A load cell apparatus for use with a bed includes a housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, and a load cell device held by the bottom portion of the housing. The load cell device is structured to generate a signal having a magnitude that is proportional to a first force being applied to the load cell device. The load cell apparatus also includes a button member held by the housing in a manner wherein the button member is structured to engage the load cell device and apply the first force to the load cell device in response to a second force being applied to the top portion of the housing. Also, various systems for monitoring parameters such as weight, sleep quality, fall risk, and/or pressure sore risk that may incorporate such a load cell apparatus.

A patient support apparatus, such as a hospital bed, communicates with an electronic medical record (EMR) system in healthcare facility. The hospital bed includes a patient support structure to support a patient, a graphical user interface coupled to the patient support structure, and control circuitry coupled to the graphical user interface. The graphical user interface displays at least one input that may be used by a caregiver to chart data into an electronic medical record (EMR) of a patient supported by the patient support structure.

A patient support apparatus, such as a bed, stretcher, cot, or the like, includes a frame, a support surface, a control, a controller, and a transceiver. The patient support apparatus employs one or more machine learning techniques to perform one or more of the following: automatically implement one or more user-preferred settings, automatically predict the occurrence of one or more events based on analyses of prior events, and/or automatically improve one or more algorithms based on analyses of additional sensor data. The machine learning techniques may be implemented onboard the patient support apparatus and/or may be implemented at a remote computer device (e.g. a server) that collates and analyzes data from multiple patient support apparatuses, and then sends the results of the analyses back to the patient support apparatuses.

A person support apparatus, such as a bed, stretcher, cot, recliner, or the like, includes an exit detection system having a plurality of force sensors that support the weight of an occupant positioned on a support surface and obstruction detection system having one or more obstruction sensors. The force sensors are part of an exit detection system that issues an alarm when the occupant exits, or is about to exit, the person support apparatus. The bed exit system can react to detection of an obstacle. The distribution of weight applied to the force sensors is used to determine if the occupant is about to exit the person support apparatus. Compensation is made to the exit detection system for changes in the weight distribution that are not caused by movement of the occupant. Such changes may be due to not only movement of the person support apparatus or components thereof, but obstacles encountered by the person support apparatus or components thereof.

There is described support structures for a bed, and various embodiments of a bed for use in a hospital. In an example, a support structure comprises a plurality of sections, each configured to support a respective part of a body, and a plurality of resilient members that extend in a longitudinal direction from an upper end of the support structure to a lower end of the support structure, wherein a shape and/or profile of the support structure is determined by a shape and/or profile of the resilient members.

A method includes transmitting a ride-share request to a ride-share server, the ride-share request including information about an accessibility device, determining a present orientation of the accessibility device, and transmitting the present orientation of the accessibility device to the ride-share vehicle. Another method includes transmitting a present orientation of an accessibility device, receiving a target orientation of the accessibility device, illuminating a light projector, determining that the accessibility device is in the target orientation, and turning off the light projector.

A patient support apparatus comprises a patient support deck and a base frame assembly. The base frame assembly comprises a first frame assembly supporting a plurality of wheels, and a second frame assembly supporting one or more lift arms that are coupled to the patient support deck to the second frame assembly. A load cell assembly is interposed between the first and second frame assemblies to sense force acting on the first frame assembly associated with weight applied to the second frame assembly. The load cell assembly comprises: a load cell element coupled to one of the first frame assembly and the second frame assembly; a first pivot mount operatively attached to the load cell element; a second pivot mount operatively attached to the other of the first frame assembly and the second frame assembly; and a swing link arranged for pivoting movement.

A patient transport apparatus includes a base, a patient support deck, a plurality of wheels, a plurality of brakes, and an electro-mechanical braking system. The electro-mechanical braking system includes a linkage and an electrical braking assembly. The linkage is operatively coupled to the brakes to place the brakes in a braked state, a released state, or other state. The electrical braking assembly includes an actuator assembly that moves the linkage via a driving member. A user interface includes an input control for user engagement. A brake control circuit includes a hold circuit to generate an enable signal with a predetermined voltage in response to the user engagement with the input control, maintain the enable signal for a predetermined period following user disengagement with the input control, and operate the actuator assembly with the enable signal to move the driving member within the predetermined period.

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.

A caregiver assistance system for assisting a caregiver in a healthcare facility to perform his or her rounding duties comprises a server in communication with one or more patient beds and one or more electronic devices (e.g. smart phones) that are remote from the beds and that include a display, a user input, and a web browser. The server executes a caregiver assistance application that causes the electronic device to perform the following actions after the web browser of the electronic device accesses a particular URL whose content and function are controlled by the caregiver assistance application: (a) display rounding information on the display relating to a patient associated with the bed, and (b) forward a completion indication to the caregiver assistance application wherein the completion indication is generated in response to a caregiver manipulating the user input when the caregiver has completed a rounding task associated with the patient.