Patent Grant
11389348
Patient support systems facilitate care of patients in a health care setting. Patient support systems comprise patient transport apparatuses such as hospital beds, stretchers, cots, wheelchairs, and chairs. Conventional patient transport apparatuses comprise a base and a patient support surface upon which the patient is supported.
Often, these patient transport apparatuses have one or more powered devices to perform one or more functions on the patient transport apparatus. These powered devices can include powered drive systems that engage one or more drive wheels to aid the user in moving the patient transport apparatus from one location to another location.
When the user wishes to operate the powered drive system, the user actuates a user input control that is coupled to the powered drive system which assists the user in propelling the patient transport apparatus in a desired direction. Typically, such powered drive systems are configured to propel the patient transport apparatus in a longitudinal direction (forward or rearward) or a lateral direction (leftward or rightward). However, different movements may be desirable in certain situations, such as when the user is moving the patient transport apparatus down long hallways versus moving the patient transport apparatus in small spaces, such as in a patient's room or into an elevator. Often, however, the user input control is unable to differentiate between these situations to appropriately propel the patient transport apparatus.
A patient transport apparatus is desired that addresses one or more of the aforementioned challenges.
Referring to
A support structure 22 provides support for the patient. The support structure 22 illustrated in
A mattress, although not shown, may be disposed on the patient support deck 30. The mattress comprises a secondary patient support surface upon which the patient is supported. The base 24, intermediate frame 26, patient support deck 30, and patient support surface 32 each have a head end and a foot end corresponding to designated placement of the patient's head and feet on the patient transport apparatus 20. The construction of the support structure 22 may take on any known or conventional design, and is not limited to that specifically set forth above. In addition, the mattress may be omitted in certain embodiments, such that the patient rests directly on the patient support surface 32.
Side rails 38, 40, 42, 44 are supported by the base 24 and may be connected to the intermediate frame 26, the patient support deck 30, or any other component of the patient transport apparatus 20. A first side rail 38 is positioned at a right head end of the intermediate frame 26. A second side rail 40 is positioned at a right foot end of the intermediate frame 26. A third side rail 42 is positioned at a left head end of the intermediate frame 26. A fourth side rail 44 is positioned at a left foot end of the intermediate frame 26. If the patient transport apparatus 20 is a stretcher, there may be fewer side rails. The side rails 38, 40, 42, 44 are movable between a raised position in which they block ingress and egress into and out of the patient transport apparatus 20 and a lowered position in which they are not an obstacle to such ingress and egress. The side rails 38, 40, 42, 44 may also be movable to one or more intermediate positions between the raised position and the lowered position. In still other configurations, the patient transport apparatus 20 may not comprise any side rails.
A headboard 46 and a footboard 48 are coupled to the intermediate frame 26. In other embodiments, when the headboard 46 and footboard 48 are provided, the headboard 46 and footboard 48 may be coupled to other locations on the patient transport apparatus 20, such as the base 24. In still other embodiments, the patient transport apparatus 20 does not comprise the headboard 46 and/or the footboard 48. The side rails 38, 40, 42, 44, headboard 46, and footboard 48, or other components of the support structure 22 or intermediate frame 26, may also include manual operator interfaces 50, such as handles or the like to facilitate movement of the patient transport apparatus 20 over the floor surfaces 99.
Support wheels 56 are coupled to the base 24 to support the base 24 on a floor surface 99 such as a hospital floor. The support wheels 56 allow the patient transport apparatus 20 to move in any direction along the floor surface 99 by swiveling to assume a trailing orientation relative to a desired direction of movement. In the embodiment shown, the support wheels 56 comprise four support wheels each arranged in corners of the base 24. The support wheels 56 shown are caster wheels able to rotate and swivel about swivel axes 58 during transport. Each of the support wheels 56 forms part of a caster assembly 60. Each caster assembly 60 is mounted to the base 24. It should be understood that various configurations of the caster assemblies 60 are contemplated.
As best shown in
Referring to
The at least one drive wheel 64 may be located to be deployed inside or outside a perimeter of the base 24 and/or within or outside a support wheel perimeter defined by the swivel axes 58 of the support wheels 56. In some embodiments, the at least one drive wheel 64 may be located near a center of the support wheel perimeter, or offset from the center. In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiments shown in
In alternative embodiments, a single motor 102 could be utilized with the at least two drive wheels 64, wherein a differential is coupled to a drive shaft of the motor 102 such that the at least two drive wheels 64 may be independently rotated at different speeds, with such an arrangement being desirable wherein the differing rotational speeds of the at least two drive wheels 64 can aid a user in spinning the patient transport apparatus 20 or turning the patient transport apparatus 20.
