According to one embodiment, a roll-in cot may include a support frame, a pair of front legs, a pair of back legs, and a cot actuation system. The pair of front legs may be slidingly coupled to the support frame. Each front leg includes at least one front wheel. The pair of back legs may be slidingly coupled to the support frame. Each back leg includes at least one back wheel. The cot actuation system includes a front actuator that moves the front legs and a back actuator that moves the back legs. The front actuator and the back actuator raises or lowers the support frame in tandem. The front actuator raises or lowers the front end of the support frame independently of the back actuator. The back actuator raises or lowers the back end of the support frame independently of the front actuator.

A person support apparatus includes a base, a controller, and a barrier having at least one electrical device. The base includes mounting structures for releasably mounting the barrier to the base. A first electrical connector is in communication with the at least one electrical device and mounted to the barrier. A second electrical connector is in communication with the controller and mounted at one of the mounting structures for connection with the first electrical connector when the barrier is mounted to the base at the mounting structures.

A patient support apparatus comprises a base supported by caster assemblies with each caster assembly comprising a stem, a caster wheel, and a caster wheel axle. A patient support surface is coupled to the base and is configured to receive a load. One or more load sensors are integrated with at least one of the stem, the caster wheel, or the caster wheel axle for measuring the load. One or more of the caster assemblies can be coupled to a steering motor, which controls orientation of the caster assembly. A controller can control the steering motors based on analyzing the measurements of the load sensor. The load sensors can produce measurements indicative of both vertical load and non-vertical load applied to the caster assembly. The controller can also analyze the measurements of the load sensor to determine the load received by the patient support surface by negating the non-vertical load.

A method for detecting an exit of a patient from a hospital bed, the method comprising: detecting a presence of the patient on the bed, upon detection of the patient on the bed, monitoring an indication that the patient has moved from a predetermined patient area on a patient receiving surface of the bed to outside the predetermined patient area, upon detection that the patient has moved outside the predetermined patient area, activating a bed alarm to indicate to a user that an exit of the patient from the hospital bed has been detected, and after monitoring the indication that the patient has moved from the predetermined patient area and further upon receiving a pause command, suspending monitoring the indication that the patient has moved from the predetermined patient area. There is also provided a system for detecting an exit of a patient from a hospital bed.

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 hospital bed is configured to monitor data from a second patient support based on the one or more alarms set by the user. The hospital bed detects whether an alarm triggering event occurred based on the monitored data. In response to a determination that the alarm triggering event occurred, the hospital bed will provide a signal indicative of the alarm triggering event to a nurse call system.

A ceiling lift assembly includes first and second motor units which can be operated together in a dual mode configuration and which can be operated in a single mode operation, in which only one of the motor units is operative with the other motor unit being dormant. The system provides routines for switching between the single and dual modes of the assembly and which ensure that in each mode the necessary parts of the apparatus are in an operative condition, whereas those parts of the apparatus which are not used are placed in a storage condition to avoid inconvenience or injury to personnel and patients. The apparatus also includes a motor unit support device of a structure which can accommodate asymmetric loads, on one motor unit only without causing deformation of the support structure.

A patient support, such as a mattress, includes a plurality of inflatable bladders. Depth sensors are included in the support that measure the degree of penetration of a patient into the mattress. An air pressure sensor is also included that measures the pressure inside at least one bladder. A suitable inflation level of the mattress is determined by monitoring the rate of change of the depth with respect to air pressure as the bladder is either inflated or deflated. By detecting an inflection point in the graphical relationship of the depth and pressure outputs, a suitable inflation point for the bladders is determined that reduces interface pressures experienced by the patient, yet does not overly sink the patient into the mattress to a degree of discomfort. Analyzing the outputs of the depth and pressure sensors can also be used to detect a patient's heart rate and respiration rate.

Pressure modulating soft actuator array devices and related systems and methods. One example of the present systems comprises: a device having a body that defines a plurality of cavities; a pressure source configured to be in fluid communication with the plurality of cavities; a plurality of sensors configured to capture data indicative of pressure within the plurality of cavities; and one or more controllers configured to actuate the pressure source to move fluid toward and/or away from one or more of the plurality of cavities in response to data captured by the plurality of sensors; wherein the device is configured to be disposed between a user and a surface on which the user is seated upon.

A bathing aid (100), comprising a bathing enclosure (101), a telescopic element (110) arranged at least partially within the bathing enclosure, and a seat (120) for supporting a person, said seat being arranged on the telescopic element. The bathing aid further comprises an actuation system (140) coupled to the telescopic element and the seat. The actuation system is configured to move the seat on the telescopic element along a horizontal axis (x) between a retracted position of the seat within the bathing enclosure and an extended position of the seat outside the bathing enclosure. The actuation system, in the extended position of the seat, is further configured to rotate (A) the seat in a horizontal plane (x-y) and configured to tilt (C) the seat with respect to a vertical axis (z).