A headwall is adapted for use with a bed in a room of a healthcare facility. The headwall comprises a service delivery unit movable relative to a wall of the room between a storage position and a use position allowing the bed to dock to the service delivery unit to receive one or more services from the service delivery unit. It is disclosed to use the headwall to provide services to patient care equipment mounted to a side rail of the bed. Such patient care equipment is, for example, a chest drainage unit, an infusion unit, or a vacuum bandage unit.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to patient care apparatus for treating a patient in a healthcare facility. The patient care apparatus has, for example, a headwall to provide services to one or more of the patient, a bed for the patient, and other patient care equipment.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

It is known to provide headwalls in rooms of healthcare facilities. A headwall is typically mounted next to one of the room walls and provides one or more services to, for example, a patient, a bed for the patient, and other patient care equipment.

According to the present disclosure, a headwall is adapted for use with a bed in a room of a healthcare facility. The headwall has a first service delivery unit having a first service connector to provide a first service to the bed. The headwall also has a second service delivery unit having a cavity and a second service connector to provide a second service to the bed. The second service delivery unit is to be supported by at least one of a wall of the room and the first service delivery unit for movement between a storage position in which the second service connector is positioned in the cavity and a use position in which the second service connector is positioned outside the cavity to allow the bed to dock to the second service delivery unit for transmission of the second service from the second service connector to the bed.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the headwall has a support to be coupled to the wall and a service delivery unit. The service delivery unit has a service connector and is coupled to the support for pivotable movement of the service delivery unit between a storage position in which the service connector is to be positioned adjacent to the wall and a use position in which the service connector is positioned away from the first position to allow the bed to dock to the service delivery unit for transmission of a service from the service connector to the bed. The service connector is one of an electrical power outlet, a negative pressure port, a medical gas port, a hydraulic fluid port, and a motor.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a headwall arrangement is adapted for use in a healthcare facility having a first room and a second room that share a common wall. The first room has a first bed therein and the second room has a second bed therein. The headwall arrangement a first headwall to be positioned in the first room to provide a first service to the first bed and a second headwall to be positioned in the second room to provide a second service to the second bed. The headwall arrangement has a bridging portion to be positioned in an opening in the common wall and the first headwall and the second headwall are coupled to the bridging portion.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a patient care apparatus is adapted for use with a patient. The patient care apparatus has a bed to support the patient and the bed has a side rail. The patient care apparatus has patient care equipment having a medical treatment control unit and a medical treatment line coupled to the medical treatment control unit to provide medical treatment controlled by the medical treatment control unit to the patient. The medical treatment control unit is coupled to the side rail and positioned in a cavity of the side rail.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the patient care apparatus has a chest drainage unit to drain material from a chest of the patient supported by the bed. The chest drainage unit is coupled to the side rail.

Additional features will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode as presently perceived.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A headwall10is mounted to a wall12of a room13of a healthcare facility14as shown inFIGS. 1-3. Headwall10provides a variety of services for transmission to a hospital bed16(seeFIGS. 2-3) in room13. Facility14is, for example, a hospital, a nursing facility, the home of a patient, or other location to care for a patient.

Headwall10has a first service delivery unit18and a second service delivery unit20, as shown inFIGS. 1-3. Unit18has a housing28and a plurality of first service connectors22mounted thereto to provide services for transmission to bed16. Unit20has a housing40and a plurality of second service connectors24mounted thereto for transmission of services to bed16.

Service connectors22,24are arranged to provide the variety of services for bed16. Some of service connectors22,24are electrical power outlets to provide electrical power to bed16. Some of the service connectors22,24are medical gas ports to provide medical gas, such as, for example, any one or more of oxygen, nitrogen, and air to bed16. Some of the service connectors22,24are negative pressure ports to provide negative pressure to bed16. The negative pressure source (not shown) supplying the negative pressure for such negative pressure ports is, for example, the central negative pressure source of facility14or a pump mounted in one of units118,120, wall112, or some other suitable location. Some of the service connectors22,24are data communication ports to transmit data, such as, for example, any one or more of audio data, video data, and informational data, to bed16. Service lines (not shown) that receive services from equipment located remotely from room13are routed through wall12to associated service connectors22,24.

