GB2381110A

GB2381110A - Hospital bed sensors

Info

Publication number: GB2381110A
Application number: GB0124486A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Russell Heaton; Nigel Terence Vane Quinn
Original assignee: NIGHTINGALE CARE BEDS Ltd
Current assignee: NIGHTINGALE CARE BEDS Ltd
Priority date: 2001-10-12
Filing date: 2001-10-12
Publication date: 2003-04-23
Also published as: GB0124486D0

Abstract

A system is provided which comprises at least one seat or bed unit 10 for occupancy by a user, a remote station 24 and a communication link 12 for data transmission between the seat or bed unit 10 and the remote station 24. The system may also use swipe card technology to record patient data.

Description

BEDS AND SEAT UNITS This invention relates to monitoring and/or regulation of the extent and/or nature of usage of a facility by users. The invention has application to for example use of facilities such as hospital beds, wheel chairs and hire cars and is concerned with the monitoring of usage thereof, e. g. for the purpose of applying charges for such usage.

According to the present invention there is provided a system comprising at least one seat or bed unit for occupancy by a user, a remote station and a communication link between the seat or bed unit (s) and the remote station.

Typically the communication link provides for the transmission of data between the seat or bed unit (s) and the remote station.

The seat or bed unit (s) and the remote station may be located in the same building or they may be located in different buildings at the same geographical location or at different geographical locations.

Data transmission may be unidirectional or bidirectional. For example, the data may be transmitted from the seat or bed unit to the remote station (unidirectional) or vice versa or it may be two-way transmission between the seat or bed unit and the remote station (bidirectional).

Data may be transmitted, unidirectionally or bidirectionally, through a hardwired interconnection or a wireless interconnection, e. g. an interconnection using WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) technology or the Internet.

The data transmitted may represent the extent and/or nature of usage of the seat or bed unit (s).

The data transmitted may be used to regulate or control the manner of use of the seat or bed unit (s). For example, the seat and/or bed unit (s) may have a therapeutic facility or facilities and the data transmitted may serve to determine a particular therepeutic regime (e. g. automatic and/or pre-programmed profile adjustment) for the seat or bed unit.

In one application of the invention, the remote station serves to monitor and/or regulate the use of a seat or bed unit or units which are adjustable. In this manner, a record can be maintained at the remote station of for example the extent of usage by a particular occupant, the identity of the occupant, the nature of the treatment (e. g. in terms of prevention or alleviation of bed sore development through automatic adjustment of the bed profile) received while the bed or seat was occupied by that patient and date/time related information whereby it is then possible to determine what action was taken for a particular patient at a given time with regard to for example bed sore prevention/alleviation.

The system may involve the use of seat unit (s) in the form of wheelchair (s) or seating within a vehicle such as a hired vehicle or a public transport vehicle, or seating within a public facility, such as a theatre or a cinema, or an airplane, helicopter or the like.

Alternatively the system may be based on bed usage, e. g. bed usage in a private, public hospital, nursing home or hospice. The arrangement may for example be such that a nurse or other attendant may normally control a profiling programme for a bed but, when desired, control may be passed to the remote station where a record may be stored of the patient identity, programme (s) of profiling adjustments made for a particular patient and the time/date of such programme usage.

Means may be provided for indicating to the remote station that the seat or bed unit is in use. For example, the seat or bed unit may be provided with some form of detector for detecting the presence of an occupant. The detector may comprise one or more sensors located in a weight-bearing area of the seat or bed unit; for example, the or each sensor may comprise a pressure sensor arranged within the area occupied by the user in use of the seat or bed unit.

The data may relate to the identity of, and/or comprise information relating to, the person using the seat or bed unit. Such data may for instance comprise data representing information pertaining to the weight, age or other physical characteristic (s) or condition of the person making use of the seat or bed unit. The data transmitted to the remote station may be processed to determine a usage regime for the seat or bed unit appropriate to the user, e. g. dependent on such information.

Means may be provided for detecting the location of the seat or bed unit.

Such means may be an electronic tag which may be monitored from the remote station or such location detection may be implemented through WAP technology. The remote station may be arranged to issue a prompt, e. g. an output signal, in the event that the seat or bed unit is detected to be in a location other than an authorised location.

The data transmitted may allow the extent of usage of seat or bed unit (s) for the purposes of applying a charge for such usage. The charge may be computed at the remote station on the basis of the time that the seat or bed unit is in use and/or the nature of the use. The charge may be based on different tariffs based on the nature of the usage. For instance, in the case of a bed, use may be charged at one rate when the bed is in use as a conventional bed and a different, usually higher rate, when the bed is used in a therapeutic mode (e. g. to prevent or minimise the risk of bed sores developing).

Additionally or alternatively, the data transmitted may be such as to control and/or supervise facilities associated with the seat or bed unit (s).

