Patent Grant
10925781
The present disclosure is generally related to automated systems, and is specifically directed to automated systems for powered emergency patient transporters or cots.
There are a variety of emergency patient transporters or cots in use today. Such emergency cots may be designed to transport and load bariatric patients into an ambulance.
For example, the PROFlexX® cot, by Ferno-Washington, Inc. of Wilmington, Ohio U.S.A., is one such patient transporter embodied as a manually actuated cot that may provide stability and support for loads of about 700 pounds (about 317.5 kg). The PROFlexX® cot includes a patient support portion that is attached to a wheeled undercarriage. The wheeled under carriage includes an X-frame geometry that can be transitioned between nine selectable positions. One recognized advantage of such a cot design is that the X-frame provides minimal flex and a low center of gravity at all of the selectable positions. Another recognized advantage of such a cot design is that the selectable positions may provide better leverage for manually lifting and loading bariatric patients.
Another example of an emergency patient transporter or cot designed for bariatric patients, is the POWERFlexx+ Powered Cot, by Ferno-Washington, Inc. The POWERFlexx+ Powered Cot includes a battery powered actuator that may provide sufficient power to lift loads of about 700 pounds (about 317.5 kg). One recognized advantage of such a cot design is that the cot may lift a bariatric patient up from a low position to a higher position, i.e., an operator may have reduced situations that require lifting the patient.
A further variety of an emergency patient transporter is a multipurpose emergency roll-in cot having a patient support stretcher that is removably attached to a wheeled undercarriage or transporter. The patient support stretcher, when removed for separate use from the transporter, may be shuttled around horizontally upon an included set of wheels. One recognized advantage of such a cot design is that the stretcher may be separately rolled into an emergency vehicle such as station wagons, vans, modular ambulances, aircrafts, or helicopters, where space and reducing weight is a premium.
Another advantage of such a cot design is that the separated stretcher may be more easily carried over uneven terrain and out of locations where it is impractical to use a complete cot to transfer a patient. Example of such cots can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,037,871, 4,921,295, and International Publication No. WO01701611.
Although the foregoing multipurpose emergency roll-in cots have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been satisfactory in all aspects. For example, the foregoing cots are loaded into ambulances according to loading processes that require at least one operator to support the load of the cot for a portion of the respective loading process.
The embodiments described herein are directed to automated systems for versatile multipurpose emergency roll-in cots which may provide improved management of the cot weight, improved balance, and/or easier loading at any cot height, while being loaded via rolling into various types of rescue vehicles, such as ambulances, vans, station wagons, aircrafts and helicopters.
In one embodiment disclosed herein is a method of automatically articulating a powered ambulance cot to load a patient into an emergency vehicle having a loading surface. The method comprises supporting the patient on the power ambulance cot. The cot comprises a support frame provided with a pair of front load wheels and supporting the patient, a pair of front legs each having a front wheel and an intermediate load wheel, a pair of back legs each having a back wheel, a cot actuation system having a front actuator which moves together the pair of front legs and which interconnects the support frame and the pair of front legs, and a back actuator which moves together the pair of back legs and which interconnects the support frame and the pair of back legs, and a cot control system operably connected to the cot actuation system to control raising and lowering of the pair of front legs and the pair of back legs independently, and which detects a presence of a signal requesting a change in elevation of said support frame to cause the cot actuation system to move either or both pairs of the front and back wheels relative to the support frame via the raising or the lowering of the pair of front legs and/or the pair of back legs. The method comprises raising the support frame of the powered ambulance cot to a height which places the front load wheels above the loading surface of the emergency vehicle via the cot control system detecting presence of a signal requesting the support frame be raised and activating the cot actuation system. The method comprises rolling the powered ambulance cot towards the emergency vehicle until the front load wheels are over the loading surface. The method comprises lowering the support frame until the front load wheels contact the loading surface via the cot control system detecting the presence of a signal requesting the support frame be lowered and activating the cot actuation system. The method comprises automatically raising the pair of front legs relative to the support frame until the front wheel of each of the front legs is at or above the loading surface via the cot control system detecting both presence of a signal requesting the front legs be raised and front load wheels being in contact with the loading surface and activating the cot actuation system. The method comprises rolling the powered ambulance cot further onto the loading surface until the intermediate load wheel of each of the front legs is on the loading surface; raising the pair of back legs relative to the support frame until the back wheels are at or above the loading surface via the cot control system detecting presence of a signal requesting the back legs be raised and activating the cot actuation system; and rolling the powered ambulance cot further onto the loading surface until the back wheel of each of the back legs is on the loading surface.
