Hospital telephone and device controller
Contents
1. 160 is moveable horizontally in track 162 permitting adjust ment of the position of support arm 150 relative to patient 70 Holster 138 is coupled to second end 136 Flexible portion 154 is mechanically coupled to rigid portion 152 Flexible portion 154 is a flexibly positionable gooseneck member which permits holster 138 to be rotated and repo sitioned to vary the orientation of holster 138 and pendant 20 While FIG 11 shows structure 40 adjacent to patient support apparatus 10 this structure 40 may be used adjacent to any location where a patient 70 or caregiver may find it useful Holster 138 as described above permits pendant removal by patient 70 0049 In another embodiment holster 138 is coupled to a video display 176 as is shown in FIG 12 Video display 176 is supported by a structural system 342 comprising a mount 170 coupled to a wall 148 A universal coupler 174 is attached to mount 170 wherein universal coupler 174 pivots in a plurality of directions An arm 172 is attached to universal coupler 174 at a first end of arm 172 opposite mount 170 A second universal coupler 174 is attached to arm 172 at a second end of arm 172 A second arm 172 is attached to second coupler 174 at a first end of the second arm 172 Acap 178 is coupled to a second end of second arm 172 A hanger 180 is pivotably coupled to cap 178 and hanger 180 is configured to support video display 176 The resulting system permits positioning of video display 12. 78 begins at the interior intersection of surface 350 and the upper side surface not shown A surface 264 is formed and extends at an angle obtuse to surface 350 until surface 264 intersects with flange 114 Angled cut out 79 begins at the interior intersection of surface 350 and lower surface 352 A surface 265 is formed and extends at an angle obtuse to surface 350 until surface 264 intersects with flange 114 Angled cut outs 78 79 are horizontally centered in cavity 262 and have a width which is approximately one third of the horizontal width of cavity 262 A right side surface 354 of cavity 262 has a passage 268 for cord 32 to pass from retraction mechanism 76 to pendant 20 0036 When holster 26 is placed into siderail opening 116 concave surfaces 122 123 snap over convex surfaces 128 129 resulting in a removable and slidable coupling of holster 26 to siderail 18 As indicated by arrows 334 in FIG 2 holster 26 is configured to slide within siderail opening 116 to a number of positions within the longitudinal length of opening 116 Body 118 is constructed of a material having sufficient flexibility to allow two edges 272 273 to slip past convex surfaces 128 129 providing retention of holster 26 in siderail opening 116 The freedom of movement of holster 26 in siderail opening 116 permits the sliding movement of holster 26 to adjust the position of holster 26 within siderail opening 116 To minimize unwanted movement releasable latc
3. use of a weight on the cord outboard of the siderail which tends to pulls the cord through the holster when the user stows the pendant In one embodi ment the holster is omitted and the pendant is configured to couple directly to the siderail for storage 0010 Additional features which alone or in combination with any other feature s including those listed above and those listed in the claims may comprise patentable subject matter and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 0011 The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which 0012 FIG 1 is a perspective view of a patient support apparatus showing the patient side of a holster coupled to a siderail with a hand held pendant stowed in the holster 0013 FIG 2 is a perspective view of a patient support apparatus showing the outboard side of a holster coupled to a siderail with a weighted cord used to retract a hand held pendant cord 0014 FIG 3A is a perspective view of the patient side of a holster with a hand held pendant extending from the holster 0015 FIG 3B is a perspective view of the backside of the holster of FIG 3A with a hook in an extended position 0016 FIG 4 is a front view of a hand held pendant showing b
4. 06 1 A patient support apparatus the apparatus comprising a frame a siderail coupled to the frame a hand held pendant functioning as both a telephone and a controller to receive user inputs that control at least some patient support apparatus functions and a holster coupled to the siderail and moveable to a plurality of positions on the siderail the holster being configured to hold the pendant until removed by a user 2 The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pendant is substantially waterproof 3 The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pendant further comprises an electrical cord which couples the pendant to the patient support apparatus 4 The patient support apparatus of claim 3 wherein the electrical cord is retractable 5 The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pendant further comprises a wireless connection which couples the pendant to the patient support apparatus 6 The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pendant further comprises a touchscreen user interface 7 The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pendant is configured to disable control of the patient support apparatus when the telephone is in use 8 The patient support apparatus of claim 1 where in the pendant is configured to mute television and other audio when the telephone is answered 9 A communication and control apparatus for use by a person in a patient room having a patient s
