1. A user module for a patient support, the user module comprising
a communication interface configured to communicate signals from the user module to a patient support having at least one automated function and being configured to support a patient in at least a substantially horizontal position and to communicate signals from the patient support to the user module,
an input device configured to receive a signal indicative of a selection made by a user relating to an automated function of the patient support, and
an output device including a visual display configured to display a first graphical depiction of a person positioned on a patient support in response to a selection made by a user relating to a first function of the patient support and to display a second graphical depiction of a person positioned on a patient support in response to a selection made by a user relating to a second function of the patient support, wherein the first graphical depiction includes a first animated element indicative of movement associated with operation of the first function of the patient support and the second graphical depiction includes a second animated element indicative of movement associated with operation of the second function of the patient support.
2. The user module of claim 1, wherein the output device is further configured to display the first animated element and the second animated element at the same time.
3. The user module of claim 2, wherein the first animated element includes an arrow and a portion of the graphical depiction of a person positioned on a patient support.
4. The user module of claim 3, wherein the second animated element includes concentric circles and a portion of the graphical depiction of a person positioned on a patient support.
5. The user module of claim 4, wherein the output device is further configured to substantially simultaneously display current data relating to at least one alarm feature of the patient support, current data relating to at least one therapy function of the patient support, and a graphical representation of a patient support including an animated portion indicative of a status of an automated function of the patient support.
6. The user module of claim 1, wherein the output device is configured to display a first region including a first selectable option and a second region spaced from the first region, the second region includes a second selectable option, the first selectable option is displayed in a first color and the second selectable option is displayed in a second color contrasting with the first color.
7. The user module of claim 6, wherein the second selectable option is displayed in the second color prior to selection by a user of the second selectable option and the second selectable option is displayed in a third color contrasting with the second color and the first color after selection by a user of the second selectable option.
8. The user module of claim 7, wherein the second color is green and the third color is red.
9. The user module of claim 8, wherein the output device is further configured to display in a data region current data relating to a function of the patient support or a characteristic of a patient positionable on the patient support, and the data region is defined relative to the rest of the display by yellow highlighting.
10. The user module of claim 1, further comprising a user control to configure a setting of the patient support, the user control including a touch sensor associated with a graphical depiction of the user control displayed on the visual display, wherein the depiction of the user control includes a first numerical value representative of the current configuration of the setting, the user control is configured to enable a user to select a second numerical value indicative of a second configuration for the setting by applying one touch to the touch sensor, and the depiction of the user control automatically changes to replace the first numerical value with the second numerical value on the user control when the second numerical value is selected by the user.
11. A patient support apparatus comprising
a frame having first and second longitudinally spaced ends and first and second laterally spaced sides,
a housing positionable adjacent one of the sides or ends of the frame,
a user interface supported by the housing, the user interface including a dynamic display and at least one touchscreen control associated with a region of the dynamic display, and
at least one electromechanical switch supported by the housing, wherein activation of at least one of the switches activates the dynamic display of the user interface.
12. The patient support apparatus of claim 11, wherein the housing has a front panel, the user interface is supported by the front panel, and an electromechanical switch is spaced from the user interface on the front panel and electrically coupled to the user interface.
13. The patient support apparatus of claim 12, wherein activation of the electromechanical switch causes a pop-up window to appear on the dynamic display.
14. The patient support apparatus of claim 13, wherein the user interface and an electromechanical switch are coupled to a siderail of the patient support.
15. The patient support apparatus of claim 13, wherein the user interface and an electromechanical switch are coupled to a footboard of the patient support.
16. A patient support apparatus comprising
a bed having first and second longitudinally spaced ends, first and second laterally spaced sides and at least one computer-controllable function,
a controller operably coupled to the bed to control at least one bed function,
a plurality of user modules operably coupled to the controller, each user module configured to display output relating to a bed function and receive input from a user relating to a bed function, and
a memory including instructions executable to process first input received by a first user module and second input received by a second user module and automatically update the displays of the user modules.
17. The patient support apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least one of the user modules includes a user interface including a graphical element and a touchscreen control.
18. The patient support apparatus of claim 17, wherein the touchscreen control is activatable by a user to configure a setting for a bed therapy function for which a single value is selectable from a plurality of values, the plurality of values are displayed on the user interface, and the touchscreen control is configured to enable the user to select a value from the plurality of values by contacting the touchscreen control only one time.
19. The patient support apparatus of claim 17, wherein the executable instructions include instructions to display the same output on all of the user modules at the same time.
20. The patient support apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second user module display is updated in response to the first input and the first user module display is updated in response to the second input.
21. A patient support apparatus comprising
a patient support including a computer-controllable weigh system,
a user module operably coupled to the bed to control the weigh system, and
a memory operably coupled to the user module, the memory including executable instructions configured to determine a weight of a patient positioned on the patient support, including instructions to prompt a user to identify one or more items added or removed from the patient support, weigh the patient, and automatically account for weight changes due to the identified items such that the weight change due to the identified items is included in the determination of the patient’s weight.
22. The patient support apparatus of claim 21, wherein the executable instructions include automatically waiting a period of time before weighing the patient to allow the user time to add or remove items from the patient support.
23. The patient support apparatus of claim 22, wherein the executable instructions include automatically waiting a period of time before weighing the patient to allow the user time to adjust a condition of the bed.
