Patient Support Device with Caregiver Reminder

Abstract

A patient support apparatus, such as a bed, cot, gurney, operating table, or recliner, comprises a patient support structure, a user interface, an indicator, a plurality of lights, and a controller. The user interface comprises a controller and an indicator for configuring various components of the patient support apparatus. The controller uses the lights and / or indicators to issue one or more reminders to a caregiver to set the patient support apparatus to a desired configuration before the caregiver leaves the patient support apparatus. The reminders assist the caregiver in ensuring that the patient support apparatus has been properly configured. In some embodiments, the reminders comprise pulsating a light in an unobtrusive yet easily visible manner until proper configuration is achieved. Reminders can also be implemented by disabling certain functions until the patient support apparatus is properly configured.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to patient support apparatus such as beds, folding beds, stretchers, operating tables, recliners, etc. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to patient support apparatus that include one or more components that can be in different positions. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional patient support apparatus includes a base, a litter frame, a support deck on which a patient is supported, a lift system for raising and lowering the litter frame relative to the base, and an articulation system for articulating one or more sections of the support deck. Control of these and other systems of the patient support apparatus is performed through a user interface provided on a footrest or one or more side rails of the patient support apparatus. Often, operation of the user interface is complicated, making it difficult to operate.

[0003] Most healthcare facilities expect their caregivers to ensure that a patient support apparatus is configured in a particular manner (e.g., one or more components are in a desired state). These expectations are in addition to the many other responsibilities of caregivers, and often the task of ensuring that the patient support apparatus is properly configured can be overlooked and / or forgotten. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0246065 [Patent Document 2] US Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0172829 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 7,690,059 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Pat. No. 8,689,376 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 868,240 [Patent Document 6] US Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0293,849 [Patent Document 7] US Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0038361 [Patent Document 8] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16 / 217,203 [Patent Document 9] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16 / 193,150 [Patent Document 10] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16 / 215,911 [Patent Document 11] U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,432 [Patent Document 12] U.S. Patent No. 8,844,076 [Patent Document 13] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 885,954 Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to various embodiments, an improved patient support apparatus is provided that is configured to provide a reminder to a caregiver before the caregiver leaves the room in which the patient support apparatus is located to assist the caregiver in configuring the patient support apparatus in a desired manner. The reminder can be delivered in a number of ways, including an initial reminder screen displayed on a display of the patient support apparatus, as well as a continuous gentle pulsation of light disposed around a portion of the circumference of the patient support apparatus. The various light pulsations may follow a sinusoidal pattern or some other pattern of gently increasing and decreasing light intensity, thereby providing the caregiver with a gentle visual reminder of an unperformed configuration task, rather than a harsh visual reminder as represented by a square wave, or approximately square wave. The gentle pulsation may also have a frequency on the order of about 2 to 4 seconds, which approximates the frequency of human breathing and is noticeable but not intrusive. Furthermore, the various lights are configured to pulsate in sync with one another and continue to pulsate as long as any one task in the list of configuration tasks remains unperformed, thereby providing a gentle yet visible reminder to the caregiver that the patient support apparatus is not properly configured. The lights face away from the patient and cannot be easily seen by the patient, thereby preventing any visual disturbance to the patient if the patient support apparatus remains incompletely configured. The patient support apparatus can also, or instead, be configured not to perform certain functions until one or more configuration tasks are completed, thereby providing additional encouragement and another reminder to the caregiver to properly and completely configure the patient support apparatus.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a patient support apparatus is provided, comprising a support structure, a plurality of wheels, an exit detection system, a sensor, an indicator, and a controller. The support structure has a patient support surface adapted to support a patient thereon. The plurality of wheels facilitates transportation of the patient support apparatus over a floor surface. The exit detection system is configured to be activated and deactivated and adapted to generate an alarm when the exit detection system is activated and the patient exits the patient support surface. The sensor is adapted to detect a state of a component of the patient support apparatus. The controller is configured to determine whether the component is in a first state or a second state, prevent the exit detection system from activating when the component is in the first state, and enable the exit detection system to activate when the component is in the second state.

[0007] According to another aspect of the disclosure, the controller is further configured to display a reminder screen on the display when the component is in the first state. In some embodiments, the reminder screen comprises a state control configured to allow a user to change the state of the component from the first state to a second state when the user activates the state control. The reminder screen may alternatively or additionally comprise an ignore control configured to allow a user to clear the reminder screen from the display when the user activates the ignore control.

[0008] In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus further comprises a first siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient, a first light coupled to the outer surface of the first siderail, a second siderail opposite the first siderail, the second siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient, a second light coupled to the outer surface of the second siderail, and a third light coupled to a foot end of the support structure. The controller is further adapted to pulsate the first, second and third lights in sync until the component is changed to the second state.

[0009] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to pulse the first, second, and third lights in a sinusoidal manner having a frequency greater than one pulse per second. The controller may be further adapted to continue pulsating the first, second, and third lights after the component is changed to the second state if the exit detection system is not activated, and to continue pulsating the first, second, and third lights until the exit detection system is activated.

[0010] In some embodiments, the component is a brake and the sensor is a brake sensor, the first state being a brake deactivated state and the second state being a brake activated state.

[0011] In some embodiments, the component is a nurse call interface configured to communicatively couple to a nurse call system outlet installed in a headwall of the healthcare facility, and the sensor is a nurse call communication sensor adapted to detect whether the nurse call interface is communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet, wherein a first state is a state in which the nurse call interface is not communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet and a second state is a state in which the nurse call interface is communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet.

[0012] In some embodiments, the nurse call communication sensor is a sensor adapted to detect whether a nurse call cable is coupled between the nurse call interface and a nurse call system outlet.

[0013] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to synchronously flash the first, second, and third lights and flash the first, second, and third lights at a frequency different from the frequency configured to pulsate the first, second, and third lights when the exit detection system is activated and the patient exits the patient support surface. The flashing of the first, second, and third lights may be performed in a non-sinusoidal manner. The flashing of the lights may also, or instead, be performed in a color different from that the controller is configured to use when pulsating the first, second, and third lights.

[0014] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a patient support apparatus comprising a support structure, a plurality of wheels, a monitoring system, a sensor, an indicator, and a controller. The support structure comprises a patient support surface adapted to support a patient thereon. The plurality of wheels facilitates transportation of the patient support apparatus over a floor surface. The monitoring system monitors a plurality of conditions of the patient support apparatus and is adapted to generate an alarm when activated if any of the plurality of monitored conditions change to an undesired state. The sensor is adapted to detect a state of a component of the patient support apparatus. The controller is adapted to determine whether the component is in a first state or a second state, to prevent activation of the monitoring system when the component is in the first state, and to enable activation of the monitoring system when the component is in the second state.

[0015] According to another aspect of the disclosure, the controller is configured to display a reminder screen on the display when the component is in a first state. The reminder screen may include a state control configured to allow a user to change the state of the component from the first state to a second state. The reminder screen may alternatively or additionally include an ignore control configured to allow a user to clear the reminder screen from the display when the user activates the ignore control.

[0016] In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus further comprises a first siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient, a first light coupled to the outer surface of the first siderail, a second siderail opposite the first siderail, the second siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient, a second light coupled to the outer surface of the second siderail, and a third light coupled to a foot end of the support structure. The controller is further adapted to pulsate the first, second and third lights in sync until the component is changed to the second state.

[0017] In some embodiments, the controller is further adapted to continue pulsating the first, second and third lights after the component is changed to the second state if the monitoring system is not activated, and to continue pulsating the first, second and third lights until the monitoring system is activated.

[0018] In some embodiments, the sensor is a brake sensor, and the first state is a brake deactivated state and the second state is a brake activated state.

[0019] In some embodiments, the component is a nurse call interface configured to communicatively couple to a nurse call system outlet installed in a headwall of the healthcare facility, and the sensor is a nurse call communication sensor adapted to detect whether the nurse call interface is communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet, wherein a first state is a state in which the nurse call interface is not communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet, and a second state is a state in which the nurse call interface is communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet.

[0020] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to synchronously flash the first, second, and third lights when the monitoring system is operating and any of the plurality of monitored conditions changes to an undesired state, hi such embodiments, the controller is further configured to flash the first, second, and third lights at a frequency different from the frequency at which the controller is configured to pulsate the first, second, and third lights.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a patient support apparatus comprising a support structure, a plurality of wheels, a light, an indicator, and a controller, the support structure having a patient support surface adapted to support a patient thereon, the controller configured to detect whether a component of the patient support apparatus is in a desired or undesirable state, displaying a reminder screen on the indicator and illuminating the light when the component of the patient support apparatus is in the undesirable state, clearing the reminder screen from the indicator upon a user actuation of an override control of the reminder screen, and continuing to illuminate the light after the reminder screen is cleared until the component of the patient support apparatus is in the desired state.

[0022] In some embodiments, the light comprises at least a first light, a second light, and a third light, in some embodiments, the first light is coupled to an outer surface of the first side rail, the second light is coupled to an outer surface of the second side rail, and the third light is coupled to a foot end of the support structure.

[0023] The controller may be configured to turn on the lights by pulsing the first, second and third lights in sync until the components are changed to the desired state.

[0024] The components may be brakes, power cords, exit detection systems, monitoring systems, or nurse call interfaces. In some embodiments, the controller is adapted to display a reminder screen for each of these components when the component is in its respective undesirable state, and to keep a light illuminated until each and every of these components is changed to their respective desired state.

[0025] In some embodiments, the controller is further adapted to continue pulsating the first, second, and third lights if the second component is held in the second undesired state after the components are changed to the desired state. In such embodiments, the component may be a brake, and the second component may include any one or more of the following: (a) a power cord adapted to be in a first state where the power cord is plugged into a power outlet and a second state where the power cord is not plugged into a power outlet, the second undesired state being the second state; (b) an exit detection system adapted to be in an activated and deactivated state, the second undesired state being the deactivated state; (c) a monitoring system adapted to be in an activated and deactivated state, the second undesired state being the deactivated state; (d) a nurse call interface adapted to be in an activated and deactivated state, the second undesired state being the deactivated state; (e) the nurse call interface is adapted to be in a first state in which the wireless network transceiver is capable of communicating with a local area network of the healthcare facility and a second state in which the wireless network transceiver is not capable of communicating with the local area network, and the second undesirable state is the second state.

[0026] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to clear the reminder screen from the display in response to the component of the patient support apparatus changing from the undesirable state to the desired state, but the controller is configured to keep the light on after the reminder screen is cleared from the display if any of the second, third, or fourth components of the patient support apparatus are in the second undesirable state, the third undesirable state, or the fourth undesirable state, respectively. The second component can be a power cord adapted to be plugged into a power outlet, where the second undesirable state corresponds to the power cord being unplugged from the power outlet. The third component can be an exit detection system, where the third undesirable state corresponds to the exit detection system being deactivated. And the fourth component can be a monitoring system, where the fourth undesirable state corresponds to the monitoring system being deactivated.

[0027] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to operate the display in an awake mode and a sleep mode, and the controller is further configured to keep the light on after switching from the awake mode to the sleep mode until the components of the patient support apparatus are in a desired state. In such embodiments, the controller may be further configured to re-display the reminder screen on the display when switching from the sleep mode to the awake mode if the components are not in the desired state.

[0028] In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus further comprises a footrest and an instrument panel disposed on the footrest. The instrument panel comprises an icon corresponding to the component and a fourth light. The fourth light is disposed behind the icon and adapted to backlight the icon when the fourth light is activated. The controller may further be adapted to pulsate the fourth light in synchronization with the first, second and third lights.

[0029] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to synchronously stop pulsating the first, second and third lights only when both the component is changed to the desired state and when the set of additional components are changed to their respective desired states. The controller may be configured to sequentially activate the first, second and third lights in a second color both when the component is in the desired state and when the set of additional components are in their respective desired states. The second color is different from the color at which the controller pulsates the first, second and third lights.

[0030] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a patient support apparatus comprising a support structure, an exit detection system, a user interface, a reminder light, and a controller. The support structure comprises a patient support surface adapted to support a patient thereon. The exit detection system is adapted to generate an alert when the exit detection system is activated and the patient exits the patient support surface. The user interface comprises an exit control adapted to move the patient support surface in an exit direction. The controller is configured to illuminate the reminder light upon user activation of the exit control if the exit detection system is currently activated, and to not illuminate the reminder light upon user deactivation of the exit control if the exit detection system is not currently activated.

[0031] In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus further comprises a siderail coupled to the support structure, and the user interface is coupled to the siderail.

[0032] In some embodiments, the user interface includes a deactivation control adapted to deactivate the exit detection system, and the reminder light is a backlight adapted to backlight the deactivation control.

[0033] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to illuminate the reminder light by flashing the reminder light on and off.

[0034] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to deactivate the reminder light in response to a user deactivating the exit detection system after illuminating the reminder light.

[0035] In some embodiments, illuminating the reminder light comprises changing the color of light emitted from the reminder light such that the controller activates the reminder light in a first color before the user activates the exit control if the exit detection system is currently activated, and further the controller illuminates the reminder light in a second color after the user activates the exit control if the exit detection system is currently activated.

[0036] In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus further comprises a sensor adapted to detect a state of a component of the patient support apparatus and an indicator, in such embodiments, the controller is configured to determine whether the component is in a first state or a second state, to prevent activation of the exit detection system when the component is in the first state, and to enable activation of the exit detection system when the component is in the second state.

[0037] Additionally, the patient support apparatus may further include a monitoring system adapted to monitor a plurality of conditions of the patient support apparatus and, when activated, to generate an alarm if any of the plurality of monitored conditions change to an undesirable state. In such an embodiment, the controller may be further configured to prevent the monitoring system from activating when the component is in the first state and to enable the monitoring system to activate when the component is in the second state.

[0038] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a patient support apparatus comprising a support structure, an alarm system, a display, a memory, and a controller. The support structure comprises a patient support surface adapted to support a patient thereon. The alarm system is configured for activation and deactivation and adapted to issue an alarm when activated and when the alarm system detects an alarm condition. The memory comprises the alarm system stored in the memory. The controller is configured to determine a current state of the alarm system and, if the alarm system is not in a desired state, to issue a reminder to change the alarm system to a desired state.

[0039] In some embodiments, the reminder comprises a reminder screen displayed on the display, the reminder screen may comprise an activation control configured to allow a user to automatically arm the alarm system, and when a user activates the activation control, the controller is operable to arm the alarm system and clear the reminder screen from the display.

[0040] In some embodiments, the alarm system comprises at least one of an exit detection system adapted to generate an alarm when the patient exits the support surface and a monitoring system adapted to generate an alarm when any of a plurality of conditions of the patient support apparatus changes to an undesirable state.

[0041] The patient support apparatus may further comprise a first light, a second light, and a third light, and the controller may be configured to issue a reminder by flashing the first, second, and third lights in synchronous fashion when the alarm system is not in a desired state.

[0042] The controller is further configured to display a reminder screen on the display when the alarm system is not in the desired state, to clear the reminder screen from the display when a user activates an ignore control of the reminder screen, and to continue pulsating the first, second, and third lights until the alarm system of the patient support apparatus is in the desired state.

[0043] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to operate the display in an awake mode and a sleep mode, and to continue pulsating the first, second, and third lights after switching from the awake mode to the sleep mode until an alarm system of the patient support apparatus is in a desired state. The controller may be further configured to re-display the reminder screen on the display when switching from the sleep mode to the awake mode if the alarm system is not in a desired state.

[0044] In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus further comprises a foot rest and an instrument panel disposed on the foot rest. The instrument panel comprises an icon corresponding to an alarm system and a fourth light. The fourth light is disposed behind the icon and is further adapted to backlight the icon when the fourth light is activated. The controller is further adapted to pulsate the fourth light in synchronization with the first, second and third lights.

