EP3551155B1 - Apparatus and method for networked transportation of patients or people with impaired mobility - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a system and a method for the networked transportation of patients or persons with restricted mobility.

As a visitor or patient in a hospital or a nursing ward, you will soon realize that a major problem is to transport people in need of treatment from one treatment location to another treatment location or to the respective resting place. As a rule, this is done by the transport of a sick bed by two caregivers who are requested at a certain point in time and then push the respective sick bed with the patient in question across different corridors and floors.

From the pamphlet WO 2015/069186 A1 a device is known for transporting patients or mobility-impaired persons in a sick bed or nursing bed, wherein a single transport vehicle can pick up a sick bed via a docking beam and move it autonomously from a starting point to a destination.

For the state of the art, reference is also made to the publication DE 20 2013 103 255 U1 referenced. According to the information in claim 1 of this document, this relates to an electric trolley for transporting hospital beds, comprising: a support frame (1) which has a support platform (11) on the bottom and is provided with a stand (12) on both sides; a drive unit (2) which has at least one electric motor (21) fastened to the support platform (11), two drive wheels (22) and two rollers (23), the two drive wheels (22) extending through a motor shaft of the electric motor (21) rotate and the two drive wheels (22) together with the two rollers (23) support the complete electric trolley; at least one locking device (3) which is located between the two uprights (12) of the support frame (1) and has a lever (31) and a clamping unit (33), the clamping unit (33) having a first and a second clamping jaw (331) , 332) and wherein the second clamping jaw (332) can be moved away from or towards the first clamping jaw (331) under the action of the lever (31); and an electronic control device (4) which is electrically connected to the electric motor (21) in order to start the electric motor (21).

According to the information regarding the underlying tasks, the DE 20 2013 103 255 U1 known trolleys essentially to move a hospital bed quickly with less effort and to relieve nurses.

Furthermore, from the publication US 2012/0029697 A1 a method for transporting mobility-impaired patients is known, the patient being reported by a control center for transport, the patient being placed in a hospital bed, and the patient being transported by means of autonomous navigation.

The present invention is based on the object of specifying a system and a method with which hospital beds can be transported automatically without the aid of human mobility, the respective transport process being electronically controlled and monitored and safety arrangements and measures ensuring the well-being of the transported person .

This object is achieved with regard to the system by the features of claim 1 and with regard to the method by the measures of claim 5.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims.

The system according to the invention is described in more detail below.

• Fig. 1: zwei Schnittdarstellungen des erfindungsgemäßen Transportfahrzeugs,
• Fig.2 eine exemplarische Darstellung des Transportfahrzeugs in Verbindung mit einem Transportstuhl
• Fig.3 : die Verwendung zweier Transportfahrzeuge bei einem Pflegebett
• Fig.4 : eine räumliche Detailansicht der Kinematik eines Transportfahrzeugs

They show in detail:

• Fig. 1 : two sectional views of the transport vehicle according to the invention,
• Fig. 2 an exemplary representation of the transport vehicle in connection with a transport chair
• Fig. 3 : the use of two transport vehicles with one care bed
• Fig. 4 : a spatial detailed view of the kinematics of a transport vehicle

the Fig.1 : shows the transport vehicle according to the invention in two sectional views.

With 1 is here in the Fig.1a) denotes the chassis or the base body for the conveying system according to the invention and is shown as seen from the top. The reference number 2, denoted on the front, relates to a laser scanner of the type that it is approved for personal protection due to special quality features. The same component is on the back. A double-lane bridge track 3 running in the middle of the chassis 1 in the longitudinal direction over almost the entire length of the chassis 1 carries a carriage 5 which can be moved over the entire length of the bridge track 3 by means of a drive 4. A docking traverse 6 is attached to the carriage 5 and is rotatably mounted on the carriage 5 by means of a rotating device 16. The drive for this is labeled 10. The docking cross member 6 is in the Fig. 1a ) drawn perpendicular to the direction of travel.

7 on the chassis 1 denotes a data transmitter and a data receiver which are responsible for controlling the entire device and its security system.

Of the four joint support rollers 8 are in the Fig.1a ) two pieces. Furthermore, the chassis 1 has some safety sensors and additional sensors 9 for vehicle monitoring, which also serve to minimize shadows when obstacles are scanned.