As also shown in
In certain embodiments, the drive wheel assembly 62 is also swivelable in a rotational direction R3 between a non-swiveled position and one or more swiveled positions about a swivel axis 81, with the swivel axis 81 extending in a direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis 28 and the floor surface 99. One or more swivel actuators 71, such as an electric motor or other suitable actuator, may be employed to swivel the drive wheel assembly 62 or portions thereof between the non-swiveled position and the swiveled positions. The swivel actuator 71 may also comprise a clutch employed to enable swiveling of the drive wheels 64 about the swivel axis 81. For example, when the clutch is dis-engaged or allowed to slip, if two drive wheels 64 are employed (see
The non-swiveled position of the drive wheel assembly 62 corresponds to a position of the at least one drive wheel 64 in a plane that is perpendicular to the floor surface 99 and is parallel to or along the longitudinal axis 28 of the patient transport apparatus 20. By contrast, the swiveled positions of the drive wheel assembly 62 corresponds to positions of the at least one drive wheel 64 in a plane that is not parallel to or along the longitudinal axis 28. In this way, the direction of travel of the respective at least one drive wheel 64, and hence the direction of travel of the patient transport apparatus 20, when the respective at least one drive wheel 64 is deployed and being driven by the powered drive system 90 through the motor 102, may change from a direction of travel along the longitudinal axis 28 in a non-swiveled position to a direction of travel that is transverse to the longitudinal axis 28 in a swiveled position. As defined herein, the term “transverse” refers to a direction of travel that is angled with respect to the direction of travel along the longitudinal axis 28 such that a hypothetical travel path of the drive wheel 64 in the swiveled position would lie crosswise to the travel path of the drive wheel 64 along the longitudinal axis 28 in the non-swiveled position. In other words, the transverse direction of travel could be a lateral direction of travel or any direction of travel between a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction. The lateral direction corresponds generally to the direction from one side of the patient transport apparatus 20 to the other side between the head end and foot end and normal to the longitudinal direction.
The patient transport apparatus 20 also includes one or more user input controls 250 (see
In certain embodiments, each user input control 250 includes a mode switch 252 and a driving assist device 254 as described in more detail below. The mode switch 252 is selectable between a longitudinal transport mode (i.e., a first mode) and a multidirectional mode (i.e., a second mode) and may also comprise a neutral mode (also referred to as a manual mode). The mode switch 252 is configured to generate a first signal corresponding to the selected longitudinal transport mode and a second signal corresponding to the selected multidirectional mode. The mode switch 252 is also configured to generate a neutral signal corresponding to the neutral mode, when present, or may alternatively generate no signal when in the neutral mode. In the neutral mode, the neutral signal may be sent to a controller 126, described further below, which then commands the lift actuator 66 to retract the at least one drive wheel 64 so that the user can move the patient transport apparatus 20 manually.
The terms “first mode” and “second mode”, as it relates to the longitudinal transport mode and multidirectional mode, is not meant to imply any order of selection. Accordingly, the longitudinal transport mode could also be alternatively designated as the second mode, while the multidirectional mode could be designated as the first mode.
The driving assist device 254 is actuatable between at least one engaged state and a non-engaged state and is configured to also generate a corresponding engaged signal when the driving assist device 254 is in one of the at least one engaged states, and a non-engaged signal when the driving assist device 254 is in the non-engaged state, or may alternatively generate no signal when in the non-engaged state.
The terms “longitudinal transport mode” and “multidirectional mode”, as it relates to the mode switch 252 and the driving assist device 254, refers to the state and/or operation of the lift actuator 66, the swivel actuator 71, and/or the powered drive system 90 of the drive wheel assembly 62 to provide powered movement for aiding a user in moving the patient transport apparatus 20 in a desired manner. It should of course be understood, that the patient transport apparatus 20, in some embodiments, can also be moved manually, without power assistance, such as in the neutral mode in which the lift actuator 66 has retracted the at least one drive wheel 64 from the floor surface 99.
