DE202004012202U1 - Patients bed monitoring system has light barrier over bed with infrared transmitter, sensor and electronics in support tube sensing beam reflected from foot - Google Patents

Abstract

A patients bed (1) monitoring system has a light barrier (2) over the bed with tube (5) holding infrared transmitter (21) and sensor with electronics so that breaking reflected (4) the beam activates a coded signal transmitter to releases a remote optical or acoustic alarm.

Description

The The present invention relates to a device for remote nursing bed monitoring. Such a device has so far not become known.

Out the practical operation, especially in hospitals Emergency devices for sick beds known, a cord button on the bed of the sick person to operate is, the active signal over a distribution network an acoustic and / or optical signal triggers, about that out - today common on a monitor - a direct one Make the identifier of the bed calling for help visible.

adversely in all previously known emergency call facilities (more common Expression: nurse call system) is that the bedridden person to summon a nurse or a doctor has to press a manual button, which is difficult often sick or confused in psychiatric hospitals are unable.

On A call for help is therefore in many cases not possible.

sense of the present invention is a device for remote nursing bed monitoring to create an optically and / or acoustically perceptible emergency call signal via radio or wired over a greater distance sends out when the person to be cared for gets up in bed, gets up, waves his arms or tries to get out of bed.

The solution The problem is solved with an opto-electrical detector for remote nursing bed monitoring with the features of claim 1.

The device according to the invention for a care bed has at least one arranged in a plane above the bed Retro-reflective sensor on an infrared (IR) transmitter, reflector and receivers exists, with sender and receiver mechanically form a unit.

It is useful the IR transmitter / receiver unit on one side on the head of the care bed, the IR reflector diametrically opposite to be arranged on the foot piece. This ensures that despite the sharply bundled IR beam one large-scale surveillance of the entire lying area is ensured. A crawl under the human eye imperceptible IR beam is almost impossible.

Is expedient furthermore, the IR transmitter / receiver unit and the associated IR reflector height- and horizontally adjustable to each other on the head or foot piece of the nursing bed to be arranged in order to adapt them to the care requirements.

each Interruption of the IR light beam creates a in the receiver Signal, but this does not generate a call for help at the same time. A only then is an adjustable electronic delay unit active if the IR beam interruption is longer than the preset one Delay Time is maintained. A short-term release of the shading while at this time the delay circuit resets. Only after the programmed delay time for wireless Bed emergency call a miniature radio wave transmitter, for wired bed emergency call the long-distance effect over the home distribution network of the nurse call system is activated.

The The bed from which the emergency call originates is identified in the case of older wired systems in the well-known form of the tableau device and light signals via the inputs to the affected rooms, in the newer ones that are common today Systems directly related to the care bed on centrally operated monitors.

In radio-controlled systems, the transmission signal is encoded accordingly and decoded in the central receiving part, so that a direct detection of the emergency bed becomes.

A permanent repetition of the signals activated in this way is guaranteed, that too emergency calls from different beds arriving at the same time recognized and assigned. The optical signal generated here remains until the nursing staff press a button switches off the call signal directly at the bed.

There every interruption of the IR light beam is currently detected, but only after the preselected delay is forwarded, a deliberate alarm trigger is also possible if the bedridden Person for the duration of the preselected delay time the IR light beam e.g. interrupted by raised arm.

Around Influence of extraneous light (sunlight, electrical light sources) turn off, the emitted IR light beam periodically in faster Sequence keyed. The IR receiver works selectively only on this pulse frequency. This is one high switching reliability with constant light sources of high intensity and also Incandescent or fluorescent tube light - the one with 50 Hz mains frequency can be operated.

The pulse generator for operating the IR light source, the IR transmit and receive diodes with focusing optics, signal amplifier, delay electronics and the modulator for the specific bed identifier, as well as the necessary adjustment and adjustment devices are completely housed in the support tube of the light barrier module.

