A patient transport apparatus for use with a vehicle, comprising a lift mechanism between a base and a support frame to move between an extended configuration defining a first distance and a retracted configuration defining a second distance. An interface generates a user signal. A sensor generates a sensor signal corresponding to force acting on the base relative to the support frame. A controller determines if the user signal corresponds to an extend or retract command; determines if the force acting on the base has exceeded a predetermined threshold value based on the sensor signal; drives the lift mechanism toward the extended configuration where the user signal corresponds to the extend command and toward the retracted configuration where the user signal corresponds to the retract command; and interrupts driving the lift mechanism to stop motion of the lift mechanism in response to the sensor signal exceeding the predetermined threshold value.

A chair includes a control system for moving the chair between seated and standing configurations to thereby help facility an occupant's egress out of, or ingress into, the chair. One or more controls are provided on the chair that enable the occupant to control the timing of when the chair's movement between the configurations starts, what speed the chair moves at, and when the chair stops. A caregiver control panel provides the caregiver with multiple options for dictating what aspects of the chair's movement between the configurations the occupant is able to control. In some embodiments, a controller dynamically adjusts the speed of the chair based on shifts in the occupant's weight during the transition between the standing and seated configurations, as detected by one or more force sensors. The force sensors may be integrated into the armrests, the seat, the backrest, a combination of these, or elsewhere.

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.

An apparatus includes a drive mechanism, a patient support mechanism, and an electronic system. The drive mechanism is included in a trolley and is configured to suspend the trolley from a support track. The drive mechanism includes a first sensor configured to sense an operating condition of the drive mechanism. The patient support mechanism couples to the trolley and includes a tether and a second sensor. The tether can be operatively coupled to a patient such that the patient support mechanism supports the patient. The second sensor is configured to sense an operating condition of the patient support mechanism. The electronic system is included in the trolley and has at least a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to define a gait characteristic of the patient based at least in part on a signal received from the first sensor and a signal received from the second sensor.

A patient immersion sensor includes a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) apparatus to determine a time of flight (TOF) of a RADAR pulse and a reflected signal that is reflected by a patient or by a portion of a patient support surface supporting the patient. The TOF is indicative of an immersion depth or a distance toward bottoming out of a patient supported on the patient support surface, such as a mattress or a pad. The RADAR apparatus emits pulses of very short duration so as to be able to detect objects, such as a patient or a portion of a mattress or pad, at very close distances. The RADAR apparatus may use time-of-flight (TOF) between transmission of the pulse and receipt of a reflected signal to determine a distance toward bottoming out by the patient, thereby to determine if the patient is properly immersed into the patient support surface. Adjustments to inflation or deflation of one or more bladders are made to achieve a desired immersion amount within a tolerance range between upper and lower TOF thresholds.

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 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.

The present disclosure describes a system, device, and method for assisting a user to avoid contacting surfaces with their mobile device. An environment is sensed with one or more electronic sensors. The sensor readings are analyzed. Information is then provided to a user based on the analyzed sensor readings. The sensors may be configured so their sensor cones cross at a midpoint. Readings from the sensor(s) may be grouped according detection zone(s) corresponding to one or more areas about a mobile device. A computing module may control a feedback module according to detection zone readings. The feedback module may comprise an indicator for each detection zone. The indicator may be a vibration motor. The indicator may be a light. The computing module may set the colour of a light and/or control the vibrations based on the proximity of surfaces detected within the corresponding detection zone.

A system may have a mobile device having at least two wheels and a distance measuring device configured to be removably attached to a frame of the mobile device, which can be a mobility assistance device, such as a walker and a wheelchair. The distance measuring device may have at least a sensing mechanism, an accumulator, and a display that are in communication with one another, with the sensing mechanism configured to monitor rotation of the at least one of the at least two wheels of the mobile device and the accumulator configured to determine the distance traveled by the mobile device based on this rotation and output the distance result on the display.

A system for autonomous patient support apparatuses is provided. A computing device receives: (i) patient data relating to patients at a healthcare facility, and (ii) autonomous patient support apparatus data relating to autonomous patient support apparatuses at the healthcare facility, the autonomous patient support apparatus data including configuration information and occupancy status for the autonomous patient support apparatuses. The computing device predicts an expected number of additional patients to be admitted to the healthcare facility. The computing device generates a request to modify a configuration of one or more autonomous patient support apparatuses within a patient treatment room based, at least in part, on the patient data, the autonomous patient support apparatus data, and the expected number of additional patients. The computing device instructs the one or more autonomous patient support apparatuses to modify the configuration of the one or more autonomous patient support apparatuses within the patient treatment room.