The selection of the longitudinal transport mode on the mode switch 252 provides the first signal that is received by the controller 126, which in turn sends one or more first output signals (first commands) to the lift actuator 66, swivel actuator 71, and/or powered drive system 90 corresponding to the first signal to position the at least one drive wheel 64 to facilitate movement of the patient transport apparatus 20 in a linear direction along or parallel to the longitudinal axis 28 (i.e., in the longitudinal direction) when the powered drive system 90 is engaged. The longitudinal transport mode may be advantageous in situations where the user needs to move the patient transport apparatus 20 down long, straight hallways and wishes to prevent dog-tracking or other inadvertent lateral movement of the patient transport apparatus 20. When the mode switch 252 is in the longitudinal transport mode, the drive wheel assembly 62 is controlled by the controller 126 to limit powered movement to longitudinal directions, i.e., by restricting powered lateral and/or rotational movements. It should be appreciated that the user can still steer the patient transport apparatus 20 in the longitudinal transport mode by simply applying manual steering forces on the patient transport apparatus 20 while in the longitudinal transport mode. In this case, however, the powered movement is still only being applied in the longitudinal direction of the patient transport apparatus 20. Moreover, in certain embodiments, the longitudinal transport mode also provides power assisted steering/turning of the patient transport apparatus 20, such as around corners and the like, so long as the patient transport apparatus 20 is moving in the direction of its longitudinal axis 28.
The selection of the multidirectional mode on the mode switch 252 provides the second signal that is received by the controller 126, which in turn sends one or more second output signals (second commands) to the lift actuator 66, the swivel actuator 71, and/or the powered drive system 90 corresponding to the second signal to position the at least one drive wheel 64 to facilitate movement of the patient transport apparatus 20 in multiple directions, e.g., in the longitudinal direction, transverse directions, clockwise or counterclockwise rotational directions (such as spinning the patient transport apparatus 20 about a virtual center axis), arcing directions, slewing directions, combinations thereof, and the like. The patient transport apparatus 20 may be capable of any form or combination of movements in the multidirectional mode. Some possible movements of the patient transport apparatus 20 are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0089283, filed on Dec. 10, 2015, entitled, “Patient Support Apparatus”, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. The multidirectional mode may be advantageous to enable a user to more easily maneuver the patient transport apparatus 20 in small spaces, such as into and out of elevators, patient rooms, and the like, with power assistance. An example of the types of movements that are possible in one embodiment of the multidirectional mode are shown in
The mode switch 252 and driving assist device 254 are each coupled to the controller 126. The controller 126 is also coupled to the powered drive system 90, swivel actuator 71, and lift actuator 66 of the drive wheel assembly 62 (see
In each of these embodiments, when the mode switch 252 is in the longitudinal transport mode, the controller 126 permits rotation of the at least one drive wheel 64 about the rotational axis 69 at the maximum allowable power assisted speed, such as about 6 miles per hour (about 10 kilometers per hour). Other maximum speeds are also contemplated. When the mode switch 252 is in the multidirectional mode, the controller 126 permits rotation of the at least one drive wheel 64 about the rotational axis 69 at a rotational speed that is substantially less than the maximum allowable power assisted speed in the longitudinal transport mode. In certain embodiments, the maximum allowable power assisted speed in the multidirectional mode is about one quarter of the maximum allowable power assisted speed in the longitudinal transport mode, or around 1.5 miles per hour (about 2.5 kilometers per hour). Other maximum speeds for the multidirectional mode are also contemplated.
A sensor system may be provided to indicate current positions of the at least one drive wheel 64 to the controller 126. The sensor system may comprise sensors S in the lift actuator 66, the swivel actuator 71, and/or the powered drive system 90 that indicate whether the at least one drive wheel 64 is deployed or retracted, a current orientation of the at least one drive wheel 64 about swivel axis 81, and a current rotational speed of the at least one drive wheel 64. The sensors S may be limit switches, reed switches, hall-effect sensors, speed sensors, inertial sensors such as accelerometers and/or gyroscopes, and the like. Feedback from these sensors S can be used by the controller 126 to properly position the drive wheels 64 as desired, i.e., in the desired deployed/retracted state, the desired orientation, and/or at the desired rotational speed.