Here in is also the accommodation of a buffer accumulator for the power supply optionally possible in the event of a power failure. For safety reasons the power supply for all the electronics from the low voltage of a separate plug-in power supply.

For wireless transmission Various high-frequency transmitters are optionally provided for the emergency call, which differ in terms of technical effort, selection options and range.

This Unity is according to the local Interpret circumstances and requirements.

In housed in a separate, approximately cigarette-box-sized housing Module about a miniature connector contacted with the opto-electronics module, triggered by this and supplied with operating voltage and modulation signal.

For the evaluation of the modulated high-frequency signal are different receivers with corresponding ones Decoding provided.

For the domestic Care area is usually sufficient for a receiver with a shorter range (approx. 30 m) and choice for less Channels.

For more extensive ones Call systems are for use the bed identifier appropriately multi-channel receiver.

Also Two-way communication between bedside and nursing staff is through this wireless bridge possible in addition to the actual bed emergency call.

For surveillance a larger number of Nursing beds is a stationary one operated receiving device with a standing identifier of the calling party Bed and manual deletion of the emergency signal required prefer mobile receivers. However, this is with "flying" medical care (carry in the coat pocket, on the supply car, etc.) advantageous. Both possibilities can also be used in parallel.

at wired transmission of the emergency call, either over the in-house nurse call system or a specially created one Superfluous pipeline network the radio frequency transmitter and radio frequency receiver.

The IR transmitter-receiver module with the integrated delay unit is over in this operating mode a special connection cable directly on the connector for to contact the hand switch of the nurse call system. hereby becomes a high level of operational security with simultaneous minimization the investment cost reached.

On appropriate auxiliary input is provided on the IR module, around additional sensors (moisture sensor, vibration detector - e.g. at acute spastic or epileptic seizures - and the like) for Connect signal forwarding.

A preferred application of the invention will now be based on a drawing described in more detail. It shows schematically the arrangement of the facility for nursing beds remote monitoring in a technically perspective representation.

It is a bed 1 with head and foot section 11 . 12 shown schematically, the mostly existing foldable side parts of the bed 1 are not shown for a better overview.

On the head part 11 is an IR transmitter / receiver module on the side 5 with integrated modulator, electronic signal amplifier, adjustable delay device, and a bed recognition modulator - built into the actual support tube, height-adjustable and horizontal - attached.

in the lower part of the support tube are miniature connectors for the external Wiring and connecting one High-frequency transmitter (for wireless emergency call transmission) arranged conveniently accessible.

The IR light beam 3 emerges optically focused from a window 21 in the head area of the support tube 5 horizontally, meets one at the foot piece 12 axially associated with the IR beam reflection prism mirror 4 , it is redirected by total reflection towards the light source and via an optical system to the reception sensor 22 fed.

absolute requirement for proper functioning of the light barrier unit is correct alignment the transmitter-receiver unit and the prism reflector to each other.

built LEDs in the transmitter / receiver module are adjustment aids here, since the IR light beam itself from the human Eye is imperceptible.

The electronic components for signal evaluation (amplification, delay, coding) and any maintenance-free support that may be required Accumulators for bridging power failures (here also deliberate network disconnection) are housed in the support tube housing of the light barrier transmitter-receiver unit.

Not the respective receiving stations are shown with acoustic and bed-selective optical display.

to Adaptation to the different framework conditions in the area of application are stationary here as well as mobile reception devices, wired or via radio working, provided.

different Requirements for range and selection options for wireless Emergency calls require a wide range of different reception modules.

at wired emergency call evaluation are the criteria to be specified far less complex, because here the selection and call evaluation is already specified in the technology of the in-house call system.

The Conception of call evaluation and forwarding enables the Parallel operation of wired emergency calls via the in-house call system and also in addition wireless transmission of the Emergency call. This operating mode enables additionally also wireless two-way communication between nursing staff and people to be cared for.

