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. In some embodiments, the system can further include a support surface having one or more sensors incorporated therein either in addition to sensors affixed to the patient or as an alternative thereof. The support surface is, in some embodiments, capable of responding to commands from the host for assisting in implementing a course of action for patient treatment. 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.

Methods and systems for registering a manipulator assembly and independently positionable surgical table are provided herein. In one aspect, methods include reading a fiducial marker on the surgical table with a sensor associated with the manipulator assembly and localizing the manipulator assembly and surgical table with respect to a common reference frame. Methods may further include translating a 3D configuration of the surgical table to a 2D frame of reference so as to estimate a 3D pose of the surgical table relative the manipulator assembly for use in coordinating movements therebetween.

A method for assessing compliance with a protocol requiring or advising the use of lift assist equipment for repositioning an occupant of an occupant support includes the steps of: 1) determining a measure of load borne by the occupant support over an interval of time; 2) determining how much the location of the occupant's center of mass relative to the occupant support has changed during the interval of time; and 3) assessing compliance with the protocol as a function of the load measure, the change of location, and a measure of the occupant's weight.

In one embodiment the load measure is an integral of load over an interval of time. An apparatus for carrying out the method comprises a processor and instructions which are executable by the processor.

An incontinence detection system monitors an area for moisture events and wirelessly transmits moisture-related information to one or more notification devices. The system has a pad that includes a substrate and one or more sensors supported by the substrate. The sensor(s) emit wireless signals indicative of the moisture-related information. A sensor event communication system forwards the sensor signals to another device, such as a notification device. Portions of the system are included in a patient support apparatus, such as a bed.

A patient support, such as a bed, a cot, a stretcher, or the like, for supporting an occupant includes sensors adapted to detect a status of the patient support, such as the width of the width-adjustable patient support component or the locked or unlocked state of the patient support component. A control system for the patient support is configured to determine if the patient support is in an unacceptable status, such as an unacceptable width configuration or an unlocked state, based on the sensed status. The control system is adapted to issue an alert or take action or prompt a caregiver to take an action if the patient support status is unacceptable.

A secure dispensing unit includes a housing comprising a first end and a second end and a number of storage assemblies. The number of storage assemblies are arranged in parallel with one another within the housing. Each storage assembly includes a number of compartments arranged linearly along an axis of the housing with each of the compartments being configured to store an item. A cover is coupled with the housing and extends between the first end and the second end such that the cover is positioned over the compartments. An actuator is coupled with the cover, the actuator being configured to retract the cover to draw a distal end of the cover from the first end toward the second end to expose a selected number of compartments.

A surgical robotic system comprises a manipulator assembly including a distal portion and a registration device mounted to a surgical table for establishing a spatial relationship between the manipulator assembly and the surgical table. The surgical table is separated from the manipulator assembly. The registration device includes a registration element shaped to contact with the distal portion of the manipulator assembly to define the spatial relationship between the manipulator assembly and the surgical table. The surgical robotic system also includes a control system for determining the spatial relationship between the manipulator assembly and the surgical table.

A patient support apparatus includes a frame, a support surface, an antenna adapted to be affixed to packaging of the patient support apparatus, and a control system for controlling various functions of the patient support apparatus. The control system includes communication circuitry that receives one or more configuration settings for configuring the patient support apparatus from an off-board device via the antenna. The communication circuitry receives and stores the configuration settings while the patient support apparatus is contained within the packaging and not physically coupled to an external source of electrical power. Configuration circuitry thereafter configures the patient support apparatus when the patient support apparatus is coupled to an external source of power or is supplied with power from a battery.

Introduced here are apparatuses and systems for mitigating contact pressures applied to a human body by the surface of an object, such as a chair, bed, or table. A pressure-mitigation apparatus can include a series of chambers whose pressure can be individually varied. When placed between a patient and a contact surface, the pressure-mitigation apparatus can vary the contact pressure on a specific anatomical region of the patient by controllably inflating and/or deflating one or more cell. Moreover, a pressure-mitigation system can be readily integrated into a conventional treatment regimen for a variety of different conditions.

A patient support has two support parts which can be coupled to one another and which are pivotable relative to one another to exchange data between the two support parts.