The controller 126 includes memory 127. Memory 127 may be any memory suitable for storage of data and computer-readable instructions. For example, the memory 127 may be a local memory, an external memory, or a cloud-based memory embodied as random access memory (RAM), non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), flash memory, or any other suitable form of memory. The controller 126 comprises one or more microprocessors for processing instructions or for processing an algorithm stored in memory to control operation of the lift actuator 66, the swivel actuator 71, and the powered drive system 90. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 126 may comprise one or more microcontrollers, field programmable gate arrays, systems on a chip, discrete circuitry, and/or other suitable hardware, software, or firmware that is capable of carrying out the functions described herein. The controller 126 may be carried on-board the patient transport apparatus 20, or may be remotely located. In one embodiment, the controller 126 is mounted to the base 24. The controller 126 may comprise one or more subcontrollers configured to control the lift actuator 66, the swivel actuator 71, or the powered drive system 90, or one or more subcontrollers for each of the lift actuator 66, the swivel actuator 71, and the powered drive system 90. In some cases, one of the subcontrollers may be attached to the intermediate frame 26 with another attached to the base 24. Power to the lift actuator 66, the swivel actuator 71, the powered drive system 90, and/or the controller 126 may be provided by a battery power supply. The controller 126 may communicate with the lift actuator 66, the swivel actuator 71, and the powered drive system 90 via wired or wireless connections. The controller 126 generates and transmits output signals (commands) to the lift actuator 66, the swivel actuator 71, and the powered drive system 90, or components thereof, to operate the lift actuator 66, the swivel actuator 71, and the powered drive system 90 to perform one or more desired functions.
In one embodiment, the controller 126 comprises an internal clock to keep track of time. In one embodiment, the internal clock is a microcontroller clock. The microcontroller clock may comprise a crystal resonator; a ceramic resonator; a resistor, capacitor (RC) oscillator; or a silicon oscillator. Examples of other internal clocks other than those disclosed herein are fully contemplated. The internal clock may be implemented in hardware, software, or both. In some embodiments, the memory 127, microprocessors, and microcontroller clock cooperate to send signals to the lift actuator 66, swivel actuator 71, and the powered drive system 90 to meet predetermined timing parameters.
In
As shown in
The linear direction arrow D3 refers to a direction of travel of the patient transport apparatus 20 along the floor surface 99 in a leftward lateral direction normal to the longitudinal axis 28 and linear directions D1 and D2, while the corresponding linear direction arrow D4 refers to a direction of travel of the patient transport apparatus 20 along the floor surface 99 in a rightward lateral direction normal to the longitudinal axis 28 opposite the leftward lateral direction D3.
The linear direction arrows D5-D8 refer to directions of travel of the patient transport apparatus 20 along the floor surface 99 that are not coincident with any of the respective linear directions D1-D4. More specifically, the linear directions D5-D8 are angled with respect to the longitudinal axis 28 (and also angled with respect to the lateral direction normal to the longitudinal direction) and a respective one of the forward linear direction D1 or rearward linear direction D2 at an angle being between 0 and 90 degrees. Accordingly, the directions D5-D8 are meant to refer to and include each of the infinite number of possible angles that are not defined by the respective linear directions D1-D4. For example, the direction arrow D5 includes all possible angles between D1 and D3.
The clockwise rotational direction DR1 and counterclockwise rotational direction DR2 refers to a direction of travel of the patient transport apparatus 20 along the floor surface 99 in which the patient transport apparatus 20 rotates generally in a clockwise manner or counterclockwise manner about a vertically extending axis of the patient transport apparatus 20.
For ease of description, the linear directions D1-D8 and rotational directions DR1 and DR2 will be utilized in conjunction with the description of the operation of the various embodiments of the user input controls 250 as described in
In
In
As previously described, the sensing system S may be employed to determine a current position of the at least one drive wheel 64 (e.g., deployed/retracted or current orientation about the swivel axis 81) with this feedback being provided to the controller 126 to place the at least one drive wheel 64 in the desired position corresponding to the longitudinal transport mode or the multidirectional mode.
When using a version having two drive wheels 64 as shown in
The user input control 250, and more specifically the mode switch 252 and driving assist device 254, may be provided in many different forms to assist a user in the movement of the patient transport apparatus 20 as described generally in
Referring first to
Each handle member 300 comprises a post member 302 defining a length between a first end and a second end. The handle member 300 also has a graspable handle 304 coupled to the first end 302 and extending transverse to the post member 302. A post axis 301 is also defined along the length of the post member 302.
