A patient support apparatus, such as a bed, cot, stretcher, or the like, includes a litter frame, a support deck, a plurality of force sensors adapted to output signals corresponding to downward forces exerted on the support deck, and a controller configured carrying out various functions and to display various screens on a touchscreen or display, including a scale home screen and a scale equipment screen. A patient's current weight can be displayed on the scale home screen and the weight of equipment supported on the apparatus can be displayed on the scale home screen and the scale equipment screen. When a patient's current weight is characterized as possibly including non-patient weight, the controller can display a warning screen.

An auxiliary drive device for a wheelchair has at least one freely pivotable electrically driven drive wheel and a coupling mechanism for coupling the auxiliary drive device to the wheelchair. The coupling mechanism includes a movable locking element which is movably supported in the coupling mechanism. The movable locking element can be in a locking position in which it causes locking in a positive-locking manner so that the auxiliary drive device is coupled to the wheelchair and, by operation of a handle, the locking element can be moved in a release position in which uncoupling of the auxiliary drive device from the wheelchair is possible.

A bed device includes: an operation section that receives an operation input; a controller that controls a movement of the bed in accordance with the operation input; a detector that detects a position of a patient on the bed; and, a limitation table that stores a limitation area set on the bed in association with a limitation content, wherein when the position of the patient detected by the detector is included in the limitation area, the limitation content is read out from the limitation table so as to control the controller in accordance with the limitation content. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a higher safety bed device which can not only notify the danger based on the bed movement but also limit the movement of the bed in accordance with the status of the patient or the bed device.

A user module for a patient support apparatus is provided. The user module has a user interface operably coupled thereto. The user interface includes an input device and an output device. The output device includes a visual display including textual and non-textual elements. The non-textual elements include enhanced, graphical, and animated portions relating to one or more operational features of the patient support or to a person positionable on the patient support. The input device includes one or more touch sensors corresponding to defined regions of the visual display.

A lift device includes two vertical extendible tower members, each of the two vertical extendible tower members including, at a first lower distal end, an omnidirectional wheel assembly, and a vertical extension assembly configured to simultaneously raise and lower the two vertical extendible tower members in a vertical direction. The lift device further includes a horizontal extendible transverse member connected between second opposing distal upper ends of the two vertical extendible tower members. The horizontal extendible transverse member further including a horizontal extension assembly configured to extend and retract the horizontal extendible transverse member in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, a traveler carriage configured to move in the horizontal direction upon the horizontal extension assembly between the second opposing distal upper ends of the two vertical extendible tower members, and a payload lifting device configured to raise and lower a payload in the vertical direction with respect to the traveler carriage on the horizontal extension assembly.

A powered ambulance cot and methods of raising and lowering the cot as well as loading and unloading the cot are disclosed. The cot includes a support frame and legs, each leg having a wheel. An actuator of an actuation system interconnects the frame and legs, and is configured to effect changes in elevation of the frame relative to the wheel of each of the legs. A control system controls activation of the actuation system, and detects both the actuator at a first location relative to the frame, where the first location is remote from a second location and which situates an end of the actuator that is remote from each wheel closer to the frame, and a presence of a signal requesting a change in elevation of said support frame to thereby cause the legs to move relative to the support frame.

A patient support for supporting a patient includes an inflatable mattress defining a support surface and a pneumatic system for inflating the inflatable mattress. The pneumatic system includes a pressurized reservoir for holding pressurized air and selectively releases pressurized air from the reservoir to the mattress.

This disclosure concerns a communication system adapted to communicate between a handheld remote control and a first adjustable bed controller of a first adjustable bed facility, and a second communication system adapted to communicate between the first adjustable bed controller of the first adjustable bed facility and a second adjustable bed controller of a second adjustable bed facility.

A patient support includes a mattress with an inflatable bladder, where the inflatable bladder has a cavity and an upper bladder wall forming an outwardly facing side for facing and supporting the patient on the patient mattress and forming an inwardly facing side facing into the cavity. The patient support further includes a light transmitter operable to emit light through the cavity to impinge on the inwardly facing side of the upper bladder wall and a light receiver operable to detect a reflection of the light off the inwardly facing side of the bladder wall, with the light receiver generating a signal responsive to detecting the reflection. A controller is in communication with the light transmitter and is operable to determine immersion of a patient into the mattress based on the signal from the light receiver.

A bed device includes: an operation section that receives an operation input; a controller that controls a movement of the bed in accordance with the operation input; a detector that detects a position of a patient on the bed; and, a limitation table that stores a limitation area set on the bed in association with a limitation content, wherein when the position of the patient detected by the detector is included in the limitation area, the limitation content is read out from the limitation table so as to control the controller in accordance with the limitation content. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a higher safety bed device which can not only notify the danger based on the bed movement but also limit the movement of the bed in accordance with the status of the patient or the bed device.