Units18,20are mounted in room13. Housing28of unit18is mounted to wall18in a fixed position. Housing40of unit20is mounted to housing28for pivotable movement of unit20between a storage position (seeFIG. 1) and a use position (see FIGS.2-3). Housing28thus acts as a support for unit20. In some embodiments, unit20is mounted to wall12in addition to or instead of unit18. In the storage position, unit20nests in a cavity26formed in housing28and extends vertically alongside wall12. In the use position, unit20extends horizontally away from wall12to allow bed16to dock to unit20to transmit services directly from unit20to bed16. Service connectors24, which are coupled to an end face38of housing40, are positioned in cavity26in the storage position and outside cavity26in the use position. When bed16is docked to unit20, unit20spaces a patient support deck29of bed16apart from unit18so that patient support deck29does not contact unit18during raising and lowering of patient support deck29.

Housing28and housing40are configured so that housing40nests in housing28in the storage position, as shown in FIG.1. Housing28has a horizontally extending top portion30and a pair of side portions32extending downwardly from top portion30, as shown inFIGS. 1-3. Top and side portions30,32cooperate to provide cavity26and to form a downwardly facing C-shape. Housing40has opposite side faces42and end face38which is positioned between side faces42, as shown inFIGS. 2-3. In the storage position, each side face42is next to and faces one of side portions32and end face38is next to and faces top portion30. Each side portion32has a face34to which some of the first service connectors22are coupled, as shown with respect to one of side portions32inFIGS. 1-3.

Top portion30has a central notch36, as shown inFIGS. 1-2. Notch36is formed in a lower front edge37of top portion30to allow a caregiver access to an end face38of unit20to which second service connectors24are coupled so that the caregiver can pivot unit20between its storage and use positions.

In the use position, shown inFIG. 3, unit20is arranged to extend into a unit-receiving space45formed in a base46of bed16, as shown in FIG.2. When bed16is docked to unit20, at least some of service connectors24are coupled to corresponding service connectors (not shown) of base46to provide services to bed16.

In some embodiments, base46has a hydraulic pump and controller package44and unit20has an electric motor47and a hydraulic fluid reservoir48housed in an interior region50of housing40, as shown in FIG.2. The controller portion of package44is coupled to motor47to control operation of motor47. Motor47has a shaft52, which is one of the second service connectors24, coupled to the hydraulic pump portion of package44to operate the hydraulic pump portion. The hydraulic pump portion is, in turn, coupled to hydraulic fluid reservoir48via one of the second service connectors24providing a hydraulic fluid port to pump hydraulic fluid to various hydraulic fluid cylinders (not shown) on-board bed16which control movement of various portions of bed16. Such movement includes articulation of patient-support deck29, tilting of patient-support deck29relative to base46, and adjusting the elevation of patient-support deck29relative to base46. Housing motor47and hydraulic fluid reservoir48on-board unit18makes bed16lighter in weight than if they were placed on-board bed16so that bed16is easier to transport about facility14.

A back-to-back headwall arrangement108is configured to provide a variety of services to a pair of hospital beds116located in a pair of adjacent rooms113in facility14, as shown in FIG.4. Arrangement108has a pair of headwalls110, one in each room113, and a bridging portion111coupled to headwalls110and mounted therebetween in an opening115formed in a wall112common to both rooms113to provide services to headwalls110. Headwalls110are thus located on opposite sides of wall112to provide services to beds116.

Each headwall110has a first service delivery unit118and a second service delivery unit120, as shown in FIG.4. Unit118has a housing128and a plurality of first service connectors122mounted thereto to provide services for transmission to respective bed116. Unit120has a housing140and a plurality of second service connectors124mounted thereto for transmission of services to respective bed116.

