GB2503413A

GB2503413A - Chair pressure sensing arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2503413A
Application number: GB201205455A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Justin John Bennetts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-03-28
Filing date: 2012-03-28
Publication date: 2014-01-01
Also published as: GB201205455D0

Abstract

An arrangement which monitors an individual attempting to get out of a chair comprising a pressure sensor 2 in the seat of said chair which is activated by pressure being applied thereto. The arrangement can further comprising pressure sensors 1 in at least one arm of said chair, which is activated by pressure being applied thereto. The sensor leads are connected to a programmable logical controller 6 via a junction box which in turn is connected to an alarm monitor 7. When pressure is applied to the arm sensors followed by pressure applied to the sensor on the seating area of the chair the programmable logical controller sends a signal to the alarm monitor. The programmable logical controller can be programmed so as to send a signal to the alarm monitor is the seating area sensor has pressure applied to it without any pressure being applied to the sensors on the arms of the chair.

Description

I

Description.

Safe On Chair Kit

The Background

The present invention relates to an alarm system to alert staff to the fact that a patient at risk of falling while walking is attempting to leave their chair.

A problem of patients falling while attempting to get to theirfeet or falling after having left their chair is encountered by operators of hospitals, nursing homes, rest homes retirement centres and other facilities that take care of patients using chairs. The institutions mentioned above need to know when a patient at risk of falling is attempting to leave the chair unaided. For these reasons systems have been developed for monitoring patients and providing a warning that a patient is In the process of or has exited his or her chair.

One type of systems is a chair exit sensor pad system that uses a pressure off sensor positioned on the seating area of the chair under the patient's buttocks. The sensor pad is connected to an alarm monitoring device, with or without a nurse call system. When pressure on the sensor pad is removed, such as when the patient removes themselves from the chair, the sensor pad sends a signal to the alarm monitoring device, which provides an alarm warning to the nurse or caregiver that the patient has got out of their chair. This system has drawbacks firstly there are many false alarms when a patient lifts their weight off the sensor to adjust their seating position with no intention of exiting the chair. Secondly the system alerts the staff after the patient has left the chair and is in the standing position. The present invention alerts staff to the fact that a patient at risk of falling while walking is attempting to leave their chair, or Is slipping out of the chair. Unlike other systems does so without false alarms and before the patient is on their feet.

The present invention designed for the elderly frail patient who edges their way out of the chair by first placing pressure on the arms of the chair and moving themselves towards the front central point of the chair seat. The invention uses sensors that are adapted (a) by altering the wiring so that they become pressure on sensitive instead of pressure off sensitive (b) by altering the area contact size of the electrical contact arrears (c) by heightening the distance between the electrical contact areas and (d) by interrupting the electrical circuit from the sensors to the alarm monitor via a programmable logic controller, which will only send a signal to the alarm monitor if one or both arm sensors are pressured followed by the seat sensor being pressured, or when the seat sensor alone is pressured.

All sensors are adapted as described above so that the weight of the patient's arm/arms on the chair arms will not cause the sensors contact areas to make contact, this is true for the seat sensor also so that the sensor contact areas will not make contact when a patient's leg is placed on.

The sensors have been adapted as outlined above under (a) (b) (c) and (d) so that pressure of a patient's arm on the arm sensor/s will not cause the-contact areas of the sensor to come into contact with one another.

The arm sensors would require the pressure that is present when the patient places their hands on the sensor on the arms of the chair to lift their body from the seat of the chair. This is also true of the seat sensor, the pressure of the patients leg on the seat sensor wilt not cause the contact areas of the sensor to come into contact with one another. The pressure that is required is that which is present when the patients buttocks are on the seat sensor. The elderly week patient will lift themselves up by placing their hands on the arms of the chair, as they raise their body they then move themselves forward to the front edge of the chair, it is in this position that they will place their full body weight on the seat sensor area.

When pressure of the patient is placed on one or both of the arm sensors a signal is sent via the sensor/s flex to the programmable logic controller. The same is true when the weight of the patient is placed on the seat sensor.

The programmable logic controller is programmed not to send a signal to the alarm monitor unless (a) The seat arm sensor/s have been pressurised followed by the seat sensor being pressurised indicating that the patient is attempting to get out of the chair, or (14 The seat sensor has been pressurised alone indicating that the patient is slipping out of the chair When the programmable logic controller sends a signal to the alarm monitor the alarm monitor will sound alerting staff to the fact that the patient is either attempting to get out of the chair or is slipping out of the chair.

Drawings The drawings are listing below from Fig 1 through to Fig S. Fig 1 showing a sensor as it comes from the manufacture but opened up to revel the internal structure with manufactured plastic divisions on the internal bottom side of the sensor.

Fig 2 showing the internal top side of the sensor after the foam memory building blocks have been fitted.

Fig 3 showing the internal bottom side of the sensor with the plastic divisions removed. and showing a cross section of the way the sensor works after it as been adapted as part of the present invention.

Fig 4 showing at the top of the page an example of the programmable logic controller and at the bottom of the page showing an example of the alarm monitor.

Fig 5 showing a chair with the invention apparatus in place, consisting of S features.

Feature 1 is the arm sensor in situ on the arm of the chair held in place in a reusable cover with Feature 2 shows the seat sensor Feature 3 showing straps to secure the sensor covers to the arm of the chair. The sensors are zipped into the covers and the flex from the sensors exits the covers at the end point of the zipped up zip.

A flex runs from each arm sensor in to a socket box, (feature 8) Feature 4 shows the seat sensor zipped in to a zip up re-useable seat cover.

Feature S shows the seat sensor flex running into the socket box.

Feature 6 shows the programmable logic controller connected by a flex to the alarm monitor Feature 7 shows the alarm monitor connected by a flex to the programmable logic controller both the programmable logic controller and the alarm monitor can be powered by batteries or by mains electricity.

Feature 8 shows the socket box with triple socket fitments to take the wkes from each of the three sensors. With one additional socket connection, connecting the socket box to the programmable logic controller.