[0045] In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus further comprises a first user interface and a second user interface. The first user interface is coupled to the first siderail and comprises a first control for activating the alarm system and a first backlight for illuminating the first control. The second user interface is coupled to the second siderail and comprises a second control for activating the alarm system and a second backlight for illuminating the second control. The controller is further adapted to pulsate the first backlight and the second backlight in synchronization with the first, second and third lights.

[0046] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of operating a patient support apparatus, the method comprising determining whether a component of the patient support apparatus is in a first state or a second state, the first state comprising a state in which the exit detection system is not prepared to operate, and the second state comprising a state in which the exit detection system is prepared to operate, the method further comprising automatically disabling an activation control of a user interface of the patient support apparatus to activate the exit detection system upon determining that the component is in the first state in which the exit detection system is not prepared to operate.

[0047] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of operating a patient support apparatus, the method comprising determining whether a component of the patient support apparatus is in a first state or a second state, the first state comprising a state in which the monitoring system is not prepared to operate, and the second state comprising a state in which the monitoring system is prepared to operate. The method further comprises, upon determining that the component is in the first state in which the monitoring system is not prepared to operate, automatically disabling an operation control of a user interface of the patient support apparatus to operate the monitoring system.

[0048] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of operating a patient support apparatus, the method comprising detecting whether a configuration of the patient support apparatus is in a desired or undesired state, if the configuration is in an undesired state, the method comprising displaying a reminder screen on a user interface and illuminating a light, the method further comprising continuing to illuminate the light until the configuration of the patient support apparatus is in the desired state.

[0049] In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of operating a patient support apparatus is provided, the method comprising the steps of storing a desired operating state of a monitoring system in a memory of the patient support apparatus, and issuing a reminder if a current operating state of the monitoring system is deactivated and the desired operating state of the monitoring system is activated.

[0050] Before the various embodiments disclosed herein are described in detail, it should be understood that the claims should not be limited to the operational details, structural details, or arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments described herein can be practiced or performed in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. Furthermore, it should be understood that the terms and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting. The use of "including" and "comprising" and variations thereof means the inclusion of the items and equivalents of the items listed thereafter, as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Furthermore, enumerations may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, the use of enumerations should not be construed as limiting the claims to any particular order or number of components. Furthermore, the use of enumerations should not be construed as excluding from the claims any additional steps or components that may be combined or combined with the recited steps or components. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0051] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a patient support apparatus having first and second user interfaces according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the first user interface shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the second user interface shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of various components of a patient support apparatus and its environment, including a first user interface and a sensor system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an example brake reminder screen that may be displayed on a display of the first user interface. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exemplary nurse call reminder screen that may be displayed on a display of the first user interface. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an example power reminder screen that may be displayed on a display of the first user interface. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an example Wi-Fi reminder screen that may be displayed on a display of the first user interface. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an example bed exit reminder screen that may be displayed on a display of the first user interface. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an example bed monitoring reminder screen that may be displayed on a display of the first user interface. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an exemplary floor setup screen that may be displayed on a display of the first user interface. [Figure 12A] FIG. 12A is a flow diagram of a reminder management algorithm executed by a controller associated with the first and / or second user interface. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a flow diagram of a reminder management algorithm executed by a controller associated with the first and / or second user interface. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an exit reminder algorithm executed by the controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0052] An exemplary patient support apparatus 30 incorporating one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown in Figure 1. The particular form of patient support apparatus 30 shown in Figure 1 is a bed adapted for use in a hospital or other medical environment, however, it is understood that the patient support apparatus 30, in different embodiments, can be a folding bed, a stretcher, a gurney, a recliner, a surgical table, a residential bed, or any other structure capable of supporting a person, whether stationary or mobile and / or for medical or residential use.

[0053] The support structure 32 provides support to a patient. The support structure 32 shown in FIG. 1 includes a base 34 and a support frame 36. The base 34 includes a base frame 35. The support frame 36 is spaced above the base frame 35 in FIG. 1. The support structure 32 also includes a patient support deck 38 disposed on the support frame 36. The patient support deck 38 includes several sections, some of which can articulate (e.g., pivot) relative to the support frame 36, such as a back section 41, a seat section 43, a leg section 45, and a foot section 47. The patient support deck 38 provides a patient support surface 42 upon which a patient is supported. A lift system 37 can be coupled to the support structure 32 and can raise and lower the support frame 36, the patient support deck 38, and the patient support surface 42 to different heights relative to the base frame 35, including a lowest height relative to the base frame 35. Such a lift system 37 may be similar to that described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0246065, filed February 22, 2017, entitled "Lift Assembly for a Patient Support Apparatus," the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.

[0054] A mattress (not shown) is disposed on the patient support deck 38 during use. The mattress provides a secondary patient support surface upon which a patient is supported. The base 34, support frame 36, patient support deck 38, and patient support surface 42 each have head and foot ends that correspond to the designated placement of the patient's head and feet on the patient support apparatus 30. The base 34 has a longitudinal axis L1 along its length from the head end to the foot end. The construction of the support structure 32 may be of any known or conventional design and is not limited to those specifically described above.

[0055] Patient rails, such as siderails 44, 46, 48, 50, are coupled to the support frame 36 and / or the patient support deck 38 and are thereby supported by the base 34. A first siderail 44 is located at the right head end. A second siderail 46 is located at the right foot end. A third siderail 48 is located at the left head end. A fourth siderail 50 is located at the left foot end. In the embodiment shown, the head end siderails 44, 48 are mounted to the back section 41 for movement therewith. The foot end siderails 46, 50 are mounted to the support frame 36 for movement therewith. If the patient support apparatus 30 is a gurney or folding bed, fewer siderails may be provided. The siderails 44, 46, 48, 50 are movable relative to the back section 41 / support frame 36 between an elevated position in which the siderails 44, 46, 48, 50 block ingress and egress to the patient support apparatus 30, one or more intermediate positions, and a lowered position in which the siderails 44, 46, 48, 50 do not impede such ingress and egress. In the embodiment shown, the siderails 44, 46, 48, 50 are connected to the back section 41 and / or support frame 36 by pivoting support arms to form a four bar linkage. Such siderails and the manner in which they may be raised and lowered are shown and described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0172829, filed December 15, 2016, entitled "Powered Siderails for a Patient Support Apparatus," the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0056] The headboard 52 and footrest 54 are coupled to the support frame 36. The headboard 52 and footrest 54 may be coupled anywhere on the patient support apparatus 30, such as to the support frame 36 or the base 34. In yet another embodiment, the patient support apparatus 30 does not include a headboard 52 and / or a footrest 54.

[0057] Caregiver interfaces 56, such as handles, are shown integrated into the headboard 52, footrest 54 and siderails 44, 46, 48, 50 to facilitate movement of the patient support apparatus 30 across a floor surface F. Additional caregiver interfaces 56 may be integrated into other components of the patient support apparatus 30. The caregiver interfaces 56 are graspable by a caregiver to manipulate the patient support apparatus 30 for movement and to move the siderails 44, 46, 48, 50, etc.

[0058] Wheels 58 are coupled to base 34 to facilitate transportation over floor surface F. Wheels 58 are located in each of the four quadrants of base 34 adjacent the corners of base 34. In the embodiment shown, wheels 58 are caster (swivel) wheels that can rotate and swivel relative to support structure 32 during transportation. Each wheel 58 forms part of a caster assembly 60. Each caster assembly 60 is mounted to base 34. Brakes 61 may be associated with one or more wheels 58 to prevent rotation of the wheels when activated. Brakes 61 may be manually or electronically activated. It should be understood that various configurations of caster assemblies 60 and / or brakes 61 are contemplated. Furthermore, in some embodiments, wheels 58 may be non-steerable, steerable, non-powered, powered, or a combination thereof rather than caster wheels. Additional wheels are also contemplated. For example, patient support apparatus 30 may include four non-powered, non-steerable wheels along with one or more powered wheels. In some cases, the patient support apparatus 30 may not include any wheels.

[0059] In another embodiment, one or more auxiliary wheels (powered or unpowered) movable between a stowed position and a deployed position may be coupled to the support structure 32. In some cases, these auxiliary wheels may be disposed between the caster assemblies 60 such that, when in the deployed position and in contact with the floor surface F, the auxiliary wheels lift two of the caster assemblies 60 off the floor surface F, thereby shortening the wheel base of the patient support apparatus 30. A fifth wheel may also be disposed substantially in the center of the base 34.

[0060] The mechanical structure of the patient support apparatus 30 may be the same as or substantially the same as the mechanical structure of the Model 3002 S3 bed manufactured and sold by Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan, which is described in detail in the "Stryker Maintenance Manual" for the MedSurg Bed, Model 3002 S3, published in 2010 by Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the patient support apparatus 30 can be designed with other types of mechanical structures, such as, but not limited to, those described in U.S. Patient Handling Device with Local Status Indication, One-Touch Fowler Angle Adjustment and Power-On Alarm Configuration, issued on April 6, 2010 (U.S. Patient Support Apparatus 30), U.S. Pat. No. 7,690,059, entitled "Hospital Bed" and / or U.S. Pat. No. 8,689,376, entitled "Patient Handling Device with Local Status Indication, One-Touch Fowler Angle Adjustment and Power-On Alarm Configuration," both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The mechanical structure of the patient support apparatus 30 can also take different forms than those disclosed in the aforementioned references.

[0061] The patient support apparatus 30 further includes a user interface 62 supported by the support structure 32 of the patient support apparatus 30. Although shown at the foot end of the patient support apparatus 30, the user interface 62 may be disposed at the head end and / or one or more sides of the patient support apparatus 30. More specifically, one or more user interfaces 62 may be attached to the headboard 52, footrest 54, and / or siderails 44, 46, 48, 50, or any other suitable location via fasteners, welding, snap-fit ​​connections, or the like. In some revisions, each user interface 62 includes a separate housing secured to the headboard 52, footrest 54, and / or siderails 44, 46, 48, 50, or another suitable location. In other revisions, the housing of the user interface 62 is integrated into the headboard 52, footrest 54, and / or siderails 44, 46, 48, 50. In at least one embodiment, one of the user interfaces 62 is mounted to the footrest 54 of the patient support apparatus 30, and another user interface 62 is mounted to one or more of the siderails 44, 46, 48, 50. The user interface 62 mounted to the footrest 54 will be described in detail, however, the form and functionality described are equally applicable to the other user interfaces 62, which may be located elsewhere on the patient support apparatus 30.

[0062] 2 shows a perspective view of the user interface 62 mounted on the footrest 54. The user interface 62 includes a display 64a. The display 64a may be a touch screen type display, although it will be understood that a non-touch screen display may alternatively be used. The display 64a displays one or more visual indicators, one or more controls, and / or one or more control screens, as described further below. The display 64a may include an LED display, an OLED display, or another type of display.

[0063] The display 64a is configured to display a number of different screens thereon, only one of which is shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, the display 64a is shown in FIG. 2 displaying a motion control screen 154. The motion control screen 154 includes a number of motion controls 107a-107i that, when touched, cause movement of an associated component(s) of the patient support apparatus 20. Thus, for example, pressing and holding motion control 107c will cause the back section 41 to pivot upward, while pressing and holding motion control 107d will cause the back section 41 to pivot downward. If the user wishes to control other aspects of the patient support apparatus 20 besides movement, he or she can navigate to a different screen that includes different controls and / or other information regarding the patient support apparatus. Thus, for example, if the user presses the navigation control 66a, the user interface 62 will display an exit detection control screen (currently shown), which allows the user to control various aspects of the exit detection system 150. If the user presses navigation control 66b, the user interface 62 displays a bed monitor control screen (not shown) that allows the user to control various aspects of the bed monitor system 150. If the user presses navigation control 66c, the user interface 62 displays a scale screen (not shown) that allows the user to control other aspects of the patient weight measurement and / or scale system. Furthermore, if the user presses home navigation control 66d, the user interface 62 displays a home screen, which in some embodiments includes controls for accessing all of the functions of the patient support apparatus 20.

[0064] In some embodiments, if a user presses the navigation control 66a, the patient support apparatus 30 is configured to not only display an exit detection control screen, but also to automatically activate the exit detection system 150. In such embodiments, the patient support apparatus 30 may also be configured to display a bed monitor screen and to automatically activate the bed monitor system 152 in response to a user touching the navigation control 66b. Further details of the operation of these navigation controls 66a and 66b, in at least one embodiment, are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 868,240, filed June 28, 2019 by inventor Kurosh Nahavandi et al. and entitled “Patient Support Apparatus With Improved User Interface,” the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0065] In some embodiments, the user interface 62 also includes an instrument panel 64b (FIG. 2) that communicates to the caregiver the current status of various conditions of the patient support apparatus 30. The instrument panel 64b includes a number of icons 70 that are illuminated by icon lights 68, thereby serving as visual indicators to show the current status of different conditions of the patient support apparatus 30. For example, a first icon 70a (e.g., an alarm symbol on the bed) is backlit by a corresponding light 68 when the exit detection system 150 is activated, a second icon 70b (e.g., an eye symbol) is backlit by a second light 68 when the bed monitoring system 150 is activated, a third icon 70c (e.g., an arrow and bed symbol) is backlit by a third light 68 when the bed is at its lowest height (or below a threshold height), a fourth icon 70d (e.g., an unplugged AC power cord symbol) is backlit by a fourth light 68 when the patient support apparatus 20 is plugged into an electrical wall outlet, and a fifth icon 70e (e.g., a wheel chock and wheel symbol) is backlit by a fifth light 68 when the brakes are activated. The lights 68 located behind these icons 70a-70e can be controlled to illuminate in different colors depending on what state the associated condition is currently in (e.g., brakes are deactivated, exit detection system 150 is deactivated, etc.), and / or one or more of the lights 68 may alternatively not be illuminated at all when the associated condition is in another state. Fewer or additional icons 70 may be included as part of the instrument panel 64b. The icons 70 may be configured in a dead-front configuration on the instrument panel 64b of the user interface 62 such that the icons 70 are only visible to the caregiver when illuminated by icon lights 68 supported on the housing of the user interface 62.

[0066] The instrument panel 64b, unlike the indicator 64a, maintains illumination of one or more of the icons 70a-70e at all times. That is, the indicator 64a is configured in some embodiments to go dormant (blank) after a predetermined period of non-use. However, the instrument panel 64b maintains illumination of the various icons 70 even after the indicator 64a goes blank, thereby providing the caregiver with information regarding the state of the patient support apparatus 30 when the indicator 64a is blank. Thus, for example, if the brakes are not actuated and the icon 70e is illuminated amber or red, this illumination will be maintained as long as the brakes remain deactuated, even if the indicator 64a goes dormant (or otherwise goes blank) in an interrupted manner.

[0067] Still referring to FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. 2, one or more reflective surfaces 76 may be disposed on the patient support apparatus 30 proximate to the user interface 62. The reflective surfaces 76 may be disposed relative to the user interface 62 such that one or more indirect lights 78a supported by the housing of the user interface 62 project light away from the user interface 62 toward the reflective surfaces 76 and are reflected away from the reflective surfaces 76 and outwardly from the patient support apparatus 30 to serve as another visual indicator. The indirect lights 78a may be disposed at the bottom of the housing of the user interface 62 and project light away from the bottom of the housing toward the reflective surfaces 76. Thus, the indirect lights 78a may be hidden from view by the housing. The light may be reflected in several directions, including generally horizontally, for example, so that it may be more easily seen by a caregiver at a distance away from the patient support apparatus 30. As shown in FIG. 2, in one example, one of the reflective surfaces 76 is disposed below the user interface 62 to reflect light away from the patient support apparatus 30. The reflective surface 76 may be a surface of the footrest 54 or any surface capable of reflecting light from the indirect light 78a, and may also be present elsewhere on the patient support apparatus 30. Similar reflective surfaces 76 may be provided on the headboard 52 and / or one or more of the siderails 44, 46, 48, 50 to reflect light from another user interface 62.