5. 76 in a plurality of positions relative to wall 148 with video display 179 orientable in a plurality of angles relative to patient 70 Holster 138 is coupled to video display 176 As discussed in previous embodiments holster 176 is config ured to receive pendant 20 While FIG 12 shows structural system 342 adjacent to patient support apparatus 10 this structural system 342 may be used adjacent to any location where a patient 70 or caregiver may find it useful Addi tionally structural system 342 has mount 170 coupled to wall 148 In alternative embodiments mount 170 may couple to any structure capable of supporting the load of video display 176 The structural system may have plurality universal couplers 174 and plurality arms 172 as is required to accomplish the configuration desired and this disclosure should not be construed to be limited to two arms 172 and two couplers 174 0050 FIG 13 illustrates yet another embodiment wherein a pendant 182 functioning as both a telephone and a controller for one or more functions of a patient support apparatus 10 comprises a touchscreen display 184 a speaker 186 a microphone 200 hard function keys for menu 300 television 310 telephone 312 and nurse call 198 US 2006 0056616 Al Pendant 182 provides multiple functions to a user from a single user interface Touchscreen 184 is a liquid crystal display LCD in the illustrative embodiment Other types of touchscreens may be used if desire
6. US 20060056616A1 as United States a Patent Application Publication ao Pub No US 2006 0056616 Al Heimbrock 43 Pub Date Mar 16 2006 54 76 21 22 60 HOSPITAL TELEPHONE AND DEVICE CONTROLLER Inventor Richard H Heimbrock Cincinnati OH US Correspondence Address BARNES amp THORNBURG 11 SOUTH MERIDIAN INDIANAPOLIS IN 46204 Appl No 11 216 202 Filed Aug 31 2005 Related U S Application Data Provisional application No 60 608 979 filed on Sep 10 2004 334 32 I8 130 28 go 334 Publication Classification 51 Int Cl HO4M 1 00 2006 01 HO4M 9 00 2006 01 52 USCh cic Getta Sane ena 379 428 01 57 ABSTRACT A hand held pendant operating as a telephone and a con troller of one or more functions of a patient support appa ratus is disclosed The hand held pendant has a complemen tary holster which mounts in the siderail of the patient support apparatus and serves to retain the hand held pendant The hand held pendant has two sides one func tioning as a telephone and the other as a controller for one or more functions of a patient support apparatus 20 LA Patent Application Publication Mar 16 2006 Sheet 1 of 8 US 2006 0056616 Al 129 8 130 28 90 334 WA Naf oboe AF EARRA 128 k Li FIG 2 ag 70 go TY ey 10 Patent Application Publication Mar 16 2006 Sheet 2 of 8 US 2006 0056616 Al Patent Application Publi
7. a pendant carried by the holster 0025 FIG 13 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a hand held pendant wherein the hand held pendant has a touchscreen display 0026 FIG 14 is a screen shot of the pendant of FIG 13 showing the touchscreen configured to control telephone functions of the pendant 0027 FIG 15 is a screen shot of the pendant of FIG 13 showing the touchscreen configured as an interactive menu 0028 FIG 16 is a screen shot of the pendant of FIG 13 showing the touchscreen configured to operate as an input device to alter television channel and volume settings 0029 FIG 17 is a perspective view of a patient support apparatus with another embodiment of a pendant stowed directly into the opening of a siderail and a first side of the pendant facing toward a patient and having buttons to control functions of the patient support apparatus 0030 FIG 18 is a perspective view of a second side of the pendant of FIG 17 showing the pendant having buttons useable to control telephone functions of the pendant and 0031 FIG 19 is a perspective view partly diagrammatic of a hospital room illustrating a hand held pendant wire lessly communicating with a telephone system and with other devices DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 0032 A hand held pendant 20 shown in FIG 1 functions as both a telephone and a controller to receive inputs from a user to control one or more functions of a patien
8. ant 20 Nodules 110 provide a discontinu ous edge surface to absorb shock and provide improved gripping of the pendant 20 The outer housing of pendant 20 is constructed of plastic in some embodiments although any material s of suitable strength may be used 0042 First side 86 further comprises a speaker 46 func tion buttons 90 selector buttons 52 and a nurse call button 50 Function buttons 90 are selectable such as by pressing to choose a function of the bed to be operated In the illustrative embodiment functions include control of the height of patient support apparatus 10 and articulation func tions of patient support apparatus 10 including head eleva tion and knee elevation In other embodiments functions controlled may include other patient controlled devices such as television channel up channel down volume up volume down radio audio direct lighting or indirect lighting Selector buttons 52 permit the user to provide input to the selected function For example if the television function is selected selector buttons 52 will alter channel and volume settings on the television Nurse call button 50 is used by patient 70 to engage communication with caregiver staff at a location remote from the patient room 38 Selector buttons 52 function buttons 90 and nurse call button 50 are all back lit to improve visibility of the respective buttons in low light situations and include raised areas to improve locating of the button
