Edited by Jessica Shapiro
Hill-Rom’s
Latitude patient-bed care-arm
system safely delivers gas, data,
and electricity to the patient-care
arena and makes bed placement
more flexible.
The Latitude system is a flooranchored,
cantilevered arm that
lets medical staff position utilities,
accessories, and the patient bed
in the most logical location. The
system has accessory tracks for attaching
IV holders, monitors, and
baskets. As many as nine medical
gas connections, 16 electrical connections,
and four data connections
are available. An optional
telescoping arm can extend up to
64 in.
All hospital rooms, particularly those
in critical-care areas like ICUs, need provisions
for utilities and accessories. A
headwall system forces hospitals to place
one end of the bed against the wall. That
blocks access to the patient’s head. Ceiling-
mounted systems provide additional
flexibility, but can require expensive
structural reinforcements to the building
and leave patients with the uncomfortable
image of a mechanical arm hanging
over them.
The hydraulic or pneumatic brakes
used to hold ceiling-mounted systems in
place call for another house utility line
or a noisy in-room compressor. These
add to facility costs and risk leaks and
failures.
Danaher Motion worked with Hill-
Rom to design two power-off springset
electromagnetic brakes for the Latitude
system. The 30 lb-in. BRP-23 and
160 lb-in. BRP-30 brakes hold the arms
and utility panels at their ends, steady
the setup when accessories are attached
or removed, and withstand the weight of
a patient who may lean on the arms for
support.
Electromagnetic brakes provide a quieter
patient experience and cut expenses
by eliminating pneumatic and hydraulic
systems. To further improve affordability
while maintaining performance, Hill-
Rom requested a smaller brake. Danaher
paired a large-diameter gear with a small
pinion gear that lets a smaller brake hold
the same arm load.
Within the brake, springs hold a shaft
attached to the pinion gear in place by
friction. When electric power is applied,
an electromagnet compresses springs
and permits free rotation of the gear. Any interruption in electrical power
releases the springs to engage the
brake.
Danaher suggested a pickand-
hold power supply would
eke more torque out of a smaller
brake. The standard 80 lb-in.
capacity of the bigger brake was
boosted to 160 lb-in. using a Hill-
Rom-designed 90-Vdc power
source. The source kicks up the
voltage to 180 Vdc for 20 msec
at power-on. The initial power
jolt lets the magnet compress the
springs and free the pinion gear.
The voltage drop after the initial
release protects the brake from
burnout while keeping friction
on the pinion low enough for
smooth operation.
With the brake off, the arm
and accessory panels can be pivoted
with about 15 lb of force.
“The brake had specific force requirements
that are not standard
for a brake in this application,”
said Steve Schindel, director of
Operations for Patient Environment
at Hill-Rom.
Make Contact
Danaher Motion
(716) 531-7119
danahermotion.com
Hill-Rom
(812) 934-7777
hill-rom.com