Service connectors122,124are arranged to provide the variety of services for respective bed116. Some of service connectors122,124are electrical power outlets to provide electrical power to respective bed116. Some of the service connectors122,124are medical gas ports to provide medical gas, such as, for example, any one or more of oxygen, nitrogen, and air to respective bed116. Some of the service connectors122,124are negative pressure ports to provide negative pressure to respective bed116. The negative pressure source (not shown) supplying the negative pressure for such negative pressure ports is, for example, the central negative pressure source of facility14or a pump mounted in one of units118,120, wall112, or some other suitable location. Some of the service connectors122,124are data communication ports to transmit data, such as, for example, any one or more of audio data, video data, and informational data, to respective bed116. Each bed113has a base146and a control package162contained in base146to interface with service connectors124of respective headwall110.

With respect to each headwall110, housing128is mounted to wall18in a fixed position and housing140is mounted to housing128for pivotable movement of unit120between a storage position and a use position (see FIG.4). Housing128thus acts as a support for unit120. In some embodiments, unit120is mounted to wall112and/or bridging portion111in addition to or instead of unit118. In the storage position, unit120is oriented vertically and nests in a cavity126provided between side portions132of housing128. In the use position, unit120extends horizontally to allow control package162contained in a base146of respective bed16to dock to unit120to transmit services directly from unit120to respective bed116. Service connectors124, which are coupled to an end face138of housing140, are positioned in cavity126in the storage position and outside cavity126in the use position. When respective bed116is docked to unit120, unit120spaces a patient support deck129of respective bed116apart from unit118so that patient support deck129does not contact unit118during raising and lowering of patient support deck129.

A floor-engaging support or bail130is coupled to each housing140, as shown in FIG.4. When bail130engages the floor of respective room113, respective unit120is oriented in its use position.

Bridging portion111has a housing154coupled to and positioned between housings128,140and wall112, as shown in FIG.4. Housing154provides interior region156and has service delivery equipment158positioned in interior region156. Equipment158includes service lines125that receive services from equipment (not shown) located remotely from rooms113and are routed through wall112and interior region156to associated service connectors122,124of headwalls110.

In some embodiments, equipment158includes an electric motor147, a hydraulic fluid reservoir148, and a pump149, as shown in FIG.4. Motor147, reservoir148, and pump149are housed in interior region156and cooperate to provide hydraulic fluid to each bed116via respective headwall110. Motor147is coupled to pump149to operate pump149. Pump149is coupled to reservoir148and a valve pack160of each headwall110to pump hydraulic fluid from reservoir148to each valve pack160. Each valve pack160has one or more valves to open and close certain service connectors124to open and close corresponding hydraulic fluid flow paths to respective bed113. By housing motor147, reservoir148, and pump149in bridging portion111, neither of beds113needs to carry these components thereby reducing the weight of beds113and making beds113easier to transport about facility14.

A headwall210, shown inFIG. 5, is configured to couple to a base246of a hospital bed216located in a room213of facility14to provide services to bed216. Headwall210has a wall-mounted unit218mounted to a wall212of room213and a floor-mounted unit220mounted to a floor221of room213.

Unit218has a pair of side portions232. Portions232have a plurality of first service connectors222which are, for example, electrical power outlets to provide electrical power.

Unit220extends away from wall212along floor221to interface directly with base246. Unit220has a vertical portion260extending vertically between an undersurface of unit218and floor221and has a horizontal portion262extending horizontally away from portion260along floor221. Unit220further has an interface portion264extending upwardly from horizontal portion262in spaced apart relation with portion260.

