A patient support includes a bladder layer with a plurality of bladders, a pneumatic supply system, and a plurality of tubes in fluid communication with pneumatic supply system. The tubes are coupled to and guided by the bladder layer so that the tubes and bladder layer may remain in close registry when being handled, for example, either during the assembly process or cleaning process.

A climate-controlled bed capable of adapting to the needs of a sleeper via a closed loop feedback control system is provided. The bed includes a thermoelectric energy source, a sensor configured to monitor a physiological temperature of a sleeper, and a control system that regulates a temperature of the bed via the thermoelectric energy source. The control system can utilize data from the sensor to determine optimal thermal needs of the sleeper. The control system can also vary the temperature of the bed during a sleep cycle based on at least one predetermined sleep factor, such as the natural circadian temperature cycle.

This invention is a smart bed or mattress for reducing pressure ulcers with an orthogonal array of movable straps or layers which creates a low-pressure area. The location of the low-pressure area is selected to be under a portion of a person's body which is at risk for getting a pressure ulcer. A low-pressure area can be created: where straps which have been slackened overlap; where elastic segments of movable straps overlap; or where the movement of straps creates an opening.

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.

A computer system for identifying a posture adopted by a subject is disclosed. The computer system includes a computer processor that is configured to execute the following functions: obtain a set of reference pressure images, each of the reference pressure images associated with a known posture; obtain a recorded pressure image of the subject; compare the recorded pressure image of the subject with a candidate pressure image from the set of reference pressure images; and repeat the comparing function until the recorded pressure image with the candidate pressure image.

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for controlling the pressurization of a support structure for handling of a person, the support structure comprising: a body comprising a row of at least two elongated sections adapted to be pressurized; a carrier plate, wherein, in a pressurized loaded condition of one or more of the elongated sections, the carrier plate is adapted to form an at least partially concavely curved front surface; a power unit adapted to pressurize one or more parts of the support structure individually via a respective valve; one or more sensors adapted to measure movements of the person and/or variations or deviations in pressurized parts of the support structure; and a controller configured to control the power unit to pressurize each part of the support structure that is adapted to be pressurized individually, based at least on sensor measurement data from the one or more sensors.

An actuating system including at least one actuation section that includes a plurality of actuating supports. Each of the actuating supports includes a shaft assembly and configured to be actuated individually. The shaft assembly of each of the plurality of actuating supports is configured to translate between a first position and a second position. In the first position an actuated actuating support is aligned with the remaining of the plurality of actuating supports and in the second position the actuated actuating support is misaligned with the remaining of the plurality of actuating supports.

A bed apparatus includes: a mattress mounted on a bed body; and, first cells arranged on both left and right sides in a longitudinal direction of the bed body and is configured to change the body position of a patient on the mattress by inflating the first cells alternately. When the first cells on the left and right sides are inflated, and when a difference in pressure between the first cells on the left and right sides has continuously fallen within a decision pressure value range for a decision pressure value continuation time, the body position of the patient is changed, whereas when the difference has not continuously fallen within the pressure value range for the continuation time or when the difference has continuously fallen out of the pressure value range for the continuation time, change of the body position of the patient will not be performed.

A user-wearable sensor device may be configured to be directly or indirectly secured to a user or to an article worn by the user. The user-wearable sensor device may include at least one sensor configured to collect sensor data associated with an orientation of the user, a display unit including at least one LED or other visual indicator, a battery configured to provide power to at least the display unit, and a control system. The control system may be configured to determine the orientation of the user based on sensor data collected by the at least one sensor, maintain the display unit in a deactivated state in the absence of a defined activation input, detect a defined activation input, activate the deactivated display unit in response to detecting the defined activation input, and control the activated display unit based on the determined orientation of the user.