Patient Support Display QR Coding for Bed Data Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hospital beds and stretchers require manual data transfer or wired/wireless connections for data communication and often get misplaced within healthcare facilities, leading to inefficiencies in data management and location tracking.
Innovation Solution
Patient support apparatuses are equipped with sensors, a display, and a controller that encode data, such as patient weight and operational status, into QR codes, allowing easy data transfer via image capture and display a unique identifier to facilitate location recognition and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If manual data copying or wired/wireless connections are used to transfer sensor data, then data can be transferred to off-board computers, but the process requires user intervention and increases operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically generates and displays QR codes containing sensor data without requiring user intervention. The bed controller autonomously encodes sensor information from multiple sensors into QR codes that are automatically displayed on the display device, eliminating the need for manual data copying or pairing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual data copying mechanisms and wired/wireless connection processes with an automated optical coding system. Sensor data is converted into QR codes that can be automatically captured by mobile devices, substituting the mechanical/manual data transfer process with an automated information encoding and optical recognition system.
2Reliability
If patient support apparatuses are assigned to specific units, then location management is established, but the apparatuses are often moved and end up in areas not assigned to them
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses visual identification through QR codes displayed on the patient support apparatus that contain or indicate assignment information. The QR codes serve as visual identifiers that can be scanned to determine the correct location, providing a clear visual cue for proper placement without restricting physical mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback about the correct location through QR codes that display assignment information. When the apparatus is moved, the QR code continues to indicate the assigned location, providing feedback to users about where the apparatus should be placed, thereby maintaining location management reliability while allowing mobility.
3Loss of information
If sensor data is displayed on the bed screen, then data is accessible, but transferring the data requires additional steps and equipment coupling
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a visual copy of the sensor data in the form of QR codes that are displayed on the bed screen. These QR codes contain encoded sensor information that can be captured by mobile devices, providing a simple copy of the data that eliminates the need for complex wired or wireless transfer processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The QR code serves as an intermediary between the bed's sensor data and the mobile device's data storage. Instead of directly connecting the bed to a computer or cloud service, the QR code acts as a simple intermediary that bridges the gap, allowing data transfer through basic camera capture without requiring complex coupling mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A patient support apparatus includes a support surface adapted to support a person, a display, a plurality of controls, a memory, and a controller. The controller is adapted to collect a batch of data regarding the operation of the patient support apparatus, to store the batch of data in the memory, to update the contents of the batch of data during usage of the patient support apparatus, and to display a coded image on the display in response to activation of a particular control. The coded image, which may be a QR code, encodes the batch of data. The encoded data may include sensor readings, diagnostic data, fault data, a serial number, and/or other data. The controller may also, or alternatively, display (either permanently or semi-permanently) the ward, department, floor, or another identifier (e.g. radiology, maternity, etc.) to which the patient support apparatus is assigned for a particular healthcare facility.