[0068] The reflective surface 76, in many embodiments, is adapted to produce diffuse reflection rather than specular reflection. That is, the reflective surface 76 is not a mirrored surface, but instead is a colored surface that scatters the light emitted from the light 78a in multiple directions and / or at multiple angles. In many embodiments, the reflective surface 76 is colored with a white or slightly off-white color such that the color composition of the light emitted by the indirect light 78a after reflection from the reflective surface 76 does not change substantially. The color of the light emitted by the indirect light 78a is variable, and in some embodiments, has the same color palette as the icon light 68. For example, in at least one embodiment, the indirect light 78a can emit light of three different colors, i.e., amber, red, and green, and the icon light 68 can also emit light of the same three colors. As used herein, the term "light" is broad enough to cover multiple LEDs, bulbs, or other light emitting structures, so that the term "light" will be understood to include a structure in which one LED, bulb, etc. is used to emit a first color and a second LED, bulb, etc. is used to emit a second color, and so on.

[0069] The indirect light 78a is configured to emit light constantly at certain times, emit light in a pulsating manner at other times, and emit light in a flickering manner at still other times. The times at which the first and second lights are configured to be controlled in this manner, as well as the colors of light that the first and second lights are adapted to emit, are discussed in more detail below.

[0070] Both the icon light 68 and the indirect light 78 may comprise RGB LEDs ("red-green-blue light emitting diodes"). The icon light 68 and / or the indirect light 78 may comprise a single RGB LED or may comprise multiple LEDs. The icon light 68 and the indirect light 78 may also comprise one or more incandescent bulbs, halogen lamps, neon lamps, fluorescent tubes, and / or any other type of light emitting device. In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus 20 comprises one or more direct lights 102 disposed on the sides of the user interface 62 that emit light through a light-transmitting cover C attached to the housing of the user interface 62 (FIG. 2). If included, the direct lights 102 are controlled in synchronization with the indirect lights 78a, as discussed in more detail below.

[0071] In some embodiments, additional user interfaces may be provided on the patient support apparatus 30, spaced apart from the user interface 62. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a user interface 80 mounted on a siderail 44. A similar user interface 80 may be disposed on the opposing siderail. These user interfaces 80 may have more or less functionality than the user interface 62, and may, for example, have their own displays, indicator panels with associated icons, and / or reflective surfaces to project light outwardly from the siderail.

[0072] The user interface 80 includes a number of controls and one or more visual indicators. The controls include a bed orientation control 84 with associated icons 86: a support deck section control 88 that raises or lowers the back section 41 and leg section 45 of the patient support deck 38 relative to the support frame 36, a bed height control 90 that activates the lift system 37 to raise or lower the support frame 36, the patient support deck 38, and the patient support surface 42 to different heights relative to the base frame 35, and a brake control 92 that activates the brakes 61 (e.g., turns the brakes 61 on and off).

[0073] As shown in FIG. 3. In one embodiment, the plurality of bed orientation controls 84 include an exit control 84a, represented on the interface by a first icon 86a (e.g., an associated graphic symbol of a patient leaving a bed). The exit control 84a is a user input device associated with facilitating the exit of a patient from the patient support apparatus 30. Pressing the exit control 84a reconfigures the patient support apparatus 30 to a position that allows for easier exit from the apparatus or an "exit orientation." The same control 84a, or a similar control (not shown), can be used to allow entry into the patient support apparatus 30.

[0074] The further bed orientation controls include a Trendelenburg control 84b for reconfiguring the patient support apparatus 30 to a Trendelenburg orientation, represented on the interface by a second icon 86b (e.g., the associated graphic symbol of a patient in a Trendelenburg position), a chair control 84c for reconfiguring the patient support apparatus 30 to a chair orientation, represented on the interface by a third icon 86c (e.g., the associated graphic symbol of a patient in a chair position), and a fourth icon 86d (e.g., the associated graphic symbol of a patient in a supine position). a flat control 84d displayed on the interface by a fifth icon 86e (e.g., an associated graphic symbol of a patient in a foot height position), for reconfiguring the patient support apparatus 30 to a foot height orientation, and a reverse Trendelenburg control 84f displayed on the interface by a sixth icon 86f (e.g., an associated graphic symbol of a patient in a reverse Trendelenburg position), for reconfiguring the patient support apparatus 30 to a reverse Trendelenburg orientation.

[0075] The user interface 80 includes a reminder light 94 that can be activated to remind the caregiver to deactivate the exit detection system 150 before the patient exits the apparatus 30. An enable / deactivation control 96 is provided on the user interface 80 to allow the caregiver to activate or deactivate the exit detection system 150 via the user interface 80 in some embodiments. As shown in FIGURE 3, in one embodiment, the reminder light 94 is supported within the housing of the user interface 80, and the reminder light 94 illuminates an associated icon 98 (e.g., an alarm graphic symbol) of the enable / deactivation control 96.

[0076] In at least one embodiment, the reminder light 94 is controlled to emit a white light (steady, flashing, or pulsating) when the user presses the exit control 84a while the exit detection system 150 is activated, and to not emit light at all other times except when the exit detection system 150 is activated and detects a patient exit from the patient support apparatus 30. When such patient exit is detected, the reminder light 94 may be activated to emit a flashing red light. The flashing red illumination of the reminder light 94 during an exit detection alarm is configured to be synchronized with the flashing red of another light (e.g., the indirect lights 78a, 78b), which also occurs when an exit detection alarm is triggered, in at least some embodiments. Such synchronization means that not only is the reminder light 94 activated simultaneously with the other light, but that the waveform used to effect the flashing (non-sinusoidal) is of the same period, frequency, and general shape (although the amplitude may differ). Alternative methods of activating the reminder light 94 may also be employed.

[0077] The icon 98 is positioned above the reminder light 94 such that when the reminder light 94 is activated, the reminder light 94 illuminates the icon 98. The illumination of the icon 98 serves to remind the caregiver to deactivate the exit detection system 150 when the exit control 84a is pressed and the exit detection system 150 is activated. Additionally, the flashing illumination of the icon 98 by the reminder light 94 during a bed exit alarm serves as an additional indication to the caregiver of the cause of the alarm. In the illustrated embodiment, the icon 98 and the reminder light 94 are integrated into an enable / disable control 96. The enable / disable control 96, when pressed, allows the caregiver to deactivate and / or activate the exit detection system 150. In some embodiments, the reminder light 94 can be separate and remote from the enable / disable control 96 and / or the user interface 80 can omit the enable / disable control 96.

[0078] 3, at least one reflective surface 100 is mounted on a side rail adjacent to the user interface 80. The reflective surface 100 is disposed relative to the user interface 80 such that one or more indirect lights 78b supported by the housing of the user interface 80 project light away from the user interface 80 towards the reflective surface 100, which reflects away from the reflective surface 100 and outwardly from the side rail to act as another visual indicator.

[0079] The indirect light 78b is disposed at the bottom of the housing of the user interface 80 and projects light away from the bottom of the housing toward the reflective surface 100. Thus, the indirect light 78b is hidden from view by the housing. The light emitted by the indirect light 78b is reflected in several directions, including generally horizontally, for easy viewing by a caregiver at a location away from the patient support apparatus 30, for example. As shown in FIG. 3, in one example, one of the reflective surfaces 100 is disposed below the user interface 80 to reflect light away from the side rail 44. The reflective surface 100 is a diffuse reflector rather than a specular reflector, similar to the reflective surface 76, and, in at least some embodiments, is the same color as the reflective surface 76.

[0080] As discussed in more detail below, the icon lights 68, the indirect lights 78a-78b, and the direct lights 102 are controlled to emit light in different ways at different times depending on the state of the patient support apparatus 30. Specifically, the icon lights 68, the indirect lights 78a-78b, and the direct lights 102 may operate continuously at some times, may flash at other times, and may pulsate at still other times. As used herein, the term "pulsing" or variations thereof refers to controlling the illumination of one or more lights such that the light intensity increases and decreases in a generally sinusoidal manner. That is, the light gradually becomes brighter and brighter until the light reaches a peak, and then gradually becomes dimmer and dimmer until the light reaches a valley, which may completely block the light for a moment, and then the cycle is repeated. In contrast, the term "flashing" refers to changing the intensity of the light, but in a much more abrupt manner. For example, in some embodiments, "flashing" refers to controlling the light such that the intensity of the light it emits varies generally in a square wave fashion. Alternatively, the flashing of the light may be implemented such that the intensity of the emitted light varies approximately as a sawtooth wave, or as a triangular wave, or in some other non-sinusoidal manner. By using a non-sinusoidal waveform to flash the light, the effect is to present a visually harsher, more immediate sense of urgency to the caregiver than the sinusoidal waveform used during the pulsating light. Thus, as described in more detail below, the lights 68 and / or 78 pulsate as part of a gentle reminder to the caregiver and flash when an alarm is triggered.

[0081] The blinking of the lights may also be performed at a higher frequency than the pulsation of the lights. In at least one embodiment, the pulsation of the lights 68, 78a-78b, 102 itself repeats at a frequency on the order of once every 2-5 seconds, although other frequencies may be used. By pulsating at this frequency, the synchronized illumination of the lights 68, 78a-78b, 102 varies its intensity at approximately the same frequency as human breathing, and this relatively short time interval creates a persistent, yet non-urgent, visual effect, thereby reminding the caregiver that one or more tasks need to be completed, such as to properly configure the patient support apparatus 30, and still do so in a manner that is not distracting or engaging to the caregiver. In contrast, the synchronized blinking of the lights 68, 78a-78b, 102, in at least one embodiment, is performed at a frequency faster than once every 2-5 seconds, such as, but not limited to, at least once per second, if not faster. As described further below, flashing the light is typically only performed when an alarm is triggered (flashing red when the exit detection system 150 detects a patient alarm and flashing amber when the monitoring system 152 detects an alarm for a monitored condition), while pulsing the light (amber) is typically only performed to remind the caregiver to perform one or more configuration tasks with respect to the patient support apparatus 30.

[0082] 4 illustrates in more detail various components of the user interface 62, as well as the sensor system S coupled to the user interface 62 and several other components of the patient support apparatus 20 that interact with the user interface 62. The user interface 62 includes a controller 104 having one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, field programmable gate arrays, systems on a chip, discrete circuits, and / or other suitable hardware, software, or firmware capable of performing the functions described herein. The controller 104 is adapted to communicate with the siderail user interface 80 via a network bus (e.g., a controller area network, a serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus, an Ethernet connection, an RS-485 bus, etc.). The controller 104 sends commands and messages to one or more control structures within the user interface 80 that effect selective activation and deactivation of the indirect light 78b and / or the reminder light 94. As described further below, illumination of indirect light 78b is generally performed synchronously with indirect light 78a, direct light 102, and, in at least some circumstances, iconic light 68. Controller 104 is configured to process instructions stored in memory 106 to control the operation of user interface 62 and lights 68, 78a-78b, 94, and 102. Controller 104 also controls what screens are displayed on display 64a.

[0083] Power to the patient support apparatus 30 is provided by an external power source 108 or a battery power source 110. An alternating current (A / C) power cord 112 provides power to the patient support apparatus 30 from the external power source 108 and plugs into a compatible outlet (e.g., wall outlet 114, FIG. 1) to receive external power.

[0084] The patient support apparatus 30 includes a wireless network transceiver 116 (FIG. 4), such as, but not limited to, a Wi-Fi transceiver 116, adapted to wirelessly communicate with one or more wireless access points 118 of a conventional medical facility network 120. The wireless access point 118 is adapted to communicate with a hospital network 120 (e.g., a local area network or LAN) of the facility in which the patient support apparatus 30 is disposed. This enables the controller 104 to use the network transceiver 116 to send and receive signals to and from one or more servers disposed on the hospital network 120.

[0085] The patient support apparatus 20 also includes a nurse call interface 122 for communicatively coupling the patient support apparatus 30 to a conventional nurse call system. A conventional nurse call system typically includes one or more nurse call servers 124 coupled to a hospital network 120, one or more nurse call outlets 126 located in each patient room, and wiring and other structures coupling the nurse call outlets 126 to the nurse call servers 124. In some embodiments, the nurse call interface 122 is a wired interface adapted to couple to and communicate with the nurse call outlet 126 via a nurse call cable 128. A first end of the cable 128 is coupled to the nurse call interface 122 and another end is coupled to the nurse call outlet 126. One example of such a wired nurse call interface is the cable interface disclosed in more detail in commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0293,849, entitled “Patient Support Apparatus with Reconfigurable Communications,” filed April 4, 2018, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0086] In another embodiment, the nurse call interface 122 is a wireless interface adapted to communicate wirelessly with the nurse call outlet 126. Some examples of wireless nurse call interfaces 122 enabling wireless communication between the patient support apparatus 30 and an adjacent nurse call outlet 126 are disclosed in the following commonly assigned patent references and may be implemented in the patient support apparatus 30 herein: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0038361, filed August 6, 2015, entitled “Patient Support Apparatus with Wireless Headwall Communication”; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0038361, filed December 12, 2018, entitled “Smartphone Accessory System”; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0038362, filed December 12, 2018, entitled “Smartphone Accessory System.” No. 16 / 217,203, entitled "Patient Support Apparatus with Position / Motion Detection," filed Nov. 16, 2018; U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 193,150, entitled "Patient Support Apparatus with Position / Motion Detection," filed Dec. 11, 2018; and U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 215,911, entitled "Hospital Headwall Communication System," filed Dec. 11, 2018; the complete disclosures of all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Of course, other types of wireless or wired nurse call interfaces may be used.

[0087] A sensor system S comprising one or more sensors 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, 142, 144 is integrated into the patient support apparatus 30 to generate one or more signals corresponding to various states of a condition being monitored. The controller 104 issues commands to the user interfaces 62, 80 and the lights 68, 78a-78b, 94, 102 based on the signals the controller 104 receives from the sensor system S. Thus, the sensor system S provides input to the controller 104 regarding various states of different components of the patient support apparatus 30, and the controller 104 uses that state data to output commands to the user interfaces 62, 80 and / or the lights 68, 78a-78b, 94, 102.

[0088] The sensor system S includes one or more force sensors 130, siderail sensors 132, HOB angle sensors 134, height sensors 136, brake sensors 138, power sensors 140, Wi-Fi connectivity sensors 142, and nurse call connectivity sensors 144. The force sensors 130 output signals in response to downward forces applied to the support deck 38 by the patient and / or object, and may be implemented as load cells, although other types of force sensors may be used. The siderail sensors 132 output signals indicative of the current positions of the siderails 44, 46, 48, 50 such that the controller 104 can determine whether the siderails 44, 46, 48, 50 are in a raised (up), lowered (down), or one of an intermediate position.

[0089] The HOB angle sensor 134 outputs a signal indicating the current angle of the back section 41 so that the controller 104 can determine whether the back section 41 is at or above a preset angle or below a preset angle relative to the support frame 36. The height sensor 136 outputs a signal indicating the current height of the support frame 36 so that the controller 104 can determine whether the patient support apparatus 30 is at a minimum height. The brake sensor 138 outputs a signal indicating whether the brake is activated (on) or deactivated (off). The power sensor 140 outputs a signal indicating whether an AC power plug, which provides power to the patient support apparatus 30 from the external power source 108, is plugged into a corresponding outlet (e.g., a wall outlet) to receive external power. The Wi-Fi connection sensor 142 outputs a signal indicating whether the Wi-Fi transceiver 116 is connected or disconnected to the wireless access point 118 (or a specific server on the network 120). The nurse call sensor 144 outputs a signal that indicates whether the nurse call interface 122 is connected to or disconnected from the nurse call outlet 126 .