Interface portion264includes second service connectors224that mate automatically with corresponding service connectors (not shown) included in base246when base246is docked to interface portion264. Illustratively, at least one of connectors224provides electrical power to run equipment (not shown) included in bed216. Other connectors224are configured for communication and data transmission between associated equipment on bed216and equipment (not shown) located remotely from the bed216. Each of portions260,262,264has interior regions through which lines are routed to respective connectors224. Optionally, interface portion264includes additional service connectors configured to provide medical gas, such as any one or more of oxygen, nitrogen, air, and other gases, and negative pressure to bed216. Base246and interface portion264cooperate so that the service connectors of base246connect quickly and easily to service connectors224when base246is docked to interface portion264thereby eliminating the need to handle various power cords, gas lines, data lines, and communication lines.

Base246includes a main, central portion266formed to include a domed portion268at an end thereof. Interface portion264has an upper surface270that matches the contour of an upper surface272of domed portion268so that upper surfaces270,272form a substantially continuous surface when bed216is docked to interface portion264. Base246further includes arm portions274that extend toward wall212and laterally outwardly away from corner regions of central portion266to define a docking space276therebetween. Unit220extends into docking space276when base246is docked to interface portion264. Base246further includes casters278to engage floor221. Two of casters278are mounted to respective distal ends of arm portions274.

A patient care apparatus309is shown inFIGS. 6-8. Apparatus309has a hospital bed316and patient care equipment such as a chest drainage unit342(e.g., a Pleur Evac® chest drainage unit) integrated into bed316and configured to drain material from the chest of a patient supported by bed316.

Hospital bed316includes a mattress324, a deck (not shown) supporting mattress324, a base326, and a lift assembly (not shown) coupled to base326and to the deck. Bed316further includes a side rail assembly322coupled to the deck for movement between a raised position, shown inFIG. 6, and a lowered position, shown in FIG.8. Side rail assembly322includes a longitudinally extending main portion328and a pair of handle portions330appended to main portion328at opposite ends thereof. Handle portions330are gripped by caregivers to maneuver hospital bed316during transport through a hospital. Handle portions330are also gripped by caregivers during raising and lowering of side rail assembly322. Side rail assembly322further includes a first control panel332coupled to a laterally outwardly facing vertical surface of main portion328, a second control panel334coupled to the laterally outwardly facing vertical surface of main portion328, and a release handle336positioned to lie in a handle-receiving notch338formed in the bottom edge of main portion328.

When side rail assembly322is in the raised position, movement of release handle336to an unlocking position releases a locking mechanism (not shown) of side rail assembly322allowing side rail assembly322to lower automatically from the raised position to the lowered position. First control panel332includes a plurality of inputs that are engaged by a caregiver to control various drive mechanisms (not shown) that raise, lower, tilt, and articulate the deck of hospital bed316. A third control panel (not shown) that is substantially similar to control panel332is coupled to an inwardly facing surface of main portion328and is used by a patient to raise, lower, tilt, and articulate the deck of hospital bed316. Second control panel334is dedicated to the control of chest drainage unit342which is mounted to side rail assembly322. In some embodiments, second control panel334is dedicated to the control of other specialized patient care equipment integrated into hospital bed316, such as, for example, infusion units, vacuum bandage units, or any other patient care equipment including patient-monitoring equipment, patient-temperature regulation equipment, and waste-management equipment.

Main portion328of side rail assembly322is formed to include a cavity340, shown inFIGS. 7 and 8, that is open along the bottom edge of main portion328and that is open at the outwardly facing vertical surface of main portion328. A medical treatment control unit345of chest drainage unit342is configured to control drainage of material from the chest of a patient on mattress324and is coupled to side rail assembly322such that, when side rail assembly322is in the raised position, an upper portion of control unit345is received in a lower portion of cavity340as shown in FIG.6. Side rail assembly322includes a rectangular panel344covering the portion of cavity340occupying the space above the top surface of control unit345. Illustrative cavity340is substantially rectangular in shape as is the housing of the control unit345. However, cavity340can have shapes other than rectangular as dictated by the shape of the specialized patient care equipment to be integrated into bed316.

