US 12,453,667 B2
Lift systems and load cells for patient support apparatus
Gary L. Bartley, Kalamazoo, MI (US); William D. Childs, Plainwell, MI (US); Connor F. St. John, Kalamazoo, MI (US); Anish Paul, Kalamazoo, MI (US); and Brian J. Tessmer, Mattawan, MI (US)
Assigned to Stryker Corporation, Portage, MI (US)
Appl. No. 17/915,163
Filed by Stryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI (US)
PCT Filed May 27, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/034393
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 28, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/242946, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 2, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/030,478, filed on May 27, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0338213 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. A61G 7/05 (2006.01); A61G 7/005 (2006.01); A61G 7/012 (2006.01); A61G 7/018 (2006.01)
CPC A61G 7/0527 (2016.11) [A61G 7/005 (2013.01); A61G 7/012 (2013.01); A61G 7/018 (2013.01); A61G 2203/44 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A patient support apparatus comprising:
a support structure including a base, a support frame, and a patient support deck, the support frame extending longitudinally from a first longitudinal end to a second longitudinal end and the base having a guide;
a first lift to lift or lower the first longitudinal end of the support frame relative to the base, the first lift having a guided body movable longitudinally relative to the base along the guide;
a second lift to lift or lower the second longitudinal end of the support frame relative to the base, the first lift and the second lift being independently operable to place the support frame in one or more Trendelenburg positions in which the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end are at different heights relative to the base; and
a plurality of load cells, with at least one load cell coupled to the first lift to act between the first lift and the support frame and at least one load cell coupled to the second lift to act between the second lift and the support frame such that a load on the support frame is transmitted to the plurality of load cells to measure the load,
wherein the guided body is arranged to move longitudinally relative to the base in response to operation of the second lift to move the support frame to the one or more Trendelenburg positions such that the first lift moves longitudinally toward the second lift to accommodate movement of the support frame to the one or more Trendelenburg positions.