US 12,138,142 B2
Apparatus for the detection of moisture
Thomas F. Heil, Batesville, IN (US); Steven Alan Dixon, Riverview, FL (US); Laetitia Gazagnes, Montpellier (FR); Timothy A. Lane, II, Shrewsbury, MA (US); David Lance Ribble, Indianapolis, IN (US); Varad Narayan Srivastava, Batesville, IN (US); Charles A. Lachenbruch, Batesville, IN (US); Michael Scott Hood, Batesville, IN (US); Charles A. Howell, Knoxville, TN (US); and Kirsten M. Emmons, Batesville, IN (US)
Assigned to HILL-ROM SERVICES, INC., Batesville, IN (US)
Filed by Hill-Rom Services, Inc., Batesville, IN (US)
Filed on Apr. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/723,574.
Application 17/723,574 is a continuation of application No. 17/197,391, filed on Mar. 10, 2021, granted, now 11,331,227.
Application 17/197,391 is a continuation of application No. 16/837,442, filed on Apr. 1, 2020, granted, now 10,973,701, issued on Apr. 13, 2021.
Application 16/837,442 is a continuation of application No. 16/357,694, filed on Mar. 19, 2019, granted, now 10,682,263, issued on Jun. 16, 2020.
Application 16/357,694 is a continuation of application No. 16/011,912, filed on Jun. 19, 2018, granted, now 10,299,968, issued on May 28, 2019.
Application 16/011,912 is a continuation of application No. 15/123,109, granted, now 10,022,277, issued on Jul. 17, 2018, previously published as PCT/US2014/055066, filed on Sep. 11, 2014.
Application 15/123,109 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/US2014/024214, filed on Mar. 12, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/899,655, filed on Nov. 4, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/820,768, filed on May 8, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/778,830, filed on Mar. 13, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2022/0249297 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. A61F 13/42 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/20 (2006.01); A61G 7/05 (2006.01); G06K 7/10 (2006.01); A61G 7/02 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 13/42 (2013.01) [A61B 5/202 (2013.01); A61B 5/6892 (2013.01); A61B 5/74 (2013.01); A61G 7/05 (2013.01); G06K 7/10366 (2013.01); A61F 2013/424 (2013.01); A61G 7/02 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A moisture event communication system comprising:
an antenna configured to wirelessly receive a sensor signal emitted by a sensor located in an area monitored by the antenna, the sensor signal emitted by the sensor in response to a moisture event occurring in the monitored area, the sensor signal indicative of the moisture event;
a reader configured to:
wirelessly receive the sensor signal from the antenna;
selectively vary an amount of power supplied to the antenna to adjust a size of an area in which the antenna is able to read the sensor signal emitted from the sensor;
transmit the sensor signal received by the antenna to a notification device; and
a patient support apparatus to which the reader is coupled, wherein the antenna comprises a first antenna, wherein the patient support apparatus comprises a frame and a deck supported by the frame, wherein the deck includes a movable deck section that is movably coupled to the frame, the first antenna is mounted to the movable deck section to move therewith relative to the frame, the second antenna is coupled to the frame, and the reader is configured to control power to the first and second antennas to define a plurality of different monitoring zones adjacent the patient support apparatus.