120
to patient support apparatus 20, and/or information may be received
from patient support apparatus 20 by computer 120. Such information
includes any of the information discussed above in any of the
embodiments described herein such as, but not including, patient
information, medical information, bed status information, relayed
information received from other support apparatuses 20, information
to be relayed to other patient support apparatuses 20, location
information, etc.
[0105] The coupling of computer 120 to patient support apparatus,
in some embodiments, enables the computer 120 to function as a user
interface in which any or all functions of the patient support
apparatus 20 are able to be controlled by computer 120. In one
embodiment, when computer 120 is coupled to patient support
apparatus 20, a touch screen on computer 120 appears that includes
icons and/or graphics that mimic a control panel already on patient
support apparatus 20, or that mimics a control panel that is of the
type that might be on patient support apparatus 20, thereby giving
the caregiver the means for controlling patient support apparatus
20 through computer 120. One example of a removable computer that
may be coupled to a patient support apparatus 20 is described in
greater detail in commonly assigned, copending U.S. provisional
patent application Ser. No. 13/783,699, filed Mar. 4, 2013 by
applicants Cory Herbst et al. and entitled PATIENT SUPPORT, the
complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference. Any or all of the other features described in this
application may also be incorporated into any of the patient
support apparatuses 20 described herein.
[0106] FIG. 10 illustrates an arbitrary portion of a healthcare
facility 98 in which multiple patient support apparatuses 20 are
shown incorporating multiple of the concepts described herein.
These include the use of nodes 84 for determining location, for
creating a mesh network, for transferring patient information, and
for relaying medical device information. For example, patient
support apparatus 20c receives information from medical devices D1
and D2, which it then relays onto patient support apparatus 20a via
direct communication between nodes 84c and 84a. When patient
support apparatus 20a receives this information, it passes it onto
network 70 via transceiver 66. Alternatively, if the connection
between patient support apparatus 20a and network 70 is not
operable, or otherwise not suitable, patient support apparatus 20a
is able to relay this information to another support apparatus 20
that then forwards this information to network 70.
[0107] Also shown in FIG. 10 is the transfer of patient information
from support apparatus 20a to support apparatus 20z, which then
moves down one or more hallways to a different room, where it then
transfers to the patient information to support apparatus 20b. This
patient information is transferred via nodes 84 in any of the
manners described above. While stretcher 20z is in transit, it may
determine its location using nodes 84 by any of the triangulation,
trilateration, or mutlilateration methods described herein, or in
other manners. Any information on any of the servers or
applications on network 70 may also be transmitted to the desired
patient support apparatus in a reverse manner.
[0108] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the
use of the term "transceiver" throughout this specification is not
intended to be limited to devices in which a transmitter and
receiver are necessarily within the same housing, or share some
circuitry. Instead, the term "transceiver" is used broadly herein
to refer to both structures in which circuitry is shared between
the transmitter and receiver, and transmitter-receivers in which
the transmitter and receiver do not share circuitry and/or a common
housing. Thus, the term "transceiver" refers to any device having a
transmitter component and a receiver component, regardless of
whether the two components are a common entity, separate entities,
or have some overlap in their structures.
[0109] Various alterations and changes can be made to any of the
foregoing embodiments without departing from the spirit and broader
aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which
are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent
law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is
presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted
as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or
to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements
illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. For
example, and without limitation, any individual element(s) of the
described invention may be replaced by alternative elements that
provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide
adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known
alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known
to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be
developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art
might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Further, the
disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that are
described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a
collection of benefits. The present invention is not limited to
only those embodiments that include all of these features or that
provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise
expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to claim
elements in the singular, for example, using the articles "a,"
"an," "the" or "said," is not to be construed as limiting the
element to the singular.
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