Granted Patent B2

US 12,734,087 · App. 18/127,997 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventors: Darren G. Schaaf (Portage, MI); Anish Paul (Kalamazoo, MI); Krishna Bhimavarapu (Kalamazoo, MI); Daniel V. Brosnan (Kalamazoo, MI); Aaron Douglas Furman (Kalamazoo, MI)

Assignee: Stryker Corporation

A61G7/018A61B5/6801A61B5/6891A61G5/006A61G5/10A61G2203/10A61G2203/16A61G2203/30A61G2203/70

Abstract

Claims (43)

1 . A patient support system for a patient, the patient support system comprising:

a base;

a patient support surface supported by the base;

an actuator configured to move the patient disposed on the patient support surface relative to the base, the actuator being operable at different rates of actuation, wherein the different rates of actuation of the actuator defines a full range of available rates;

a user input device configured to generate a user input signal, the user input device including a voice actuation interface;

an identification device configured to identify a role of a caregiver adjacent to the patient support surface; and

a controller disposed in communication with the actuator, the user input device, and the identification device, the controller being configured to:

enable the voice actuation interface based on the identified role of the caregiver adjacent to the patient support surface determined by the identification device, and to

transmit an output signal to the actuator to control the actuator to move the patient disposed on the patient support surface relative to the base in response to the user input signal generated by the voice actuation interface, and

permit operation of the actuator across at least one of: the full range of available rates and less than the full range of available rates based on the identified role of the caregiver adjacent to the patient support surface determined by the identification device.

2 . The patient support system of claim 1 , wherein the voice actuation interface includes a microphone in communication with the controller to receive one or more voice activation commands.

3 . The patient support system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more voice activation commands includes a stop command; and

wherein the controller is further configured to interrupt operation of the actuator in response to receiving the stop command from the voice actuation interface.

4 . The patient support system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to disable operation of the identification device in response to receiving the stop command for interrupting operation of the actuator in response to receiving the stop command from the patient disposed on the patient support surface.

5 . The patient support system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more voice activation commands includes a fast speed command; and

wherein the controller is further configured to control operation of the actuator at a first predetermined rate in response to receiving the fast speed command from the voice actuation interface.

6 . The patient support system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more voice activation commands includes a slow speed command;

wherein the controller is further configured to control operation of the actuator at a second predetermined rate in response to receiving the slow speed command from the voice actuation interface; and

wherein the second predetermined rate is slower than the first predetermined rate.

7 . The patient support system of claim 1 , further comprising a voice activation enabling device in communication with the controller; and

wherein actuation of the voice activation enabling device enables the voice actuation interface to provide the user input signal.

8 . The patient support system of claim 7 , wherein the voice activation enabling device is located on a portable electronic device configured for use by a caregiver.

9 . The patient support system of claim 7 , wherein the voice activation enabling device comprises at least one of a button, a gesture sensing device, a microphone, a foot pedal, and a sensor.

10 . The patient support system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a desired rate of operation for the actuator based on a combination of the user input signal and one or more of:

medical procedure data comprising a type of medical procedure undergone by the patient, a duration since last medical procedure, a duration since admittance, or combinations thereof;

patient characteristic data comprising height, fall risk data, width, age, weight, body mass index, or combinations thereof;

caregiver observation data comprising psychological data, phobia data, pain sensitivity data, nausea data, or combinations thereof;

medication data;

prior injury data; or

combinations thereof.

11 . The patient support system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a desired rate of operation for the actuator based on the user input signal.

12 . The patient support system of claim 11 , further comprising memory disposed in electronic communication with the controller to store data associated with a plurality of operational modes, each operational mode corresponding to a predetermined rate of operation for the actuator; and

wherein the controller is further configured to determine the desired rate of operation of the actuator based on the operational mode selected using the voice actuation interface.

13 . The patient support system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of operational modes comprise one or more of a patient mode, a cleaning mode, or a transport mode.

14 . The patient support system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to enable or disable selection of one or more operational modes based on the identified role of the caregiver adjacent to the patient support surface.

15 . The patient support system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to select one of the operational modes based on the identified role of the caregiver adjacent to the patient support surface.

16 . The patient support system of claim 1 , wherein the user input device further includes one or more buttons for controlling operation of the actuator.

17 . The patient support system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to enable or disable operation of the one or more buttons based on the identified role of the caregiver adjacent to the patient support surface.

18 . The patient support system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensing system in communication with the controller, the sensing system configured to provide a sensor input signal to the controller.

19 . The patient support system of claim 1 , wherein the identification device is configured to identify a second role of a second caregiver adjacent to the patient support surface; and

wherein the controller is configured to transmit the output signal to the actuator to control the actuator:

at a first rate of actuation in response to the user input signal generated by the voice actuation interface utilized by the caregiver with the role identified by the identification device, and

at a second rate of actuation, different from the first rate of actuation, in response to the user input signal generated by the voice actuation interface utilized by the second caregiver with the second role identified by the identification device.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (281)