In another embodiment disclosed herein is a method of automatically articulating a powered ambulance cot to unload a patient from an emergency vehicle having a loading surface. The method comprises supporting the patient on the power ambulance cot. The cot comprises a support frame provided with a pair of front load wheels and supporting the patient, a pair of front legs each having a front wheel and an intermediate load wheel, a pair of back legs each having a back wheel, a cot actuation system having a front actuator which moves together the pair of front legs and which interconnects the support frame and the pair of front legs, and a back actuator which moves together the pair of back legs and which interconnects the support frame and the pair of back legs, and a cot control system operably connected to the cot actuation system to control raising and lowering of the pair of front legs and the pair of back legs independently, and which detects a presence of a signal requesting a change in elevation of said support frame to cause the cot actuation system to move either or both pairs of the front and back wheels relative to the support frame via the raising or the lowering of the pair of front legs and/or the pair of back legs. The method comprises rolling the powered ambulance cot on the loading surface until only the back wheel of each of the back legs is off the loading surface. The method comprises automatically lowering the pair of back legs relative to the support frame until the back wheels are supporting the cot below the loading surface via the cot control system detecting both presence of a signal requesting the back legs be extended and the back wheel of each of the back legs being off the loading surface and activating the cot actuation system. The method comprises rolling the powered ambulance cot further off the loading surface until both the front wheel and intermediate load wheel of each of the front legs is off the loading surface but with the front load wheels still in contact with the loading surface. The method comprises lowering the pair of front legs relative to the support frame until the front wheel of each of the front legs supporting the support frame below the loading surface via the cot control system detecting presence of a signal requesting the front legs be extended and activating the cot actuation system; and rolling the powered ambulance cot away from the emergency vehicle.
In still another embodiment disclosed herein is a method of automatically articulating a powered ambulance cot to transport a patient up or down a moving escalator. The method comprises supporting the patient on the powered ambulance cot. The cot comprises a support frame provided with a pair of front load wheels and supporting the patient, a pair of front legs each having a front wheel and an intermediate load wheel, a pair of back legs each having a back wheel, a cot actuation system having a front actuator which moves together the pair of front legs and which interconnects the support frame and the pair of front legs, and a back actuator which moves together the pair of back legs and which interconnects the support frame and the pair of back legs, and a cot control system operably connected to the cot actuation system to control raising and lowering of the pair of front legs and the pair of back legs independently, and which detects a presence of a signal requesting a change in elevation of said support frame to cause the cot actuation system to move either or both pairs of the front and back wheels relative to the support frame via the raising or the lowering of the pair of front legs and/or the pair of back legs. The method comprises rolling the cot onto the moving escalator, wherein the control system automatically retracts or extends the front legs to maintain the support frame level relative to gravity as the escalator moves up or down.
These and additional features provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure will be more fully understood in view of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings.
The following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present disclosures can be best understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:
The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative in nature and not intended to be limiting of the embodiments described herein. Moreover, individual features of the drawings and embodiments will be more fully apparent and understood in view of the detailed description.
Referring to
Referring collectively to
Referring collectively to
Referring again to
In specific embodiments, the front legs 20 and the back legs 40 may each be coupled to the lateral side members 15. As shown in
In one embodiment, the front wheels 26 and back wheels 46 may be swivel caster wheels or swivel locked wheels. As the roll-in cot 10 is raised and/or lowered, the front wheels 26 and back wheels 46 may be synchronized to ensure that the plane of the lateral side members 15 of the roll-in cot 10 and the plane of the wheels 26, 46 are substantially parallel.
