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.

System for preventing a patient from falling from a bed, the system comprising first and second protective side barriers adapted to be positioned along first and second side edges of the bed, respectively, and are configured to be lifted or lowered by varying the height thereof from minimum to maximum height. The system includes anchoring means for fixing the protective side barriers to a bed frame, sensors adapted to detect the position taken by the patient on a mattress of the bed, and a control unit configured to receive data collected by the sensors and, on the basis of the data, determine in real time a lifting or lowering of a predetermined extent of the protective side barriers, up to heights of the protective side barriers ranging between the minimum and the maximum height, depending on the position taken by the patient on the mattress.

A mattress including: an elastic body; a sheet that is disposed at least above the elastic body and made of any of a conductive sheet and a conductive fiber; and a measurement unit that is configured to measure a change of capacitance of the sheet observed when the elastic body is deformed.

The invention relates to an assembly for the positioning and position detection of a deformable load-bearing plate, having a driving parallel kinematics system with a plurality of drive legs, wherein the load-bearing plate forms a constituent part of the driving parallel kinematics system or is fixed rigidly on a platform thereof, a reference parallel kinematics system with a substantially deformation-free reference plate which is formed by the platform of the reference parallel kinematics system or is fixed rigidly thereto and which is positioned underneath the load-bearing plate, and a plurality of reference legs, a sensor assembly which comprises a plurality of leg length measurement devices arranged in the reference legs and also a plurality of distance sensors arranged on the reference plate for point-wise or region-wise detection of the distance of the reference plate from the load-bearing plate, and a position-calculating unit which is connected at the input side to the leg length measurement devices and to the distance sensors and which processes the output signals of the leg length measurement devices and distance sensors to give a position map of the load-bearing plate.

A barrier overcoming method for a mobile assistive device is disclosed. The barrier overcoming method includes sensing a surrounding environment of the mobile assistive device; determining whether a dangerous terrain exists in the surrounding environment of the mobile assistive device; determining whether the dangerous terrain belongs to a conquerable obstacle when the dangerous terrain exists in the surrounding environment around the mobile assistive device; and adjusting a status of the mobile assistive device to overcome the dangerous terrain when the dangerous terrain belongs to a conquerable obstacle.

A detection device which detects a state of a moving member such as an origin position of the moving member in a short time, is provided with a dog which includes the multiple slits, in which at least one of a separation distance between adjacent slits and a width of the slits themselves is formed in multiple kinds, a sensor which detects the presence or absence of the slits, a count position acquisition section which acquires a count start position and a count end position corresponding to the separation distance between the adjacent slits or the width of the slits themselves based on detection results of the sensor, and a state detection section which acquires a count value increase or decrease number from the count start position to the count end position and detects a state of the moving member based on the acquired count value increase or decrease number.

A system for physical rehabilitation is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of motors configured to be coupled to a ceiling, and a plurality of cable portions. Each cable portion is connected at a first end to a motor, among the plurality of motors, and connected at a second end to a connector element for attaching to a patient. The system also comprises a controller in operative communication with the plurality of motors to move the connector element in relation to a staircase. The controller is configured to adjust one or both of position and speed of the connector element based on tracked kinematics of the patient as the patient moves along the staircase.

A person lifting apparatus includes a first lifting strap feeding device including a first drum and a first lifting strap wound on the first drum. A second lifting strap feeding device includes a second drum and a second lifting strap wound on the second drum. A controller is communicatively coupled to the first lifting strap feeding device and to the second lifting strap feeding device. The controller includes logic that controls operation of the first lifting strap feeding device and the second lifting strap feeding device based on a comparison of current draws of the first lifting strap feeding device and the second lifting strap feeding device.

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 system for loading a patient transport apparatus into a vehicle is described. The system includes a loading and unloading system including a track and a trolley supporting a receiver movable between locked and unlocked configurations. The system also includes a patient transport apparatus for attachment to the loading and unloading system including a base, a litter, and a lift mechanism to facilitate arranging the litter at different heights relative to the base with an actuator movable between fully-retracted and fully-extended configurations, a coupler for engaging the receiver to secure the patient transport apparatus, first and second sensors configured to output a first signal and second signal and a controller to determine a target lift configuration during unloading from the emergency based on first and second values and to drive the actuator to the target lift configuration to limit relative movement between the patient transport apparatus and the trolley.