The top of the chassis has a lifting platform 11 for the vertical movement of the bridge track 3. With such a vertical movement of the bridge track 3, all devices connected to the docking traverse 6 are also moved vertically.

In the Fig. 1b) the chassis 1 can be seen in a side view, the lifting platform 11 being identified with its potential lifting movements. A short stop 13 and a long stop 15 of the docking traverse 6 are also shown here, with a latching trough in the middle between these two stops 15 is designated for the connection with a person - transport chair. In addition to the known articulated support rollers 8 and the additional sensors 9, reference is made here to one of the drive wheels 12 of the autonomous transport vehicle.

the Fig. 2 shows an exemplary representation of the transport vehicle in connection with a transport chair. In addition to a side view of the chassis 1 with a laser scanner 2 and an additional sensor 9, the docking cross member 6 with a cross member 25 of a people transport chair 21 can be seen on the lifting platform 11, the cross member 25 in FIG a not visible, snap-in transport trough 14 is located. The passenger transport chair 21 has safety sensors 22 at the level of the cross member 25, but these are only indicated on the left side here.

To detect the occupancy of the seat surface of the personal transport chair 21, it has a few pressure sensors 23, only sensor being designated. In addition, in the area of the seat of the personal transport chair 21, a data transmitter and a data receiver are designated by the number 24, which are responsible for controlling the entire device of the chair and its safety system.

To monitor the emotional state of a person to be transported or a patient 26, a camera 17 attached to a rigid camera adjustment device 18 is used for face monitoring. Instead of a camera, a touchscreen can also be installed here, which transmits information to a patient, for example about waiting times or expected treatments. Games or messages can also be transmitted in this way.

In the area of a hand of a patient 26, pulse meters 19 and sensors for detecting the skin resistance are attached. Transmitters 20 with a button for transmitting an emergency signal and an emergency off circuit are also provided here. As a special design, a transport chair can be transported instead of a bed, whereby this can be provided with special additional devices suitable for the respective supply case for people in rehabilitation facilities. These can be, for example, joint supports or special measuring devices for tachycardias.

Fig. 3 : shows the use according to the invention of two transport vehicles with a care bed or hospital bed.

Again Fig. 3 As can be seen, a first or front transport vehicle 29 and a second or rear transport vehicle 30 are connected by means of a care bed mount 27 for transporting a care bed. Here, the first transport vehicle has a cross member 28 on which acts as a docking cross member 6, as described in the description for Fig.1 and was shown on the second transport vehicle. The two laser scanners 2 are designated for the interconnection of the first and the second transport vehicle. In the example of the second transport vehicle, the long stop 15 of the docking traverse 6 was used. At least one pressure sensor 23 is used to detect the occupancy of the care bed, as it is also mentioned in the description of the personal transport chair 21. Furthermore, a heart rate monitor 19 and sensors for detecting the skin resistance and a transmitter 20 with a button for sending an emergency signal and an emergency off circuit are provided for the patient 26 to be transported on the care bed. Next are in the Fig. 3 also designates safety sensors 22 on the front side, which ensure that the scan shadow is minimized.
A transmitter and receiver unit for the control unit and the safety system of the care bed is attached to the foot end of the care bed. A camera 17 for face monitoring ensures that the patient's feelings are conveyed.

Fig. 4 : shows a spatial detailed view of the kinematics of a transport vehicle. This figure shows a transport vehicle without the surrounding chassis 1. Connections to the chassis 1 are indicated at the appropriate point. First, the kinematics of the drive wheels will be explained. The left-hand drive wheel 12 known from FIG. 1 and an axis of rotation 43 can be seen in the foreground, this axis of rotation 43 being connected to the chassis 1 and not being designated there.
The axle bearing 46 for the left-hand drive wheel 12 with its servomotor 45 located above it is connected to form a functional unit by means of an angle plate, which is not designated in more detail and can only be seen from the rear. A toothed belt, via which the servomotor 45 drives the axis of rotation of the drive wheel 12 on the left, runs in this angle plate. The corresponding servomotor 57 for the right-hand drive can be seen on the opposite side. The corresponding angle plate can be seen from the rear on this side. Here is the in This angle plate running corresponding toothed belt 55 can be seen. The entire functional unit consists of the drive wheel 12 with the axle bearing 46, the servo motor 45 and the angle plate with its toothed belt and can be pivoted via the angle lever 42 over the axis of rotation 43. The angle lever 42 is fastened via the joint 40 to a U-shaped wishbone 34, at the other end of which the corresponding drive wheel is correspondingly fastened. A spring element 41 is also mounted on the joint 40, the other mounting point of which is attached to the housing. On the in the Fig. 4 This articulation point, or bearing point, is shown as a block-shaped, barely recognizable bearing on the left-hand side of the transport vehicle. In contrast, on the opposite side, this point is referred to as the articulation point 56 of the right spring element. The spring element 41 serves the purpose of pressing the drive wheel 12 onto the ground surface via the angle lever 42 and thus improving the ground contact of the drive wheel 12. The same applies to the opposite right drive wheel.