Referring to
The front actuator 16 is coupled to the support frame 12 and configured to actuate the front legs 20 and raise and/or lower the front end 17 of the roll-in cot 10. Additionally, the back actuator 18 is coupled to the support frame 12 and configured to actuate the back legs 40 and raise and/or lower the back end 19 of the roll-in cot 10. The roll-in cot 10 may be powered by any suitable power source. For example, the roll-in cot 10 may comprise a battery capable of supplying a voltage of, such as, about 24 V nominal or about 32 V nominal for its power source.
The front actuator 16 and the back actuator 18 are operable to actuate the front legs 20 and back legs 40, simultaneously or independently. As shown in
In one embodiment, schematically depicted in
Referring to
Each vertical member 184 comprises a pair of piggy backed hydraulic cylinders (i.e., a first hydraulic cylinder and a second hydraulic cylinder or a third hydraulic cylinder and a fourth hydraulic cylinder) wherein the first cylinder extends a rod in a first direction and the second cylinder extends a rod in a substantially opposite direction. When the cylinders are arranged in one master-slave configuration, one of the vertical members 184 comprises an upper master cylinder 168 and a lower master cylinder 268. The other of the vertical members 184 comprises an upper slave cylinder 169 and a lower slave cylinder 269. It is noted that, while master cylinders 168, 268 are piggy backed together and extend rods 165, 265 in substantially opposite directions, master cylinders 168, 268 may be located in alternate vertical members 184 and/or extend rods 165, 265 in substantially the same direction.
Referring now to
The one or more processors 100 can be communicatively coupled to one or more memory modules 102, which can be any device capable of storing machine readable instructions. The one or more memory modules 102 can include any type of memory such as, for example, read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), secondary memory (e.g., hard drive), or combinations thereof. Suitable examples of ROM include, but are not limited to, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), electrically alterable read-only memory (EAROM), flash memory, or combinations thereof. Suitable examples of RAM include, but are not limited to, static RAM (SRAM) or dynamic RAM (DRAM).
The embodiments described herein can perform methods automatically by executing machine readable instructions with the one or more processors 100. The machine readable instructions can comprise logic or algorithm(s) written in any programming language of any generation (e.g., 1GL, 2GL, 3GL, 4GL, or 5GL) such as, for example, machine language that may be directly executed by the processor, or assembly language, object-oriented programming (OOP), scripting languages, microcode, etc., that may be compiled or assembled into machine readable instructions and stored. Alternatively, the machine readable instructions may be written in a hardware description language (HDL), such as logic implemented via either a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) configuration or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or their equivalents. Accordingly, the methods described herein may be implemented in any conventional computer programming language, as pre-programmed hardware elements, or as a combination of hardware and software components.
Referring collectively to
Referring collectively to
Additionally, it is noted that distance sensors may be coupled to any portion of the roll-in cot 10 such that the distance between a lower surface and components such as, for example, the front end 17, the back end 19, the front load wheels 70, the front wheels 26, the intermediate load wheels 30, the back wheels 46, the front actuator 16 or the back actuator 18 may be determined.
Referring collectively to
The front legs 20 may comprise intermediate load wheels 30 attached to the front legs 20. In one embodiment, the intermediate load wheels 30 may be disposed on the front legs 20 adjacent the front cross beam 22 (
The roll-in cot 10 may comprise a back actuator sensor 78 communicatively coupled to the one or more processors 100. The back actuator sensor 78 is a distance sensor operable to detect the distance between the back actuator 18 and the loading surface. In one embodiment, back actuator sensor 78 is operable to detect directly or indirectly the distance from the back actuator 18 to a surface substantially directly beneath the back actuator 18, when the back legs 40 are substantially fully retracted (
Referring still to
Referring collectively to
The back end 19 may comprise operator controls 57 for the roll-in cot 10. As used herein, the operator controls 57 comprise the input components that receive commands from the operator and the output components that provide indications to the operator. Accordingly, the operator can utilize the operator controls 57 in the loading and unloading of the roll-in cot 10 by controlling the movement of the front legs 20, the back legs 40, and the support frame 12. The operator controls 57 may be included with a cot control system or control box 50 disposed on the back end 19 of the roll-in cot 10. For example, the control box 50 can be communicatively coupled to the one or more processors 100, which is in turn communicatively coupled to the front actuator 16 and the back actuator 18. The control box 50 can comprise a visual display component or graphical user interface (GUI) 58 configured to inform an operator whether the front and back actuators 16, 18 are activated or deactivated. The visual display component or GUI 58 can comprise any device capable of emitting an image such as, for example, a liquid crystal display, a touch screen, or the like.
