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).

  • Patent number: 7644458
    Abstract: A patient support apparatus including a patient support and a powered transport device to facilitate movement of a patient support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder
  • Patent number: 6993799
    Abstract: A patient support apparatus is disclosed including a patient support and a powered transport device to facilitate movement of a patient support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
  • Publication number: 20040194210
    Abstract: A patient support apparatus is disclosed including a patient support and a powered transport device to facilitate movement of a patient support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
  • Patent number: 6725474
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
  • Patent number: 6694548
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
  • Publication number: 20030019036
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
  • Publication number: 20020116760
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
  • Patent number: 6374436
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
  • Patent number: 6112345
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
  • Patent number: 5933888
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
  • Patent number: 5708997
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
  • Patent number: 5680661
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1997
    Assignee: Hill-Rom, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, Allen L. Walke, David W. Hornbach
  • Patent number: 5672849
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder
  • Patent number: 5577279
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan A. Reeder, John D. Vogel
  • Patent number: 5562091
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan A. Reeder
  • Patent number: 5527289
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, John W. Ruehl
  • Patent number: 5513406
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan A. Reeder, John W. Ruehl, John D. Vogel
  • Patent number: 5497766
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan A. Reeder
  • Patent number: 5483709
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan A. Reeder
  • Patent number: 5479666
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Company, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, John W. Ruehl