9. ation support structure 40 can be moved to different areas of the room with relative ease permitting the pendant 20 to be positioned near a chair 60 or near a patient support apparatus 10 as required in the particular circumstance In this embodiment electrical cord 32 is coupled to an interface box 112 In an alternative embodiment electrical cord 32 may be coupled to patient support apparatus 10 and the signals split within patient support apparatus 10 While the illustrated embodiment shows interface box 112 mounted to a wall it is contem plated that interface box may be located anywhere within a Mar 16 2006 room as required to manage routing electrical cord 32 In another embodiment electrical cord 32 is routed through support structure 40 0048 In still another embodiment a support arm 150 is coupled to a structure 42 that is attached to a wall 148 of a hospital room as shown in FIG 11 Support arm 150 comprises a first end 134 moveable to a plurality of positions along structure 42 and a second end 136 moveably posi tionable to a plurality of points in space Support arm 150 further comprises a rigid portion 152 and a flexible portion 154 Rigid portion 152 extends out away from structure 42 Support arm 150 is coupled to structure 42 by a plate 160 which is retained in track 162 of structure 42 Arm 150 is pivotable about axis 330 relative to plate 160 Track 162 supports plate 160 which in turn supports arm 150 Plate
10. cation Mar 16 2006 Sheet 3 of 8 US 2006 0056616 A1 Patent Application Publication Mar 16 2006 Sheet 4 of 8 US 2006 0056616 Al Patent Application Publication Mar 16 2006 Sheet 5 of 8 US 2006 0056616 Al Patent Application Publication Mar 16 2006 Sheet 6 of 8 US 2006 0056616 Al OTHER CONTROLS CALL CAREGIVER INTERNET MEDICALINFO PLO 14 FIG 13 Plo 16 Patent Application Publication Mar 16 2006 Sheet 7 of 8 US 2006 0056616 Al Patent Application Publication Mar 16 2006 Sheet 8 of 8 US 2006 0056616 Al ISX A Me 4 TELEPHONE STATION CONTROLS SYSTEM US 2006 0056616 Al HOSPITAL TELEPHONE AND DEVICE CONTROLLER RELATED APPLICATIONS 0001 This application claims the benefit under 35 U S C 119 e of U S Provisional Patent Application Ser No 60 608 979 filed Sep 10 2004 which is hereby incor porated by reference herein in its entirety BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 0002 The present disclosure relates to a pendant to be used in a hospital or other healthcare facility room for a patient to control various devices and equipment in the room or to communicate externally from the room More particu larly the present disclosure relates to a pendant operating as both a controller and telephone with improved positioning so that it is readily accessible by the patient 0003 Various types of controllers and communication devices are known in the healthcare environment Cont
11. d Touchscreen display 184 provides a menu driven interface including at least a telephone keypad display shown in FIG 14 a plurality of menu screens as shown in FIG 15 and a control screen as shown in FIG 16 Pendant 182 has a similar shape as pendant 20 and interfaces with holsters 26 and 138 in a similar fashion to pendant 20 Functions available to be controlled from pendant 182 include at least one function of a patient support apparatus 10 Additionally radio televi sion lighting audio games internet access and other similarly useful functions may be controlled from pendant 182 0051 Function keys are programmed to activate a par ticular menu on touchscreen display 184 to eliminate the need to scroll through several menus to utilize a particular function Function keys in this embodiment are a bed function key 300 television key 310 and telephone key 312 The bed function key activates a touchscreen menu which allows the user to manipulate various patient support appa ratus 10 functions by touching appropriate fields of the touchscreen The television key 310 activates a screen on display 184 shown in FIG 13 which allows the user to control television functions by touching any of the following fields appearing on touchscreen 184 volume up 290 vol ume down 288 channel up 282 channel down 284 closed captioning 274 radio 276 indirect lighting 278 and direct lighting 280 The telephone key activates a menu which al
12. ed to mute television and other audio when the telephone is answered US 2006 0056616 Al 18 A communication and control apparatus for use by a person in a patient room having a patient support apparatus therein the communication and control apparatus compris ing a hand held pendant functioning as both a telephone and a controller to receive user inputs that control at least some patient support apparatus functions the hand held pendant having a touchscreen user input that displays a first screen for bed control and a second screen for telephone control 19 The communication and control apparatus of claim 18 wherein the pendant is configured to disable control of the patient support apparatus when the telephone is in use 20 The communication and control apparatus of claim 18 where in the pendant is configured to mute television and other audio when the telephone is answered 21 A communication and control apparatus for use by a person in a patient room having a structure and a patient support apparatus therein the communication and control apparatus comprising a hand held pendant functioning as both a telephone and a controller to receive user inputs that control at least some patient support apparatus functions a support adjustable to a plurality of positions adapted to be coupled to a structure in the patient room and Mar 16 2006 a holster coupled to the support the holster being con figured to hold the penda
