US Patent 7849545 Control system for hospital bed mattress

A mattress system includes a mattress, a control unit spaced from the mattress, and a connector assembly that pneumatically and electrically interconnects the control unit with the mattress. The control unit has a main housing and a plurality of user interface modules that are selectively coupleable to the control unit and that are programmed differently to provide different modes of operation for the mattress system. A pressure sensor inside the mattress detects the presence or absence of a person on the mattress. The mattress system has a bed exit alarm system that, when armed, provides a bed exit alarm if the pressure sensor in the mattress detects that a patient has exited the mattress. The connector assembly includes a dual mode connector having both electrical and pneumatic couplers and a dual lumen hose assembly that extends from the dual mode connector to the mattress.