Patents by Inventor L. Dale Foster
L. Dale Foster has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7644458Abstract: A patient support apparatus including a patient support and a powered transport device to facilitate movement of a patient support.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2007Date of Patent: January 12, 2010Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder
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Patent number: 6993799Abstract: A patient support apparatus is disclosed including a patient support and a powered transport device to facilitate movement of a patient support.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2004Date of Patent: February 7, 2006Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
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Publication number: 20040194210Abstract: A patient support apparatus is disclosed including a patient support and a powered transport device to facilitate movement of a patient support.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2004Publication date: October 7, 2004Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
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Patent number: 6725474Abstract: A hospital bed is provided for support of a patient. The hospital bed may include a base, a movable patient support platform, and a foot rail.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2002Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
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Patent number: 6694548Abstract: A hospital bed is provided for support of a patient. The hospital bed includes a base, a patient support coupled to the base, and a walker dockable to the patient support.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2002Date of Patent: February 24, 2004Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
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Publication number: 20030019036Abstract: A hospital bed is provided for support of a patient. The hospital bed may include a base, a movable patient support platform, and a foot rail.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2002Publication date: January 30, 2003Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
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Publication number: 20020116760Abstract: A hospital bed is provided for support of a patient. The hospital bed includes a base, a patient support coupled to the base, and a walker dockable to the patient support.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2002Publication date: August 29, 2002Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
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Patent number: 6374436Abstract: A hospital bed is provided for support of a patient. The hospital bed includes a base, a patient support coupled to the base, and a walker dockable to the patient support.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2000Date of Patent: April 23, 2002Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
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Patent number: 6112345Abstract: A hospital bed has a base with casters, a main frame mounted above the base, a patient support platform movably mounted on the main frame including a leg panel, and a toilet module disposed beneath the patient support platform and normally concealed by the leg panel. The platform moves toward a head end of the bed retracting the leg panel from over the toilet module exposing the toilet module for use. The leg panel pivots downwardly after exposing the toilet module, and a head panel pivots upwardly to configure the hospital bed into a chair position. Bolsters are located outboard of each lateral edge of the leg panel and provide side support to a patient moving from the platform to the toilet module and back. A pair of pivoting footboard halves or foot gates are operably mounted to the platform and retract with the platform to between the foot and head end casters. Downward forces applied to the foot gates when utilized as hand rails are applied intermediate the foot and head end casters.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 1999Date of Patent: September 5, 2000Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
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Patent number: 5933888Abstract: A hospital bed has a base with casters, a main frame mounted above the base, a patient support platform movably mounted on the main frame including a leg panel, and a toilet module disposed beneath the patient support platform and normally concealed by the leg panel. The platform moves toward a head end of the bed retracting the leg panel from over the toilet module exposing the toilet module for use. The leg panel pivots downwardly after exposing the toilet module, and a head panel pivots upwardly to configure the hospital bed into a chair position. Bolsters are located outboard of each lateral edge of the leg panel and provide side support to a patient moving from the platform to the toilet module and back. A pair of pivoting footboard halves or foot gates are operably mounted to the platform and retract with the platform to between the foot and head end casters. Downward forces applied to the foot gates when utilized as hand rails are applied intermediate the foot and head end casters.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 1998Date of Patent: August 10, 1999Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
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Patent number: 5708997Abstract: A hospital bed has a base with casters, a main frame mounted above the base, a patient support platform movably mounted on the main frame including a leg panel, and a toilet module disposed beneath the patient support platform and normally concealed by the leg panel. The platform moves toward a head end of the bed retracting the leg panel from over the toilet module exposing the toilet module for use. The leg panel pivots downwardly after exposing the toilet module, and a head panel pivots upwardly to configure the hospital bed into a chair position. Bolsters are located outboard of each lateral edge of the leg panel and provide side support to a patient moving from the platform to the toilet module and back. A pair of pivoting footboard halves or foot gates are operably mounted to the platform and retract with the platform to between the foot and head end casters. Downward forces applied to the foot gates when utilized as hand rails are applied intermediate the foot and head end casters.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 1996Date of Patent: January 20, 1998Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
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Patent number: 5680661Abstract: A hospital bed that converts from a bed configuration to a chair configuration that is used in combination with different care/therapy modules. When in the chair configuration, the bed is designed to interface at its foot end with the different care/therapy modules to facilitate the use of such modules. The care/therapy modules include, for example, a general purpose cart, a motorized leg exercise device, a walking exercise device, a non-motorized leg exercise device, a commode, a wheelchair and/or a hydrotherapy unit.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 1995Date of Patent: October 28, 1997Assignee: Hill-Rom, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, Allen L. Walke, David W. Hornbach