Referring collectively to
In some embodiments, the operator controls 57 can be located on the back end 19 of the roll-in cot 10. For example, the operator controls 57 can comprise a button array 52 located adjacent to and beneath the visual display component or GUI 58. The button array 52 can comprise a plurality of buttons arranged in a linear row. Each button of the button array 52 can comprise an optical element (i.e., an LED) that can emit visible wavelengths of optical energy when the button is activated. Alternatively or additionally, the operator controls 57 can comprise a button array 52 located adjacent to and above the visual display component or GUI 58. It is noted that, while each button array 52 is depicted as consisting of four buttons, the button array 52 can comprise any number of buttons. Moreover, the operator controls 57 can comprise a concentric button array 54 comprising a plurality of arc shaped buttons arranged concentrically around a central button. In some embodiments, the concentric button array 54 can be located above the visual display component or GUI 58. In still other embodiments, one or more buttons 53, which can provide the same and/or additional functions to any of the buttons in the button array 52 and/or 54 may be provided on either or both the sides of control box 50. It is noted that, while the operator controls 57 are depicted as being located at the back end 19 of the roll-in cot 10, it is further contemplated that the operator controls 57 can be positioned at alternative positions on the support frame 12, for example, on the front end 17 or the sides of the support frame 12. In still further embodiments, the operator controls 57 may be located in a removably attachable wireless remote control that may control the roll-in cot 10 without physical attachment to the roll-in cot 10.
The operator controls 57 can further include a lower button 56 (−) operable to receive input indicative of a desire to lower (−) the roll-in cot 10 and a raise button 60 (+) operable to receive input indicative of a desire to raise (+) the roll-in cot 10. It is to be appreciated that in other embodiments the raising and/or lowering commanding function can be assigned to other buttons, such as ones of the button arrays 52 and/or 54, in addition to buttons 56, 60. As is explained in greater detail herein, each of the lower button 56 (−) and the raise button 60 (+) can generate signals that actuate, via the actuation system 34, the front legs 20, the back legs 40, or both in order to perform cot functions. The cot functions may require the front legs 20, the back legs 40, or both to be raised, lowered, retracted or released depending on the position and orientation of the roll-in cot 10. In some embodiments, each of the lower button 56 (−) and the raise button 60 (+) can be analog (i.e., the pressure and/or displacement of the button can be proportional to a parameter of the control signal). Accordingly, the speed of actuation of the front legs 20, the back legs 40, or both can be proportional to the parameter of the control signal. Alternatively or additionally, each of the lower button 56 (−) and the raise button 60 (+) can be backlit.
Turning now to embodiments of the roll-in cot 10 being simultaneously actuated, the roll-in cot 10 of
Referring collectively to
The embodiments described herein may be utilized to lift a patient from a position below a vehicle in preparation for loading a patient into the vehicle (e.g., from the ground to above a loading surface of an ambulance). Specifically, the roll-in cot 10 may be raised from the lowest transport position (
The roll-in cot 10 may be lowered from an intermediate transport position (
In one embodiment, when the roll-in cot 10 is in the highest transport position (
When the roll-in cot 10 is in the lowest transport position (
The front actuator 16 is operable to raise or lower a front end 17 of the support frame 12 independently of the back actuator 18. The back actuator 18 is operable to raise or lower a back end 19 of the support frame 12 independently of the front actuator 16. By raising the front end 17 or back end 19 independently, the roll-in cot 10 is able to maintain the support frame 12 level or substantially level when the roll-in cot 10 is moved over uneven surfaces, for example, a staircase or hill. Specifically, if one of the front actuator 16 or the back actuator 18 is in a second position relative to a first position, the set of legs not in contact with a surface (i.e., the set of legs that is in tension, such as when the cot is being lifted at one or both ends) is activated by the roll-in cot 10 (e.g., moving the roll-in cot 10 off of a curb).