The driving assist device 254 further comprise an engageable throttle control 306, such as an analog or digital throttle control 306, coupled to a portion of the graspable handle 304. The throttle control 306 is coupled to the controller 126 and the controller 126 is configured to command the powered drive system 90 via the motor 102 to engage the at least one drive wheel 64 to assist in propelling the patient transport apparatus 20 along the floor surface 99 based on input from the throttle control 306. The throttle control 306 can be in many forms and may be hand actuated, finger actuated, thumb actuated, gesture controlled, or the like. For example, the throttle control 306 in
Each of the graspable handles 304 of the pair of handle members 300 are rotatable in a coordinated manner (e.g., simultaneously by the user) in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction about their respective post axis 301 between a coordinated central position or neutral position (as shown in
One of the graspable handles 304 can also include an engageable control device 312, shown as a push button 312, that is depressed in order to allow the rotational movement in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction of the graspable handles 304 about the post axis 301 from the coordinated first position to the coordinated central position, or vice versa. The push button 312 may be connected to a linkage that either allows/restricts rotation of the handle members 300. In the absence of engagement of the engageable control device 312, the pair of handle members 300 remain fixed in the coordinated central position or any other suitable, neutral position. When the user wishes to steer/turn the patient transport apparatus 20 in the longitudinal transport mode, or wishes to reorient the at least one drive wheel 64 in the multidirectional mode, the user depresses the push button 312 to allow rotational movement of the graspable handles 304 to cause such movement, as described further below.
In operation, for example, when the user wishes for powered driving assistance to move the patient transport apparatus 20 in the forward linear direction D1 or rearward linear direction D2 (see directional notations in
In the longitudinal transport mode, when the user wishes to steer/turn the patient transport apparatus 20, such as around a corner, the user first actuates the control device 312 to allow such rotation of the graspable handles 304, which are then turned by the user in the desired direction and at the desired amount to cause sufficient steering/turning. In response, such as when using two drive wheels 64, the controller 126 slows one of the motors 102 relative to the other, which causes the desired steering/turning of the patient transport apparatus 20, with the direction of turning corresponding to which drive wheel 64 is slowed relative to the other. In some embodiments, the controller 126 may dictate the maximum turn angle allowed to be made by the powered drive system 90, regardless of the rotational position of the graspable handles 304. For example, if the patient transport apparatus 20 is moving at its maximum speed down a long hallway, such as at 6 mph, even if the user suddenly rotates the graspable handles 304 to 90 degrees for a sharp left turn, the power drive system 90 will not respond accordingly, but instead only allow a smaller turn (e.g., 20, 10, or 5 degrees) until the speed of the patient transport apparatus 20 is below a certain threshold (which could be measured by a potentiometer, hall-effect sensor at the motor 102, accelerometer, or other speed sensor). A relationship between allowed steering/turn angle and speed is represented in
When the user desires the patient transport apparatus 20 to be moved in one of linear directions D3-D8, for example, the user rotates the rotatable dial 275 to the multidirectional mode (“Mode 2”). The positioning of the rotatable dial 275 in the multidirectional mode dial position (“Mode 2”) generates the second signal that is sent to the controller 126. The user also positions the handle members 300 by rotating the handle members in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction from greater than 0 to 90 degrees about the post axis 301 such that the graspable handles 304 are in a coordinated first position. The potentiometer 308 generates a corresponding position signal that is sent to the controller 126 indicating that the graspable handles 304 are in the coordinated first position and identifying the relative degree of rotation from greater than 0 to 90 degrees. The user then engages the throttle control 306 to generate the engaged signal that is sent to the controller 126. The controller 126 receives the generated second signal and the engaged signal and generates the one or more second commands as described above. For instance, the controller 126 may command the swivel actuator 71 to first reorient the drive wheels 64 to a swiveled position that coincides with the desired direction D3-D8 and actuation of the throttle control 306 may cause the powered drive system 90 to drive the drive wheels 64 at a corresponding speed to aid the user in propelling the patient transport apparatus 20 at rotational speeds up to the maximum allowable speed in the selected mode. By way of example, when the handle members 300 are in the counterclockwise first position as in
In certain embodiments, as the relative rotation of the handle members 300 increases as sensed by the potentiometer 308, the maximum allowable rotational speed of the at least one drive wheel 64 that aids in propelling the patient transport apparatus 20 may be decreased (or increased in some cases). Thus, for example, when the handle members 300 are in the counterclockwise first position as in
In further embodiments not shown, the angle of rotation of the handle members 300 may not be in a 1:1 ratio with the turn angle provided in the longitudinal transport mode and/or the angle of rotation of the handle members 300 may not be in a 1:1 ratio with the amount that the at least one drive wheel 64 is reoriented in the multidirectional mode. For instance, in the embodiment described above, in the longitudinal transport mode, when the handle members 300 are rotated 90 degrees, the patient transport apparatus 20 turns 90 degrees, and, in the multidirectional mode, when the handle members 300 are turned 90 degrees, the at least one drive wheel 64 is swiveled 90 degrees to drive the patient transport apparatus 20 in a lateral direction. However, the ratio of angle of rotation of the handle members 300 to turn angle/swivel angle may be less than 1:1, or greater than 1:1. Accordingly, less, or more, rotation of the handle members 300 could be required to achieve the desired turning or swiveling of the at least one drive wheel 64.
