Patient Bed GUI Location Entry for Accurate Room Association
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Solution Overview
Problem
Healthcare facilities without nurse call systems that utilize wired connections face challenges in accurately determining the location of patient beds equipped with wireless communication capabilities, as RF signals from these beds can be received by multiple wireless access points, leading to uncertain room location identification.
Innovation Solution
A patient bed system with a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows caregivers to manually enter location data, which is transmitted wirelessly after a threshold period and includes voice prompts to ensure accurate location association, using a wireless communication module to connect with a remote computer for bed-to-room association.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless communication is used for patient beds, then ease of operation and installation are improved, but location determination precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary manual location entry system where caregivers use a GUI to manually input location data. This mediator bridges the gap between wireless communication capabilities and precise location determination, allowing the system to maintain wireless ease of installation while achieving accurate location tracking through human-assisted data entry.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service location registration where the bed itself can transmit its ID and the location data entered by the caregiver is automatically associated with the bed ID in the database. This automated association process reduces manual intervention while maintaining location accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If manual location entry is implemented, then location determination precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The graphical user interface serves multiple functions: it displays bed status information, allows manual location entry, and provides confirmation of location association. By consolidating these functions into a single interface, the system achieves precise location determination without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The caregiver acts as an intermediary who enters location data into the system. This human mediator simplifies the technical complexity by providing location information through a simple GUI interface rather than requiring complex automated detection systems.
3Ease of operation
If wireless access points are used for communication, then ease of operation is improved, but location determination precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by manually entering and storing location data before wireless communication begins. The location data is pre-associated with the bed ID in the database, so when the bed communicates wirelessly with access points, the location is already known and can be immediately retrieved without requiring triangulation or signal-based location determination.
Data Source
AI summary
A graphical user interface (GUI) of a patient bed is used by a caregiver to manually enter location data indicative of a location in a healthcare facility at which the patient bed is located. A first screen for manually entering location data is displayed on the GUI after a threshold period of time elapses subsequent to a power plug of the patient bed being plugged into an alternating current (AC) outlet of the healthcare facility and subsequent to casters of the patient bed being braked. A voice prompt is also given from the patient bed after the threshold period of time elapses to remind the caregiver to manually enter the location data. After manual entry of the location data, circuitry of the patient bed transmits the location data entered by the caregiver and a bed identification (ID) from the bed for receipt by a remote computer for purposes of making a bed-to-room association.