US 11,929,157 B2
Techniques for transporting autonomous patient support apparatuses and medical equipment to an incident scene
Brandon David Naber, Portage, MI (US); Scott Zufall, Kalamazoo, MI (US); and Jeffrey S. Dunfee, II, Kalamazoo, MI (US)
Assigned to Stryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI (US)
Filed by Stryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI (US)
Filed on Nov. 1, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/671,723.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/754,798, filed on Nov. 2, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/754,836, filed on Nov. 2, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/754,773, filed on Nov. 2, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0143927 A1, May 7, 2020
Int. Cl. G16H 20/13 (2018.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC G16H 20/13 (2018.01) [G05D 1/0088 (2013.01); G05D 2201/0206 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
an autonomous patient support apparatus including a navigation system, a base supporting a plurality of caster wheels, a support frame disposed above the base, a patient support surface coupled to the support frame for supporting a patient, a lift mechanism to move the support frame relative to the base between a plurality of vertical configurations, and a drive system fixed to the base and having at least one auxiliary wheel arranged between the plurality of caster wheels to drive the autonomous patient support apparatus;
a remote dispatch center configured to:
dispatch a first responder to an initial location of an incident scene, and
dispatch an ambulance loaded with the autonomous patient support apparatus to the initial location;
an unloading system configured to unload the autonomous patient support apparatus from the ambulance at the initial location, the unloading system including a trolley and a track, wherein the patient support apparatus is configured to couple to the trolley and the trolley is configured to move along the track; and
a communication system configured to communicate a refined location of the incident scene to the navigation system of the autonomous patient support apparatus; and
wherein the navigation system of the autonomous patient support apparatus is configured to generate a drive path between the initial location and the refined location for the drive system to drive the autonomous patient support apparatus along from the initial location to the refined location with the at least one auxiliary wheel.