13. ent 70 as necessary An opposite end of electrical cord 32 is coupled to an interface box 112 which splits the telephone signal from the controller signal and further conducts the signal to each appropriate device Support structure 40 is coupled to clamp 64 0046 Support structure 40 comprises a flexibly position able gooseneck member 340 Referring to FIG 8 support structure 40 is movable between a first position in solid on a left side of apparatus 10 and a second position in phantom on a right side of apparatus 10 The gooseneck member 340 of support structure 40 can be moved relative to clamp 64 to a number of configured positions Clamp 64 is moveable to a number of positions along mounting bar 66 and is lockable to fix support structure 40 in any desired position between the first and second positions Second end of support structure 40 may be positioned on either side of patient support apparatus 10 or may be positioned such that patient 70 can access pendant 20 while sitting in a chair 60 adjacent to patient support apparatus 10 FIG 9 illustrates the same structure 40 attached directly to chair 60 providing flexibility of positioning within the patient room with a first position shown in solid and a second position shown in phantom Flexible positioning of pendant 20 allows patient 70 to access pendant 20 throughout the room 0047 FIG 10 further illustrates support structure 40 coupled to overbed table 62 In this configur
14. eriphery of body 118 and generally has a peripheral shape similar to the shape of the periphery of body 118 The back of body 118 has an upper concave surface 122 a lower concave surface 123 a left side surface 260 a right side surface 252 and a back surface 258 Concave surfaces 122 123 have concavity following axes extending along the horizontal width of body 118 Concave surfaces 122 123 are complementary to twp convex surfaces 128 129 of the upper and lower portions of siderail opening 116 The front of body 118 has a cavity 262 A surface 350 that is internal to cavity 262 and at the back of cavity 262 is shaped to conform to the surface of the second side of pendant 20 comprising the telephone functions such that pendant 20 may only be stowed with patient support appa ratus function controls exposed The interior surface not shown of upper side 256 and an interior surface 352 of lower side 250 are shaped to receive the exterior profile of pendant 20 0035 Flange 114 extends internally beyond a lower sur face 352 and an upper side surface not shown of body 118 partially covering cavity 262 and forming a lip 120 which serves to retain pendant 20 when it is stowed in holster 26 Lip 120 is sized such that pendant 20 slips past lip 120 which flexes when stowing or removing force is placed on lip 120 Holster 26 has angled cut outs 78 and 79 to permit gripping access by patient 70 to remove pendant 20 from holster 26 Angled cut out
15. h 28 provides a positive engagement between holster 26 US 2006 0056616 Al and siderail 18 Releasable latch 28 is biased to an engaged position pressing releasable latch 28 against convex surface 128 of siderail 18 Releasable latch 28 is retained in body 118 which has a cavity 130 to permit releasable latch 28 to pass below edge 272 of body 118 as holster 26 is inserted into siderail opening 116 The releasable latch 28 bias must be overcome to insert holster 26 into siderail 18 0037 Upon installation an extension spring not shown forces the releasable latch 28 upward against convex surface 128 to provide positive engagement with the siderail 18 Holster 26 slides within siderail opening 116 when sufficient force is applied to holster 26 parallel to concave surfaces 122 123 and convex surfaces 128 129 In other embodi ments mating of concave surfaces 122 123 to convex surfaces 128 129 may be replaced by other complementary linear shapes which mate to facilitate linear sliding motion In some embodiments bias of latch 28 may be accomplished by other devices suitable for creating bias including torsion springs releasable latch being a flexible member attached to body 118 or other biased constructions known to those of ordinary skill in the art In still further embodiments holster 26 does not slide relative to siderail 18 due to the coupling mechanism used such as screws or rivets for example or due to holster 26 occupying subs
16. include raised areas to improve locating of the buttons by tactile feel and provide an auditory feedback that the button has been activated 0044 Another embodiment shown in FIGS 8 9 and 10 comprises a support structure 40 with a first end 134 coupled to a mounting bar 66 and a second end 136 coupled to a holster 138 with mounting bar 66 coupled to a device such as a patient support apparatus 10 a chair 60 or an overbed table 62 Mounting bar 66 is coupled to the device Illus tratively mounting bar 66 is coupled to a head section of apparatus 10 as shown in FIG 8 to an arm 336 of chair 60 as shown in FIG 9 and to an end of table section 338 of overbed table 62 First end 134 is coupled to mounting bar 66 by a clamp 64 lockable on mounting bar 66 in a plurality of positions Support structure 40 is adjustable to position second end 136 in a plurality of positions Holster 138 is coupled to second end 136 0045 Holster 138 is configured to receive a pendant 20 as shown in FIG 7 Holster 138 comprises two opposing arms 144 on each side the arms curving around from the back 146 of holster 138 Arms 144 are spaced such that pendant 20 shown in phantom is cradled in the arms 144 and top edges of arms 144 engage speaker area 98 to support pendant 20 An electrical cord 32 is coupled to pendant 20 and fits between arms 144 as pendant 20 is placed in holster 138 As pendant 20 cradles in holster 138 pendant 20 is removable by pati
