Safety control system for a hospital bed

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A safety control system for an electrically operated hospital bed utilizes a wireless disconnect signal from an above mounted safety light to an outlet below which supplies electrical power to the bed thereby to interrupt power to the outlet upon the detection of physical contact with the safety light as perhaps caused by an IV pole raising with the bed. In a preferred embodiment a two-way transmission path, is utilized to verify no blockage of the line of sight transmission path between the outlet and the light with power to the outlet being disconnected upon contact with the light or blockage of the line of sight path.