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Patent number: 5672849Abstract: A patient weigh scale comprises a base, an upright support pole mounted to the base, and a cantilever boom pivotally mounted on one end to an upper end of the upright support pole. A bracing arm is pivotally mounted on one end to the upright support pole and removably secured on the other end to the cantilever boom when perpendicular to the upright support pole. A latch is rotatably mounted to the upright support pole for latching the scale to a hospital bed while allowing rotation of the scale relative to the bed about a generally vertical axis. A cross member is pivotally mounted to the other end of the boom for pivoting relative to the boom about a generally vertical axis. A pair of cantilever beam load cells are mounted on either end of the cross member and are oriented transverse to the cross member and have fixed ends mounted to the cross member and free ends.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1994Date of Patent: September 30, 1997Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder
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Patent number: 5577279Abstract: A hospital bed has a base with casters, a main frame mounted above the base, a patient support platform movably mounted on the main frame including a leg panel, and a toilet module disposed beneath the patient support platform and normally concealed by the leg panel. The platform moves toward a head end of the bed retracting the leg panel from over the toilet module exposing the toilet module for use. The leg panel pivots downwardly after exposing the toilet module, and a head panel pivots upwardly to configure the hospital bed into a chair position. Bolsters are located outboard of each lateral edge of the leg panel and provide side support to a patient moving from the platform to the toilet module and back. A pair of pivoting footboard halves or foot gates are operably mounted to the platform and retract with the platform to between the foot and head end casters. Downward forces applied to the foot gates when utilized as hand rails are applied intermediate the foot and head end casters.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 1994Date of Patent: November 26, 1996Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan A. Reeder, John D. Vogel
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Patent number: 5562091Abstract: A hospital bed supported on a wheeled base, and a ventilator supported on a wheeled cart and docked to the base of the bed, the combination of ventilator and bed capable of being rolled as a single unit. The ventilator cart includes a wheeled base, and supports connected to the base for supporting a ventilator, with the supports providing for selective raising and lowering of the ventilator. The hospital bed base is wheeled and has a generally Y-shaped base frame. The outspread arms of the Y-shaped base frame receives the ventilator cart so that the two may be docked together. The ventilator when docked to the hospital bed base falls within the footprint of the bed as projected downwardly onto the floor. A latch secures the ventilator to the bed base. A disabling switch disables the high/low function of the bed preventing the bed from being lowered downwardly onto the ventilator. A power supply mounted to the bed base provides for uninterrupted operation of the ventilator.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 1994Date of Patent: October 8, 1996Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan A. Reeder
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Patent number: 5527289Abstract: An infusion delivery system eliminates the requirement for individual "smart pump" assemblies each of which includes a processor, power supply and operator I/O for each IV container suspended on an IV rack. An acquisition module capable of supporting multiple IV containers is suspended from the hospital bed frame and includes a plurality of ports into which a connector is inserted for controlling a dumb pump on each IV container. The acquisition module includes a processor, power supply and operator input/output mechanism for programming the delivery schedule for each of several IV containers. The dumb pump on each IV container includes only the mechanical components required for pumping the IV fluid to the patient. The infusion delivery system thus provides a less cluttered, more compact, and economical delivery system for IV fluids compared to the prior art.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 1994Date of Patent: June 18, 1996Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, John W. Ruehl
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Patent number: 5513406Abstract: A modular hospital bed and method of patient handling which permits a patient to remain on a single hospital bed from admittance to and through discharge from a hospital, thereby reducing the number of patient bed surface-to-surface transfers and the number of hospital beds.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 1994Date of Patent: May 7, 1996Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan A. Reeder, John W. Ruehl, John D. Vogel
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Patent number: 5497766Abstract: A hospital bed supported on a wheeled base, and a ventilator supported on a wheeled cart and docked to the base of the bed, the combination of ventilator and bed capable of being rolled as a single unit. The ventilator cart includes a wheeled base, and supports connected to the base for supporting a ventilator, with the supports providing for selective raising and lowering of the ventilator. The hospital bed base is wheeled and has a generally Y-shaped base frame. The outspread arms of the Y-shaped base frame receive the ventilator cart so that the two may be docked together. The ventilator when docked to the hospital bed base falls within the footprint of the bed as projected downwardly onto the floor. A latch secures the ventilator to the bed base. A disabling switch disables the high/low function of the bed preventing the bed from being lowered downwardly onto the ventilator. A power supply mounted to the bed base provides for uninterrupted operation of the ventilator.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 1994Date of Patent: March 12, 1996Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan A. Reeder
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Patent number: 5483709Abstract: A mattress has an upper patient supporting low air loss bladder for ventilating and preventing skin degeneration of a patient supported thereby, an intermediate rigidly inflatable static bladder which becomes relatively rigid upon inflation to aid in transferring or weighing a patient, and a lower high air loss bladder for reducing the friction force between the mattress and the supporting surface to facilitate surface-to-surface transfers. The high air loss bladder includes a peripheral tube which seals against a supporting surface to contain the air which escapes from longitudinal sacks within the tube. The foot sections of the low air loss and static bladders are selectively deflatable.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 1994Date of Patent: January 16, 1996Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan A. Reeder
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Patent number: 5479666Abstract: A hospital bed that is convertible to a chair for patient egress from the foot end of the bed. A patient support platform has serially hinged, normally horizontal head, seat, thigh and foot panels. To convert the horizontal bed to the chair configuration, the patient support platform in the lowermost vertical position is translated longitudinally toward the foot end of the bed. The head panel is pivoted upwardly and the foot panel pivots downwardly to a generally vertical attitude. The foot panel includes a collapsing portion which telescopes into a pivoting portion to thereby avoid interference with the floor as the foot panel is pivoted to a vertical attitude. When converted to the chair configuration, an area is vacated at the foot end of the bed to provide a space for docking a wheelchair or other ambulatory assisting device.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 1994Date of Patent: January 2, 1996Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.Inventors: L. Dale Foster, John W. Ruehl