17. ive to placing holster 26 in siderail opening 116 Hook 80 pivots when moving between a use position shown in FIG 3B and a storage position shown in FIG 2 Hook 80 when used hooks over the top edge of siderail 18 Hook 80 is biased to a storage position by a torsion spring not shown When hook 80 is placed over a portion of a patient support apparatus 10 such as a siderail 18 having a thickness smaller than hook 80 can accommodate in its fully extended position then hook will pivot under the bias of the torsion spring to clamp the portion of the patient support apparatus 10 between an end portion 270 of hook 80 and back side 258 of pendant 20 Holster 26 has a cavity 84 in back surface 258 adapted to receive hook 80 when in the Mar 16 2006 storage position Cord 32 extends from holster 26 to inter face box 112 where telephone signals are split from patient support apparatus 10 controller signals 0041 Referring now to FIGS 3A 4 and 6 pendant 20 is contoured in shape with a grip area 96 a speaker area 98 and a mouthpiece area 100 Pendant 20 further comprises two sides wherein a first side 86 has user input devices associated with bed control functions and a second side 88 has user input devices associated with telephone functions The overall shape of pendant 20 provides an intuitive feel for the orientation of the device in use Pendant 20 further comprises plurality nodules 110 which protrude from the perimeter of pend
18. lows the pendant to function as a telephone with touch screen display 184 serving as an integrated telephone key pad display as shown in screen 344 of FIG 14 The tele phone function includes touchscreen fields for volume up 290 volume down 292 a keypad 294 number display 296 and a ringer control 298 0052 FIG 15 shows an alternative menu screen 346 on display 184 to be used to access information and entertain ment In the configuration shown in screen 346 touchscreen display 184 provides a navigable menu display with a navigate up user input 314 a navigate down user input 316 a select user input 318 and a menu display 320 A user navigates through a series of menus by selecting the appro priate item to be taken to another screen FIG 16 shows a simplified television control screen 348 On screen 348 only television controls are displayed including channel up 282 channel down 284 volume up 286 volume down 288 and power 322 Screen 348 provides a simple and easy to use interface for a user It is contemplated that other functions may be utilized through the function key approach in alternative embodiments In yet another embodiment the function keys are programmable by a user to activate particular functions as preferred by that user 0053 A person having skill in the art will appreciate the various screens and functionality that may be programmed into pendant 182 beyond those which are described herein For example in s
19. mbodiments will disable controller functionality on the opposite side of the pendant when the telephone is powered to prevent bed movement while the pendant is being operated as a phone Some embodiments will operate as both a standard telephone and a speakerphone Some embodiments will allow incoming calls to be redirected to receive a message that the patient is not receiving calls Some embodiments will automatically mute television or radio audio when the telephone is answered Some embodi ments will flash LEDs when a call is incoming and the ringer is turned off 0062 Alternative embodiments of pendants 20 182 210 have wireless coupling to a wireless receiver 244 as shown in FIG 19 Pendant 20 182 or 210 sends a wireless signal 248 when patient 70 makes an input The wireless receiver 244 processes the wireless signal 248 and routes the signal to the appropriate system such as the nurse station device controls or telephone system In this embodiment wireless signal 244 is a radio frequency RF signal In another embodiment the wireless signal 244 may be infra red IR In the wireless embodiment the need for electrical cord 32 is eliminated This increases the mobility of pendant 20 182 or 210 0063 Although certain illustrative embodiments have been described in detail above variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of this disclosure as described and as defined in the following claims Mar 16 20
