Stryker Corporation

Norma U.S. Holding LLC

Thomas Alan Puvogel

Krishna Sandeep Bhimavarapu

Kurosh Nahavandi

Aaron Douglas Furman

Chad Conway Souke

Joshua Alan Mansfield

Michael Joseph Hayes

Brandon David Naber

Ross Timothy Lucas

Daniel Vincent Brosnan

Kevin Mark Patmore

Clifford Edwin Lambarth

Christopher John Hopper

Kurt Dykema

Jason James Wroblewski

James K Galer

Jeffrey S Dunfee, Ii

Gregory S Taylor

Ryan Ross

William Ross Heneveld, Jr

Fanqi Meng

Jason A Vanderplas

Jonathan David Campbell

Brian T Ignaczak

Janani Gopalkrishnan

Alfred James Dacey, Iv

Michael W Steffler

Christopher B Way

Brent Bouws

René Schindler

Bhavin Rajeshkumar Kapadia

Burton Connor Judson

Christopher J Cummings

Dennis A Reed

Gary Morton

Jason Kneen

Joshua C Colvin

Neeraj Singla

Alfred James Dacy, Iv

Ian Dalrymple

James Novorita

Genevieve Cherie Sertic

Todd Gatto

Brian Bartley

Michael Mckee

Wireless charging systems and methods for wirelessly charging batteries for powering surgical instruments. A wireless charging device includes a housing defining wireless charging bays for receiving and charging multiple surgical instrument batteries simultaneously. Power transfer coils and RF antennas are disposed in the housing, with each of the wireless charging bays being associated with a different power transfer coil for wirelessly charging a received battery and with a different RF antenna for wirelessly communicating with the received battery. The RF antennas are each configured to communicate in a same frequency band. The wireless charging device is configured to communicate with a battery received by a first of the wireless charging bays using the RF antenna associated with the first wireless charging bay during a first period while preventing the RF antenna associated with a second of the wireless charging bays from communicating with a battery received by the second wireless charging bay. Responsive to the first period elapsing, the wireless charging device is configured to communicate with the battery received by the second wireless charging bay using the RF antenna associated with the second wireless charging bay during a second period while preventing the RF antenna associated with the first wireless charging bay from communicating with the battery received by the first wireless charging bay.

Surgical instrument wireless charging system

Systems for facilitating movement of a patient transport apparatus are provided and include user input control device that includes a mode switch selectable between a longitudinal transport mode and a multidirectional mode and a driving assist device actuatable between at least one engaged state and a non-engaged state. The mode switch generates signals based on the selected mode and the driving assist device generates engaged or non-engaged signals which are received by a controller. The controller is configured to generate an output signal sent to a lift actuator, swivel actuator, and/or a powered drive system to assist a user in propelling the apparatus in a desired manner.

Patient transport apparatus having powered drive system utilizing dual mode user input control

A patient handling apparatus includes a patient support surface, a base, and a hydraulic circuit. The hydraulic circuit includes a pump, a fluid reservoir, and a hydraulic cylinder operable to selectively raise or lower the patient support surface or the base. The hydraulic circuit controls flow of fluid between the cylinder and the fluid reservoir to thereby control the movement of the base or patient support surface. In addition, the hydraulic circuit may include a manual bypass circuit configured to bypass the pump in response to a manual input, which allows manual extension or retraction of the cylinder, for example, when the pump is not operational. The hydraulic circuit may also include a pump bypass circuit configured to bypass the pump to allow fluid to discharge from the cap end to the fluid reservoir for faster evacuation of fluid from the cylinder, thereby increasing retraction speed of the rod.

Hydraulic circuit for a patient handling apparatus

A patient transport apparatus comprising a support frame, a base, a bracket coupled to the support frame and comprising a channel being non-linear, a frame assembly coupled between the support frame and the base and comprising a slidable member disposed in the channel, the slidable member being moveable between a plurality of different positions in the channel to place the support frame in a plurality of different poses relative to the base. The patient transport apparatus also comprises a sensor configured to detect the slidable member in the channel and produce a reading, as well as a controller coupled to the sensor and configured to receive the reading from the sensor, determine the position of the slidable member in the channel based on the reading, and determine the pose of the support frame relative to the base based on the determined position of the slidable member.

Techniques for determining a pose of a patient transport apparatus

A patient transport apparatus with a support structure having a base, a support frame, and a patient support deck defining a support surface. An inertial sensor is coupled to the support structure and generates a signal representing a change in velocity of the support structure. A controller in communication with the inertial sensor has a processor and a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program that monitors the signal generated by the inertial sensor for changes relative to a predetermined threshold. In response to an event in which the signal exceeds the predetermined threshold, the program is further configured to: generate a waveform based on the signal received from the inertial sensor; store the waveform at an overwritable address in the non-transitory storage medium; and generate an entry in an event log stored in the non-transitory storage medium, the entry comprising one or more parameters associated with the waveform.

Patient transport apparatus with crash detection

Patient support apparatuses, such as beds, cots, stretchers, recliners, or the like, include control systems with one or more image, radar, and/or laser sensors to detect objects and determine if a likelihood of collision exists. If so, the control system controls the speed and steering of the patient support apparatus in order to reduce the likelihood of collision. The control system may be adapted to autonomously drive the patient support apparatus, to transmit a message to a remote device indicating whether it is occupied by a patient or not, and/or to transmit its route to the remote device. The remote device may determine an estimate of a time of arrival of the patient support apparatus at a particular destination and/or determine a distance of the patient support apparatus from the particular destination.

Patient support apparatuses with navigation and guidance systems

A patient support apparatus comprises a support structure comprising a base and a patient support surface to support a patient. An actuator system facilitates movement of the patient support surface relative to a floor surface. One or more sensors are responsive to changes in position of the patient support surface caused by the actuator system. A controller is operably coupled to the one or more sensors and the actuator system. The controller is configured to operate the actuator system to move the patient support surface and to monitor the movement of the patient support surface by sensing positions of the patient support surface over time. The controller is further configured to identify a frictional load event on the actuator system during movement in a present cycle and associate the frictional load event with a sensed position of the patient support surface in the present cycle.

Systems and techniques for evaluating performance of actuator systems of a patient support apparatus

A strain gauge assembly includes a member and a strain gauge supported by the member spaced. The strain gauge further includes a bearing surface and a contact surface spaced from the bearing surface. When the member is subject to a predetermined bending force, the bearing surface contacts the contact surface wherein at least a portion of the bending force bypasses the strain gauge and instead is transferred from the bearing surface to the contact surface.

Patient handling apparatus with load sensor

A fluid line connector and assembly provides remote securement detection capabilities and is hence equipped for initial assembly, subsequent quality inspection, and subsequent service techniques that are automated, robotic, and/or autonomous. The fluid line connector includes a body, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, one or more actuator members, and one or more switches. The body has a passage for fluid-flow therethrough. The RFID tag can communicate with an RFID interrogator. The actuator member(s) changes the state of the switch(es) when the actuator member(s) actuates. The switch(es) is electrically coupled with the RFID tag.

Fluid line connector and assembly with securement detection

Growing community of inventors

Kalamazoo, MI, United States of America

Thomas Alan Puvogel