A device for selectively connecting mobile medical equipment, such as an IV pole, to a patient transport platform such that the medical equipment and patient transport platform can move together, thus providing a patient mobility while maintaining the patient's connection to the mobile medical equipment and therefore eliminating the necessity to disconnect an existing medical equipment (such as IV pole) and transfer the patient to a new medical equipment, while also allowing monitoring of patient movement and activity via electronics in the device.

A backrest for a wheelchair or other mobility device configured to provide user controllable cooling and heat to the wheelchair user's back. The cooling element includes a Peltier chip, heat sink and gel pad for user contact. The heating element includes heating wire interposed between the fabric cover and the compressible foam of the backrest cushioning. The cooling element and heating element both move with the movement of the fabric cover so as to provide good heat conduction contact without adversely affecting cushioning. The backrest includes a tillable mount.

A microclimate management system including a person support surface including one or more sensors, a fluid supply device coupled to an inlet of the person support surface and configured to supply fluid to an outlet the person support surface, and a controller configured to detect an inlet condition value at the inlet of the person support surface, detect an outlet condition value at the outlet of the person support surface, determine a difference between the inlet condition value and the outlet condition value, and transmit a first alert in response to determining that a rate of change of the difference between the inlet condition value and the outlet condition value is below a lower condition threshold.

An infant care station is described herein that can include a heating component of a microenvironment of the infant care station, at least one temperature measuring device, and a processor. The processor can calculate a baseline temperature of the heating component using the at least one temperature measuring device and monitor the heating component using the at least one temperature measuring device to determine one or more operating characteristics. The processor can also detect, based at least in part on the baseline temperature, that the one or more operating characteristics exceed a predetermined threshold and generate a response that results in a correction of the temperature maintained by the heating component.

Systems and methods for patient monitoring and repositioning are provided. The system includes a mattress with a cell array and a base board array to receive the cell array. The cell array includes a plurality of individually height-adjustable cells each having sensor surface configured to sense at least one biomarker of the patient while lying on the mattress. The system also includes a main unit in communication with each cell of the cell array through the base board array. The main unit is configured to receive data from each of the cells, including measurements of the at least one biomarker, and independently control a height of each of the cells.

An access control apparatus having a protective covering configure to cover at least one of a subject or an object inside said protective covering is provided, where an opening is configured to provide access to the at least one of a subject or an object and a covering element configured to selectively cover said opening. A receiving element is provided on the protective covering and an activating device with an activating element is provided external to the protective covering. A motor is coupled to the covering element, wherein said motor selectively moves the covering element to at least partially unblock the opening based on a wireless activation signal and a distance between the activating element and the receiving element being within a predefined distance and to completely block the opening based on the wireless activation signal and the distance between the activating element and the receiving element being greater than the predefined distance, effectively limiting the exchange of contaminated or adverse environments between an internal area of the protective covering and an area outside the protective covering. The covering element can be an integral covering or an iris diaphragm arrangement.

There is provided a dynamic and proactive system for supporting sitting while detecting and changing sitting postures of a user and method of operation thereof. The system including a frame, a plurality of supports, each configured to support a different body part, and a plurality of joints each configured to move independently of or together with any other of the joints, each of the supports is connected to the frame via a corresponding joint, at least one of the joints is a two dimensional joint which enables a change in angle between the frame and a corresponding support. Each one of the plurality of supports is configured to move with respect to the frame or to another support, thereby enabling any changes in sitting postures of the user. The system comprises sensors, which based on their readings, the system detects user postures and suggests or creates posture changes.

The present invention provides devices and system useful for transporting infants, minimizing vibrations, noise, and associated with transport. Devices of the invention include a head gear assembly, one or more body support rolls for elevating portions of the infant's body, and a mattress system with a removable insert. The invention further provides methods of use associated with such devices, including methods of stabilizing a position of an infant, reducing shock or vibration to an infant during transportation, reducing shock, vibration, or noise exposure to an infant during transportation, reducing shock or vibration while providing elevation to specific portions of an infant during transportation, and reducing the risk of intraventricular hemorrhage and/or persistent pulmonary hypertension to an infant during transportation.

A patient support apparatus includes a cushion, a cover arranged over a top side of the cushion, and a sensor unit. The sensor unit is coupled to the cover and arranged to underlie a patient supported on the cover. The sensor unit includes a sensor configured to detect conditions near the interface of a patient's skin with the cover.

A system for monitoring medical conditions including pressure ulcers, pressure-induced ischemia and related medical conditions comprises at least one sensor adapted to detect one or more patient characteristic including at least position, orientation, temperature, acceleration, moisture, resistance, stress, heart rate, respiration rate, and blood oxygenation, a host for processing the data received from the sensors together with historical patient data to develop an assessment of patient condition and suggested course of treatment, including either suspending or adjusting turn schedule based on various types of patient movement. Compliance with Head-of-Bed protocols can also be performed based on actual patient position instead of being inferred from bed elevation angle. The sensor can include bi-axial or tri-axial accelerometers, as well as resistive, inductive, capacitive, magnetic and other sensing devices, depending on whether the sensor is located on the patient or the support surface, and for what purpose.