In versions where the mode switch 252 is embodied in software run by the controller 126, switching between the longitudinal transport mode and the multidirectional mode may be carried out by the controller 126 automatically based on speed of the patient transport apparatus 20 (e.g., speed of the motors 102, absolute speed of the patient transport apparatus 20, etc., as determined by a sensor coupled to the controller 126). In other words, when the throttle control 306 is engaged, and the speed is above a certain threshold, the patient transport apparatus 20 is in the longitudinal transport mode and when the speed is below the threshold, the patient transport apparatus 20 is in the multidirectional mode. The speed threshold may be 0.5 mph, 1.0 mph, 1.5 mph, 2.0 mph, 2.5 mph, or the like. For instance, when the speed is above the threshold, e.g., above 1.5 mph, the longitudinal transport mode is active so that when the user rotates the handle members 300, the rotation results in steering/turning of the patient transport apparatus 20, such as by slowing one of the motors 102 relative to the other (e.g., when both drive wheels 64 are rotating in the same longitudinal direction). Conversely, when the speed is below the threshold, e.g., below 1.5 mph, the multidirectional mode is active so that when the user rotates the handle members 300, the swivel actuator 71 reorients the drive wheels 64 to a swiveled position that coincides with the desired direction of movement. In some cases, the patient transport apparatus 20 may only be able to reach speeds above the threshold when the at least one drive wheel 64 is in the non-swiveled position. Accordingly, in some cases, if the at least one drive wheel 64 is in any of the swiveled positions, then it will only be capable of operation in the multidirectional mode until the at least one drive wheel 64 is moved to the non-swiveled position, which could be accomplished by rotating the handle members 300 back to their neutral position.
In a further related embodiment, as shown in
When the rotatable dial 375 is rotated to the clockwise rotation dial position RR (as shown in
Referring now to
When the user wishes for powered driving assistance to move the patient transport apparatus 20 in a forward linear direction D1 or rearward linear direction D2, for example, the user rotates the rotatable dial 375 to the longitudinal transport mode dial position (i.e., “Mode 1” as shown in
When the user wishes for powered driving assistance to move the patient transport apparatus 20 in a transverse linear direction D3-D8, for example, the user rotates the dial 375 to the multidirectional mode dial position (i.e., “Mode 2” as illustrated in
When the rotatable dial 375 is rotated to the clockwise rotation dial position RR or to the counterclockwise rotation dial position RL, the rotatable dial 375 generates the second signal which is sent to the controller 126 to indicate that the patient transport apparatus 20 is in a specific implementation of the multidirectional mode, which operates in a similar manner as described above with respect to
Referring next to
Referring now to
As shown best in
In addition, the mode switch 252 in this embodiment also includes a rotatable dial 475 that is positioned on the headboard 46. The rotatable dial 475 has three positions, including a neutral dial position (“N” as illustrated on
When the user desires to move the patient transport apparatus 20 in a forward linear direction D1 or rearward linear direction D2 (see
When the user desires to move the patient transport apparatus 20 in a lateral leftward linear direction D3 or lateral rightward linear direction D4, for example, the user rotates the rotatable dial 475 to the multidirectional mode dial position (“Mode 2”), which generates the second signal sent to the controller 126. In addition, the user applies a leftward force (shown as F3 in
The load cell 310 may be a six degree of freedom force/torque sensor capable of sensing forces along three axes and torques about three axes. Such a load cell 310 may interconnect the T-bar handle 400 to the headboard 46. As opposed to a load cell 310, other types of force and/or position sensing devices may be utilized, such as one or more displacement sensors, potentiometers (linear or rotational), hall-effect sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, load cells, pressure sensors, optical sensors, and the like. When using these position and/or force based sensors, the controller 126 determines a vector that establishes the direction of motion and the relative speed or acceleration of powered assistance may be based on the magnitude of force sensed or the magnitude of a component (e.g., x, y, z component) of the force that is sensed.