20. n volume up and down television channel up and down radio audio direct lighting and indirect lighting Second side 222 provides a user the functionality of a standard telephone Included are keypad 224 a redial button 324 display 226 phone selector keys 230 speaker 214 and microphone 232 similar to telephone embodiment described above Pendant 210 is configured so that when attached to siderail 18 only first side 220 faces toward the patient to present the bed function keys 216 to the patient Orientation of pendant 210 in siderail 18 is accomplished by having cover 238 shaped so that pendant 210 can only snap into siderail with first side 220 exposed 0060 In some embodiments pendants 20 182 210 are substantially waterproof In other embodiments pendants 20 182 210 further comprise a transparent sanitary cover not shown The sanitary cover is removable and is intended to be patient specific so as to reduce potential for cross contamination and reduce time to clean between patients The sanitary cover also includes anti microbial agents in the materials selected In some embodiments the sanitary cover may be transparent Some embodiments of pendants 20 182 210 utilize membrane switch technology to create single surface over all user inputs The integrated user inputs improve cleanability of the user inputs 0061 Embodiments of pendants 20 182 210 may inte grate additional technology into the telephone operation Some e
21. nt until removed by a user 22 The communication and control apparatus of claim 21 wherein the pendant is substantially waterproof 23 The communication and control apparatus of claim 21 wherein the pendant further comprises an electrical cord which couples the pendant to the patient support apparatus 24 The communication and control apparatus of claim 21 wherein the cord is retractable 25 The communication and control apparatus of claim 24 wherein the electrical cord passes through the support 26 The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the pendant further comprises a wireless connection which couples the pendant to the patient support apparatus 27 The communication and control apparatus of claim 21 wherein the pendant further comprises a touchscreen user interface 28 The communication and control apparatus of claim 21 wherein the pendant is configured to disable control of the patient support apparatus when the telephone is in use 29 The communication and control apparatus of claim 21 where in the pendant is configured to mute television and other audio when the telephone is answered
22. ome embodiments pendant 182 operates as a television display screen Some embodiments of pendant 182 include a menu function which displays a television program guide from which the user can select a program to be viewed without having to cycle through several channels to determine what programs are available In some embodi ments display 184 may serve as a cursor control for Mar 16 2006 on screen television menus and displays Some embodi ments include games accessible by the patient as a form of entertainment 0054 In some embodiments display 184 provides inter active communication with the patient regarding hospital services For example in some embodiments the patient reviews food service options and chooses meal items via pendant 182 Some embodiments display the schedule of services for the patient such as physical therapy speech therapy tests to be run timing of physician rounds radio logical services blood draws medication schedules and the like Some embodiments provide information to the user in the form of medical definitions and descriptions of proce dures In some embodiments this may include video of procedures In some embodiments this may include narrated video of presentations on procedures and conditions 0055 In some embodiments pendant 182 communicates with the patient support apparatus 10 and provides interac tive diagnostics for a service technician This may include information on electrical
23. rol lers coupled to hospital beds bedside cabinets and walls are known Communication devices such as phones and nurse call apparatus are known to be coupled to hospital beds bedside cabinets and walls as well Controllers may control any of a number of devices including the bed mattress lighting television radio heating or air conditioning Com munications devices may include nurse call systems tele phones and intercoms which are separate from controllers for bed functions SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0004 The present invention comprises one or more of the features recited in the appended claims and or the following features which alone or in any combination may comprise patentable subject matter 0005 In one embodiment of the invention a patient support apparatus comprises a frame a patient support deck supported on the frame a mattress supported on the patient support deck and a siderail coupled to the frame adjacent the mattress The patient support apparatus may further comprise a holster and a pendant supported by the holster The pendant may function as both a telephone and a con troller to receive user inputs that control at least some of the functions of the patient support apparatus 0006 The holster may be attached to the siderail and moveable to a plurality of positions The holster may be configured to hold the pendant until the pendant is removed from the holder The pendant may have a cord connecting