[0090] These sensors 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, 142 may include one or more load cells, pressure sensors such as piezoelectric and piezoresistive sensors, Hall effect sensors, capacitance sensors, resonant sensors, thermal sensors, limit switches, gyroscopes, accelerometers, motion sensors, ultrasonic sensors, distance sensors, potentiometers, magnetostrictive sensors, current sensors, voltage detectors, and / or any other suitable type of sensor for performing their associated functions.

[0091] The force sensor 130 is part of an exit detection system 150 that determines whether an occupant has exited the patient support apparatus 30. The force sensor 130 can also be part of a scale system that detects the weight of an occupant of the patient support apparatus 30, the details of which will not be described herein. The force sensor 130 is adapted to detect a downward force applied by an occupant on the patient support surface 42, i.e., the support deck 38. Thus, the force sensor 130 detects the weight of the occupant when the occupant is disposed on the support deck 38 and is substantially stationary (i.e., not moving in a manner that involves acceleration that applies a force against the support deck 38). The force sensor 130 can also be used to determine the center of gravity of the occupant to determine whether the occupant is exiting the patient support apparatus 30. In alternative embodiments, the output from the force sensor 130 is analyzed not to determine the center of gravity, but instead to determine weight distribution and / or changes in weight distribution, such as, for example, by determining a ratio of one or more relative weights sensed by the force sensor 130 and using the weight distribution and / or changes in weight distribution to determine whether an occupant is exiting the patient support apparatus 30. In yet another embodiment, the force sensor 130 may be modified to detect forces other than, or in addition to, the downward force exerted by the occupant. Other types of sensors may additionally or alternatively be used to determine whether the patient has exited or is about to exit.

[0092] The specific construction details of the exit detection system 150 may vary widely. In some embodiments, the exit detection system 150 is constructed in accordance with the exit detection system described in U.S. Patient Exit Detection Mechanism for a Hospital Bed, issued Jan. 4, 1994 (U.S. Patient Exit Detection Mechanism for a Hospital Bed), the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. In such embodiments, the exit detection system 150 may include multiple compartments that trigger an alarm when the patient's center of gravity moves outside of the compartment. In this manner, the exit detection system may have its sensitivity selected by the caregiver. Other types of exit detection systems may also or instead be used.

[0093] The exit detection system 150 is configured to be activated and deactivated. When activated, the exit detection system 150 issues an alert when an occupant exits the patient support surface 42 or is about to exit the patient support apparatus 30. In response to an alert issued by the exit detection system 150, the controller 104 causes the lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102 (and optionally the reminder light 94) to flash red. The controller 104 may also display an exit detection alert screen on the display 64a that includes a portion that is red and flashes in synchronization with the lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102.

[0094] When flashing the lights 68, the controller 104, in at least one embodiment, is configured to flash only the icon light 68 located behind the icon corresponding to the condition for which it is issuing an alert. Thus, when the exit detection system 150 detects the patient's exit and issues an alert, the controller 104 is configured to flash only the light 68 located behind the icon 70a (which corresponds to the exit detection system 150). The lights 68 located behind the other icons 70b-70g may remain activated (or deactivated) regardless of the state in which the light 68 was previously activated (or deactivated) immediately prior to the exit detection alert. Thus, for example, if the icon light 68 located behind the brake icon 70e was previously activated to display a steady green color before the exit detection system 150 issued an alert, the controller 104, in at least one embodiment, is configured to continue to hold the light 68 in a steady green state while the controller 104 flashes the light 68 (red) behind the exit detection alert icon 70a during the exit detection alert.

[0095] The user interface 62 communicates with the controller 104 and allows the caregiver to control various aspects of the exit detection system 150, such as, but not limited to, activating or deactivating the exit detection system 150, customizing settings of the exit detection system 150, such as customizing the sensitivity level of the exit detection system 150, and canceling alarms issued by the exit detection system 150. Different customizable settings for the exit detection system 150 are possible.

[0096] The bed monitoring system 152 includes a collection of sensors and a processing unit, such as the controller 104, that processes the output from the collection of sensors to determine whether any one or more of the components monitored by the sensors are in an undesirable condition. If any one or more are in an undesirable condition and the bed monitoring system 152 is activated, the bed monitoring system 152 generates an alarm. In some embodiments, the bed monitoring system 152 includes a siderail sensor 132, a HOB angle sensor 134, a height sensor 136, and a brake sensor 138. Other types of sensors may additionally or alternatively be used to determine the status of one or more monitored conditions of the patient support apparatus 30. The specific construction details of the bed monitoring system 152 may vary widely. An exemplary bed monitoring system is disclosed in U.S. Patient Handling Apparatus With Local Status Indication, One-Touch Fowler Angle Adjustment, and Power-On Alarm Configuration, filed Jan. 27, 2014 (U.S. Patent No. 8,844,076), the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Other types of bed monitoring systems may be used.

[0097] The bed monitor system 152 is configured to be activated and deactivated. When activated, the bed monitor system 152 issues an alarm when at least one monitored condition of the patient support apparatus 30 is in an undesirable state, which may include when one or more side rails are down, when the HOB angle is less than a preset angle, when the bed is not flat, or when the brake is not engaged. The controller 104, in at least one embodiment, is configured to synchronously flash the amber lights 78a, 78b, and 102 when the bed monitor system 152 issues an alarm. The controller 104 may further be configured to synchronously flash the icon light 68 located behind the bed monitor icon 70b in amber when the bed monitor system 152 issues an alarm.

[0098] The user interface 62 communicates with the controller 104 and allows the caregiver to control one or more aspects of the bed monitoring system 152. The user interface 62 allows the caregiver to control various aspects of the bed monitoring system 152, such as, but not limited to, navigating to bed monitor control screens, activating or deactivating the bed monitoring system 152, canceling alarms issued by the bed monitoring system 152, etc. The display 64a displays information about the bed monitoring system 152, such as, but not limited to, displaying bed monitor screens, displaying alarms issued by the bed monitoring system 152, etc.

[0099] 2 shows an example of a motion control screen 154 that may be displayed on the display 64a. The motion control screen 154 includes a number of controls, some or all of which may include touch screen controls, non-touch screen controls, or a combination thereof. The controls perform a variety of different functions, and the number, function, location, size, and / or other characteristics of these controls may differ from those shown in FIG. 2 and may also vary depending on the screen being displayed at a given time by the display 64a. The motion control screen 154 may be initially displayed after the patient support apparatus 30 is powered on or switched to an awake mode, as described in more detail below, or the motion control screen 154 may be displayed in response to a caregiver navigating to the motion control screen 154 from another screen.

[0100] In some embodiments, the controller 104 displays an exit detection control screen (not shown) or a bed monitor control screen (not shown) on the display 64a. The exit detection control screen is used by a caregiver or another user to control the configuration of the exit detection system 150 and can include activation controls that allow the caregiver to activate and / or deactivate the exit detection system 150. The bed monitor control screen is used by a caregiver or another user to control the configuration of the bed monitor system 152 and can also include activation controls that allow the user to activate and / or deactivate the bed monitor system 152.

[0101] For some embodiments, the controller 104 operates the indicator 64a in a number of different modes, including a sleep mode and an awake mode. The controller 104 activates the indicator 64a when the patient support apparatus 30 is in the awake mode and deactivates the indicator 64a when the patient support apparatus 30 is in the sleep mode. The controller 104 switches from the awake mode to the sleep mode after a predetermined deactivation period, i.e., after an inactivity period, at the user interface 62, 80. When in the sleep mode, the controller 104 switches back to the awake mode and activates the indicator 64a when it detects that a user has touched the indicator 64a or another portion of either the user interface 62, 80.

[0102] During operation of the patient support apparatus 30, the controller 104 is configured to repeatedly check and determine whether each component in the set of components is in its desired state, and to issue a reminder to a caregiver to set the component to its desired state if any one or more of them are not. In at least one embodiment, the set of components and their desired states comprises the following: exit detection system 150 (activated); bed monitor system 152 (activated); brake 61 (activated); and power cord 112 (plugged into electrical outlet). It will be appreciated that this set of components may be varied in different embodiments, and that in some of the different embodiments, the set of components that are repeatedly monitored by the controller 104 for reminder purposes may be customized by a user of the patient support apparatus 20. It will be further appreciated that monitoring of the set of components for reminder purposes is performed automatically and repeatedly whenever the patient support apparatus 20 is powered on, not just when the indicator 64a is in the awake mode.

[0103] It will also be appreciated that the repeated monitoring of a set of components for reminder purposes is different from the monitoring performed by monitoring system 152. The monitoring performed by monitoring system 152 is performed only when monitoring system 152 is operational. Furthermore, the monitoring performed by system 152 may be a different set of components and / or conditions than the set of components that controller 104 monitors for reminder purposes. For example, in many embodiments, monitoring system 152 monitors the position of one or more siderails 44, 46, 48 and / or 50, while controller 104 is not configured (in at least one embodiment) to monitor the siderails for reminder purposes. Furthermore, the results of the monitoring performed by controller 104 for reminder purposes and monitoring system 152 purposes are different. If controller 104 detects a component in an undesirable state for the purposes of its reminder monitoring, controller 104 issues a reminder. In contrast, if the controller 104 detects a component in an undesirable state as defined by the monitoring system 152, the controller 104 issues an alarm rather than a reminder. As mentioned above, the controller 104, in at least some embodiments, is configured to flash the lights 68, 78a-78b and / or 102 in response to an alarm and to pulse the lights 68, 78a-78b and / or 102 in response to a reminder.

[0104] In addition to issuing reminders by pulsating the lights 68, 78a-78b and / or 102, the controller 104 is configured to issue reminders by displaying reminder screens on the display 64a. The particular reminder screens are, in at least one embodiment, different for each of the different components for which the patient support apparatus 30 is configured to issue reminders. Thus, for example, if the brake 61 is deactivated, the controller 104 displays a brake reminder screen, and if the AC power cord 112 is not plugged in, the controller 104 displays a different AC power cord reminder screen. Examples of the types of reminder screens that can be displayed by the controller 104 on the display 64a are shown in FIGS. 5-10 and described in more detail below.

[0105] Before turning to the individual reminder screens shown in FIGS. 5-10, it should be noted that the controller 104, in at least one embodiment, is configured to display the corresponding reminder screen only once during the wake session of the display 64a. That is, once the display 64a wakes up, the controller 104 displays the reminder screen if any of the components for which a reminder has been set are in an undesired state. If the reminder screen is dismissed by the user (as described further below), the controller 104 will not display the reminder screen again unless the display 64a first switches out of sleep mode and then back into wake mode. Upon re-entering the wake mode, the controller 104 is configured to issue these reminder screens for any components that are not in their desired state when the display 64a wakes up again. In this manner, the caregiver is typically only reminded once by the reminder screen for any given engagement with the patient support apparatus 30, thereby allowing the caregiver to use the display 64a for another function while still reminding the caregiver of the task to be completed. In contrast, as explained further below, the pulsing of the lights 68, 78a-78b and / or 102 continues all the time when the patient support apparatus 30 is detected to be not in the proper configuration, regardless of whether the reminder screen is displayed on the display 64a and regardless of whether the display 64a is in the awake or sleep mode.

[0106] Some non-limiting examples of reminder screens are provided in FIGS. 5-10. It will be appreciated that the particular arrangement of the reminder screens shown in FIGS. 5-10 is merely one of a wide variety of different ways in which the controller 104 may present the reminder screens. It will also be appreciated that the display of any of the reminder screens of FIGS. 5-10 may occur immediately, or within a short period of time, after the display 64a switches from the sleep mode to the awake mode if the corresponding component was in an undesirable state while the display 64a was in the sleep mode. On the other hand, if the corresponding component is initially in its desired state when the display 64a is awakened from the sleep mode to the awake mode, the corresponding reminder screen will not be displayed until the user switches the component's state to its undesirable state. Furthermore, in some cases, the reminder screen may not be displayed at all when the display 64a is in the sleep mode, but only if the corresponding component is in its undesirable state. However, in at least one alternative embodiment, the reminder screens of Figures 5-10 are also displayed when the display 64a is in sleep mode and an undesirable change to a state occurs, in which the corresponding undesirable change to a state serves as a trigger to wake up the display 64a, and the controller 104, in response to the trigger, displays the corresponding reminder screen.

[0107] 5 is an exemplary brake reminder screen 156 that is displayed on the display 64a of the user interface 62 of FIG. 2 when the controller 104 detects that the brake 61 has been deactivated. The brake reminder screen 156 includes an activation control 158 and an ignore control 160. When a user activates the activation control 158, the controller 104 is operable to turn on the brake 61. The activation control 158 controls the state of the brake 61 and automatically changes the state of the brake to a desired state, such as engaged or on. When a user activates the ignore control 160, the controller 104 is operable to clear the reminder screen 156 and not turn on the brake 61. After clearing the reminder screen 156, the controller 104 is operable to display the motion control screen 154 or another previously displayed screen on the display 64a, or to otherwise allow the caregiver to use the user interface 62 and not turn on the brake 61. The pulsation of lights 68, 78a-78b and / or 102, which is simultaneously activated by the brake 61 being in an undesirable state (along with the display of the brake reminder screen 156), will continue even after the reminder screen 156 is cleared and will continue until not only is the brake 61 in its desired state, but all components for which a reminder was issued are in their respective desired states).

[0108] 6 is an exemplary nurse call reminder screen 162 that may be displayed on the display 64a of the user interface 62 of FIG. 2 when the nurse call cable 128 is not connected to the nurse call outlet 126 or when wireless communication between the patient support apparatus 30 and the nurse call outlet 126 is not functioning. The nurse call reminder screen 162 includes an ignore control 164. When the user activates the ignore control 164, the controller 104 is operable to clear the reminder screen 162. After clearing the reminder screen 162, the controller 104 is operable to display the motion control screen 154 or another previously displayed screen on the display 64a, or otherwise enable the caregiver to use the user interface 62. The controller 104 is also operable to clear the reminder screen 162 if the caregiver couples the nurse call interface 122 to the nurse call outlet 126 while the reminder screen 162 is displayed.

[0109] In some embodiments, the controller 104 does not synchronously pulse the lights 68, 78a-78b or 102 in response to the nurse call interface 122 being disconnected from the nurse call outlet 126. Instead, in such embodiments, the controller 104 illuminates the icon light 68 behind the nurse call icon 70f and leaves the icon light 68 illuminated until the nurse call interface 122 is connected to the nurse call outlet 126, regardless of whether the reminder screen 162 is cleared. Illumination of the light 68 behind the nurse call icon 70f may be performed such that the light emits an amber color. Furthermore, the illumination of the amber color may be steady or may be pulsating.

[0110] 7 is an exemplary power reminder screen 166 that may be displayed on the display 64a of the user interface 62 of FIG. 2. The controller 104 displays the power reminder screen 166 on the display 64a when the power cord 112 is unplugged and the patient support apparatus 30 is not receiving external power from the external power source 108. The power reminder screen 166 includes an ignore control 168. When the user activates the ignore control 168, the controller 104 is operable to clear the reminder screen 166. After clearing the reminder screen 166, the controller 104 is operable to display the motion control screen 154 or another screen previously displayed on the display 64a, or to otherwise allow the caregiver to use the user interface 62. The controller 104 is also operable to clear the reminder screen 166 if the caregiver plugs in the power cord 112 while the reminder screen 166 is displayed. The pulsation of lights 68, 78a-78b and / or 102, which is initiated simultaneously by power cord 112 being unplugged (along with the display of power reminder screen 166), continues after reminder screen 166 is cleared, and will continue not only until power cord 112 is plugged into a wall outlet, but also until all components for which a reminder is being issued are in their respective desired states.

