Hospital communication system

Abstract

Abstract AN IMPROVED HOSPITAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM INCLUDING A COMPOSITE CABLE FOR CARRYING TELEVISION SIGNALS BETWEEN TELEVISION EQUIPMENT LOCATED AT A NURSE''S STATION AND IN A PATIENT''S ROOM. THE COMPOSITE CABLE ALSO CARRIES LOW VOLTAGE DIRECT CURRENT FOR OPERATING THE TELEVISION EQUIPMENT IN THE PATIENT''S ROOM. THE COMPOSITE CABLE INCLUDES A COAXIAL CABLE FOR CARRYING THE TELEVISION SIGNALS AND INSULATED CONDUCTORS EXTENDING ALONG THE COAXIAL CABLE FOR CARRYING THE DC OPERATING POWER. A COVERING IS WRAPPED AROUND THE COAXIAL CABLE AND CONDUCTORS TO FORM THE COMPOSITE CABLE. IN ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE SYSTEM, A TELEVISION RECEIVER IN THE PATIENT''S ROOM IS SELECTIVELY CONNECTED TO A TELEVISION CAMERA AT THE NURSE''S STATION SO THAT THE NURSE''S IMAGE IS DISPLAYED ON THE PATIENT''S RECEIVER. IN ANOTHER EMBODIMENT, A SURVEILLANCE T.V. CAMERA IS ADDED TO THE SYSTEM IN THE PATIENT''S ROOM FOR TRANSMITTING AN IMAGE OF THE PATIENT TO A SURVEILLANCE MONITORING RECEIVER LOCATED AT THE NURSE''S STATION. THE SAME COMPOSITE CABLE TRANSMITS TELEVISION SIGNALS BETWEEN THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA AND SURVEILLANCE RECEIVER SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF TELEVISION SIGNALS FROM THE NURSE''S CAMERA TO THE PATIENT''S TELEVISION RECEIVER. THE SAME CABLE ALSO SUPPLIES LOW VOLTAGE DC FOR OPERATING THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA. IN BOTH EMBODIMENTS, THE HOSPITAL''S MASTER T.V. ANTENNA IS NORMALLY COUPLED THROUGH THE COMPOSITE CABLE TO THE PATIENT''S TELEVISION RECEIVER SO THAT THE PATIENT NORMALLY ENJOYS BROADCAST TELEVISION PROGRAMS PICKED UP BY THE ANTENNA.

Inventors

• 👤 Harry Scher

Bibliographic Details