Patient Bed Video Monitoring for Safe Remote Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient monitoring systems lack effective methods to prevent adverse events, unauthorized use, and ensure safe remote control of patient support apparatuses while integrating video monitoring and sensor data for real-time patient care.
Innovation Solution
A patient support apparatus equipped with cameras, actuators, and controllers that enable safe remote movement, synchronized video and sensor data integration, and unauthorized use prevention, using a transceiver to communicate with remote controls and analyze video streams for patient safety and condition detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If remote control movement of patient support apparatus is enabled, then ease of operation is improved, but patient safety may be compromised without real-time visual verification
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously captures video streams from cameras positioned on the patient support apparatus and transmits them to remote devices, providing real-time visual feedback to the operator. This feedback loop enables the remote operator to verify the patient's position and the apparatus state before and during movement operations, ensuring safety while maintaining ease of remote control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system requires that a video stream be established and verified before allowing remote movement commands to be executed. The camera system is activated and the video feed is confirmed to be transmitting properly in advance of the actual movement operation, ensuring that visual verification is already in place before the patient is moved.
2Reliability
If video monitoring is integrated with patient support apparatus, then patient safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patient support apparatus is designed with multi-functional components that serve both patient care and monitoring functions. The control system integrates video capture, sensor data collection, and communication functions into a unified platform that can perform multiple tasks including patient monitoring, remote control, and safety verification without requiring entirely separate dedicated systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The video camera system is physically mounted on the patient support apparatus itself, merging the monitoring function with the support function. The camera, lighting, and control systems are combined into an integrated assembly that moves with the patient support apparatus, eliminating the need for separate fixed monitoring infrastructure.
3Measurement precision
If real-time video streaming is implemented, then patient condition detection is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic video capture and transmission at controlled intervals rather than continuous high-rate streaming. Video frames are captured at sufficient frequency to detect patient conditions and movements, then transmitted to remote devices at optimized intervals, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining adequate monitoring precision for clinical purposes.
Data Source
AI summary
A monitoring system for a patient and/or patient support apparatus includes one or more cameras that capture images and depth data. A computer processes the image signals and depth data and performs one or more of the following functions: (a) enabling/disabling a remote control adapted to move a component of the patient support apparatus; (b) detecting patient breathing abnormalities; (c) detecting the presence of a ligature and its attendant strangulation risk to the patient; (d) identifying a sheet and/or a patient gown in the captured images; (e) disabling/enabling controls on the patient support apparatus based on patient position; (f) synchronizing readings from one or more sensors with the image signals; (g) stitching together images captured from multiple cameras; and/or other functions. The cameras may be positioned on the patient support apparatus and/or elsewhere, and the computer may be a server and/or a controller on the patient support apparatus.