When the user wishes for powered drive assistance to move the patient transport apparatus 20 in a transverse linear direction D5-D8, the user rotates the rotatable dial 475 to the multidirectional mode dial position (“Mode 2”), which generates the second signal sent to the controller 126. The user then applies a rotational torque to the second bar 404 about the steering axis 401 in a counterclockwise manner as represented in
The user simultaneously applies a force (i.e., a forward force F5 or rearward force F6 applied to the T-bar handle 400 shown in
In further embodiments, a second T-Bar handle (not shown) may be coupled to one of the side rails 38, 40, 42, or 44, in addition to the T-Bar handle 400 that is coupled to the headboard 46 (or footboard 48). In this way, a user located along the side of the patient transport apparatus 20 may operate the second T-Bar handle in substantially the same manner as the first T-Bar handle 400 to facilitate movement of the patient transport apparatus 20.
Referring now to
In addition, the mode switch 252 comprises a rotatable dial 575 that is positioned on the support structure 22. The rotatable dial 575 is the equivalent of the rotatable dial 275 illustrated in
When the user desires to move the patient transport apparatus 20 in the forward linear direction D1 or rearward linear direction D2, for example, the user moves the rotatable dial 575 to the longitudinal transport mode (“Mode 1”), which generates the first signal sent to the controller 126. In addition, the user applies a forward force (shown as V1 in
When the user wishes for powered driving assistance via the motor 102 of the powered drive system 90 to assist in moving the patient transport apparatus 20 in a transverse linear direction (e.g., one of the transverse linear directions D3-D8 as described and illustrated with respect to
When the user desires to rotate the patient transport apparatus 20 in a clockwise direction or counterclockwise direction in the multidirectional mode, the user rotates the joystick 500 in a clockwise direction (shown as J1 in
In certain embodiments, as also shown in
Conversely, the actuation of the neutral button 507 by the user, such as by depressing the neutral button 507, generates a neutral signal that is sent to the controller 126 that causes the lift actuator 66 to retract the at least one drive wheel 64 so that the user can move the patient transport apparatus 20 manually. The neutral button 507 could be used to replace the neutral mode on the rotatable dial 575.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In this embodiment, the mode switch 252 further comprises a touch sensor 316 that is accessible via a user's thumb in a pocket defined in one of the graspable handles 304. Of course, other forms of mode switch 252 could also be employed. Visual indicators 514, 516 (shown as light indicator rings) may be coupled to the controller 126 to indicate which mode and associated driving assist device 254 is active. The visual indicators 514, 516 may comprise one or more light emitting diodes or LEDs, such as multi-colored LEDs. The visual indicator 514, which is coupled to one or both of the handle members 300, could be activated to emit light when in the longitudinal transport mode and the visual indicator 516, which is coupled to the joystick 500, could be activated to emit light when in the multidirectional mode. In some cases, when one of the modes is active, only one of the visual indicators 514, 516 emits light. In other cases, the visual indicators 514, 516 may both emit light, but of different colors. For example, in the longitudinal transport mode, the visual indicator 514 may emit green or blue light to indicate being active and the visual indicator 516 may emit red or orange light to indicate being inactive, and vice versa for the multidirectional mode. Other combinations of lighting schemes or visual indications of the active/inactive modes are also contemplated.
