Infant warming device with rotating patient support power, signal control data and communications

Abstract

An electrical connection system that can feed power, signal, data, and communication lines into a rotating or static patient support system in an infant warming device.

Claims

1. An infant warming device comprising: a wheeled base, a cantilevered arm attached to the base, a vertical column supported on the cantilevered arm, the vertical column housing a main controller, a patient bed assembly positioned above the cantilevered arm, the patient bed assembly including electronic hardware for use in caring for a patient, a rotatable patient support mechanism positioned on the cantilevered arm and underlying and supporting the patient bed assembly, the patient support mechanism including electronics for providing power, signal, control, data, and communication lines for the electronic hardware of the patient bed assembly, a cable connection coupled to the power, signal, control, data, and communication lines, the cable connection including a slip ring located in the patient support mechanism, and cables connecting the slip ring to the main controller wherein the patient support mechanism is operable to rotate the patient bed assembly relative to the cantilevered arm, and the slip ring is configured to permit rotation of the patient bed assembly without tangling the cables and the communication lines.

2. The infant warming device of claim 1 further comprising the vertical column mounted on the infant warming center that supports a radiant heater head, containing a radiant heater assembly.

3. The infant warming device of claim 2 further comprising a graphic display user interface mounted in the vertical column.

4. The infant warming device of claim 1 further comprising a heated mattress deployed in the patient bed assembly.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) There are disclosed in the drawings and detailed description to follow various embodiments of the solution proposed herein. It should be understood, however, that the specific embodiments given in the drawings and entailed description do not limit the disclosure. On the contrary, they provide the foundation for discerning the alternative forms, equivalents, and modifications that will be encompassed in the scope of the eventual claims.

(2) FIG. 1 is a view of an infant warming device that can include the inventive concept described in this disclosure.

(3) FIG. 2 is an alternate view of an infant warming device that can include the inventive concept described in this disclosure.

(4) FIG. 3 is an alternate view of an infant warming center that can include the inventive concept described in this disclosure.

(5) FIG. 4 is a view of the configuration of the patient support assembly.

(6) FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the patient support assembly and cable connection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, several views of an infant warming center that can include the inventive concept to be described in this disclosure. The center includes an infant bed 80 that underlies an infant positioned thereon. The infant bed has a surrounding sidewall 70 and rides upon a patient support mechanism 140. The patient bed and surrounding sidewalls may enclose a heated mattress. A vertical column structure mounted on the infant warming center supports a radiant heater head 10, containing a radiant heater 170 (FIG. 3), The radiant heater assembly is designed to optimize the heat focused on the infant. The vertical column structure may have a graphic display user interface 30 and a resuscitation module 50. The infant warming device's main computer controller may reside in the vertical column structure or may reside in the patient support mechanism. Handles 60, 90, are used to move the infant warming device around as it can be moved on flat surfaces via legs 110 with attached wheels and controlled with footswitches 130. On the rear side of the column is a location for carrying a remote gas supply tank 100. Under the patient support mechanism 140 is a cantilever cover 160 and turret cover 180 for shrouding the rotation mechanisms, with a cantilever arm 190 that supports the patient support, vertical column, and supports a storage enclosure 150.

(8) Shown in FIG. 4 is a more detailed view of the patient support mechanism 140 This mechanism houses all of the power, signal, control, data, and communications lines and enables all hardware either permanently attached to the bed or connected to the bed through separate external connections to be free from issue of tangling cables, risk of pulling off patient probes or leads, or moving equipment powered or controlled elsewhere. All of the power, signal, data, and communication lines into the patient support mechanism, whether coming from the infant warming controller or sensor data from the patient, pass through a cable connection 210 located below the bed. This allows, critical electronics to be permanently mounted in the patient support structure below the bed rather than above the patient and enables passing back data to the main controller that can be located in the vertical column structure of the infant warming center and allows a better control response and reduces system latencies.

(9) FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the patient support mechanism illustrating the cable connection 210 through which the cabling passes.

(10) In one embodiment of this disclosure the patient support mechanism is not rotatable and the cabling simply passes through cable connection 210 and is then connects and communicates to the electronics in the patient support mechanism and thereby to the main controller of the infant warming center.

(11) In a second embodiment the patient support mechanism is rotatable to allow improved access to the infant bed and patient during care. In this embodiment the rotating patient support mechanism utilizes a slip ring inside of a rotation bearing to pass through all power, signal, control, data, and communications lines which allows rotation of the bed and all hardware either permanently attached to the bed or connected to the bed through separate external connections which allows the patient be to be rotated without issues of tangling cables, pulling off patient probes or leads, or moving equipment powered or controlled by the bed. FIG. 5 shows now a slip ring 210 inside rotation bearing 220. In this embodiment critical electronics can still be permanently mounted in patient support structure 140 and pass data back to the main controller via slip ring 210 that allows better control response and reduces system latencies. This disclosure anticipates either a static or rotatable patient support mechanism and either one solves the stated problem of removing the cabling clutter inherent in other infant warming designs.

(12) Although certain embodiments and their advantages have been described herein in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations could be made without departing from the coverage as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the potential applications of the disclosed techniques is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the processes, machines, manufactures, means, methods and steps described herein. As a person of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from this disclosure, other processes, machines, manufactures, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufactures, means, methods or steps.