The remote station may interrogate the seat or bed unit for maintenance purposes so that, if any condition begins to develop which will require attention, the remote station may issue an output signal to alert service personnel to this.

Data input means may be associated with the seat or bed unit for use, for instance, by personnel, e. g. nursing staff, supervising use of the seat or bed unit. The data input means may include a user-operable keyboard by means of which the supervisor may enter data relating to the user of the seat or bed unit. The data input means may also include a visual display and the display may be controlled by a computer programme, e. g. a menu driven programme, by means of which data may elicited from the supervisor. The supervisor input may involve completion of predetermined fields on the visual display relating to the user, e. g. age, weight etc, or the supervisor may be presented with a sequence of questions by means of which the requisite data relating to the user may be elicited. Such data may be transmitted to the remote station or it may be processed by means of a microprocessor associated with the seat or bed unit. In either case, the data may be utilised in the production of a regime of usage for the current user.

The data input means may alternatively (or additionally) comprise a reader for so-called smart cards carrying information relating to the person using or about to use the seat or bed unit. The smart card may for example have data written thereon which will determine a regime of use, e. g. a bed profiling regime suitable for preventing or minimising the risk of the user developing bed sores. A smart card is typically a credit card sized plastic card with an integrated circuit embedded in it which may allow the card to store information as well as perform or initiate performance of certain operations. The data carried by the card may include information (e. g. as mentioned above) relating to the

prospective user of the seat or bed unit. The use of a smart card in this manner is not limited to a system involving a remote station as disclosed herein and may for instance be used to control an adjustment regime to be used for a particular user, e. g. to prevent the development of bed sores by a patient using a hospital bed, even in the absence of a remote monitoring station.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a bed unit provided with means for modifying the user-bearing surface for therapeutic purposes (e. g. the prevention/minimisation of bed sores), a remote station and a transmitter for signalling usage of the bed unit by an occupant to the remote station whereby the extent and/or nature of usage can be recorded at the remote station, e. g. for the purposes of applying a charge based on such usage or keeping a historical record for each patient of the extent and timing of usage and nature of profiling programme (s) used.

Modification of the user-bearing surface of the bed may be implemented by varying the profile of the bed in any known manner, e. g. by means of varying the configuration of a multi-section bed or by controlling pressurisation of an array of cells forming the bed mattress.

Data transmission between the bed unit and the remote station may involve information relating to the current user, e. g. weight, age, or physical condition or characteristics of the user (such as the location and/or severity of existing or precursor bed sores), and the remote station may be arranged to determine from such data a regime of bed adjustment suitable for the current user, for example for therapeutically beneficial purposes. In this manner, an adjustment regime may be determined which will minimise the risk of the user developing bed sores.

The arrangement may be such that adjustment is effected automatically in accordance with a regime determined by the remote station or by a regime stored in a microprocessor associated with the bed.

The regime determined may be downloaded from the remote station to control means associated with the bed unit, which control means may be microprocessor based and may comprise one or more prime movers such as electrical motors for effecting adjustment of the bed profile.

The adjustability in profile may be implemented by constructing the bed with a number of hingedly connected sections, typically three or more hingedly connected sections including at least a back rest section, a central section and a leg-supporting section, the profile being varied lengthwise of the bed by changing the configuration of said sections relative to one another about hinge axes extending transversely of the bed.

The profiled bed is advantageously a bed as disclosed in our prior International Patent Application No. WO 99/55276, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference. As disclosed in that Application, such a bed may include pressure sensing means. The output of the pressure sensing means may be used to determine or modify the adjustment regime in use if such output indicates that the pressures sensed and duration of pressure at any particular point of contact between the patient and the bed gives rise to the risk of a bed sore developing, such modification in the adjustment regime being such as to reduce that risk. Determination of the modification to be applied to the adjustment regime in response to pressure sensing may be effected by means of a control unit associated with the bed or the pressure sensing data may be transmitted to the at the remote station for determination of any modifications necessary and feedback to the bed control unit.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the sole Figure of the accompanying drawings, which diagrammatically illustrates a profiling hospital bed having a communication link with a remote station.

As shown, the hospital bed 10 is of the type disclosed in International Patent Application No. WO 99/55276, which is controlled by an associated microprocessor-based control unit 12. The bed comprises hingedly connected backrest section 14, leg rest section 16 and central section 18 coupled by hinged connections 20,22 defining transverse axes about which the sections 14,16, 18 are adjustable to allow the bed profile to be varied.

Although a three section bed is preferred, particularly one with a dropping hinge 20 as disclosed in said International Application, the bed may have more or less sections, e. g. a four section bed. The control unit 12 is programmed to vary the bed profile automatically in accordance with a preselected regime designed to apply therapeutic benefits for that particular patient taking into account factors such as the age, weight and/or physical condition of the patient. Typically the regime is designed to prevent or minimise the risk of the patient developing bed sores. In practice, there will be a number of beds at a given location such as a hospital ward, each provided with its own control unit.

