LifeGurney™ Patient Vigilance System Overview

An answer to overcrowding

Overcrowding in emergency departments has been directly linked to delays in treatment of time sensitive conditions such as acute coronary syndrome, surgical emergencies, stroke and septic shock. The Joint Commission states that “one half of all ‘sentinel event’ cases of poor outcomes were attributable to delays in therapy originated in the ED, with overcrowding playing a role in almost one third of these cases”. Overcrowding can lead to patient diversions, stoppage of elective surgery, and significant patient dissatisfaction.  Additionally, operating rooms are experiencing slowdowns due to lack of available monitored inpatient beds, causing an overflow of post-op patients awaiting inpatient beds.

These patients are often moved into “holding areas” with minimal monitoring capability and high patient-to-staff ratios. LifeGurney ™ Patient Vigilance System provides the answer for improved patient safety, improved patient outcomes and improved patient, nurse and physician satisfaction.

The powerful LifeGurney™ Patient Vigilance System transforms any patient stretcher into an untethered tracking, assessment and alert network for both cardiac and respiratory functions. Invisible to the patient, LifeGurney gives nurses and physicians the information they need at the time they need it, so that critical situations can often be avoided. No leads or connections to the patient means increased patient satisfaction. It’s just another way we support your commitment to patient safety and improved patient outcomes. And what you’d expect from the world’s premiere life vigilance system.

Emergency rooms are facing overcrowding and long waits which decrease patient satisfaction, and negatively impact hospital throughput, and hospital revenues. Increases in ambulatory surgery volumes, and patients awaiting beds after inpatient surgery have clinicians seeking technology to support patient safety through increased vigilance.

The LifeGurney provides an invisible method of continuously tracking a patient’s vital signs and fall risk, without any attachment to the patient’s skin – so you can tend to other patients in need, while knowing that each patient under your care is under continuous vigilance. It’s like having another set of eyes – LifeGurney will alert your team if a patient begins to deteriorate. LIfeGurney also features an alert for those patients at risk for falls, so your patients don’t attempt to get off of their stretchers without assistance. And, LifeGurney supports infection control programs by providing fully cleanable surfaces to decrease the risk of cross-infection and cross-contamination.

How it Works

Track heart and respiratory rates without touching the patient

The Hoana LifeGurney^TM Patient Vigilance System provides a simple but highly effective solution for continuous observation of patient conditions. Unlike conventional monitoring systems that require attaching electrodes, cuffs, or sensors to the patient, no physical contact or connections are needed with the Hoana LifeGurney system.

To use the system, the patient simply lies on the stretcher. Within seconds, sensors embedded under a mattress coverlet start capturing signals generated by the patient—even through bed linens and multiple layers of patient clothing. By tracking these signals, the system provides continuous vigilance, observing the patient even when a nurse is unable to directly visualize the individual. If the patient’s heart or respiratory rate strays outside of normal limits, the system will immediately alert the nurse to assess the patient. And, if the technology is available in your organization, the Hoana LifeGurney system alerts nurses of deteriorating patient conditions using hospital’s existing nurse call and paging systems.

Transform Ordinary Stretchers into Hoana LifeGurney Systems

Any stretcher can be transformed into a LifeGurney Patient Vigilance System. The system has two basic components—the LifeGurney^TM coverlet and LifeBed^TM display.

LifeGurney Coverlet

The LifeGurney coverlet is a zip on mattress cover equipped with an embedded sensor array that collects complex waveforms generated by the patient. In addition to these sensors, the coverlet also has embedded pressure switches than can detect when the patient is attempting to get out of bed.

  

 

LifeBed^TM Display

Each coverlet is connected to a LifeBed display that continuously shows the patient’s heart rate and respiratory rate on a backlit screen. If your unit supports this technology, the display connects to any standard nurse call system and sends an alert if the patient’s heart rate or respiratory rate goes above or below the safe settings specified by the hospital or nurse. The device also alerts audibly at the patient's location, so that caregivers are alerted to attend to thie patient to assess and/or intervene as appropriate. These settings are easily changed to accommodate the different physical characteristics of each patient.

The LifeBed display can also be set to alert nurses when patients at risk for falls attempt to leave the gurney without assistance, and will also play a recorded message reminding the patient to remain in bed.

LifeGurney System Features

Adjustable Heart Rate Alerts

Tracks patient heart rate from 35 to 200 beats per minute with user-adjustable upper and lower alert limits.

Adjustable Respiratory Rate Alerts

Tracks patient respiratory rate from 4 to 70 breaths per minute with user-adjustable upper and lower alert limits.

Fall Prevention Alerts

Alert sounds and/or device sends alert through nurse call system if patient at risk for falls attempts to leave the stretcher without assistance. An audible bedside message reminds patient to return to bed. Family members or staff can also record a custom bedside message using the patient’s own name and spoken language.