Chest drainage unit342has a medical treatment or chest drainage line347, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 8. Line347is coupled to control unit345and extends through side rail assembly322to a patient support region of mattress324to drain material from the chest of the patient supported on mattress324to control unit345.

As shown inFIGS. 6 and 7, an external negative pressure (i.e., pressure below atmospheric pressure) line346and an external communication line348extend from base326of hospital bed316and are configured to connect to service connectors of a headwall349. In alternative embodiments, base326of bed316is configured like base246, shown inFIG. 5, and like base46of bed16, shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, so as to be able to dock to respective units20,220of headwalls10,220, thereby allowing for the elimination of lines346,348. In such alternative embodiments, bed316receives negative pressure from, and exchanges communication data with, the respective unit20,220.

Side rail assembly322includes an internal negative pressure line350extending between the top surface of control unit345and a negative pressure port352situated along a vertical cavity side wall354as shown in FIG.8. Side rail assembly322further includes a communication line356extending between the top of control unit345and a communication port358situated along vertical cavity side wall354beneath negative pressure port352as also shown in FIG.8. Bed316includes additional negative pressure lines357and communication lines359that interconnect lines346,348with lines350,356, respectively. By integrating chest drainage unit342into side rail assembly322of bed316, many of the negative pressure lines and communication lines associated with chest drainage unit342are hidden and out of the way, thereby reducing the amount of clutter around bed316and minimizing the chance that the chest drainage lines will become entangled with lines or tubes associated with other patient care equipment.

A majority of control unit345extends downwardly out of cavity340when side rail assembly322is in the raised position as shown in FIG.6. Depending upon the elevation of deck of bed316relative to base326, as governed by the position of the lift assembly of bed316, a bottom surface of control unit345may come into contact with the floor during movement of side rail assembly322from the raised position to the lowered position. However, side rail assembly322includes a bail or linkage360coupled to main portion328within cavity340and coupled to an upper end of control unit345. Linkage360is configured to maintain control unit342in a substantially upright orientation during movement of side rail assembly322between the raised and lowered positions even if the bottom surface of control unit345contacts the floor when side rail assembly322is at any intermediate position between the raised and lowered positions. Panel344is pivotably coupled at its upper end to main portion328of side rail assembly322and linkage360causes panel344to pivot laterally outwardly away from main portion328after the bottom surface of control unit345contacts the floor as shown, for example, in FIG.7.

A patient care apparatus409is shown in FIG.9. Apparatus409has a hospital bed416and patient care equipment such as an infusion unit418integrated into bed416and configured to provide medication to a patient411supported by bed416.

Bed416includes a mattress424, a deck425supporting mattress424, a first or head-end side rail assembly422coupled to deck425, and a second or foot-end side rail assembly423coupled to deck425as shown in FIG.9. Side rail assembly423is spaced apart from but is longitudinally aligned with side rail assembly422. Side rail assembly422includes a main portion428and a pair of handle portions430coupled to opposite ends of main portion428. Handle portions430are gripped by caregivers to maneuver hospital bed416during transport of bed416through a hospital. Handle portions430are also gripped by caregivers during raising and lowering of side rail assembly422.

Side rail assembly423includes a main portion429to which one or more control panels432are coupled and side rail assembly423also includes one or more handle portions431. Each of side rail assemblies422,423includes a respective release handle436that is actuated to unlock corresponding side rail assemblies422,423for movement from respective raised positions, shown inFIG. 9, to respective lowered positions (not shown).

Main portion428of side rail assembly422is formed to include a cavity440that is sized to receive various pieces of patient care equipment therein. For example, illustrative cavity440is sized to receive a pair of infusion units418(only one of which is shown in FIG.9). Cavity440is open at an upper edge442of main portion428and is open at the outwardly facing vertical surface444of main portion428. Thus, cavity440is bounded by a vertical back wall surface446that extends parallel with the longitudinal dimension of bed416and by a pair of vertical side wall surfaces448that extend parallel with the transverse dimension of bed416. Main portion428of side rail assembly422includes a ledge450that underlies cavity440and that extends along the bottom of main portion428. Ledge450includes a pair of notches452.

