Interface for Component Identification, Communication and Power Supply Between Interchangeable System Components

• US 20080237471A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Sanpitak, Patanit
• Granted Patent: US 10,463,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/363.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4411 the apparatus being modular A61B6/4283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4494 Means for identifying the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1074 Details of the control system, e.g. user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence

Abstract

A contactless and battery-less interface for component identification and remote sensing is disclosed. The interface includes a near-field electromagnetic coupling for electrical power transfer and a full duplex optical coupling for bi-directional serial communication interface. The interface provides a low-cost and low-power Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) microcontroller with a minimum of components and a low production cost, wherein a communication and power interface can be provided between components such as a gamma camera head and a collimator, without requiring electrical contacts between interface circuit assemblies on the respective parts.

Claims

1. A contactless interface for providing a power supply and communication between cooperating components of a system, comprising:

a first circuit assembly provided on a first system component, including

a first optical transmitter/receiver for communicating with another optical receiver/transmitter,

a storage medium for storing information pertaining to said first system component,

a first inductive trace formed on said first circuit assembly, and

a first microcontroller for controlling operation of said transmitter/receiver and controlling reading and writing of information from and to said storage medium;

a second circuit assembly provided on a second system component, including

a second optical transmitter/receiver for communicating with said first infrared transmitter/receiver;

a second inductive trace formed on said second circuit assembly, for producing a near-field electromagnetic coupling and electrical power transfer with said first inductive trace; and

a second microcontroller for controlling operation of said second transmitter/receiver,

wherein said first microcontroller reads information from said storage medium and transmits said read information to said second optical transmitter/receiver through said first optical transmitter/receiver.

2. The interface of claim 1, wherein said first and second circuit assemblies are positioned when said first and second system components are cooperatively mounted in said system so that said first and second inductive traces exhibit near-field electromagnetic coupling therebetween.

3. The interface of claim 1, wherein said second circuit assembly further includes a power and signal cable operatively coupled to a main controller of said system.

4. The interface of claim 1, wherein said first circuit assembly further includes a connection to a remote sensor.

5. The interface of claim 1, wherein said first and second circuit assemblies each further comprise a universal asynchronous receiver and transmitter (UART) for infrared communication therebetween.

6. The interface of claim 1, wherein said storage medium comprises an EEPROM.

7. The interface of claim 1, wherein said first circuit assembly further comprises a rectifier for processing a square wave signal from said second inductive trace.

8. The interface of claim 1, wherein said system is a gamma camera apparatus, said first system component comprises an exchangeable collimator, and said second system component comprises a camera head.

9. The interface of claim 8, wherein said first circuit assembly further includes a connection to a patient touch pad sensor mounted on a surface of said collimator.

10. The interface of claim 1, wherein a serial data connection is established between said first and second transmitter/receivers for communicating data between said first and second microcontrollers.

11. A contactless interface for component identification, said interface comprising:

a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCBs), each comprising;

at least one pair of infrared receiver/transmitters, for receiving and transmitting signals between respective circuit boards;

at least one inductive trace for producing or receiving a near-field electromagnetic coupling and electrical power transfer; and

a microcontroller for processing data and controlling operation of said transmitter/receivers.

12. The interface of claim 11, wherein said first and second PCBs are selectively positioned so that said inductive traces are positioned to facilitate near-field electromagnetic coupling therebetween.

13. The interface of claim 11, wherein said PCBs each further comprise at least one universal asynchronous receiver and transmitter (UART) for infrared communication between said PCBs.

14. The interface of claim 11, wherein at least one of said PCBs further comprises an EEPROM storing information pertaining to a component on which said at least one PCB is mounted.

15. The interface of claim 11, wherein at least one of said PCBs further comprises a rectifier for processing a square wave signal from the inductive PCB trace of the other of said PCBs.

16. The interface of claim 11, wherein at least one of said PCBs further comprises a connection to a remote sensor.

17. The interface of claim 11, wherein an inductive trace of a first PCB comprises a receiving coil and a second inductive trace of a second PCB comprises a transmitting coil that is electromagnetically coupled to said receiving coil.

18. The interface of claim 11, wherein a serial data connection is established between transmitter/receivers of two PCBs for transmitting data therebetween.

19. A gamma camera system, comprising:

a camera head;

a collimator mounted to said camera head;

a first circuit assembly provided on said collimator, including

a first optical transmitter/receiver for communicating with another optical receiver/transmitter,

a storage medium for storing information pertaining to said collimator,

a first inductive trace formed on said first circuit assembly, and

a first microcontroller for controlling operation of said transmitter/receiver and controlling reading and writing of information from and to said storage medium;

a second circuit assembly provided on said camera head, including

a second optical transmitter/receiver for communicating with said first infrared transmitter/receiver;

a second inductive trace formed on said second circuit assembly, for producing a near-field electromagnetic coupling and electrical power transfer with said first inductive trace; and

a second microcontroller for controlling operation of said second transmitter/receiver,

wherein said first microcontroller reads information from said storage medium and transmits said read information to said second optical transmitter/receiver through said first optical transmitter/receiver.

20. A gamma camera system as set forth in claim 19, wherein said collimator is removable and exchangeable with other collimators to be mounted to said camera head.

21. A gamma camera system as set forth in claim 19, further comprising a patient touch pad sensor mounted to a surface of said collimator facing a patient undergoing imaging by said gamma camera system, wherein said first circuit assembly includes a connection to receive a signal from said patient touch pad sensor.

22. A gamma camera system as set forth in claim 19, wherein said first and second optical transmitter/receivers comprise infrared transmitter/receivers.

23. A gamma camera system as set forth in claim 19, wherein said first and second optical transmitter/receivers comprise universal asynchronous receiver transmitters (UARTs).