A gurney comprising a magnetic member for securing straps is disclosed. The gurney comprises base members coupled to axle members. The gurney comprises support frame members coupled to the axle members. The gurney comprises a frame member coupled to the support frame members. The frame comprises a patient support. Further, the gurney comprises straps provided at either side of the frame member to secure a patient to the patient support. The straps comprise a male buckle member and a female buckle member. The gurney further comprises magnetic members coupled to the frame member. The male buckle member and the female buckle member are coupled to the magnetic members to secure the straps from falling down when the male buckle member and the female buckle member are not coupled or not in use.

An ambulance cot loading and unloading system for an emergency vehicle includes a base for mounting in the emergency vehicle and an arm mounted for linear movement along the base, wherein the arm configured to support a cot while the cot is being loaded into or unloaded from the emergency vehicle. The ambulance cot loading and unloading system further includes an indicator mounted relative to the arm and a control system, which is in communication with the indicator and configured to generate a status indication of the cot loading and unloading system at the indicator.

An elevating bed capable of detecting braking performance includes an elevating assembly, a driving motor connected to the elevating assembly and driving the elevating assembly to move, a brake device connected to the driving motor, a control module connected to the driving motor and to the brake device. When the control module disables the brake device, the control module controls the driving motor to drive the elevating assembly to move for a first movement distance and calculates a first torque value of the driving motor. When the control module enables the brake device, the control module controls the driving motor to drive the elevating assembly to move for a second movement distance and calculates a second torque value of the driving motor. The control module determines whether the brake device is normal or abnormal according to a relationship between the first torque value and the second torque value.

An apparatus includes a hydraulic circuit that is configured to selectively open fluid communication between one portion of the hydraulic circuit and another portion of the hydraulic circuit, such as a reservoir, based on the flow of the hydraulic fluid in the one portion. When the flow of hydraulic fluid exceeds a selected threshold in the one portion of the hydraulic circuit, the flow of fluid urges the opening of a hydraulic component of the hydraulic circuit to allow fluid communication between the one portion and the reservoir to discharge fluid from the one portion.

A strain gauge assembly includes a member and a strain gauge supported by the member spaced. The strain gauge further includes a bearing surface and a contact surface spaced from the bearing surface. When the member is subject to a predetermined bending force, the bearing surface contacts the contact surface wherein at least a portion of the bending force bypasses the strain gauge and instead is transferred from the bearing surface to the contact surface.

An ambulance cot and cot loading and unloading system for an emergency vehicle comprises a cot having a head end, a base for mounting to a deck of an emergency vehicle, a track mounted for linear movement along said base, and an arm mounted for linear movement along said track from a retracted position to an extended position. The arm is and configured to engage the cot, and wherein when the track is extended along the base and the arm is extended along the track the arm is extended from the base in an extended position and is configured for lifting the cot and providing cantilevered support to the cot while in the extended position.

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 cot can include a support frame that extends between a front end and a back end. A front leg and a back leg can be slidingly coupled to the support frame. A front actuator can be coupled to the front leg and slide the front leg to retract and extend the front leg. A back actuator can be coupled to the back leg and slide the back leg to retract and extend the front leg. One or more processors can execute machine readable instructions to receive signals from one or more sensors indicative of the front end of the cot and the front leg. The one or more processors can actuate the back actuator to extend the back leg to raise the back end of the cot, when the front end of the cot is supported by a surface and the front leg is retracted a predetermined amount.

The embodiments described and claimed herein are a restraint system for securing a gurney in a vehicle. In one embodiment, a conventional antler and rail-type gurney restraint system is improved by the addition of a center latch restraint that engages with a latch member secured by a support bracket to the underside of the gurney. In one configuration, the latch member enters into engagement with the center latch restraint through lateral movement of the control end of the gurney. In that respect, the EMT may use the same autonomic movements used with the conventional antler and rail-type system to secure the gurney in the vehicle. Optionally, one or more of the gurney occupant restraint belts are directly connected to the support bracket, whereby occupant loads during an accident will bypass the gurney and occupant head excursions can be reduced.

A patient support apparatus comprises a support structure comprising a base and a patient support surface to support a patient. An actuator system facilitates movement of the patient support surface relative to a floor surface. One or more sensors are responsive to changes in position of the patient support surface caused by the actuator system. A controller is operably coupled to the one or more sensors and the actuator system. The controller is configured to operate the actuator system to move the patient support surface and to monitor the movement of the patient support surface by sensing positions of the patient support surface over time. The controller is further configured to identify a frictional load event on the actuator system during movement in a present cycle and associate the frictional load event with a sensed position of the patient support surface in the present cycle.