[0111] 8 is an exemplary Wi-Fi reminder screen 170 that may be displayed on the display 64a of the user interface 62 of FIG. 2. The controller 104 displays the Wi-Fi reminder screen 170 on the display 64a when the patient support apparatus 30 is not connected to Wi-Fi, for example, if the Wi-Fi transceiver 116 is disconnected from the wireless access point 118 (or a server on the network 120). The Wi-Fi reminder screen 170 includes an ignore control 172. When the user activates the ignore control 172, the controller 104 is operable to clear the reminder screen 170. After clearing the reminder screen 170, the controller 104 is operable to display the motion control screen 154 or another screen that was previously displayed on the display 64a, or to otherwise enable the caregiver to use the user interface 62. The controller 104 is also operable to clear the reminder screen 170 if the caregiver connects the patient support apparatus 30 to Wi-Fi while the reminder screen 170 is displayed.

[0112] In some embodiments, the controller 104 does not synchronously pulse the lights 68, 78a-78b or 102 in response to the wireless transceiver 116 being disconnected from the local area network 120. Instead, in such embodiments, the controller 104 illuminates the icon light 68 behind the wireless communication icon 70g and keeps the icon light 68 illuminated until the network transceiver 116 is able to communicate with the local area network 120, regardless of whether the reminder screen 170 has been cleared. Illumination of the light 68 behind the wireless communication icon 70g may be performed such that the light emits an amber color. Furthermore, the illumination of the amber color may be steady or pulsating.

[0113] 9 is an exemplary bed-exit reminder screen 174 that may be displayed on the display 64a of the user interface 62 of FIG. 2. The controller 104 displays the bed-exit reminder screen 174 on the display 64a when all of the following three conditions occur: the exit detection system 150 is deactivated, a patient is present on the patient support apparatus 30, and the memory 106 contains a desired operating state for the exit detection system 150. That is, in at least one embodiment, the patient support apparatus 30 is configurable by a user to have a desired state for the exit detection system 150. If the user wants the exit detection system 150 to always be activated, the user can set this desired state in the memory 106, for example, by accessing the screen shown in FIG. 11 and creating a desired configuration as described further below with respect to FIG. If the user does not set the desired state of the exit detection system 150 to an active state, then the controller 104 does not display the reminder screen 174.

[0114] The bed-exit reminder screen 174 includes an activation control 176, an off control 178, and an ignore control 180. Upon user activation of the activation control 176, the controller 104 is operable to activate the exit detection system 150 and clear the reminder screen 182. Upon user activation of the off control 178, the controller 104 is operable to erase the desired activation state of the exit detection system 150 (for at least the patient currently assigned to the patient support apparatus 30) stored in the memory 106, as described above. Upon user activation of the ignore control 180, the controller 104 is operable to clear the reminder screen 174 and not activate the exit detection system 150. After clearing the reminder screen 174, the controller 104 is operable to display the motion control screen 154 or another previously displayed screen on the display 64a, or otherwise allow the caregiver to use the user interface 62. The pulsation of lights 68, 78a-78b and / or 102 (along with the display of the bed exit reminder screen 174) simultaneously activated by a deactivated exit detection system 150 will continue after the reminder screen 174 is cleared and will continue until not only is the exit detection system 150 activated, but all components for which reminders are issued are in their respective desired states.

[0115] 10 is an exemplary bed monitor reminder screen 182 that may be displayed on the display 64a of the user interface 62 of FIG. 2. The controller 104 displays the bed monitor reminder screen 182 on the display 64a when all of the following three conditions occur: the bed monitor system 152 is deactivated, a patient is present on the patient support apparatus 30, and the memory 106 contains a desired operating state for the bed monitor system 152. That is, in at least one embodiment, the patient support apparatus 30 is user configurable to have a desired state for the bed monitor system 152. If the user wants the bed monitor system 152 to always be activated, the user can set this desired state in the memory 106, for example, by accessing the screen shown in FIG. 11 and creating a desired configuration as described further below with respect to FIG. 11. If the user does not set the desired state of the bed monitor system 152 to an active state, then the controller 104 will not display the reminder screen 174 .

[0116] The bed monitor reminder screen 182 includes an enable control 184, an off control 186, and an ignore control 188. Upon a user activation of the enable control 184, the controller 104 is operable to activate the bed monitor system 152 and clear the reminder screen 182. Upon a user activation of the off control 186, the controller 104 is operable to switch off the bed monitor protocol for the current patient and to clear the reminder screen 182. Upon a user activation of the ignore control 188, the controller 104 is operable to clear the reminder screen 182 and not activate the bed monitor system 152. After clearing the reminder screen 182, the controller 104 is operable to display the motion control screen 154 or another previously displayed screen on the display 64a, or to otherwise enable the caregiver to use the user interface 62. The pulsation of lights 68, 78a-78b and / or 102, which is simultaneously activated by a deactivated bed monitoring system 152 (along with the display of the bed monitor reminder screen 182), will continue even after the reminder screen 182 is cleared and will continue until not only is the bed monitoring system 152 activated, but all components for which reminders are issued are in their respective desired states.

[0117] From the foregoing, it can be seen that the controller 104 is configured to issue a number of different reminder screens when various components of the patient support apparatus 30 are in an undesired state. For many of these components, the patient support apparatus 30 is configured to further pulse the lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102 to serve as a visual reminder to the caregiver, and to continue pulsing these lights until all components of the patient support apparatus 30 are in their desired state. In this manner, the lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102 continue to pulse while the caregiver may be busy performing another task, and this continued pulsing serves as a gentle but still persistent reminder that he or she needs to change at least one or more conditions of the patient support apparatus 30 before the patient support apparatus 30 is in its desired state. To recognize which particular condition(s) need to be changed, he or she can look at the dashboard 64b to see which icons 70a-70g are illuminated in amber. Those icons 70a-70g that correspond to components that are in their desired state are illuminated in green, so that dashboard 64b provides an easy to read visual indicator of which components, if any, are not currently in their desired state.

[0118] As previously mentioned, the patient support apparatus 30 can be configured by a caregiver to issue a reminder to activate the exit detection system 150 and / or monitoring system 152 whenever the controller 104 detects that either or both of these systems have been deactivated. This is accomplished by accessing the Floor Settings screen 190 as shown in FIG.

[0119] 11 is an exemplary bed setup screen 190 that may be displayed on the display 64a of the user interface 62 of FIG. 2. Access to the screen 190 may be achieved by selecting the motion control screen 154 or another screen shown on the display 64a, or a setup control (not shown) provided elsewhere in the user interface 62. The bed setup screen 190 includes a number of controls for selecting whether or not activation of the exit detection system 150 is required for a new patient, whether or not activation of the bed monitoring system 152 is required for a new patient, and a preset angle of head of bed (HOB) angle for a new patient. The settings for the new patient protocol are saved in the memory 106.

[0120] The bed settings screen 190 includes a setting control 192a, 192b and an associated indicator 194a, 194b for each selectable setting. In the illustrated example, a first setting control 192a is associated with the exit detection system 150 and a second setting control 192b is associated with the bed monitoring system 152. Text and / or graphics, or another form of visual content, is associated with the setting controls 192a, 192b to indicate which setting corresponds to which control.

[0121] The setting indicators 194a, 194b indicate whether the associated setting is currently applied. The setting indicators 194a, 194b are generated on the screen 190 in a first color or a first graphic if the associated setting is currently applied, and in a second color or a second graphic if the associated setting is not currently applied. In the illustrated example of the screen 190, both the exit detection system setting control 192b and the bed monitor system setting control 192b are currently applied, and their associated indicators 194a, 194b are shown on the screen 190 in green with a check mark. When no setting is selected, the associated indicator is shown on the screen 190 in gray with no check mark. The setting indicators 194a, 194b may alternatively use text or graphics, or another form of visual content, to indicate the currently applied setting.

[0122] When setting controls 192a, 192b are selected as shown in FIG. 11, the desired state of both the exit detection system 150 and the bed monitoring system 152 is activated, as shown in FIG. 11, the controller 104 issues a reminder to the caregiver to activate these systems 150, 152 if a patient is present on the patient support apparatus 30, and either of the systems 150, 152 is deactivated.

[0123] The bed settings screen 190 also includes at least one state control, shown herein as including a HOB angle state control 196, for selecting preset desired and / or undesired states for one or more monitored conditions of the patient support apparatus 30. Pressing the state control can change the preset value of the monitored condition. For example, pressing the HOB angle state control 196 toggles the preset HOB angle between 30 degrees and 45 degrees. In FIG. 11, the preset HOB angle is shown at 30 degrees. Upon user activation of the HOB angle state control 196, the controller 104 is operable to change the default preset HOB angle to 45 degrees. Subsequent selection of the HOB angle preset state control 196 changes the default preset HOB angle back to 30 degrees. In some embodiments, the bed monitoring system 152 monitors the HOB angle and, when activated, generates an alert if the HOB angle falls below a threshold selected in the bed settings screen 190.

[0124] The floor setup screen 190 also includes a return control 198 for returning to the motion control screen 154 (FIG. 2). When the return control 198 is actuated by a user, the controller 104 is operable to display the motion control screen 154 on the display 64a.

[0125] 12A-12B show a flow diagram of a reminder management algorithm 200 executed by the controller 104. The reminder management algorithm 200 controls what form various reminders take, when the reminders are issued, and how, if any, the reminders may affect other functions of the patient support apparatus 30. In some embodiments, only a single reminder screen is displayed at a given time. In such situations, the controller 104 displays reminder screens sequentially if multiple components are in their undesirable states simultaneously. The particular order in which the reminder screens are displayed may be configurable by the user and / or may be changed in different embodiments.

[0126] The algorithm 200 begins at a start step 202 (FIG. 12A). As previously mentioned, the algorithm 200, in at least one embodiment, is configured to run substantially continuously upon power-up of the patient support apparatus 30. Thus, the start step 202, in at least some embodiments, begins at or shortly after the patient support apparatus 30 is powered on.

[0127] From step 202, the controller 104 proceeds to step 204 where the controller 104) determines whether the brake 61 (FIG. 1) is on and whether the nurse call interface 122 (FIG. 4) is communicatively coupled to the nurse call outlet 126. The determination is made based on inputs from the brake sensor 138 and the nurse call sensor 144. If it is determined that the brake 61 is on and the nurse call interface 122 is connected, the controller 104 proceeds to step 204. If the brake 61 is off and / or the nurse call 122 is not communicatively coupled to the nurse call outlet 126, the controller proceeds to step 206.

[0128] In step 206, the controller 104 displays a corresponding reminder screen (e.g., reminder screen 156 of FIG. 5 or reminder screen 162 of FIG. 6) and begins flashing lights 68, 78a, 78b, and 102 if the brake 61 is off (and if these lights were not previously flashing). If these lights were previously pulsing, the controller 104 continues to pulse the lights. If the brake 61 is on but the nurse call interface 122 is not communicatively coupled to the nurse call outlet 126, the controller 104 is configured in at least one embodiment to not pulse the lights 68, 78a, 78b, and 102, but instead to operate the light 68 behind the nurse call icon 70f with a steady amber color.

[0129] For all steps of algorithm 200 that describe pulsating lights, including but not limited to step 206, it will be understood that such pulsating refers to the synchronized pulsating of lights 68, 78a, 78b, and 102 that creates the aforementioned breathing or lighting effect. It will further be understood that all references to pulsating lights 68 refer to the pulsating of a particular icon light 68 that, in at least some embodiments, corresponds to a component that is not in its desired state. Thus, if brake 61 is off, controller 105, in step 206, pulsates icon light 68 located behind icon 70e. If the other components corresponding to other icons 70a-70d and 70f-70g are all in their desired states, controller 104 illuminates the lights 68 behind those icons with a steady green color. Thus, in at least some embodiments, only icons 70a-70g that correspond to components that are not in their desired states pulsate. In another embodiment, the icons 70a-70g corresponding to components that are not in their desired state are steadily illuminated in amber. In yet another embodiment, some of the icons 70a-70g corresponding to components that are not in their desired state pulsate, while others of those icons 70a-70g corresponding to components that are not in their desired state are steadily illuminated, such as amber. Still other variations are possible.

[0130] After step 206 (FIG. 12A), the controller 104 proceeds to step 208, where the controller 104 determines whether the caregiver has ignored the reminder or modified the state of the brake 61 and / or the nurse call interface 122. For example, if the controller 104 determines that the ignore control 160 of the brake reminder screen 156 has been selected, or the ignore control 164 of the nurse call reminder screen 162 has been selected, then the controller 104 proceeds to step 210. In step 210, the controller 104 clears the reminder screens 156 and / or 162 from the display 64a, but continues to pulse the light (if the light was pulsed in step 206). Clearing the reminder screens 156 and / or 162 allows the caregiver to utilize the display 64a to perform another task, including taking corrective action regarding the brake 61.

[0131] After step 210, the controller 104 proceeds to step 212 and prevents activation of the exit detection system 150 and / or bed monitoring system 152. The patient support apparatus 30 is configured to prevent the exit detection system 150 and / or bed monitoring system 152 from activating if the brake 61 is not engaged or the nurse call interface 122 is disconnected. If the state of the brake 61 and / or nurse call interface 122 is later corrected, the controller 104 re-enables activation of the exit detection system 150 and / or bed monitoring system 152. This configuration reminds the caregiver to activate the brake 61.

[0132] If in step 208 the controller 104 determines that the brake application control 158 on the brake reminder screen 156 has been selected and / or the nurse call interface 122 has been connected to the nurse call outlet 126, then the controller 104 proceeds to step 214 where the reminder is canceled. Canceling the reminder in step 214 comprises clearing the reminder screen. Step 214 may also comprise ceasing pulsating the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102 in response to a condition of another component monitored for the reminder by the controller 104, as discussed further below in more detail with respect to step 260. From step 214, the controller 104 proceeds to step 204.

[0133] 12A shows the states of the brakes 61 and the nurse call interface 122 being checked simultaneously in step 202, it is understood that this is done merely for the purposes of visual simplicity, and further that the controller 104 actually checks these states sequentially, and that it could do so in any order. Additionally, the algorithm 200 could be modified to only check the state of the brakes 61, or only check the state of the nurse call interface 122, or in some embodiments to skip step 202 entirely.

[0134] In step 204 (FIG. 12A), the controller 104 determines whether the patient support apparatus 30 is plugged in, e.g., whether the power cord 112 is plugged into a wall outlet 114 (FIG. 1) and is receiving external power from the external power source 108 based on a signal from the power sensor 140. If it is determined that the patient support apparatus 30 is plugged into the external power source 108, the controller 104 proceeds to step 216 and determines whether the patient support apparatus 30 is connected to Wi-Fi.

[0135] If, in step 204, the controller 104 determines that the patient support apparatus 30 is unplugged and powered off, the controller 104 proceeds to step 218 and issues a reminder to plug in the power cord 112. In one example, the power cord reminder comprises displaying a power cord reminder screen 166 (FIG. 7) on the display 64a and pulsating the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102.

