Patient Bed Manual Location Entry via GUI
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Solution Overview
Problem
Healthcare facilities without nurse call systems face challenges in determining the location of patient beds equipped with wireless communication, as RF signals can be received by multiple wireless access points, making absolute location determination uncertain.
Innovation Solution
A patient bed with a frame, circuitry, and a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows caregivers to manually enter location data, which is then transmitted via a wireless communication module to a remote computer, including a voice prompt to remind caregivers to input the data after a threshold period and displaying screens for selecting room numbers or campus/unit menus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If wireless communication is used for bed location tracking, then installation cost and complexity are reduced, but location determination accuracy deteriorates due to RF signal penetration through walls and floors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary manual input mechanism (GUI with room number entry) between the wireless communication system and the final location determination. This mediator allows precise location data to be manually provided, compensating for the imprecision of RF-based location tracking while maintaining the wireless installation advantage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary manual location input at the time of bed setup or relocation. By capturing the exact location data in advance through user input, the system eliminates the need for continuous complex RF triangulation, thereby maintaining both low installation cost and high location accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If manual location entry is required, then location accuracy is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to additional caregiver tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic or event-triggered manual location entry rather than continuous input. The GUI prompts for location data only at specific moments (initial setup, bed relocation), allowing high accuracy when needed while minimizing disruption to normal caregiver operations during routine bed usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service location tracking by automatically capturing and storing location data when manually entered. Once input, the location information is retained and transmitted automatically, reducing the need for repeated manual input and minimizing ongoing caregiver burden while maintaining accurate location records.
Data Source
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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.