In this embodiment, in order to enter the longitudinal transport mode, the user contacts the touch sensor 316, which sends the first signal to the controller 126 and activates the visual indicator 514 as described. The handle members 300 are now active and the joystick 500 is inactive. Manual force is then applied by the user to the pair of handle members 300 to provide power assistance in the manner previously described above. To enter the multidirectional mode, the user contacts the touch sensor 511, which sends the second signal to the controller 126. The joystick 500 is now active and the handle members 300 become inactive. The user may then apply a particular force V1-V8 or rotational torque J1-J2 to the joystick 500 in order to initiate the power assist feature in the manner described above in
Referring to
The location device 129, in certain embodiments, functions to provide the controller 126 with information regarding the location of the patient transport apparatus 20 relative to a building or room or alternatively functions to provide information regarding the location of objects present in the building or room relative to the patient transport apparatus 20.
The location device 129 may be a global positioning satellite (GPS) device or similar device that is remotely coupled to the controller 126 which can identify the relative location of the patient transport apparatus 20 in the building or room and send the location signal to the controller 126 on the basis of the identified location.
The location device 129 may also be in the form of a sensor that is coupled to the patient transport apparatus 20 that can sense objects (dynamic or static objects) in proximity to the patient transport apparatus 20 and send the location signal to the controller 126 that identifies the location of such dynamic or static objects. Alternatively, the sensors may be located within the buildings or rooms in which the patient transport apparatus 20 is located and function to sense the relative location of the patient transport apparatus 20 within the respective building or room and with respect to the sensed dynamic or static objects. Sensed objects may be in the form of inanimate objects such as walls, carts, boxes, or the like, as well as animate objects such as people. The sensors may come in many forms, such as a visible light camera, an infrared camera, a radar, proximity sensors, or the like.
The location device 129 generates a location signal that is sent to the controller 126 on the basis of the sensed location of the patient transport apparatus 20, or on the basis of the sensed object's location relative to the location of the patient transport apparatus 20. The controller 126 receives the location signal and in turn generates an output signal that will automatically switch between modes, maintain the current mode, or limit switching to a different mode, on the basis of the sensed location. Such sensed locations, for example, might be in tight spaces such as elevators, or in hospital rooms, where it is desirable to limit the speed of the motor 102 of the powered drive system 90 to speeds associated with the multidirectional mode, as described above. For example, when the patient transport apparatus 20 is in or near an elevator or in a patient room, the controller 126 may lockout the user's ability to switch to the longitudinal transport mode to avoid moving at high speeds, but may allow movement in the multidirectional mode, which may have a lower maximum speed as described above. Similarly, the controller 126 may automatically switch or enable switching to the longitudinal transport mode once the patient transport apparatus 20 is outside of the elevator or the patient's room.
By maintaining the patient transport apparatus 20 in the multidirectional mode on the basis of the generated sensed location signal, the power assist feature of the patient transport apparatus 20 will limit the speed in which the powered drive system 90 commands the motor 102 to assist the user in propelling the patient transport apparatus 20, thus allowing the user to better and more safely control the movement of the patient transport apparatus 20 in these circumstances. Stated another way, the location device 129 provides an environmental awareness aspect to the powered drive system 90 of the patient transport apparatus 20 by controlling switching (or the enablement of such switching) between the longitudinal transport mode and the multidirectional mode that aids a user in safely and efficiently transporting a patient in particular locations.
Other forms of handles with load cells, potentiometers, or other sensors, could act as the driving assist devices 254 and be located anywhere on the patient transport apparatus 20, as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0089283, filed on Dec. 10, 2015, entitled, “Patient Support Apparatus,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. Similarly, the headboard 46, footboard 48, and/or side rails 38, 40, 42, 44, themselves could act as the driving assist devices 254 in combination with one or more load cells sensing forces applied thereon, as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0089283, filed on Dec. 10, 2015, entitled, “Patient Support Apparatus,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
In some versions, electronic actuation of brakes and/or steer lock may be integrated into any of the handle members 300, the T-bar handle 400, the joystick 500, and the like, such as by using some form of brake/steer lock actuators, e.g., touch sensors, switches, pushbuttons, etc. that place the support wheels 56 in a braked or unbraked state and may place one or more of the support wheels 56 in a steer locked state.
It will be further appreciated that the terms “include,” “includes,” and “including” have the same meaning as the terms “comprise,” “comprises,” and “comprising.”
Several embodiments have been discussed in the foregoing description. However, the embodiments discussed herein are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to any particular form. The terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings and the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
This application claims priority to and all advantages of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/649,790, which was filed on Mar. 29, 2018 the disclosure of which is specifically incorporated by reference.
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