[0136] After step 218, the controller 104 proceeds to step 220 to determine whether the caregiver has ignored the reminder or has corrected the condition of the power cord 112. For example, if the controller 104 determines that the ignore control 168 on the power reminder screen 166 has been selected, then the controller 104 proceeds to step 222 to clear the reminder screen 166. However, the controller 104 continues to pulse the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102 in step 222. The clearing of the reminder screen and the continued pulsing of the lights allows the caregiver to operate the user interface 62, including the indicator 64a, while still reminding the caregiver that corrective action should be taken.

[0137] If in step 220 (FIG. 12A), the controller 104 determines that the power cord 112 is plugged in, then the controller 104 proceeds to step 224 where the reminder is canceled. In step 224, canceling the reminder comprises clearing the power reminder screen 166 from the display 64a. In step 224, canceling the reminder may also comprise terminating the pulsation of the lights 68, 78a, 78b, and 102 depending on the condition of another component that the controller 104 monitors for the reminder, as will be discussed in more detail further below with respect to step 260. From step 224, the controller 104 proceeds to step 216.

[0138] In step 216, the controller 104 determines whether the patient support apparatus 30 is connected to Wi-Fi, e.g., whether the Wi-Fi transceiver 116 is connected to the wireless access point 118 (FIG. 3) based on input from the Wi-Fi connectivity sensor 142. If it is determined that the patient support apparatus 30 is connected to Wi-Fi, then the controller 104 proceeds to step 236 (FIG. 12B).

[0139] If the controller 104 determines in step 216 (FIG. 12A) that the patient support apparatus 30 is not connected to Wi-Fi, the controller 104 proceeds to step 226 and issues a reminder. In one example, the Wi-Fi reminder comprises displaying a Wi-Fi reminder screen 170 (FIG. 8) on the display 64a and pulsating the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102. In another embodiment, the reminder issued in step 226 eliminates the pulsating of the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102 and instead illuminates only the specific icon light 68 located behind the icon 70g in an amber color. Of course, other variations can be implemented.

[0140] After sending the reminder in step 226, the controller 104 proceeds to step 228, where the controller 104 determines whether the caregiver has ignored the reminder or modified the state of the Wi-Fi connection. For example, if the controller 104 determines that the ignore control 172 on the Wi-Fi reminder screen 170 has been selected, then the controller 104 proceeds to step 230 and clears the Wi-Fi reminder screen 170 from the indicator 64a so that the caregiver can use the user interface 62. In some embodiments, the controller 104 continues to pulse the lights 68, 78a, 78b, and 102. In another embodiment, the controller 104 simply continues to illuminate the icon 70g with a steady amber color in step 230. In either embodiment, the clearing of the reminder screen and the continued illumination of one or more lights allows the caregiver to operate the user interface 62, including the indicator 64a, while still reminding the caregiver that corrective action should be taken.

[0141] If, in step 234, the controller 104 determines that the Wi-Fi transceiver 116 has successfully established communication with the wireless access point 118 (and / or a particular server on the network 120), then the controller 104 proceeds to step 240, where the reminder is canceled. Canceling the issued reminder in step 234 may include clearing the Wi-Fi reminder screen 170 from the display 64a. Canceling the reminder in step 234 may also include terminating the pulsation of the lights 68, 78a, 78b, and 102 in response to the condition of another component that the controller 104 monitors for the reminder, as discussed in more detail further below with respect to step 260. Canceling the issued reminder in step 234 may also or instead include changing the operation of the icon light 68 located behind the icon 70g to a steady green color.

[0142] From step 216, the controller 104 proceeds to step 236 shown in FIG. 12B. In step 236, the controller 104 determines whether a healthcare facility staff member (e.g., a caregiver) has configured the patient support apparatus 30 to issue a reminder to activate the exit detection system 150 and / or the monitoring system 152. This is determined by checking with the memory 106, which stores the settings selected by the caregiver, or with another authorized staff member using the bed settings screen 190 (FIG. 11). If the controller 104 determines in step 236 that neither the exit detection system 150 nor the bed monitoring system 152 should be activated, the controller 104 proceeds to step 260 (FIG. 12A). If the controller 104 determines in step 236 that one or both of these systems 150 and / or 152 should be activated, the controller 104 proceeds from step 236 to step 238.

[0143] 12B shows that the desired operational states of the exit detection system 150 and the bed monitoring system 152 are checked simultaneously in step 236, it is noted that while it should be understood that the algorithm 200 may check these states sequentially and in any order. If checking them sequentially, the controller 104 may check a first one of the systems in step 236 and then execute steps 238 through 258 of the algorithm 200 before returning to step 236 to further check a second one of the systems. Additionally, in some embodiments, the algorithm 200 may be modified to only check the desired operational state of the exit detection system 150, or may only check the desired operational state of the bed monitoring system 152.

[0144] In step 238 (FIG. 12B), the controller 104 determines whether a patient is present on the patient support apparatus 30 based at least in part on the input from the force sensor 130 (FIG. 4). If it is determined that a patient is not present on the patient support apparatus 30, the controller 104 proceeds to step 260 (FIG. 12A). If it is determined in step 238 that a patient is present on the patient support apparatus 30, the controller 104 proceeds to step 240 to determine whether the exit detection system 150 and / or bed monitoring system 152 are activated. In some embodiments, a delay may be followed by the controller 104 before proceeding from step 238 to step 240 to give the caregiver some time between the patient entering the patient support apparatus 30 and issuing a reminder to activate the exit detection system 150 and / or monitoring system 152.

[0145] If, in step 240 (FIG. 12B), it is determined that the exit detection system 150 and / or the bed monitor system 152 have been activated, the controller proceeds to step 260 (FIG. 12A). If, in step 240, it is determined that either the exit detection system 150 or the bed monitor system 152 have been deactivated, then the controller 104 proceeds to step 242 and issues a reminder to the caregiver to activate one or both of the systems 150, 152. The reminder may include displaying a corresponding reminder screen on the display 64a (e.g., bed exit reminder screen 174 (FIG. 9) or bed monitor reminder screen 182 (FIG. 10)). The reminder may also include pulsating the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102.

[0146] From step 242, the controller 104 proceeds to step 244 to determine whether the caregiver has ignored the reminder, switched off the desired operating state of the systems 150 and / or 152, or modified (e.g., activated) the state of one or both of the systems 150, 152. For example, if the controller 104 determines that the ignore control 180 of the bed exit reminder screen 174 has been selected or the ignore control 188 of the bed monitor reminder screen 182 has been selected, the controller 104 proceeds to step 258. In step 258, the controller 104 clears the reminder screen 166 but continues to pulse the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102. The clearing of the reminder screen and the continued pulsing of the lights allows the caregiver to operate the user interface 62 including the indicator 64a while still reminding the caregiver that corrective action should be taken.

[0147] If in step 244 (FIG. 12B), the controller 104 determines that the OFF control 178 on the bed exit reminder screen 174 has been selected or the OFF control 186 on the bed monitor reminder screen 182 has been selected, then the controller 104 proceeds to step 256. In step 256, the controller 104 clears the reminder screen from the display 64a and changes the desired operating state for the exit detection systems 150 and / or 152 in the memory 106. Thus, the OFF control 186 provides a supplemental method for a caregiver to change the desired operating state of the systems 150, 152 (in addition to the bed settings control screen 190 (FIG. 11)). In some embodiments, the change to the desired operating state made in step 256 is carried over to all future iterations of the algorithm 200 until a new patient is assigned to the patient support apparatus 30. In another embodiment, the changes to the desired operating state made in step 256 are carried over to all future iterations of the algorithm 200, including for new patients assigned to the patient support apparatus 30. From step 256, the controller 104 proceeds to step 260 (FIG. 12A).

[0148] If the controller 104 determines in step 244 (FIG. 12B) that the activation control 176 on the bed exit reminder screen 174 has been selected or the activation control 184 on the bed monitor reminder screen 182 has been selected, then the controller 104 proceeds to step 246 and checks whether the patient has settled on the patient support apparatus 30. The controller 104 determines whether the patient has settled on the patient support surface 42 based on input from the force sensor 130 and, in some embodiments, input from one or more other sensors of the sensor system S. If the patient has not settled within a predetermined period of time, e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 seconds, or another predetermined period of time, the controller 104 proceeds to step 250 and does not activate the exit detection system 150 and / or the bed monitor system 152.

[0149] In step 250, the controller 104 issues an alarm indicating that the exit detection system 150 and / or bed monitoring system 152 are not operational. This alarm is issued, in at least some embodiments, by flashing the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102 in an amber color rather than pulsating these lights in an amber color. The controller 104 continues to flash the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102 in step 250 until the patient is settled and the corresponding systems 150 and / or 152 are operational. Once the patient has settled and the systems 150, 152 can be further enabled, the controller 104 will stop flashing the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102 and return the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102 to the state they were in before flashing them in step 250 (which may be a pulsating state, a deactivated state, or some other state, depending on the current condition of the components of the patient support apparatus 30).

[0150] If the controller 104 determines that the patient is settled in step 246 (FIG. 12B), the controller 104 proceeds to step 252 and activates the corresponding system 150 and / or system 152. From step 252, the process proceeds to step 252, where the controller 104 clears the reminder screen from the display 64a. Step 254 may also include terminating the pulsation of the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102 depending on the condition of another component that the controller 104 monitors for reminders, as discussed herein with respect to step 260.

[0151] From step 254, the controller 104 proceeds to step 260 (FIG. 12A). In step 260, the controller 104 determines whether all conditions in the set of conditions to be monitored for purposes of issuing a reminder are in their respective desired states. In the particular embodiment shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B of the algorithm 200, this includes checking to determine whether the brake 61 is activated, whether the nurse call interface 122 is coupled to the nurse call outlet 126, whether the power cable 112 is plugged into an electrical outlet, whether the network transceiver 116 is in communication with the network 120, and whether both the exit detection system 150 and the bed monitoring system 152 are activated. If the answer to all of these questions is "yes" (i.e., all of these components are in their desired state), the controller 104 proceeds to step 262 and stops pulsing the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102 (to the extent the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102 were previously pulsating). From step 262, the controller 104 returns to step 202 and repeats execution of the algorithm 200. If the answer to the question at step 260 is "no" (i.e., at least one of the components is not in its desired state), the controller 104 skips step 262 and returns to step 202 where the controller 104 repeats execution of the algorithm 200. Thus, it can be seen from steps 260 and 262 that the controller 104 will only terminate pulsing the lights 68, 78a, 78b and 102 if the patient support apparatus 30 has all of its components properly configured.

[0152] When the controller 104 repeats the algorithm 200 (i.e., beginning at step 202 for the second or subsequent time), the controller 104 does not re-display any of the reminder screens that it previously displayed during the previous iteration of the algorithm 200, unless the display 64a is set to a dormant state between the first display of the reminder screen and a subsequent iteration of the algorithm 200. In other words, the controller 104 is configured such that any and all of the reminder screens are displayed only once during a given session (activity) of the display 64a awake. In this manner, the caregiver is not presented with the same reminder screen reappearing. Instead, the reminder screen(s) only appear once and never appear again thereafter as long as the display 64a is held in the awake mode. If, or only if, the display 64a goes to sleep, the controller 104 re-displays any one or more of the reminder screens that were displayed before the display 64a went to sleep. Thus, the caregiver is presented with a particular reminder screen only once while continuing to utilize the display 64a (e.g., using the display 64a enough to keep it awake), which reminds the caregiver but does not interfere with the caregiver's use of the display 64a and / or the user interface 62 other than the reminder screen being displayed only once.

[0153] In many embodiments, the controller 104 also activates the lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102 in additional circumstances beyond those specifically discussed above. For example, in one embodiment, the controller 104 is configured to flash the lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102 once (e.g., in green) when any of the following occurs: (1) the support frame is lowered to its minimum height, (2) the back section 41 is pivoted to its threshold HOB angle (e.g., 30 degrees, 45 degrees, etc.), (3) a weight measurement of a patient's weight is successfully obtained, or (4) a weight log (record) other than the patient's weight is successfully added or removed from the weight log maintained by the patient support apparatus 30. With regard to this last function (adding and deleting weights to and from a weight log), the controller 104 and / or another controller on board the patient support apparatus 30 can be configured to perform a weight log add / delete function, some examples of which are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 885,954, filed Aug. 13, 2019 by inventors Kurosh Nahavandi et al. and entitled “Patient Support Apparatus With Apparatus Weight Log,” the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other types of weight log add / delete functions may alternatively or additionally be used.

[0154] In some embodiments, the controller 104 is also configured to activate the lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102 in a steady green color when both the exit detection system 150 and the bed monitoring system 152 are activated (or if the user uses screen 190 of FIG. 11 to change the desired activation state of one of these systems—stored in memory 106—to a deactivated state, in which case only one of the other systems will be activated). This steady green illumination of the lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102 will occur only if all reminder conditions are in their appropriate states. Thus, the caregiver will see a steady green light around most of the circumference of the patient support apparatus 30 only if the patient support apparatus 30 is properly configured and the desired systems 150, 152 are activated. Thus, the steady green light provides the caregiver with easy visual confirmation that everything in the patient support apparatus 30 is properly configured, and the lack of a steady green light (e.g., a pulsating amber light, or some other lighting state) indicates that the patient support apparatus 30 is not fully configured in its desired state.

[0155] The lights 68, 78a-78b and 102 are also used to indicate when an alarm condition has been detected by the exit detection system 150 and / or the bed monitoring system 152. When the exit detection system 150 detects that the patient has exited the patient support apparatus 30, the controller 104 causes the lights 68, 78a-78b and 102 to flash red. When the bed monitoring system 152 detects that one or more components monitored by the system 152 are in an undesirable condition, the controller 104 causes the lights 68, 78a-78b and 102 to flash amber. Still other methods of using the lights 68, 78a-78b and 102 may again or alternatively be implemented.

[0156] In addition to controlling the lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102, the controller 104 is further configured, in at least some embodiments, to control a light located behind the brake control 92 of the siderail user interface 80 (FIG. 3). In such embodiments, the controller 104 may be configured to pulse this light amber and in sync with the pulsation of the lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102 when the brake 61 is deactuated. Additionally, the controller 104 may be configured to activate this light white (or possibly green) when the brake 61 is actuated. If siderail user interface 80 is modified to include additional controls beyond those shown in FIG. 3 that correspond to any of the conditions that trigger the reminder screen (discussed above), controller 104 can be configured to illuminate lights located behind such controls on siderail user interface 80 in the same manner that controller 104 activates lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102, as described above.

[0157] In addition to controlling the illumination of the lights 68, 78a-78b and 102, the controller 104 may also be configured to control one or more sounds emitted by a beeper (buzzer) and / or loudspeaker disposed on the patient support apparatus 30. In such an embodiment, the controller 104 may be configured to emit a single beep whenever the bed monitoring system 152 is activated (i.e., detects an undesirable condition), whenever the brake 61 is deactivated, whenever the AC power cord 112 is unplugged, whenever the support frame 36 is lowered to its minimum height, whenever the back section 41 has pivoted to its threshold HOB angle (e.g., 30 degrees, 45 degrees, etc.), whenever a weight measurement of a patient's weight is successfully obtained, and whenever the apparatus successfully adds or removes a weight (s) excluding the patient from a weight log maintained by the patient support apparatus 30. The controller 104 may additionally or alternatively be configured to issue a continuous beep when the exit detection system 150 detects patient exit and / or when the patient is unable to activate the exit detection system 150, for example, because the patient is restless (see steps 248 and 250 of the algorithm 200, FIG. 12B). This continuous beep is configured to continue until a caregiver corrects the situation and / or switches off the corresponding alarm system 150, 152.