Another kinematic device is explained in the following for lifting the bridge platform 11, or the person transport chair that weighs on it, or a part of a patient's bed as a load.
In order to be able to pick up a load, it is necessary that the transport vehicle lifts the respective load after driving underneath it and releases it from contact with the ground in order to be able to transport it.
The front lifting rods 53 and the rear lifting rods 36 serve this purpose in direct contact.
The lifting rods 53 and 36 are raised and lowered by means of an adjusting element 31, which applies the necessary forces by means of a threaded spindle via an extendable and retractable cylinder via a joint head 52 and an articulated rotary lift lever 51.
From the Fig. 4 . can clearly be seen on the left-hand side how the lifting and rotating lever 51, in cooperation with the respective front lifting rod lever 49, effects the necessary changes in the position of the two front lifting rods 53 by means of corresponding rotary movements about an axis of rotation 48.
The front lifting rods 53 each carry the corresponding front carrier plate suspension 54.

At the same time, this area is the Fig. 4 it can be seen that a push rod 47 is articulated on the lifting and rotating lever 51, which transfers the movements of the lifting and rotating lever 51 via an axle lever 38 to a respective rear push rod lever 39. The movements of the rear push rod levers 39 lead to the necessary changes in the position of the two rear lifting rods 36.
The rear lifting rods 36 each carry the corresponding rear carrier plate suspension 35.
The actuating element 31 is moved via a drive 32 and a force transmission 33 that diverts the force. The force transmission 33 is attached to the wishbone 34 by means of a fork head 44. Since the fork head 44 is rotatably mounted on the wishbone 34, the wishbone 34 can move as a connecting element between the two angle levers 42, and this enables the two drive wheels to perform vertical pivoting movements that are independent of one another.
The adjusting elements 50 for the front lifting rods 53 and the adjusting elements 37 for the rear lifting rods 36 are in the Fig. 4 marked as blackened areas of the corresponding lifting rods.

Overall, the arrangement shown of the lifting rods 36 and 53, the lever arrangement 38,47,49, 51 in between and the actuating element 31 in cooperation with the wishbone 34 and its action on the angle lever 42 ensure that the center of gravity of the load is directly in the Area of the drive wheels.
The support wheels 8 therefore essentially have a stabilizing function. There is a system for energy supply that is supplied either via inductive lines laid in the ground or via stationary accessible energy supply stations for charging batteries.
The sick beds are either in special
Storage rooms with their transport vehicles or they are stored on special storage racks which, with regard to the height of their base, enable them to be driven underneath and lifted by means of the transport vehicles.
The control of the hospital beds or passenger transport chairs equipped with the respective transport vehicles takes place via one in the respective Hospital or care center, control center that enables two-way radio contact with all vehicles on a special radio frequency in all corridors and elevators to be used.
A hospital bed is controlled by means of a special control that considers the two vehicles involved in the transport process as one unit. If the relevant control center decides that a patient is to be transported from a station A to a station B, the vehicle automatically drives the prescribed route with the patient in the relevant hospital bed. The respective nursing staff then decides whether the patient is transportable and reports the completed transport status to the control center. Depending on the expansion status of the entire transport system, the transport takes place either directly from the hospital room or from a special contact point in the respective hospital ward.