24. ry response test which stimulates the patient and evaluates patient response as a measure of patient motor sensory functioning 0058 In still another embodiment shown in FIGS 17 and 18 a pendant 210 operating as both a telephone and a controller of at least one function of a patient support apparatus 10 comprises a first side 220 a second side 222 a grip area 236 a concave edge surface 212 and a cover 238 First side 220 further comprises plurality function keys 216 operating at least one patient support apparatus 10 articula tion function a plurality of selector keys 218 and a nurse call button 234 Second side 222 further comprises a speaker 214 a microphone 232 a keypad 224 a display 226 a dial button 228 and a plurality of phone selector keys 230 Concave edge surface 212 is configured to interface with convex surfaces 128 129 of siderail 18 Cover 238 allows US 2006 0056616 Al pendant 210 to be snapped into siderail 18 and retained through an interference fit between cover 238 and siderail 18 The fit is further enhanced through the mating of concave surface 212 and convex surfaces 128 129 Cover 238 further comprises a grip area 236 at a cord end 240 of pendant 210 Grip area 236 has a reduced width and rounded contour at cord end 240 0059 First side 220 has a controller for articulation functions of patient support apparatus 10 and other devices in the patient room The other devices controlled include televisio
25. s by tactile feel and provide an auditory feedback that the button has been activated While certain functions are described herein a person of skill in the art will appreciate that there are many other functions not listed herein which may be controlled by pendant 20 0043 Audio signal from remote staff television or radio are communicated to patient 70 by speaker 46 Patient 70 uses microphone 56 to speak to caregiver staff that is remote to the patient room 38 Second side 88 of pendant 20 comprises a telephone Second side 88 has a speaker 164 a microphone 168 a keypad 54 a display 92 function buttons 166 and dial button 94 Speaker 164 delivers audio to patient 70 from the telephone Patient 70 speaks into the telephone through microphone 168 Keypad 54 is used to enter telephone numbers to be dialed Display 92 provides a visual display of the number dialed by patient 70 Addition ally display 92 displays caller ID information and text to patient 70 as appropriate Function buttons 166 provide additional menu driven functionality with the menu choices displayed on display 92 Dial button 94 dials the number entered into the telephone and displayed on display 92 Dial button 94 is also used to disconnect telephone connections when the call is complete Key pad 54 display 92 function buttons 166 and dial button 94 are all back lit to improve visibility of the respective buttons in low light situations and US 2006 0056616 Al
26. system components trouble codes an electronic service manual a parts list apparatus model number apparatus serial number and or apparatus manufac ture date In some embodiments pendant 182 includes a service log whereby service to the apparatus is recorded for future reference 0056 In some embodiments pendant 182 provides inter active communication between a patient and nursing staff This includes a prioritized nurse call system allowing the patient to choose from a list of reasons why caregiver assistance is requested Reasons listed include pain relief needed restroom assistance needed question linen assis tance needed equipment alarm is sounding and the like Some embodiments include a 2 way camera with a camera mounted to pendant 182 such that the patient and caregiver can see each other while communicating through the nurse call system 0057 In some embodiments pendant 182 provides inter active assistance with patient care For example in some embodiments pendant 182 communicates with an automated medication delivery system prompting the patient to enter a password when medication is due and deliver the medication after the correct password has been entered In some embodiments pendant 182 recognizes a patient or caregiver fingerprint and automatically delivers the medication upon proper authorization by the patient or caregiver In still other embodiments pendant 182 prompts a patient to respond to a motor senso
27. t support apparatus 10 The patient support apparatus 10 has a frame 12 a patient support deck 14 a mattress 16 a pair of siderails 18 and a holster 26 in which hand held pendant 20 is carried Patient support deck 14 is located above frame 12 and supports mattress 16 which is placed on top of patient support deck 14 A patient 70 lies on mattress 16 Siderails 18 are adjacent to mattress 16 and are coupled to frame 12 for movement between raised positions shown in FIG 1 and lowered positions not shown down away from mat tress 16 when not in use 0033 Referring now to FIGS 1 and 2 holster 26 is couples to siderail 18 Holster 26 includes a releasable latch 28 which retains holster 26 in the siderail Latch 28 is spring loaded to provide positive engagement between holster 26 and siderail 18 until released by a user Pendant 20 couples Mar 16 2006 to holster 26 by snap fit A cord 32 couples pendant 20 to patient support apparatus 10 Cord 32 extends from holster 26 to pendant 20 through a retraction mechanism 76 When pendant 20 is stowed in holster 26 cord 32 spools into retraction mechanism 76 so as to remove any slack 0034 Referring to FIGS 2 3A and 3B holster 26 a body 118 which occupies a portion the siderail opening 116 and a flange 114 which extends beyond the siderail opening 116 to engage the siderail 18 when the holster 26 is posi tioned in the siderail opening 116 Flange 114 extends beyond the exterior p
