Automated systems, devices, and methods for transporting and supporting patients

摘要

Systems, devices, and methods are described for moving a patient to and from various locations, care units, etc., within a care facility. For example a transport and support vehicle includes a body structure including a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the vehicle to a travel path and to move the vehicle along the travel path, and a surface structured and dimensioned to support an individual subject. A transport and support vehicle can include, for example, an imager operably coupled to one or more of a power source, a steering assembly, one or more of the plurality of rotatable members, etc., and having one or more modules operable to control the power source, steering assembly, one or more of the plurality of rotatable members, etc., so as to maintain an authorized operator in the image zone.

主权项

1. A self-propelled operator-guided vehicle system, comprising:
a self-propelled operator-guided omnidirectional vehicle including a bedframe structure having a surface configured to support a patient, the bedframe structure including a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the vehicle to a travel path and to move the vehicle along the travel path, and a navigation system configured to vary one or more of propulsion, braking, or steering angle of at least one of the plurality of rotatable members; an operator-authorization device operably coupled to the transport assembly and having
one or more sensors operable to detect an operator-guide identification device associated with an operator-guide, anda communication interface configured to acquire operator-guide verification information from the operator-guide identification device, the operator-authorization device configured to
acquire information indicative of at least one of an operator-guide authorization status, an operator-guide identity, and an operator-guide reference physical movement information; andgenerate one or more control commands for causing the transport assembly to maintain the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle at a target separation from the authorized operator-guide identification device based on the at least one of the operator-guide authorization status, the operator-guide identity, and the operator-guide reference physical movement information.