Network communication for patient support apparatuses
Patient support apparatuses, such as beds, cots, stretchers, chairs, or the like, include wireless communication systems that are adapted to communicate with a non-local wireless receiver positioned outside of the healthcare facility and not associated with the healthcare facility. A computer positioned within the healthcare facility and coupled a local area network of the healthcare facility receives messages from the patient support apparatuses that have been forwarded by the non-local wireless receiver to the local area network. In some embodiments, the wireless receiver is local and positioned within the healthcare facility. In such instances, a second computer, such as a server, forwards a first subset of the patient support apparatus messages to a first computer via the local area network and a second subset of the patient support apparatus messages to a device remote from the healthcare facility. Patient support apparatuses that communicate using visible light are also disclosed.
1. In a healthcare facility comprising a local area network, a first computer coupled to the local area network, and at least one patient support apparatus having a wireless transmitter, a system comprising:
a wireless receiver located within the healthcare facility and adapted to receive a set of patient support apparatus data directly from the wireless transmitter of the patient support apparatus without the set of patient support apparatus data traveling through the local area network; and
a second computer communicatively coupled to the local area network, the wireless receiver, and a device remote from the healthcare facility, the second computer adapted to forward a first subset of the set of patient support apparatus data to the first computer via the local area network and to forward a second subset of the set of patient support apparatus data to the device remote from the healthcare facility.
2. The system of claim 1 further wherein the second computer is adapted to forward the second subset of patient support apparatus data to the device remote from the healthcare facility without forwarding the second subset of patient support apparatus data through the local area network.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first subset of patient support apparatus data includes at least one of the following: (a) a status of a brake of the patient support apparatus; (b) a status of a siderail of the patient support apparatus; (c) a weight of an occupant of the patient support apparatus; (d) a height of a support surface of the patient support apparatus; and (e) a state of an exit detection system of the patient support apparatus.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein the second subset of patient support apparatus data includes at least one of the following: (a) a number of times a motor on the patient support apparatus has been operated; (b) a current draw of a motor on the patient support apparatus; (c) a temperature of a component on the patient support apparatus; (d) an error signal from a component of the patient support apparatus; (e) a position of an actuator of the patient support apparatus; and (f) a software and/or hardware version of a component of the patient support apparatus.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the device remote from the healthcare facility is a receiver coupled to a cell phone tower.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the device remote from the healthcare facility is an Internet-accessible server.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the second computer is adapted to send the second subset of patient support apparatus data to a receiver of a cell phone tower that forwards the second subset of patient support apparatus data to the Internet-accessible server.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first subset and the second subset of patient support apparatus data include some data common to both subsets.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless transmitter is an RF transmitter adapted to transmit in at least one of the following frequency bands: 28 Gigahertz, 37 Gigahertz, and 39 Gigahertz.