One or more couplers454either are mounted to or are formed in back wall surface446as shown in FIG.9. Infusion unit418includes a housing456having couplers (not shown) that mate with couplers454to mount infusion unit418to side rail assembly422. Couplers454may include, for example, headed pins or bolts and the couplers of infusion units418may include key hole slots that receive the headed pins or bolts. According to this disclosure, couplers454and the couplers on unit418may include many other types of structures, such as latches received in apertures, hooks that catch on pins or eyes, straps that capture units418, clamps or grippers that clamp onto protrusions, magnets, and plugs or barbs received in receptacles.

Illustrative infusion unit418includes a control unit457configured to control delivery of medication to patient411. Control unit457includes housing456, a vertically oriented, cylindrical medication container458, such as a syringe, coupled to housing456, and a controller459to control discharge of medication from container458. Infusion unit418operates in a known manner to deliver medication from container458to patient411on bed416through an infusion line460. A bottom surface of housing456rests upon ledge450and line460extends downwardly from container458through one of notches452. Housing456is sized to fit into cavity440so that no portion of housing456extends out of cavity440. In addition, cavity440is sized so that two infusion units418are able to fit therein in side-by-side relation. It is within the scope of this disclosure for other types of patient care equipment having housings that extend out of cavity440to be mounted to main portion428of side rail assembly422.

As shown inFIG. 9, an electrical power line462is routed from infusion unit418through bed416to a service connector of a headwall464to provide electrical power to infusion unit418. In alternative embodiments, bed416has a base (not shown) configured like base46of bed16, shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, and like base246of bed216, shown inFIG. 5, so as to be able to dock to respective units20,220of headwalls10,220, thereby allowing for the elimination of the portion466of line462that is external to bed416.

A patient care apparatus509is shown in FIG.10. Some of the components of apparatus509are similar to components of apparatus409so that like reference numerals denote like components. Apparatus509has a vacuum bandage unit518(in place of infusion unit418) integrated into bed418and configured to provide vacuum therapy to a wound of patient411. A vacuum bandage unit suitable for use with apparatus509is disclosed in International Publication Number WO 01/37922 A2, published May 31, 2001, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

Vacuum bandage unit518has a control unit557to control the vacuum therapy provided to the wound of patient411, a vacuum wound bandage570associated with the wound, and a negative pressure line560extending from control unit557to bandage570to provide negative pressure controlled and supplied by control unit557to bandage570. Control unit557has a housing571mounted to surface444and resting on ledge450in cavity440. Control unit557further has a waste collection canister574mounted in a receptacle formed in housing571, a negative pressure source572in communication with canister574, and a controller576to control negative pressure source572. Negative pressure line560is coupled to canister574to provide negative pressure from negative pressure source572to bandage570so that waste material from bandage570can be suctioned into canister573for collection therein.

As shown inFIG. 10, an electrical power line462is routed from control unit557through bed416to a service connector of a headwall464to provide electrical power to control unit557. In alternative embodiments, bed416has a base (not shown) configured like base46of bed16, shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, and like base246of bed216, shown inFIG. 5, so as to be able to dock to respective units20,220of headwalls10,220, thereby allowing for the elimination of the portion466of line462that is external to bed416. In other alternative embodiments, rather than being contained in housing571, the source of negative pressure for bandage570is located remotely away from the room in which bed416is located and there is a negative pressure line (not shown) leading from control unit557through bed416to headwall464to access that negative pressure source. Such a remotely located negative pressure source is, for example, a hospital central negative pressure source that provides negative pressure for other hospital rooms as well.

Although certain illustrative embodiments have been disclosed in detail, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the disclosure as described and defined in the following claims.