Patent ID: 11938063
Assignee: STRYKER CORPORATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 18:
19. A patient support apparatus for supporting a patient, the patient support apparatus comprising:
a litter comprising a support structure articulable between a seated configuration and a supine configuration, and configured to support the patient in each of the seated and supine configurations, with the support structure comprising:
a seat section; and
a leg section coupled to the seat section and articulable relative to the seat section around a seat axis between a first angular position in the seated configuration and a second angular position, different from the first angular position, in the supine configuration;

a steerable wheel assembly coupled to the leg section and configured to engage a floor surface in each of the seated and supine configurations, with the steerable wheel assembly comprising:
a caster frame coupled to the leg section and rotatable relative to the leg section around a steering axis transverse to the seat axis to facilitate turning the litter; and
a wheel coupled to the caster frame and rotatable relative to the caster frame around a wheel axis to facilitate movement of the litter along the floor surface, with the caster frame disposed in a transition position when the wheel axis and the seat axis are parallel; and

a wheel orientation mechanism operably coupled to each of the leg section and the steerable wheel assembly, with the wheel orientation mechanism configured to rotate the caster frame around the steering axis to the transition position when the leg section articulates between the first and second angular positions for maintaining rotation of the wheel around the wheel axis along the floor surface as the support structure articulates between the seated and supine configurations.