Claims (10)

Device for remote nursing bed monitoring with at least one above a bed ( 1 ) arranged light barrier device ( 2 ), consisting of an infrared transmitter ( 21 ), a deflection reflector ( 4 ) and an infrared sensor ( 22 ) with a signal amplifier, whereby an interruption of the infrared light beam ( 3 ) generated signal - adjustable with a time delay - activates a signal transmitter with a downstream coder for selective signal transmission to a remotely located signal receiver with decoding and conversion into an optically and / or acoustically perceptible signal. Device for remote nursing bed monitoring according to claim 1, characterized in that the light barrier device ( 2 ) consisting of IR transmitter, IR receiver; electronic amplifier, switching stage, bed code encoder, signal memory, signal delay element and a backup battery for bridging in the event of power failures compact in a cylindrical metal housing ( 5 ) is electrostatically shielded and mechanically protected, is installed, with the 5 ), which also serves as a support and adjustment element, optical components for switching and function control, miniature plug-in device for externally incoming and outgoing signals, externally accessible coding switches for programming the delay time and bed selection are housed in this support tube / component housing ( 5 ) it is possible to accommodate an operating voltage-buffered, maintenance-free accumulator for maintaining the processor-controlled functions and the failure indicator to the central unit, and the cylinder housing ( 5 ) height-adjustable and horizontally rotatable using a special universal bracket on the side of the headboard ( 11 ) of the bed ( 1 ) is attached so that the emitted IR light beam ( 3 ) on the at the foot piece ( 12 ) of the bed ( 1 ) height and axially adjustable prismatic deflection reflector ( 4 ) strikes and from this antiparallel into the receiving optics ( 22 ) of the light barrier unit ( 2 ) is reflected. Establishment for Remote care bed monitoring after Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the coded and adjustable delayed Output signal of the light barrier unit on the one hand a high-frequency transmitter for wireless transmission of the emergency signal activated, but also directly into the Nurse call commonly installed in the medical and nursing facilities today plants with bed ID can be fed, the long-distance effect thus wireless or wired and also a parallel operation of both transmission systems of the emergency call possible is and in the central entry point of those arriving at the same time Emergency signals from different care beds with selective in both cases Identifier and call forwarding under evaluation of the bed identifier and the automatic periodic call repetition until manual reset on the care bed (forced confirmation). Establishment for Remote care bed monitoring after any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Emergency signal not in real time, but with adjustable delay the radio frequency transmitter or the nurse call system triggers. Device for remote nursing bed monitoring according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light barrier device ( 2 ) and the deflection reflector ( 4 ) are height adjustable and horizontally adjustable and can be mounted on a variety of bed structures using a universal bracket. Device for remote nursing bed monitoring according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that outgoing signals from different beds - also at the same time - under are coded differently and supplied to an assigned optical signaling device as stagnant signals and the signals can be individually manually deleted, an acoustic signal being generated in the monitoring station each time an emergency call arrives, regardless of the selected optical message. Establishment for Remote care bed monitoring after any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Emergency call transmission over a wireless bridge can be done, transmitter and receiver frequency modulated in one especially for this released by D Telekom and radio surveillance UHF band work, this operating mode a direct voice connection both alternately and also in two-way communication between the emergency care bed and the nursing staff, also with a mobile signal receiver (coat pocket, supply car etc.) enables and even in the event of a power failure thanks to an integrated backup battery is ensured. Establishment for Remote care bed monitoring after one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the emergency signal transmission takes place via a radio bridge e.g. in the area of domestic Nursing and nursing homes without an in-house nurse call system and independent of this operating mode the emergency signal directly without additional or adaptation devices to every common one Nurse call system can also be connected to digital networks can. Establishment for Remote care bed monitoring after any of the preceding claims, characterized in that all Facilities over one special signal input (aux) with additional information between Care bed and central station such as hand switches, respiratory, cardiovascular sensors, Humidity Sensor, Vibration sensor can be supplied. Establishment for Care bed Remote Monitoring according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Light barrier monitoring with the adjustable alarm delay with appropriate positioning also for room surveillance or escape message can be used to secure windows and doors can.