Patient Weighing and Bed Exit Monitoring

Abstract

Patient support systems are generally disclosed. An example patient support system may be configured to provide a predictive bed-exit alarm and/or a patient weight. An example embodiment may include a support structure including independently inflatable supports, an inflatable mat beneath the inflatable supports, and pressure detectors associated with the inflatable supports and the inflatable mat. An alarm logic may be configured to initiate a predictive bed-exit alarm sequence upon determining that at least one of the pressures of the inflatable supports is at about its respective unloaded pressure. A patient weight logic may be configured to output a patient weight based at least partially upon a difference between an unloaded pressure and a loaded pressure of the inflatable mat.

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         5 . A method of providing a predictive bed-exit alarm, the method comprising:
 receiving a patient on a support structure, the support structure comprising a plurality of fluidicly independent inflatable supports disposed within the support structure and inflated to respective unloaded pressures, each of the plurality of inflatable supports being configured to support at least a portion of the patient's weight when the patient is in a generally supine position on the support structure;   monitoring a respective loaded pressure of each of the plurality of inflatable supports, the loaded pressure of each of the plurality of inflatable supports being above the respective unloaded pressure;   initiating a predictive bed-exit alarm sequence upon determining that the pressure of at least one of the plurality of inflatable supports, but fewer than all of the plurality of inflatable supports, is at about its unloaded pressure.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the plurality of inflatable supports comprises a foot section inflatable support, a hip section inflatable support, a torso section inflatable support, and a head section inflatable support; and   wherein the initiating the predictive bed-exit alarm comprises initiating the predictive bed-exit alarm upon determining that pressures of at least two of, but less than all of, the foot section inflatable support, the hip section inflatable support, the torso section inflatable support, and the head section inflatable support are at about their respective unloaded pressures.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising, upon being initiated, the bed-exit alarm sequence comprises at least one of sounding a local audible alarm and transmitting an alarm signal to a remote receiver. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising, upon being initiated, the bed-exit alarm sequence comprises playing a prerecorded audible message and, after playing the prerecorded audible message, sounding a local audible alarm. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the bed-exit alarm sequence further comprises transmitting an alarm signal to a remote receiver. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising, prior to initiating the predictive bed-exit alarm sequence, recording the prerecorded audible message. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising
 prior to initiating the predictive bed-exit alarm sequence, disabling the predictive bed-exit alarm sequence upon receipt of a pause command;   detecting respective unloaded pressures in each of the plurality of inflatable supports; and   upon detecting pressures above the respective unloaded pressures in each of the plurality of inflatable supports, enabling the predictive bed-exit alarm sequence.   
     
     
         12 . A support structure system comprising:
 a support structure configured to receive a patient thereon, the support structure comprising a first inflatable support and a second inflatable support disposed within the support structure, the first inflatable support and the second inflatable support being independently inflatable, each of the first inflatable support and the second inflatable support supporting at least a portion of the patient's weight when the patient is in a generally supine position on the support structure, the first inflatable support and the second inflatable support having respective unloaded pressures, the first inflatable support and the second inflatable support having respective loaded pressures when the patient is in the generally supine position on the support structure, the respective loaded pressures being greater than the respective unloaded pressures; and   an alarm system comprising
 a first pressure detector associated with the first inflatable support, 
 a second pressure detector associated with the second inflatable support, and 
 an alarm logic configured to receive data associated with a detected pressure of the first inflatable support, to receive data associated with a detected pressure of the second inflatable support, and to initiate a predictive bed-exit alarm sequence upon determining that only one of the detected pressure of the first inflatable support and the detected pressure of the second inflatable support is at about its respective unloaded pressure. 
   
     
     
         13 . The support structure system of  claim 12 , wherein the first pressure detector and the second pressure detector are disposed within the support structure. 
     
     
         14 . The support structure system of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the first pressure detector and the second pressure detector are disposed external to the support structure, and   wherein the first pressure detector and the second pressure detector are fluidicly coupled to the first inflatable support and the second inflatable support, respectively.   
     
     
         15 . The support structure of  claim 12 , further comprising
 a third inflatable support and a fourth inflatable support disposed within the support structure, the third inflatable support and the fourth inflatable support being independently inflatable, each of the third inflatable support and the fourth inflatable support supporting at least a portion of the patient's weight when the patient is in the generally supine position on the support structure, the third inflatable support and the fourth inflatable support having respective unloaded pressures, the third inflatable support and the fourth inflatable support having respective loaded pressures when the patient is in the generally supine position on the support structure, the respective loaded pressures of the third inflatable support and the fourth inflatable support being greater than the respective unloaded pressures of the third inflatable support and the fourth inflatable support;   a third pressure detector associated with the third inflatable support; and   a fourth pressure detector associated with the fourth inflatable support;   wherein the alarm logic is configured to receive data associated with a detected pressure of the third inflatable support, to receive data associated with a detected pressure of the fourth inflatable support; and   wherein the alarm logic is configured to initiate the predictive bed-exit alarm sequence upon determining that at least two of, but fewer than all of, the detected pressure of the first inflatable support, the detected pressure of the second inflatable support, the detected pressure of the third inflatable support, and the detected pressure of the fourth inflatable support is at about its respective unloaded pressure.   
     
     
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