Patent ID: 7319400

Claim:
A method of monitoring a patient who is restrained by a restraint device, said restraint device having at least one strap for attachment to a stationary object, comprising: (a) selecting at least one of said at least one straps for attachment to a stationary object; (b) selecting a tension threshold; (c) selecting a tension duration; (d) measuring a value representative of a tension in said selected at least one strap; (e) performing step (d) until said measured representative value equals or exceeds said selected tension threshold; (f) if said measured representative value equals or exceeds said selected tension threshold, (f1) repeatedly measuring a then-current value representative of a tension in said selected strap for a period of time at least equal to said tension duration, (f2) if during said measurements of step (f1) none of said measured then-current values is less than said tension threshold, sounding an alarm, else, continuing to perform steps (d) and (e) as needed, thereby monitoring the patient who is enclosed within said restraint device.