28. tantially all of the opening or other holster receiving space provided in siderail 18 0038 Body 118 has an internal passage not shown routing electrical cord 32 from a cord inlet 132 to retraction mechanism 76 A strain relief 132 is provided at the interface between cord 32 and body 118 adjacent inlet 133 Retraction mechanism 76 is retained in holster 26 by a right side wall 252 of cavity 262 When stowed pendant 20 is retained behind lip 120 Angled cut outs 78 79 on holster 26 are positioned complementary to a grip area 96 on pendant 20 The internal perimeter of flange 114 is sized to match the external periphery of pendant 20 such that pendant 20 can only be stowed with electrical cord 32 positioned at the same end of holster 26 as retraction mechanism 76 0039 In an alternative embodiment cord 32 further com prises a weight 242 which is coupled to cord 32 outboard of holster 26 and siderail 18 as shown in FIG 2 In this embodiment holster 26 does not have retraction mechanism 76 but rather cord 32 extends through a passage not shown in holster 26 Weight 242 tends to pull slack in cord 32 through holster 26 when a user stows pendant 20 Also in this embodiment an end of cord 32 spaced from pendant 20 plugs into a receptacle elsewhere on patient support appa ratus 10 or in the patient room 0040 Holster 26 has a hook 80 seen in FIGS 2 and 3B which is extendable from the back of holster 26 and is used as an alternat
29. the pendant to an interface for a patient support apparatus control and a telephone system The cord may pass through the holster with some slack being stored in the holster The cord may be retracted into the holster by a clock spring mechanism 0007 In another embodiment the holster may be coupled to a support structure The support structure may be coupled to the patient support apparatus or to a piece of furniture in the room The support structure may receive the holster and be movable by a user to a plurality of positions In still another embodiment the holster may be coupled to a support structure that is attached to a structure in the patient room such as a wall or the ceiling The support structure may Mar 16 2006 include a cord coupling the pendant to the patient support apparatus The cord may pass through an arm of the support structure 0008 The pendant may be substantially waterproof The pendant may further comprise a disposable sanitary cover The pendant may have two sides with a first side having a user interface dedicated to the functions of the patient support apparatus and a second side being dedicated to a user interface for a telephone Alternatively the pendant may further comprise a touchscreen user interface 0009 In some embodiments the pendant may further comprise a wireless connection to the patient support appa ratus In other embodiments the retraction of the cord may be accomplished with the
30. upport apparatus therein the communication and control apparatus compris ing a hand held pendant functioning as both a telephone and a controller to receive user inputs that control at least some patient support apparatus functions a support adjustable to a plurality of positions coupled to the patient support apparatus and a holster coupled to the support the holster being con figured to hold the pendant until removed by a user 10 The communication and control apparatus of claim 9 wherein the pendant is substantially waterproof 11 The communication and control apparatus of claim 9 wherein the pendant further comprises an electrical cord which couples the pendant to the patient support apparatus 12 The communication and control apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cord is retractable 13 The communication and control apparatus of claim 12 wherein the electrical cord passes through the support 14 The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the pendant further comprises a wireless connection which couples the pendant to the patient support apparatus 15 The communication and control apparatus of claim 9 wherein the pendant further comprises a touchscreen user interface 16 The communication and control apparatus of claim 9 wherein the pendant is configured to disable control of the patient support apparatus when the telephone is in use 17 The communication and control apparatus of claim 9 where in the pendant is configur
31. uttons useable to control functions of a patient support apparatus 0017 FIG 5 is a side view of the hand held pendant of FIG 4 0018 FIG 6 is a back view of the hand held pendant of FIG 4 showing buttons useable to control the telephone functions of the pendant 0019 FIG 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a holster coupled to a flexible member of a support arm 0020 FIG 8 is a perspective view of a hospital bed with a support structure coupled to the bed by a mounting bar the support structure being movable along the mounting bar between a first position in solid and a second position in phantom and the support structure includes a flexible arm US 2006 0056616 Al movable to support a holster and a hand held pendant carried by the holster in a variety of positions 0021 FIG 9 is a perspective view of the support struc ture of FIG 8 coupled to a chair instead of a bed 0022 FIG 10 is a perspective view of the support structure of FIG 8 coupled to an overbed table instead of a bed 0023 FIG 11 is a perspective view of another embodi ment of a support structure mounted to a horizontal track member that is mounted to a room wall 0024 FIG 12 is a perspective view showing an alterna tive embodiment of a support structure having an articulated arm mounted to a patient room wall a display coupled to an end of the articulated arm a holster coupled to the display screen and
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