List of reference symbols

1

chassis

2

Laser scanner

3

Bridge track for the carriage 5

4th

Drive for the carriage 5

5

Driving carriage (on the bridge runway) with rotating device 16 for a docking traverse 6

6th

Docking cross member for passenger transport chair or care bed

7th

Data receiver for the control and a safety system

8th

Articulated support roller

9

Safety sensors and additional sensors for driving area monitoring

10

Drive for rotating device of the docking traverse 6 (see carriage 5)

11th

Bridge platform for vertical movement of the bridge track 3

12th

Driving wheels of an autonomous transport vehicle

13th

short stop of the docking traverse 6

14th

Snap-in transport trough for transporting a transport chair

15th

Long stop of the docking traverse 6

16

Rotating device for the docking traverse 6

17th

Face surveillance camera, touch screen

18th

Rigid adjustment device for the camera 17 with a chair attachment

19th

Heart rate monitors and sensors for recording skin resistance

20th

Transmitter with a button for sending an emergency signal and an emergency stop switch

21

Passenger transport chair

22nd

Safety sensors, scan shadows - minimization

23

Pressure sensors in the seat

24

Transmitter and receiver unit for the control unit and the safety system of the passenger transport chair 21

25th

Cross member of the passenger transport chair 21 and docking point for the transport trough 14

26th

Patient or person being transported

27

Carriage for a care bed or hospital bed

28

Cross members of the carriage 27 of a care bed and docking point for a docking cross member 6

29

front or first transport vehicle

30th

rear or second transport vehicle

31

Control element, threaded spindle

32

Drive for the adjusting element 31

33

Power transmission from drive 32 to actuating element 31

34

Wishbones

35

rear lifting rod

36

rear lifting rod

37

Control element for a rear lifting rod

38

Axle lever

39

rear lift rod lever

40

Joint for an angle lever 40

41

Spring element

42

Angle lever

43

Axis of rotation

44

Clevis

45

Servo motor for left-hand drive wheel

46

Axle bearing for the left-hand drive wheel

47

Push rod

48

Rotation axis for a front lift rod lever

49

front lift rod lever

50

Control element for a front lifting rod

51

Lifting rotary lever

52

Swivel head

53

front lifting rod

54

front support plates - suspension

55

Toothed belt for the right-hand drive

56

Articulation point of the right spring element on the housing 3

57

Servo motor for the right-hand drive

Claims (5)

1. System for networked transportation of patients or people with impaired mobility in a hospital bed or nursing bed, having the following features:

   a) a first transportation vehicle (29) and a second transportation vehicle (30) which are configured in the same way and which each have:

   a chassis (1), drive wheels (12) and a bridge track (3) on a raiseable and lowerable bridge platform (11),

   wherein a rotatable carriage (5) with a drive (4) for securing a docking crosspiece (6) is provided on the bridge track (3),

   wherein an adjusting element (31) is provided which is driven by a further drive (32) and which serves to actuate front lifting rods (53) and rear lifting rods (36), and

   wherein a lever arrangement (36, 47, 49, 51) lying between said lifting rods is provided for raising the bridge platform (11), which has the effect that the load thereon lies directly in the region of the drive wheels (12),

   b) an energy supply system which is powered either via inductive leads routed in the ground or via movable energy supply stations,

   c) a hospital bed having a mounting (27) with a crossmember (28) and a docking point for the docking crosspiece (6) of the first transportation vehicle (29) and a docking point for a long abutment (15) of the docking crosspiece (6) of the second transportation vehicle (30), and

   d) a control centre for controlling a transportation operation.
2. System according to Claim 1,
   characterized in that the two transportation vehicles (29, 30) taking part in the transportation are regarded as one unit in terms of control technology.
3. System according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that a camera (17) and/or a touchscreen is provided for communicative contact of the patient with the nursing staff.
4. System according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that devices for measuring the pulse and skin resistance (19) and an emergency signal transmitter with a corresponding button (20) are provided in the region of a patient.
5. Method for networked transportation of patients or people with impaired mobility in a hospital bed or nursing bed having a system according to one of Claims 1 to 4, with the following method features:

   a) a patient in question or a corresponding person needing care is reported by a control centre as requiring transportation from a ward A to another ward B,

   b) the nursing staff on ward A bed down or place the person in question in the hospital bed and report to the control centre when this person is correctly supported, wherein the identity is ensured by the nursing staff or can be checked by means of a patient identity card,

   c) the patient is automatically driven to ward B,

   d) the patient is admitted for his treatment in ward B and is then transported back to ward A by the same route.

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