A caregiver assistance system is disclosed for helping caregivers manage the care of existing bed sores and/or reduce the risk of a patient developing bed sores. The system may also help the caregiver to perform rounding tasks and/or to reduce the likelihood of patient falls. The system comprises a server application in communication with the patient's bed and one or more mobile electronic devices (e.g. smart phones). The mobile devices receive individual assessments of a plurality of bed sore risk factors and forward them to the server. The server generates bed sore risk scores from the answers and forward them to an EMR server. The server may also determine one or more risk reduction steps, display them on the mobile electronic device, and/or forward them to the patients' beds for implementation thereon. Additional bed sore information may be captured and sent to the EMR.

Apparatus is described, including a motion sensor configured to sense motion of a patient and to generate a motion signal in response thereto. The apparatus includes an output unit and a control unit. The control unit is configured to analyze the motion signal, to identify breathing of the patient as being shallow breathing in response to the analyzing, and to drive the output unit to generate an alert in response to identifying the breathing of the patient as being shallow breathing. Other applications are also described.

An adjusting method and an adjusting system are provided. The adjusting method for human body support device includes the following steps: extracting a pressure distribution information when a user is lying on a human body support device; analyzing a posture of the user based on the pressure distribution information; analyzing a human musculoskeletal distribution information of the skeleton-muscle of the user and a plurality of coordinate values corresponding to the skeleton-muscle of the user based on the pressure distribution information; obtaining a plurality of high-risk regions corresponding to the plurality of pressure regions based on the human musculoskeletal distribution information, a plurality of coordinate values corresponding to the skeleton-muscle of the user, and the posture of the user; and adjusting a pressure value configuration of an airbag module of the human body support device based on the plurality of high-risk regions.

The present disclosure discloses a novel omniphobic, paper-based, smart bandage (OPSB) devices, and the methods to make and use the omniphobic, paper-based, smart bandage devices. The OPSB device of the present disclosure provides a simple, low-cost, and non-invasive strategy to monitor open wound status wirelessly. This disclosure also provides the demonstration of in-vivo early detection and monitoring of pressure ulcers using wireless smart bandages.

An apparatus includes a sensor configured to capture an image of an affected part, and a processor configured to obtain information about a size of the affected part in the captured image, and control timing to capture an image of the affected part or control timing to prompt a user to perform an imaging operation based on the information about the size of the affected part.

A method for detecting occupant position change on a support surface includes establishing a rate of change of pressure in a head end test zone and in a foot end test zone, comparing the head end rate to at least one head end rate limit, comparing the foot end rate to at least one foot end rate limit, and inferring, in response to the comparing steps, whether or not occupant migration has occurred. An associated occupant support includes a frame and a mattress. The mattress includes head and foot zones each having at least one pressurizable bladder. The support also includes a controller adapted to compare a head end rate of pressure change to a head end rate limit, to compare a foot end rate of pressure change to a foot end rate limit, and to infer, in response to the comparing steps, whether or not occupant migration has occurred.

One variation of a method for detecting inflammation in a foot includes: accessing a first temperature measured through a left temperature sensor and a second temperature measured through a right temperature sensor at approximately a first time, the left temperature sensor arranged in a left sock and the right temperature sensor arranged in a right sock worn on the user's feet; calculating a baseline difference between the first and second temperatures based on confirmation of absence of inflammation in the user's left and right feet at the first time; accessing a third temperature measured through the left temperature sensor and a fourth temperature measured through the right temperature sensor at approximately a second time; and in response to a second temperature differencebetween the third and fourth temperaturesdiffering from the baseline difference by more than a threshold difference, issuing an alarm through the user interface.

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.

Embodiments relates to a method, apparatus and system comprising a resting device for resting a patient, the resting device comprising a substrate having a contact surface for contacting the patient, one or more sacs comprising a material and associated with the contact surface of the substrate, one or more sensors that are incorporated in the one or more sacs, and a patient recognition algorithm to detect changes in a user profile; wherein the system is configured to at least (a) combine information and construct the user profile, wherein the information comprises a first data from a pressure ulcer risk scale and a second data obtained via the resting device over time, and (b) automatically perform an assessment of a risk of pressure ulcer in the patient.

A system for adjusting the firmness of a substrate configured to support a subject includes a first rod configured to be movable by a mechanism, a second rod parallel to and spaced from the first rod a distance that spans a majority of a dimension of the substrate, and flexible straps extending between the first rod and the second rod and attached to the first rod and the second rod at respective ends of each flexible strap. The mechanism is configured to move the first rod in a first direction to increase tension on the flexible straps and move the first rod in a second direction to decrease tension on the flexible straps. The mechanism can be manually operated by the subject or can be a motor that is controlled by a controller.