A communication link, e. g. using WAP technology, is provided between each control unit and a remote station 24 which may be based at a different geographical location to the hospital. Each control unit 12 includes a transmitter/receiver/aerial for this purpose and the remote station 24 is likewise equipped with a transmitter/receiver/aerial linked to the control units 12. In this way, each control unit 12 is able to transmit data to the remote station 24 to indicate whether or not the associated bed is in use thereby allowing the remote station to monitor bed use, e. g. for the purpose of computing a charge to be applied. When the bed is not in use, the control unit 12 may be arranged to place the bed in a non-usable configuration.

The profiling regime may be programmed into the control unit 12 with the aid of a supervisor-operable input device 26 such as a keyboard. This may involve the supervisor selecting one of a number of predetermined regimes based on an assessment of the patient or the supervisor may be taken through a menu which requires entry of information relating to the patient (e. g. physical characteristics such as age, weight, details of any existing or precursor bed sores etc), the control unit 12 being designed to select or compute a suitable regime on the basis of the entered information. For this purpose, the control unit 12 may include a store of different regimes for different types of patients and may be arranged to match the patient with the most appropriate regime depending on the physical characteristics of the patient.

In use, the remote station may periodically interrogate each control unit to determine its current status of use or non-use so that the extent of use of each bed can be logged and hence charged for. Also details of the particular programme of profiling adjustment employed and date and/or time used may be recorded for subsequent review together with the identity of the patient so that a retrievable record of bed usage, profiling programme (s) employed is available for each patient.

Where applicable, the level of the charge may be based on the nature of the use being made of the bed. Thus, one rate may apply for normal non-therapeutic use of the bed in its flat, horizontal condition and a different rate may apply when the bed is operating according to a therapeutic regime involving adjustment of the bed profile.

Instead of the therapeutic regime (or other regime involving control of the bed profile) being determined at the control unit, it may instead by determined at the remote station thereby simpifying and reducing the cost of the control units. In this case, data entered by the supervisor may be relayed to the remote station where it may be processed to produce a thereapeutic or other regime appropriate to the particular patient, data

determining the regime to be implemented then being transmitted to the associated control unit.

In another alternative, the patient's data may be entered into a central computer at the hospital location and the supervisor may be issued with a smart card programmed with a suitable therapeutic regime for insertion into the control unit associated with the bed occupied by the patient in question. The control unit in this instance may be in the form of a card reader so that the regime devised for the patient may then be implemented upon insertion of the smart card.

The bed may be provided with one or more sensors (not illustrated), e. g. pressure sensors, for detecting the presence of a patient on the bed. The output of the sensors may be linked to the control unit whereby through the communications link the remote station can register whether or not the bed is in use.

Although the invention is illustrated with specific reference to hospital beds, it will be understood that it may be applied to other user-facilities such as wheelchairs, hire cars, airplane seats in order that use may be logged and charged for at a remote station. The remote station will use be distanced from the seat or bed unit by at least tens of metres and more will usually be far more remote, e. g. in a completely different geographical location, not necessarily even in the same country.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A system comprising at least one seat or bed unit for occupancy by a user, a remote station and a communication link between the seat or bed unit (s) and the remote station.
2. A system as claimed in Claim I in which the communication link provides for the transmission of data between the seat or bed unit (s) and the remote station.
3. A system as claimed in Claim I or 2 in which the seat or bed unit (s) and the remote station are located in the same building or in different buildings at the same geographical location or at different geographical locations.
4. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 in which data transmission is unidirectional or bidirectional, e. g. an interconnection using WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) technology or the Internet.
5. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the data transmitted represents the extent and/or nature of usage of the seat or bed unit (s).
6. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the data transmitted is used to regulate or control the manner of use of the seat or bed unit (s).
7. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which means is provided for detecting the location of the seat or bed unit.

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8. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the remote station interrogates the seat or bed unit (s) for maintenance purposes so that, if any condition begins to develop which will require attention, the remote station may issue an output signal to alert service personnel thereto.
9. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which data input means is associated with the seat or bed unit (s) for use by personnel in supervising use of the seat or bed unit.
10. A system as claimed in Claim 9 in which the data input means includes a user-operable keyboard by means of which the supervisor may enter data relating to the user of the seat or bed unit.
11. A system as claimed in Claim 9 or 10 in which the data input means comprises a reader for smart cards carrying information relating to the person using or about to use the seat or bed unit.
12. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which data transmission between the bed unit and the remote station involves information relating to the current user, and the remote station is arranged to determine from such data a regime of bed adjustment suitable for the current user.
13. A system as claimed in Claim 12 in which the arrangement is such that adjustment is effected automatically in accordance with a regime determined by the remote station or by a regime stored in a microprocessor associated with the bed.
14. A system as claimed in Claim 12 in which the regime determined is downloaded from the remote station to control means associated with the bed unit.

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15. A system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.