[0158] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the algorithm 200 may be substantially modified from that shown in Figures 12A-12B. For example, the particular set of conditions for which a reminder is issued may be changed. Also, the order shown in these figures in which the conditions are checked may be changed. The algorithm 200 may also be modified such that the controller 104 implements a different selection in which a condition results in pulsing of the lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102, as opposed to a selection in which a condition results in only displaying a light on the dashboard 64b. In other words, the controller 104 may be configured to pulse the lights 68, 78a-78b, and 102 when any of the conditions shown on the dashboard 64b (Figure 2) are in an undesirable state, or in alternative embodiments, any subset of these conditions.

[0159] The controller 104 may also delay issuing a reminder in response to a change in the state of one or more of the monitored features, conditions, or components, such that the patient support apparatus 30 does not indicate an undesirable condition in response to a momentary change in state. For example, a caregiver may temporarily deactivate the brake 61 to adjust the position of the patient support apparatus 30, but then immediately reset the brake 61 back to activation. This process may take up to 30 seconds. Thus, the controller 104 may monitor the period once the state has changed and may delay an associated notification of the state change until the predetermined period has elapsed. The predetermined period may be 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 seconds, or another predetermined period.

[0160] In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus 30 includes an exit function that can be activated by a user actuating the exit control 84a of the siderail user interface 80 or, optionally, via the footrest user interface 62. The exit function allows the caregiver to move the support deck 38 and frame 36 components to a position that allows easier exit from the apparatus 30, e.g., an "exit direction" that indicates the patient intends to exit the apparatus 30. Thus, the exit function can conflict with the exit detection system 150 when the exit function is activated, since exit of the patient detected by the force sensor 130 causes the controller to generate an exit alarm. FIG. 13 illustrates an exit reminder algorithm 280 that the controller 104 follows when the exit function is activated, which can remind the caregiver to turn off the exit detection system 150 if it is activated to prevent generation of an undesired alarm.

[0161] The exit reminder algorithm 280 begins at step 282 when the exit feature is activated by a caregiver. Activation of the exit feature comprises selection of the exit control 84a (FIG. 3) on the siderail user interface 80. From step 282, the controller 104 proceeds to step 284 to determine whether the exit detection system 150 is activated or deactivated. If the exit detection system 150 is deactivated, the controller 104 proceeds to step 286 to move the patient support apparatus 30 in a direction toward an exit. User activation of the exit control 84a sends a signal to the controller 104, which causes the controller 104 to operate the actuators to move the support frame 36, the patient support deck 38, the patient support surface 42, and / or one or more deck sections 41, 43, 45, 47 to a position that allows the patient to more easily exit the patient support apparatus 30. For example, the controller 104 can raise the back section 41 and further lower the support frame 36, patient support deck 38 and patient support surface 42 relative to the base frame 35, including to a lowest height relative to the base frame 35.

[0162] In embodiments of the patient support apparatus 30 with powered siderails 44, 46, 48, 50, user actuation of the exit control 84a may also result in moving one or more of the siderails 44, 46, 48, 50 in a manner that facilitates patient exit from the patient support apparatus 30, such as raising or lowering one or more of the siderails 44, 46, 48, 50 and / or reorienting one or more of the siderails 44, 46, 48, 50 to more easily facilitate patient exit.

[0163] If the exit detection system 150 is activated, from step 284, the controller 104 proceeds to step 288 and activates the reminder light 94 and / or light 102 to remind the caregiver to deactivate the exit detection system 150 before the patient exits the apparatus 30. After activating the reminder light 94 and / or light 102, the controller 104 proceeds to step 286 and moves the patient support apparatus 30 in the direction of the exit.

[0164] Once the patient support apparatus 30 is positioned toward the exit, the controller 104 proceeds to step 290 and the algorithm 280 ends. If, at any time after the reminder light 94 and / or light 102 are illuminated, the exit detection system 150 is deactivated, such as by a user activating the activate / deactivate control 96, the controller 104 is configured to turn off the reminder light 94 and / or light 102.

[0165] To the extent not already described, the different content and functionality of the various control screens of the patient support apparatus 30 can be used in combination with each other as desired, and / or the content and / or functionality of one control screen can be applied to one or more other control screens. Additionally, the selected content shown in any particular control screen herein should not be construed as requiring that the control screen have all of the content shown herein. For example, embodiments including an exit detection system, bed monitoring system, user interface, reminder screen, reminder management, and exit functionality can be implemented independently of each other or in any subcombination on the patient support apparatus 30.