Referring collectively to
As is depicted in
In one embodiment, after the front legs 20 have been raised enough to trigger a loading state, the operation of the front actuator 16 and the back actuator 18 is dependent upon the location of the roll-in cot 10. In some embodiments, upon the front legs 20 raising, a visual indication is provided on the visual display component or GUI 58 of the control box 50 (
Referring collectively to
In further embodiments, the one or more processors 100 can monitor the back angular sensor 68 to verify that the back angle αb is changing in accordance to the actuation of the back actuator 18. In order to protect the back actuator 18, the one or more processors 100 can automatically abort the actuation of the back actuator 18 if the back angle αb is indicative of improper operation. For example, if the back angle αb fails to change for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., about 200 ms), the one or more processors 100 can automatically abort the actuation of the back actuator 18.
Referring collectively to
It is noted that, the middle portion of the roll-in cot 10 is above the loading surface 500 when any portion of the roll-in cot 10 that may act as a fulcrum is sufficiently beyond the loading edge 502 such that the back legs 40 may be retracted with a reduced amount of force is required to lift the back end 19 (e.g., less than half of the weight of the roll-in cot 10, which may be loaded, needs to be supported at the back end 19). Furthermore, it is noted that the detection of the location of the roll-in cot 10 may be accomplished by sensors located on the roll-in cot 10 and/or sensors on or adjacent to the loading surface 500. For example, an ambulance may have sensors that detect the positioning of the roll-in cot 10 with respect to the loading surface 500 and/or loading edge 502 and communications means to transmit the information to the roll-in cot 10.
Referring to
Once the cot is loaded onto the loading surface (
Referring collectively to
Referring collectively to
Referring collectively to
When a sensor detects that the front legs 20 are clear of the loading surface 500 (
Referring collectively to
The control signal of one or more of the operator controls 57 can be associated with the open door function. Upon receipt of the control signal associated with the open door function, the one or more processors 100 can cause the communication circuit 82 to transmit an open door signal to a vehicle within range of the open door signal. Upon receipt of the open door signal, the vehicle can open a door for receiving the roll-in cot 10. Additionally, the open door signal can be encoded to identify the roll-in cot 10 such as, for example, via classification, unique identifier or the like. In further embodiments, the control signal of one or more of the operator controls 57 can be associated with a close door function that operates analogously to the open door function and causes the door of the vehicle to close.
Referring collectively to
Referring collectively to
The control signal of one or more of the operator controls 57 can be associated with the automatic leveling function. Specifically, any of the operator controls 57 can transmit a control signal associated with enabling or disabling the automatic leveling function. Alternatively or additionally, other cot functions can selectively enable or disable the cot leveling function. When the automatic leveling function is enabled, the gravitational reference signal can be received by the one or more processors 100. The one or more processors 100 can automatically compare the gravitational reference signal to an earth reference frame indicative of earth level. Based upon the comparison, the one or more processors 100 can automatically quantify the difference between the earth reference frame and the current level of the roll-in cot 10 indicated by the gravitational reference signal. The difference can be transformed into a desired adjustment amount to level the front end 17 and the back end 19 of the roll-in cot 10 with respect to gravity. For example, the difference can be transformed into angular adjustment to the front angle αf, the back angle αb, or both. Thus, the one or more processors 100 can automatically actuate the actuators 16, 18 until the desired amount of adjustment has been achieved, i.e., the front angular sensor 66, the back angular sensor 68, and the gravitational reference sensor 80 can be used for feedback.
Referring collectively to
The turning mechanism 90 can be operably coupled to the control shaft 116 and can be configured to propel the control shaft 116 around the rotational axis 118. The turning mechanism 90 can comprise a servomotor and an encoder. Accordingly, the turning mechanism 90 can directly actuate the control shaft 116. In some embodiments, the turning mechanism 90 can be configured to turn freely to allow the control shaft 116 to swivel around the rotational axis 118 as the roll-in cot 10 is urged into motion. Optionally, the turning mechanism 90 can be configured to lock in place and resist motion of the control shaft 116 around the rotational axis 118.