24. A patient support apparatus comprising
a patient support including at least one computer-controllable bed function,
a user module operably coupled to the patient support to control the at least one function of the patient support, and
a memory operably coupled to the user module, the memory including executable instructions configured to enable a user to set a reminder relating to at least one patient support function, including instructions to prompt the user to set a predetermined amount of time after which the user module will generate an alert relating to a patient support function, and cause the user module to generate the alert if the predetermined amount of time has elapsed.
25. The patient support apparatus of claim 24, wherein the instructions include permitting a user to set a first reminder relating to a turning assistance function, a second reminder relating to a rotation therapy function, and a third reminder relating to a percussion and vibration function.
26. A patient support apparatus comprising
a patient support including a frame having first and second laterally spaced sides and first and second longitudinally spaced ends, and a plurality of automated functions,
a communications port including a connector to connect with a remote device having a memory and programming information stored in the memory of the remote device,
a user module operably coupled to the communications port and to the patient support, the user module being usable to control operation of at least one of the automated functions of the patient support, the user module including an input mechanism, a display, a memory, programming information stored in the memory, a processor, and electrical circuitry, the programming information of the user module including instructions executable to cause the user module to automatically detect connection of a remote device to the communications port.
27. The patient support apparatus of claim 26, wherein the programming information of the user module includes executable instructions to receive programming information from the remote device via the communications port.
28. The patient support apparatus of claim 27, wherein the programming information of the user module includes executable instructions to update the display of the user module when programming information is received from the remote device.
29. The patient support apparatus of claim 28, wherein the patient support includes a network and a plurality of function modules coupled to the network, and the programming information of the user module includes executable instructions to provide programming information received from the remote device to a function module over the network.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for applying radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves to heat an object placed in an energy application zone via one or more radiating elements, the RF electromagnetic waves being in an ultra high frequency (UHF) or microwave frequency band and the apparatus comprising:
a detector configured to detect feedback including an amount of RF power reflected from the energy application zone; and
a processor configured to:
receive the feedback from the detector;
monitor a value indicative of RF power absorbed by the object based on the received feedback;
determine a time derivative of the value indicative of RF power absorbed by the object;
identify a change in the time derivative of the value indicative of RF power absorbed by the object; and
control an energy source to adjust energy supplied to the one or more radiating elements based on the change in the time derivative of the value indicative of RF power absorbed by the object.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feedback includes power received from the energy application zone by at least one of the one or more radiating elements.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive, via an interface, one or more criteria for changing the energy supplied to the one or more radiating elements based on the change in the time derivative of the value indicative of RF power absorbed by the object.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the interface includes a reader for reading a machine readable element.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the reader includes a barcode reader.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the energy source to adjust energy supply at each of a plurality of modulation space elements (MSEs).
7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to regulate the energy supplied to the one or more radiating elements in a plurality of modulation space elements (MSEs).
8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to regulate the energy supplied to the one or more radiating elements at each of the plurality of MSEs based on a dissipation ratio estimated at each of the plurality of MSEs.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the value indicative of RF power absorbed by the object includes a difference between power delivered to the energy application zone and power detected from the energy application zone.
10. A device comprising:
an energy application zone;
a dielectric heating device configured to apply radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves to the energy application zone to heat an object placed in the energy application zone, the RF electromagnetic waves being in an ultra high frequency (UHF) or microwave frequency band;
a detector configured to detect feedback including RF power reflected from the energy application zone; and
a controller configured to:
compute a time derivative of a value indicative of RF power absorbed by the object based on the feedback detected by the detector; and
cause the dielectric heating device to adjust a selection of modulation space elements (MSEs) used for energy application based on a change in the time derivative of RF power absorbed by the object.
11. An apparatus for applying radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves to heat an object placed in an energy application zone via one or more radiating elements, the RF electromagnetic waves being in an ultra high frequency (UHF) or microwave frequency band and the apparatus comprising:
a detector configured to detect feedback including an amount of RF power reflected from the energy application zone; and
a processor configured to:
monitor a value indicative of RF power absorbed by the object based on the feedback detected by the detector; and
control an energy source to adjust energy supplied to the one or more radiating elements based on a change in a time derivative of the value indicative of RF power absorbed by the object.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to receive feedback indicative of power received from the energy application zone by at least one of the one or more radiating elements and to determine the value indicative of RF power absorbed by the object based on the received feedback.
13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to receive, via an interface, one or more criteria for changing the energy supplied to the one or more radiating elements based on the changes in the time derivative of the value indicative of RF power absorbed by the object.
14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the interface includes a reader for reading a machine readable element.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the reader includes a barcode reader.
16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to control the energy source to adjust energy supply at each of a plurality of modulation space elements (MSEs).
17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to regulate the energy supplied to the one or more radiating elements in a plurality of modulation space elements (MSEs).
18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to regulate the energy supplied to the one or more radiating elements at each of the plurality of MSEs based on a dissipation ratio estimated at each of the plurality of MSEs.
19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the value indicative of RF power absorbed by the object includes a difference between power delivered to the energy application zone and power detected from the energy application zone.
20. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to change a selection of modulation space elements (MSEs) for energy application to adjust the energy supplied to the one or more radiating elements.
21. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to change a selection of frequencies used for energy application to adjust the energy supplied to the one or more radiating elements.
22. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to change a power level or a time duration used for delivering energy to adjust the energy supplied to the one or more radiating elements.