Integrated patient bed system

Abstract

The present invention includes an integrated system and methods for patient treatment, the system includes a hospital bed; a plurality of patient diagnostic and treatment devices connected to a network, wherein each of the devices can communicate to a network and exchange information with the network about the care of a patient; and a processor accessible adjacent to the bed and connected to the network to integrate information obtained from the devices through the network with one or more additional sources of information databases, wherein the processor can communicate to one or more patient treatment devices either directly or via the network and the processor directs the one or more patient treatment devices to change the treatment of the patient.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A patient support system comprising:
 a patient support;   a light source positioned to emits waves toward a patient on the support;   an electromagnetic detector positioned to detect one or more wave reflections from patient tissues, wherein the wave emissions and reflections traverse a substrate between the patient tissues and the light source; and   a processor connected to the detector that stores one or more parameters of the tissue's condition that are indicative of tissue health, wherein an indication of tissue health is used to change conditions at or about the site of tissue contact.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is connected to one or more support repositioning devices that automatically move the patient if a change in tissue health is detected. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein portions of tissue that show a change in tissue health are marked for continued monitoring. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is connected to one or more devices at the patient support that heat, cool, increase or decrease humidity, deliver pharmaceuticals, increase oxygen delivery, decrease pressure, increase pressure of the tissue at or about a site in need of treatment. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the patient support comprises at least a portion of a hospital bed. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic detector comprises a transceiver that emits waves and detects wave reflections from the patient's tissue, wherein the wave emissions and reflections are selected to traverse one or more substrates positioned between the array and the patient's tissue. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic detector detects electromagnetic waves that are visible, infrared, near infrared or hyperspectral. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic detector detects signals that the processor converts into at least one measurement of change in tissue conditions, wherein the at least one measurement is selected from tissue blood flow, tissue oxygenation, tissue temperature, tissue humidity, tissue compression, tissue shear or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor may further store additional patient data selected from age, gender, weight, patient blood pressure, tissue oxygenation, body temperature, humidity or combinations thereof over time to create one or more images of locations for therapy prior to tissue degradation, during treatment of tissue degradation or following treatment for tissue degradation. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor generates an image of the potential tissue degradation on the patient's body for use in treating the tissue prior to tissue deterioration. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic detector comprises at least one of spectral imagers, digital sensors, analog sensors, photomultiplier tubes, bolometers or microbolometers, charge coupled device sensors, charge injection sensors, linear scan sensors, surface acoustic wave sensors, quartz crystal resonators, metal oxide sensors, dye-coated fiber optic sensors, dye-impregnated bead arrays, micromachined cantilever arrays, chemically-sensitive resistor or capacitor films, metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors, infrared sensors, ultraviolet sensors, and bulk organic conducting polymeric sensors. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the patient support comprises an array of chambers, wherein a pressure within each chamber can be varied individually or in groups. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tissue health is selected from bed sores, cancerous lesions, skin grafts, skin temperature, skin oxygenation, burns, skin trauma, skin diseases, autoinflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . A method of using an integrated system for patient treatment, the system comprising:
 positioning a subject on a hospital bed, wherein the hospital bed comprises:
 a patient support; 
 a light source positioned to emits waves toward a patient on the support; 
 an electromagnetic detector positioned to detect one or more wave reflections from patient tissues, wherein the wave emissions and reflections traverse a substrate between the patient tissues and the light source; and 
 a processor connected to the detector that stores one or more parameters of the tissue's condition that are indicative of tissue health, wherein an indication of tissue health is used to change conditions at or about the site of tissue contact; 
   exposing the patient to waves emitted by the light source; and   determining if there has been a change in the one or more parameters of the tissue's condition.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the patient support further comprises:
 a plurality of patient diagnostic and treatment devices connected to a network, wherein each of the devices can communicate to a network and exchange information with the network about the care of a patient; and   a processor accessible adjacent to the bed and connected to the network to integrate information obtained from the devices through the network with one or more additional sources of information databases, wherein the processor can communicate to one or more patient treatment devices either directly or via the network and the processor directs the one or more patient treatment devices to change the treatment of the patient.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein one of the one or more patient treatment devices comprise at least one of a ventilator; a vacuum hose; an intravenous pump; a catheter; a dialysis machine; a blood occlusion regulator; an oxygen administration device; an infusion unit; and a nitrous oxide administration device; a chemotherapy device; a radiotherapy device; an enteral feeding device; or a defibrillator. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein one of the one or more patient diagnostic devices is at least one of an x-ray detector, a hematology measuring device, a sphygmomanometer; a tonometer; an electroencephalograph; an impedance cardiography device; a carbon dioxide measuring device, a pulse oximeter; an electrocardiogram; a bispectral index; a scale; a pressure, flow and/or volume measurement device; a non-invasive blood pressure device; an invasive blood pressure device; a thermometer; a transcutaneous Doppler device; a transesophageal Doppler device; or a fluorescence activated cell sorter; a conductance meter or a hyperspectral imager. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of displaying the changes in the tissue's condition. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the processor detects a change in the tissue's condition, and based on the same varies the rate of administering an intravenous fluid, a ventilator, a defibrillator, or a dialysis machine based on at least one of the following: the heart rate, the temperature of the patient, weight of the patient, electrical activity of the brain, the rate of the patient's breathing, the amount of collected urine, the analysis of the patient's blood, the dialysis treatment, blood pressure and the blood oxygen saturation. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the processor directly provides heating or cooling to the patient based on the patient's body temperature needs. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the tissue's condition is selected from bed sores, cancerous lesions, skin grafts, skin temperature, skin oxygenation, burns, skin trauma, skin diseases, autoinflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         22 . An integrated system for patient treatment, the system comprising:
 a light source that emits waves;   an electromagnetic detector positioned to detect one or more parameters of a patient's tissue health, wherein the detector detects wave reflections from the patient's tissue, wherein the wave emissions and reflections traverse one or more substrates positioned between the electromagnetic detector and the patient's tissue;   a processor connected to the detector that stores one or more parameters of the tissue's condition that are indicative of tissue health, wherein an indication of tissue health is used to change conditions at or about the site of tissue contact; and   one or more patient diagnostic and treatment devices connected to a network, wherein each of the devices can communicate to a network and exchange information with the network about the care of a patient; and   a processor accessible adjacent to the patient and connected to the network to integrate information obtained from the devices through the network with one or more additional sources of information databases, wherein the processor can communicate to one or more patient treatment devices and the processor either directly or via the network directs the one or more patient treatment devices to change the treatment of the patient.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising a storage media or display monitor in communication with the processor to store the patient's tissue health information. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the processor is connected to one or more support repositioning devices that automatically move the patient if a change in tissue health is detected. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein portions of tissue that show a change in tissue health are marked with a fiducial for continued monitoring. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the processor is connected to one or more devices at the patient support that heat, cool, increase, decrease humidity, systemic pharmaceuticals, increased oxygen delivery, decrease pressure, increase pressure of the tissue at or about a site in need of treatment. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein one of the one or more patient treatment devices comprise at least one of a ventilator; a vacuum hose; an intravenous pump; a catheter; a dialysis machine; a blood occlusion regulator; an oxygen administration device; an infusion unit; and a nitrous oxide administration device; a chemotherapy device; a radiotherapy device; an enteral feeding device; or a defibrillator. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein one of the patient diagnostic devices is at least one of an x-ray detector, hematology measuring device, a sphygmomanometer; a tonometer; an electroencephalograph; an impedance cardiography device; a carbon dioxide measuring device, a pulse oximeter; an electrocardiogram; a bispectral index; a scale; a pressure, flow and/or volume measurement device; a non-invasive blood pressure device; an invasive blood pressure device; a thermometer; a transcutaneous Doppler device; a transesophageal Doppler device; or a fluorescence activated cell sorter; a conductance meter or a hyperspectral imager. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein one of the devices is at least one monitor for displaying a patient's condition. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the tissue health is selected from bed sores, cancerous lesions, skin grafts, skin temperature, skin oxygenation, burns, skin trauma, skin diseases, autoinflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and combinations thereof.