A pressure sensitive pad, generally planar in shape for placement underneath a mattress or cushion, capable of outputting a spectrum of signals depending on the pressure applied on the pad, comprising a plurality of sensitive zones, each zone being connected to a respective controller, configured to measure the pressure on each zone. The pressure sensitive pad comprising two electrically conductive layers; a variable conductive foam layer between the two conductive layers; and a non-conductive layer comprising a plurality of holes, disposed between a first of the two electrically conductive layers and the conductive foam layer. A system operable with the pad calibrates to detect absence and presence of a person for a range of mattress types and mattress weights and person weights; and determines a relative weight and position of the person while the person is on the mattress.

The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus for evaluating the flow of blood in damaged or healing tissue. The present disclosure also provides methods of identifying a patient at the onset of risk of pressure ulcer or at risk of the onset of pressure ulcer, and treating the patient with anatomy-specific clinical intervention selected based on perfusion or blood oxygenation values, or a combination thereof. The present disclosure also provides methods of stratifying groups of patients based on risk of wound development and methods of reducing incidence of tissue damage in a care facility. The present disclosure also provides methods to analyze trends of perfusion or oxygenation measurements to detect tissue damage before it is visible, and methods to compare bisymmetric perfusion values to identify damaged tissue.

A monitoring system and method tracks a patient's position over time and ensures that proper turning or other manipulation is done within the time prescribed. Preferably, the techniques herein continuously monitor patient position and alert medical or other personnel of the need for turning or other patient manipulation. The system may be implemented within a medical or other care facility, or within a patient's home.

A system and method to reduce pressure on selected areas on a body include an array of programmable supports and at least one sensor to detect a physical property of the body. Each programmable support of the array of programmable supports includes an adjustable member and a mechanism to adjust the length of the adjustable member based on the detected physical property of the body.

Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for preventing and treating pressure ulcers in bedfast patients. The invention includes monitoring a bedfast patient using a sensor array disposed between a patient and a support surface, the sensor array adapted to transmit signals indicative of interfacial pressure and blood oxygen saturation levels; and a processor coupled to the sensor array and adapted to receive the signals from the sensor array to determine if an undesirable condition exists. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.

Systems and methods allow caregivers, central monitoring, and/or other persons to monitor whether a patient has moved or changed positions sufficient to prevent the patient from developing bedsores or at least reduce the chance of bedsores from developing. The systems and methods work by detecting when a caregiver has entered within a predefined patient or bed zone. The systems and methods detect whether the caregiver remained within the zone for a predetermined time period. If the caregiver fails to remain within the zone for the predetermined time period, an alert is generated as this could indicate that the caregiver was not present long enough with the patient for the patient to sufficiently move or change positions.

Provided is a large weight scale capable of weighing a to-be-weighed subject sitting in a wheelchair, including a rectangular weighing base on which the to-be-weighed subject gets on, weighing sensors disposed at four corners of the weighing base, and a control unit configured to perform arithmetic operations based on output values of the weighing sensors, wherein the large weight scale includes a bedsore detecting unit configured to detect and make a notification of the possibility of the to-be-weighed subject in a wheelchair developing a bedsore based on a first sum value of output values of a pair of the weighing sensors disposed on a left side of the weighing base, a second sum value of output values of a pair of the weighing sensors disposed on a right side of the weighing base, and a third sum value of output values of all of the weighing sensors.

A method for performing remote tissue assessment of a tissue region includes selecting imaging parameters, obtaining M image datasets of the tissue region when the tissue region is illuminated by a light signal having a unique discrete wavelength, obtaining a reference image dataset of the tissue region without illumination, processing the M+1 image datasets to obtain M marker maps where each marker map corresponds to a different physiological marker, and analyzing at least one of the marker maps to determine whether a physiological condition exists at the tissue region or to monitor the status of an existing physiological condition at the tissue region. In one or more embodiments, the method may be performed by a portable light source unit including a housing configured for use with a mobile device having a camera, or by a system including a light source unit, an optical sensor module, and a mobile device.

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.

Technologies are provided for determining a likelihood or risk of a human patient for developing pressure injury based on patterns of movement by the patient determined using a specialized measurement support surface. Some embodiments automatically ascertain whether patterns of movements of a human subject, whose weight is supported on the support surface, exhibit sufficient frequency and variability of activity such as will confer either certain health benefits or expose the individual to certain health risks, such as development of pressure ulcers in the load-bearing skin and soft tissues. The measurement support surface can include a contact layer, a pressure-measuring layer having an air bladder subjacent to the measurement support surface, and a substrate layer with a density and stiffness to mechanically isolate the pressure-measuring layer from ambient vibrations transmitted through a floor, furniture, or other intervening articles upon which the measurement support surface is mounted.