Referring collectively to
The bolt member 132 can be received with a channel formed through the linkage 27. The bolt member 132 can travel into the channel such that the bolt member 132 is free of the catch member 134 and out of the channel into an interference position within the catch member 134. The bias member 136 can bias the bolt member 132 towards the interference position. The cable 138 can be coupled to the bolt member 132 and operably engaged with the lock actuator 92 such that the lock actuator 92 can transmit a force sufficient to overcome the bias member 136 and translate the bolt member 132 from the interference position to free the bolt member 132 of the catch member 134.
In some embodiments, the catch member 134 can be formed in or coupled to the fork 120. The catch member 134 can comprise a rigid body that forms an orifice that is complimentary to the bolt member 132. Accordingly, the bolt member 132 can travel in and out of the catch member via the orifice. The rigid body can be configured to interfere with motion of the catch member 134 that is caused by motion of the control shaft 116 around the rotational axis 118. Specifically, when in the inference position, the bolt member 132 can be constrained by the rigid body of the catch member 134 such that motion of the control shaft 116 around the rotational axis 118 is substantially mitigated.
Referring collectively to
The brake pad 144 can be coupled to the brake piston 142 such that motion of the brake piston 142 towards and away from the wheel 114 causes the brake pad 144 to engage and disengage from the wheel 114. In some embodiments, the brake pad 144 can be contoured to match the shape of the portion of the wheel 114 that the brake pad 144 contacts during braking. Optionally, the contact surface of the brake pad 144 can comprise protrusions and grooves.
Referring again to
Referring collectively to
Referring collectively to
Referring now to
Referring collectively to
At process 306, the raise button 60 (+) can be held active. In response to the control signal transmitted from the raise button 60 (+), the one or processors can execute machine readable instructions to automatically activate the cot leveling function. Accordingly, the cot leveling function can dynamically actuate the front legs 20 to adjust the front angle αf. Thus, as the roll-in cot 10 is gradually urged onto the up escalator 504, the front angle αf can be changed keep the support frame 12 substantially level.
At process 308, the raise button 60 (+) can be deactivated upon the back wheels 46 being loaded upon the up escalator 504. In response to the control signal transmitted from the raise button 60 (+), the one or processors can execute machine readable instructions to automatically actuate the brake mechanism 94. Accordingly, the back wheels 46 can be locked to prevent the back wheels 46 from rolling. With the front wheels 26 and the back wheels 46 loaded upon the up escalator 504, the cot leveling function can adjust the front angle αf to match the escalator angle θ.
At process 310, the raise button 60 (+) can be activated upon the front wheels 26 approaching the end of the up escalator 504. In response to the control signal transmitted from the raise button 60 (+), the one or processors can execute machine readable instructions to automatically actuate the brake mechanism 94. Accordingly, the front wheels 26 can be unlocked to allow the front wheels 26 to roll. As the front wheels 26 exit the up escalator 504, the cot leveling function can adjust the front angle αf dynamically to keep the support frame 12 of the roll-in cot 10 level.
At process 312, the position of the front legs 20 can be determined automatically by the one or more processors 100. Accordingly, as the front end 17 of the roll-in cot 10 exits the up escalator 504, the front angle αf can reach a predetermined angle such as, but not limited to, an angle corresponding to full extension of the front legs 20. Upon reaching the predetermined level, the one or more processors 100 can execute machine readable instructions to automatically actuate the brake mechanism 94. Accordingly, the back wheels 46 can be unlocked to allow the back wheels 46 to roll. Thus, as the back end 19 of the roll-in cot 10 reaches the end of the up escalator 504, the roll-in cot 10 can be rolled away from the up escalator 504. In some embodiments, the escalator mode can be deactivated by actuating one of the operator controls 57. Alternatively or additionally, the escalator mode can be deactivated a predetermined time period (e.g., about 15 seconds) after the back wheels 46 are unlocked.
Referring collectively to
At process 306, the lower button 56 (−) can be held active. In response to the control signal transmitted from the lower button 56 (−), the one or processors can execute machine readable instructions to automatically activate the cot leveling function. Accordingly, the cot leveling function can dynamically actuate the front legs 20 to adjust the front angle αf. Thus, as the roll-in cot 10 is gradually urged onto the down escalator 506, the front angle αf can be changed keep the support frame 12 substantially level.
