Hospital Bed RTLS Tag Detection for Availability Updates

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Hospitals face challenges in efficiently managing bed availability due to manual and non-real-time updates in existing systems, leading to delays in preparing beds for new patients after discharge.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a Real-Time Location System (RTLS) with tags and sensors to automatically track patient locations and update bed availability status, enabling timely notifications for bed preparation and allocation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If manual bed availability updates are used, then system complexity is reduced, but bed availability information timeliness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebed availability update timeVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical updating processes with an automated electronic system. Sensors detect patient presence/absence and automatically update bed availability status in the system, eliminating the need for manual input and significantly reducing update time while accepting increased system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The bed availability system performs self-updating through automated detection. The system monitors itself using sensors and tags to detect when beds become available, automatically updating its own status without requiring external manual intervention, thus reducing time loss while managing complexity through automation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If real-time location system is implemented, then bed availability detection precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebed availability detection precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual bed status monitoring with an automated real-time location system using sensors and electronic tags. This substitution provides precise, automated detection of patient presence and bed availability, significantly improving measurement precision while accepting the increased device complexity of the electronic monitoring infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If automated notification system is used, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebed preparation efficiencyVSAvoidnotification system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The notification system automatically detects bed availability changes and sends notifications without human intervention. The system serves itself by monitoring its own state through sensors and autonomously communicating status changes to relevant departments, improving productivity while managing complexity through automated self-monitoring and self-notification capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11798112B1Hospital bed event notification

Publication Date: 2023.10.24 TELETRACKING TECHNOLOGIES INC

AI summary

An aspect provides a method, including receiving an indication that a tag associated with a real time location system has been detected at a pre-determined location, the detected tag being associated with a patient in a hospital; and assigning a status of the patient based on detection of the tag; and updating a bed availability indication based on detection of the tag. Other aspects are described and claimed.