Patient Support Apparatus Exit Detection With Load-Cell Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient support apparatuses, such as hospital beds and stretchers, allow patients to disarm exit detection systems, enabling them to exit undetected, which prevents caregivers from providing assistance and increases the risk of falls and injuries.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a controller that uses load cells to detect a patient's center of gravity and prevent disarming of the exit detection system when the patient attempts to do so, by disabling the disarm control when the patient moves within a defined threshold distance from the control interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the exit detection system allows patients to disarm it via controls on the patient support apparatus, then patient autonomy and ease of operation are improved, but patient safety deteriorates as patients can exit undetected
Solution Approach 1:
The control's functionality changes dynamically based on patient position. When the patient is detected within a threshold distance of the control, the control becomes disabled (preventing disarming). When the patient moves beyond the threshold, the control becomes enabled. This dynamic state change resolves the contradiction by adapting the system's permissiveness to the patient's location.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors patient position via sensors and uses this feedback to determine whether the control should be enabled or disabled. The controller receives sensor data, determines patient proximity to the control, and accordingly enables or disables the control's disarming function. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures patient safety while maintaining operational ease when appropriate.
2Reliability
If the exit detection system continuously monitors patient position to prevent disarming attempts, then patient safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system serves multiple functions: it detects patient position for exit detection purposes and simultaneously determines whether the control should be enabled or disabled. The controller performs multiple tasks including monitoring sensor outputs, calculating patient position, determining proximity to the control, and managing control states. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems and minimizes overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the exit detection monitoring function with the control enable/disable function into a single integrated system. The same sensors and controller that monitor for exit conditions also determine control availability. This merging of functions reduces device complexity compared to having separate systems for exit detection and control management.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents patients from disarming the exit detection system, ensuring caregivers are alerted when a patient attempts to exit, thereby reducing the risk of falls and injuries by maintaining continuous monitoring and alert functionality.
Implementation Method 1
the exit detection sensors comprise a plurality of load cells configured to detect downward forces exerted on the support surface by the patient
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A patient support apparatus, such as a bed, cot, stretcher, or the like, includes a frame, support surface, exit detection system, and control. The exit detection system includes multiple sensors and a controller configured to issue an exit alert when the patient exits from the support surface. The control is configured to disarm the exit detection system, and the controller is further configured to use outputs from the exit detection sensors to detect when the patient on the support surface may be making an attempt to disarm the exit detection system, and to prevent the patient from disarming the exit detection system during the attempt. The sensors may comprise load cells. In some embodiments, the control is positioned at the foot end of the patient support apparatus, while in other embodiments, the control may be positioned along a siderail of the patient support apparatus.