[0166] Various additional changes and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments beyond those already described herein. This disclosure has been presented for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as an exhaustive description of all embodiments or as limiting the scope of the claims to the specific elements shown or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any individual element or elements of the described embodiments may be replaced with alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide appropriate operation. This includes, for example, currently known alternative elements, such as those that may be currently known to those of skill in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that those of skill in the art may recognize as alternatives upon development, and those that may be developed. For example, any reference to a claim element in the singular form using the articles "a," "an," "the," or "said" should not be construed as limiting the element to the singular form. The present disclosure also includes the following inventions. The first aspect is 12. A patient support apparatus comprising: a support structure having a patient support surface adapted to support a patient on the patient support surface; a plurality of wheels for facilitating transportation of the patient support apparatus across a floor surface; an exit detection system configured to be activated and deactivated, the exit detection system adapted to generate an alarm when the exit detection system is activated and a patient exits the patient support surface; a sensor adapted to detect a condition of a component of the patient support apparatus; A display device; a controller in communication with the sensor and the indicator, The controller is configured to determine whether the component is in a first state or a second state, to prevent the exit detection system from operating when the component is in the first state, and to enable the exit detection system to operate when the component is in the second state. The second aspect is The patient support apparatus of a first aspect, wherein the controller is configured to display a reminder screen on the display when the component is in the first state. The third aspect is In a second aspect of the patient support apparatus, the reminder screen includes a state control, and when the state control is activated by a user, the state control is configured to enable the user to change the state of the component from the first state to the second state. The fourth aspect is In a second aspect of the patient support device, the reminder screen includes an ignore control, and when the user activates the ignore control, the ignore control is configured to allow the user to clear the reminder screen from the display. The fifth aspect is In a second aspect of the patient support apparatus, the controller is configured to clear the reminder screen from the display in response to a change in a state of the component from the first state to the second state. The sixth aspect is The patient support apparatus comprises: a first siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient; a first light coupled to the outer surface of the first side rail; a second siderail opposite the first siderail, the second siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient; a second light coupled to the outer surface of the second side rail; and a third light coupled to a foot end of the support structure, The patient support apparatus of a first aspect, wherein the controller is further adapted to pulsate the first light, the second light and the third light in sync until the component is changed to the second state. The seventh aspect is A patient support apparatus according to a sixth aspect, wherein the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light in a sinusoidal pattern having a frequency greater than one pulse per second. The eighth aspect is A seventh aspect of the patient support apparatus, wherein the controller is further adapted to continue pulsating the first light, the second light, and the third light after the components are changed to the second state if the exit detection system is not activated, and to continue pulsating the first light, the second light, and the third light until the exit detection system is activated. The ninth aspect is A patient support apparatus according to a sixth aspect, wherein the component is a brake, the sensor is a brake sensor, the first state is a state in which the brake is deactivated, and the second state is a state in which the brake is activated. A tenth aspect is the component being a nurse call interface configured to communicatively couple to a nurse call system outlet located in a headwall of a healthcare facility; the sensor being a nurse call communication sensor adapted to detect whether the nurse call interface is communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet; the first state being a state in which the nurse call interface is not communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet; A sixth aspect of the patient support apparatus, wherein the second state is a state in which the nurse call interface is communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet. An eleventh aspect is In a tenth aspect of the patient support apparatus, the nurse call communication sensor is a sensor adapted to detect whether a nurse call cable is connected between the nurse call interface and the nurse call system outlet. A twelfth aspect is A patient support apparatus according to a sixth aspect, wherein the controller is further configured to synchronously flash the first light, the second light, and the third light when the exit detection system is activated and the patient exits the patient support surface, and the controller is configured to flash the first light, the second light, and the third light at a frequency different from a frequency at which the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light. A thirteenth aspect is 12. The patient support apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to flash the first light, the second light, and the third light in a non-sine wave manner. A fourteenth aspect is A patient support apparatus according to a twelfth aspect, wherein the controller is further configured to flash the first light, the second light, and the third light in a different color than the color the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light. The fifteenth aspect is 12. A patient support apparatus comprising: a support structure having a patient support surface adapted to support a patient on the patient support surface; a plurality of wheels for facilitating transportation of the patient support apparatus across a floor surface; a monitoring system configured to be activated and deactivated, the monitoring system monitoring a plurality of conditions of the patient support apparatus and adapted, when activated, to generate an alarm if any of the plurality of monitored conditions changes to an undesired state; a sensor adapted to detect a condition of a component of the patient support apparatus; A display device; a controller in communication with the sensor and the indicator, The controller is configured to determine whether the component is in a first state or a second state, to prevent the monitoring system from operating when the component is in the first state, and to enable the monitoring system to operate when the component is in the second state. A sixteenth aspect is A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is a patient support apparatus according to a fifteenth aspect, wherein the controller is configured to display a reminder screen on the display when the component is in the first state. A seventeenth aspect is In a sixteenth aspect of the patient support apparatus, the reminder screen includes a state control, and when the state control is activated by a user, the state control is configured to enable the user to change the state of the component from the first state to the second state. The eighteenth aspect is In a sixteenth aspect of the patient support device, the reminder screen includes an ignore control, and when the user activates the ignore control, the ignore control is configured to enable the user to clear the reminder screen from the display. A nineteenth aspect is In a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, a patient support apparatus is provided, wherein the controller is configured to clear the reminder screen from the display in response to a change in the state of the component from the first state to the second state. The twentieth aspect is The patient support apparatus comprises: a first siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient; a first light coupled to the outer surface of the first side rail; a second siderail opposite the first siderail, the second siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient; a second light coupled to the outer surface of the second side rail; and a third light coupled to a foot end of the support structure, In a fifteenth aspect of the patient support apparatus, the controller is further adapted to pulsate the first light, the second light and the third light in sync until the component is changed to the second state. A twenty-first aspect is A twentieth aspect of the patient support apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light in a sinusoidal pattern having a frequency greater than one pulse per second. A twenty-second aspect is In a twentieth aspect of the patient support apparatus, the controller is further adapted to continue pulsating the first light, the second light, and the third light after the components are changed to the second state if the monitoring system is not activated, and to continue pulsating the first light, the second light, and the third light until the monitoring system is activated. A twenty-third aspect is A patient support apparatus in accordance with a 20th aspect, wherein the component is a brake, the sensor is a brake sensor, the first state is a state in which the brake is deactivated, and the second state is a state in which the brake is activated. A twenty-fourth aspect is the component is a nurse call interface configured to communicatively couple to a nurse call system outlet located on a headwall of a healthcare facility, the sensor is a nurse call communication sensor adapted to detect whether the nurse call interface is communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet, the first state being a state in which the nurse call interface is not communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet, and A patient support apparatus according to a twentieth aspect, wherein the second state is a state in which the nurse call interface is communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet. The twenty-fifth aspect is In a 24th aspect of the patient support apparatus, the nurse call communication sensor is a sensor adapted to detect whether a nurse call cable is connected between the nurse call interface and the nurse call system outlet. A twenty-sixth aspect is the controller is further configured to synchronously flash the first light, the second light, and the third light when the monitoring system is operational and any of the plurality of monitored conditions changes to the undesired state; A patient support apparatus according to aspect 20, wherein the controller is configured to flash the first light, the second light, and the third light at a frequency different from a frequency at which the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light. A twenty-seventh aspect is 26. The patient support apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to flash the first light, the second light, and the third light in a non-sine wave manner. The twenty-eighth aspect is A patient support apparatus according to a 26th aspect, wherein the controller is further configured to flash the first light, the second light, and the third light in different colors than the colors the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light. A twenty-ninth aspect is The patient support apparatus includes: a support structure having a patient support surface adapted to support a patient on the patient support surface; With light, A display device; a controller in communication with the light and the indicator, the controller is configured to detect whether a component of the patient support apparatus is in a desired or undesirable state; displaying a reminder screen on the display and illuminating the light when the component of the patient support apparatus is in the undesirable condition; A patient support apparatus that clears the reminder screen from the display when a user activates an ignore reminder screen control, and that continues to illuminate the light after the reminder screen is cleared until the component of the patient support apparatus is in the desired state. The thirtieth aspect is The patient support apparatus of a twenty-ninth aspect, wherein the light comprises at least a first light, a second light, and a third light. A thirty-first aspect is The patient support apparatus further comprises a first siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient; the first light is coupled to the outer surface of the first side rail; a second siderail opposite the first siderail, the second siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient; the second light is coupled to the outer surface of the second side rail; The patient support apparatus of a thirtieth aspect, wherein the third light is coupled to a foot end of the support structure. The thirty-second aspect is In a thirty-first aspect of the patient support apparatus, the controller is adapted to turn on the lights by pulsating the first light, the second light, and the third light in a synchronous manner until the components are changed to the desired state. A thirty-third aspect is A thirty-second aspect of the patient support apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light in a sinusoidal pattern having a frequency greater than one pulse per second. The thirty-fourth aspect is A thirty-third aspect of the patient support apparatus, wherein the controller is further adapted to continue pulsating the first light, the second light, and the third light after the components are changed to the desired state if the second component is held in a second undesired state. The thirty-fifth aspect is The patient support apparatus of a thirty-second aspect, wherein the component is a brake adapted to be in an activated or deactivated state, and the undesirable state is the deactivated state. The thirty-sixth aspect is A patient support apparatus according to a thirty-second aspect, wherein the component is a power cord adapted to a first state in which the power cord is plugged into a power outlet and a second state in which the power cord is not plugged into the power outlet, and the undesirable state is the second state. A thirty-seventh aspect is The patient support apparatus of a thirty-second aspect, wherein the component is an exit detection system adapted to be in an activated state and a deactivated state, and the undesirable state is the deactivated state. The thirty-eighth aspect is The patient support apparatus of a thirty-second aspect, wherein the component is a monitoring system adapted to be in an activated state and a deactivated state, and the undesirable state is the deactivated state. A thirty-ninth aspect is In a 29th aspect of the patient support apparatus, the component is a nurse call interface adapted to be in a first state in which the nurse call interface is communicatively coupled to a nurse call system outlet installed in a headwall of a medical facility, and a second state in which the nurse call interface is not communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet, and the undesirable state is the second state. The fortieth aspect is In a 30th aspect of the patient support apparatus, the component is a wireless network transceiver adapted to be in a first state in which the wireless network transceiver is capable of communicating with a local area network of a medical facility and a second state in which the wireless network transceiver is not capable of communicating with the local area network, and the undesirable state is the second state. The forty-first aspect is the component is a brake adapted to be in an activated or deactivated state, the undesirable condition being the deactivated state; The second component is at least one of the following: (a) a power cord adapted to be in a first state in which the power cord is plugged into the power outlet and a second state in which the power cord is not plugged into the power outlet, the second undesirable state being the second state; (b) an exit detection system adapted to be in an activated state and a deactivated state, the second undesirable state being the deactivated state; and (c) a monitoring system adapted to be in an activated state and a deactivated state, the second undesirable state being the deactivated state; and (d) a nurse call interface, the nurse call interface being adapted to be in a first state in which the nurse call interface is communicatively coupled to a nurse call system outlet located in a headwall of the healthcare facility and a second state in which the nurse call interface is not communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet, the second undesirable state being the second state; Or, (e) a wireless network transceiver adapted to be in a first state in which the wireless network transceiver can communicate with a local area network of a medical facility and a second state in which the wireless network transceiver cannot communicate with the local area network, the second undesirable state being the second state. The forty-second aspect is 37. A patient support apparatus according to claim 37, wherein when the exit detection system is activated and the patient exits the patient support surface, the controller is further configured to synchronously flash the first light, the second light, and the third light, and the controller is configured to flash the first light, the second light, and the third light at a frequency different from the frequency at which the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light. The forty-third aspect is In a 29th aspect of the patient support device, the reminder screen includes a status control, and when the status control is activated by a user, the status control is configured to enable the user to change the status of the component from the undesired state to the desired state. The forty-fourth aspect is A patient support apparatus according to a 29th aspect, wherein the controller is configured to clear the reminder screen from the display in response to the component of the patient support apparatus changing from the undesirable state to the desired state, but to continue to illuminate the light after the reminder screen is cleared from the display if a second component of the patient support apparatus is in a second undesirable state. The forty-fifth aspect is A patient support apparatus according to a 29th aspect, wherein the controller is configured to clear the reminder screen from the display in response to the component of the patient support apparatus changing from the undesirable state to the desired state, but the controller is configured to keep the light on after the reminder screen is cleared from the display if any of the second component, third component or fourth component of the patient support apparatus is in a second undesirable state, a third undesirable state or a fourth undesirable state, respectively. The forty-sixth aspect is the second component is a power cord adapted to be plugged into a power outlet, and the second undesirable condition corresponds to the power cord being pulled out of the power outlet; the third component is an exit detection system, the third undesirable condition corresponds to the exit detection system being deactivated, and The patient support apparatus of a forty-fifth aspect, wherein the fourth component is a monitoring system and the fourth undesirable condition corresponds to the monitoring system being deactivated. The forty-seventh aspect is the controller is configured to operate the display in an awake mode and a sleep mode; and A 29th aspect of the patient support apparatus, wherein the controller is further configured to keep the light on after switching from the awake mode to the sleep mode until the components of the patient support apparatus are in the desired state. The forty-eighth aspect is In a 47th aspect of the patient support apparatus, the controller is further configured to re-display the reminder screen on the display when switching from the sleep mode to the wake mode if the component is not in the desired state. The forty-ninth aspect is the patient support apparatus further comprising a footrest and an instrument panel disposed on the footrest; the dashboard having an icon and a fourth light corresponding to the component; The patient support apparatus of a thirty-second embodiment, wherein a fourth light is disposed behind the icon and adapted to backlight the icon when the fourth light is activated. The fiftieth aspect is 49. The patient support apparatus of claim 49, wherein the controller is further adapted to pulsate the fourth light in synchronization with the first light, the second light, and the third light. The fifty-first aspect is a first user interface coupled to the first side rail, the first user interface including a first control for controlling the component and a first backlight for illuminating the first control; 11. A patient support apparatus, further comprising: a second user interface coupled to the second siderail, the second user interface comprising: a second control for controlling the component; and a second backlight for illuminating the second control, A patient support apparatus in accordance with a thirty-second aspect, wherein the controller is further adapted to pulsate the first backlight and the second backlight in synchronization with the first light, the second light, and the third light. The 52nd aspect is A thirty-second aspect of the patient support apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to synchronously stop pulsating the first light, the second light, and the third light only when both the component is changed to the desired state and when the second component is changed to a second desired state. The 53rd aspect is the controller is configured to sequentially operate the first light, the second light, and the third light in a second color when both the component is in the desired state and the second component is in the second desired state; The patient support apparatus of claim 52, wherein the second color is different from the color, and the controller causes the first light, the second light, and the third light to pulse. The 54th aspect is The patient support apparatus includes: a support structure having a patient support surface adapted to support a patient on the patient support surface; an exit detection system configured for activation and deactivation, the exit detection system adapted to generate an alarm when the exit detection system is activated and the patient exits the patient support surface; a user interface comprising an exit control adapted to move the patient support surface in an exit direction; Reminder light and a controller in communication with the user interface, the exit detection system, and the reminder light, The controller is configured to illuminate the reminder light upon user activation of an exit control if the exit detection system is currently activated, and not illuminate the reminder light upon user deactivation of the exit control if the exit detection system is not currently activated, for a patient support apparatus. The 55th aspect is The patient support apparatus of claim 54, further comprising a siderail coupled to the support structure, the user interface being coupled to the siderail. The 56th aspect is the user interface further comprising a deactivation control adapted to deactivate the exit detection system; and 54. The patient support apparatus of claim 54, wherein the reminder light is a backlight adapted to backlight a deactivation control. The 57th aspect is 54. A patient support apparatus according to claim 54, wherein the controller is configured to illuminate the reminder light by flashing the reminder light on and off. The 58th aspect is In a 54th aspect of the patient support apparatus, after turning on the reminder light, the controller is further configured to deactivate the reminder light in response to a user deactivating the exit detection system. The fifty-ninth aspect is A patient support apparatus in accordance with claim 54, wherein turning on the reminder light comprises changing the color of light emitted from the reminder light, and the controller turns on the reminder light in a first color before activating an exit control by activation of the user if the exit detection system is currently activated, and further turns on the reminder light in a second color after a user activates the exit control if the exit detection system is currently activated. The sixtieth aspect is The patient support apparatus comprises: a sensor adapted to detect a condition of a component of the patient support apparatus; and a display, A patient support apparatus according to a 54th aspect, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the component is in a first state or a second state, to prevent the exit detection system from operating when the component is in the first state, and to enable the exit detection system to operate when the component is in the second state. The 61st aspect is The patient support apparatus further comprises a monitoring system configured to activate and deactivate. the monitoring system monitors a plurality of conditions of the patient support apparatus and, when in operation, is further adapted to generate an alert if any of the plurality of monitored conditions changes to an undesirable state; In a 60th aspect of the patient support apparatus, the controller is further configured to prevent the monitoring system from operating when the component is in the first state and to enable the monitoring system to operate when the component is in the second state. The 62nd aspect is The patient support apparatus comprises: a first siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient; a first light coupled to the outer surface of the first side rail; a second siderail opposite the first siderail, the second siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient; a second light coupled to the outer surface of the second side rail; and a third light coupled to a foot end of the support structure, In a 61st aspect of the patient support apparatus, the controller is further adapted to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light in a synchronous manner when the components are in the second state. The 63rd aspect is In a 62nd aspect of the patient support apparatus, the controller is further configured to display a reminder screen on the display when the component is in the second state, to clear the reminder screen from the display when a user activates an ignore control for the reminder screen, and to continue pulsating the first light, the second light, and the third light until the component of the patient support apparatus is in the second state. The 64th aspect is 63. A patient support apparatus according to claim 63, wherein the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light in a sinusoidal manner having a frequency greater than one pulse per second. The 65th aspect is The patient support apparatus comprises: a support structure having a patient support surface adapted to support a patient thereon; an alarm system configured for activation and deactivation, the alarm system adapted to issue an alarm when activated and when said alarm system detects an alarm condition; A display device; a memory in which a desired state of the alarm system is stored; and a controller in communication with the display and the memory, the controller configured to determine a current state of the alarm system and, if the alarm system is not in the desired state, to issue a reminder to change the alarm system to the desired state. The 66th aspect is A patient support apparatus according to a sixty-fifth aspect, wherein the reminder comprises a reminder screen displayed on the display. The 67th aspect is the reminder screen includes an activation control configured to allow a user to automatically activate the alarm system; 66. A patient support apparatus according to claim 66, wherein when the user activates an activation control, the controller is operable to activate the alarm system and clear the reminder screen from the display. The 68th aspect is A patient support device in a 66th aspect, wherein the reminder screen has an ignore control configured to allow a user to clear the reminder screen from the display when the user activates the ignore control. The sixty-ninth aspect is A patient support apparatus in accordance with a 65th aspect, wherein the alarm system comprises at least one of an exit detection system and a monitoring system, the exit detection system adapted to issue an alarm when the patient exits the support surface, and the monitoring system adapted to issue an alarm when any of a plurality of conditions of the patient support apparatus changes to an undesirable state. The seventieth aspect is The patient support apparatus comprises: a first siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient; a first light coupled to the outer surface of the first side rail; a second siderail opposite the first siderail, the second siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient; a second light coupled to the outer surface of the second side rail; and a third light coupled to a foot end of the support structure, In a 69th aspect of the patient support apparatus, the controller is further adapted to send the reminder by flashing the first light, the second light, and the third light in a synchronous manner when the alarm system is not in the desired state. The 71st aspect is A patient support apparatus in accordance with a 70th aspect, wherein the controller is further configured to display a reminder screen on the display when the alarm system is not in the desired state, to clear the reminder screen from the display when a user activates an ignore control for the reminder screen, and to continue pulsating the first light, the second light, and the third light until the alarm system of the patient support apparatus is in the desired state. The 72nd aspect is 71. A patient support apparatus according to claim 71, wherein the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light in a sinusoidal manner having a frequency greater than one pulse per second. The 73rd aspect is the controller is configured to operate the display in an awake mode and a sleep mode; A patient support apparatus in accordance with a 71st aspect, wherein the controller is further configured to continue pulsating the first light, the second light, and the third light after switching from the wake mode to the sleep mode until the alarm system of the patient support apparatus reaches the desired state. The 74th aspect is In a 73rd aspect of the patient support apparatus, the controller is further configured to re-display the reminder screen on the display when switching from the sleep mode to the wake mode if the alarm system is not in the desired state. The 75th aspect is The patient support apparatus further comprises a footrest and an instrument panel disposed on the footrest, the dashboard includes an icon corresponding to the alarm system and a fourth light; In a seventy-first aspect of the patient support apparatus, the fourth light is disposed behind the icon and adapted to backlight the icon when the fourth light is activated. The 76th aspect is 75. A patient support apparatus according to claim 75, wherein the controller is further adapted to pulsate the fourth light in synchronization with the first light, the second light, and the third light. The 77th aspect is The patient support apparatus comprises: a first user interface coupled to the first siderail, the first user interface including a first control for activating the alarm system and a first backlight for illuminating the first control; a second user interface coupled to the second siderail, the second user interface comprising a second control for activating the alarm system and a second backlight for illuminating the second control; A patient support apparatus in accordance with claim 71, wherein the controller is further adapted to pulsate a first backlight and a second backlight in synchronization with the first light, the second light, and the third light. The 78th aspect is A patient support apparatus according to a 71st aspect, wherein the controller is configured to synchronously stop pulsating the first light, the second light and the third light only when both the alarm system is changed to the desired state and when the second alarm system is changed to a second desired state. The 79th aspect is 1. A method of operating a patient support apparatus comprising an exit detection system configured to activate and deactivate, the exit detection system being adapted to generate an alarm when the exit detection system is activated and a patient exits the patient support apparatus, the method comprising: determining whether the component of the patient support apparatus is in a first state or a second state, the first state comprising a state in which the exit detection system is not prepared to operate, and the second state comprising a state in which the exit detection system is prepared to operate; and automatically disabling an activation control of a user interface of the patient support apparatus to activate the exit detection system upon determining that the component is in the first state in which the exit detection system is not prepared to activate. The 80th aspect is 1. A method of operating a patient support apparatus comprising a monitoring system configured for activation and deactivation, the method comprising: the monitoring system is adapted to monitor a selected state of a first component of the patient support apparatus and to generate an alert when the monitoring system is activated and the first component changes from the selected state, the method comprising: determining whether a second component of the patient support apparatus is in a first state or a second state, the first state comprising a state in which the monitoring system is not prepared to operate, and the second state comprising a state in which the monitoring system is prepared to operate; and automatically disabling an activation control of a user interface of the patient support apparatus to activate the monitoring system upon determining that the second component is in the first state in which the monitoring system is not prepared to operate. The 81st aspect is 1. A method of operating a patient support apparatus having a user interface with a display, the method comprising: detecting whether a component of the patient support apparatus is in a desired or undesirable state; displaying a reminder screen on the display of the user interface and illuminating a light on the patient support apparatus to project light when the component of the patient support apparatus is in the undesirable state, the reminder screen comprising an ignore control; clearing the reminder screen from the display while continuing to project light from the light when the user activates the ignore control of the reminder screen; and continuing to project light from the light until the component of the patient support apparatus is in the desired state. The 82nd aspect is 1. A method of operating a patient support apparatus comprising a monitoring system configured for activation and deactivation, the monitoring system adapted to monitor a selected state of a component of the patient support apparatus and generate an alert when the monitoring system is activated and the component changes from the selected state, the method comprising: storing a desired state of the monitoring system in a memory of the patient support apparatus; determining a current state of the monitoring system; and issuing a reminder if the current state of the monitoring system does not match the desired state of the monitoring system stored in the memory.

Claims

1. 12. A patient support apparatus comprising: a support structure having a patient support surface adapted to support a patient on the patient support surface; a plurality of wheels for facilitating transportation of the patient support apparatus across a floor surface; an exit detection system configured to be activated and deactivated, the exit detection system adapted to generate an alarm when the exit detection system is activated and a patient exits the patient support surface; a sensor adapted to detect a condition of a component of the patient support apparatus; A display device; a controller in communication with the sensor and the indicator, The controller is configured to determine whether the component is in a first state or a second state, to prevent the exit detection system from operating in response to the component being in the first state, and to enable the exit detection system to operate in response to the component being in the second state.

2. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to display a reminder screen on the display in response to the component being in the first state.

3. 3. The patient support apparatus of claim 2, wherein the reminder screen comprises a state control, the state control configured to allow a user to change a state of the component from the first state to the second state when the state control is activated by a user.

4. 3. The patient support apparatus of claim 2, wherein the reminder screen includes an ignore control, the ignore control configured to allow a user to clear the reminder screen from the display when the user activates the ignore control.

5. 3. The patient support apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to clear the reminder screen from the display in response to a state of the component changing from the first state to the second state.

6. The patient support apparatus comprises: a first siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient; a first light coupled to the outer surface of the first side rail; a second siderail opposite the first siderail, the second siderail having an inner surface facing the patient and an outer surface facing away from the patient; a second light coupled to the outer surface of the second side rail; a third light coupled to a foot end of the support structure, 10. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light in synchronization until the component is changed to the second state.

7. 7. The patient support apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light in a sinusoidal manner having a frequency greater than one pulsation per second.

8. 8. The patient support apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is further adapted to continue pulsating the first light, the second light, and the third light after the component is changed to the second state if the exit detection system is not activated, and to continue pulsating the first light, the second light, and the third light until the exit detection system is activated.

9. 7. The patient support apparatus of claim 6, wherein the component is a brake, the sensor is a brake sensor, the first state is a state in which the brake is deactivated, and the second state is a state in which the brake is activated.

10. the component being a nurse call interface configured to communicatively couple to a nurse call system outlet located in a headwall of a healthcare facility; the sensor being a nurse call communication sensor adapted to detect whether the nurse call interface is communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet; the first state being a state in which the nurse call interface is not communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet; The patient support apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second state is a state in which the nurse call interface is communicatively coupled to the nurse call system outlet.

11. The patient support apparatus of claim 10, wherein the nurse call communication sensor is a sensor adapted to detect whether a nurse call cable is coupled between the nurse call interface and the nurse call system outlet.

12. 7. The patient support apparatus of claim 6, wherein in response to the exit detection system being activated and the patient exiting the patient support surface, the controller is further configured to synchronously flash the first light, the second light, and the third light, and wherein the controller is configured to flash the first light, the second light, and the third light at a frequency different from a frequency at which the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light.

13. The patient support apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to flash the first light, the second light, and the third light in a non-sine wave manner.

14. 13. The patient support apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to flash the first light, the second light, and the third light in a different color than the controller is configured to pulsate the first light, the second light, and the third light.

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