At process 308, the lower button 56 (−) can be deactivated upon the front wheels 26 being loaded upon the down escalator 506. In response to the control signal transmitted from the lower button 56 (−), the one or processors 100 can execute machine readable instructions to automatically actuate the brake mechanism 94. Accordingly, the front wheels 26 can locked to prevent the front wheels 26 from rolling. With the front wheels 26 and the back wheels 46 loaded upon the down escalator 506, the cot leveling function can adjust the front angle αf to match the escalator angle θ.
At process 310, the lower button 56 (−) can be activated upon the back wheels 46 approaching the end of the down escalator 506. In response to the control signal transmitted from the lower button 56 (−), the one or processors can execute machine readable instructions to automatically actuate the brake mechanism 94. Accordingly, the back wheels 46 can be unlocked to allow the back wheels 46 to roll. As the back wheels 46 exit the down escalator 506, the cot leveling function can adjust the front angle αf dynamically to keep the support frame 12 of the roll-in cot 10 substantially level.
At process 312, the position of the front legs 20 can be determined automatically by the one or more processors 100. Accordingly, as the back end 19 of the roll-in cot 10 exits the down escalator 506, the front angle αf can reach a predetermined angle such as, but not limited to, an angle corresponding to full extension of the front legs 20. Upon reaching the predetermined level, the one or processors 100 can execute machine readable instructions to automatically actuate the brake mechanism 94. Accordingly, the front wheels 26 can be unlocked to allow the front wheels 26 to roll. Thus, as the front end 17 of the roll-in cot 10 reaches the end of the down escalator 506, the roll-in cot 10 can be rolled away from the down escalator 506. In some embodiments, the escalator mode can be deactivated a predetermined time period (e.g., about 15 seconds) after the front wheels 26 are unlocked.
Referring collectively to
Upon activation of the CPR function, a control signal can be transmitted to and received by the one or more processors 100. In response to the control signal, the one or processors can execute machine readable instructions to automatically actuate the brake mechanism 94. Accordingly, the front wheels 26, the back wheels 46, or both can be locked to prevent the roll-in cot 10 from rolling. The roll-in cot 10 can be configured to provide an audible indication that the CPR function has been activated. Additionally, the height of the support frame 12 of the roll-in cot 10 can be slowly adjusted to an intermediate transport position (
Referring collectively to
It should now be understood that the embodiments described herein may be utilized to transport patients of various sizes by coupling a support surface such as a patient support surface to the support frame. For example, a lift-off stretcher or an incubator may be removably coupled to the support frame. Therefore, the embodiments described herein may be utilized to load and transport patients ranging from infants to bariatric patients. Furthermore the embodiments described herein, may be loaded onto and/or unloaded from an ambulance by an operator operating simple controls to actuate the independently articulating legs (e.g., pressing the lower button (−) to load the cot onto an ambulance or pressing the raise button (+) to unload the cot from an ambulance). Specifically, the roll-in cot may receive an input signal such as from the operator controls. The input signal may be indicative of a first direction or a second direction (lower or raise). The pair of front legs and the pair of back legs may be lowered independently when the signal is indicative of the first direction or may be raised independently when the signal is indicative of the second direction.
It is further noted that terms like “preferably,” “generally,” “commonly,” and “typically” are not utilized herein to limit the scope of the claimed embodiments or to imply that certain features are critical, essential, or even important to the structure or function of the claimed embodiments. Rather, these terms are merely intended to highlight alternative or additional features that may or may not be utilized in a particular embodiment of the present disclosure.
For the purposes of describing and defining the present disclosure it is additionally noted that the term “substantially” is utilized herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. The term “substantially” is also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue.
Having provided reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure defined in the appended claims. More specifically, although some aspects of the present disclosure are identified herein as preferred or particularly advantageous, it is contemplated that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to these preferred aspects of any specific embodiment.
This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/300,427, filed Sep. 29, 2016, which was the U.S. national phase entry of PCT/US2015/024192 with an international filing date of Apr. 3, 2015, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/975,441, filed Apr. 4, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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| Japanese Office Action dated Nov. 28, 2018, pertaining to Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-560707. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190015270 A1 | Jan 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61975441 | Apr 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15300427 | US | |
| Child | 16129165 | US |
