CONTROL UNIT AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A MOBILE MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20130243160A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: GRAUMANN, RAINER, NEAGU, SORIN-ALEXANDRU
• Granted Patent: US 9,782,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/91
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/54 Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis

Abstract

A medical device, such as a mobile C-arm, is positioned and/or aligned via a touch-sensitive control panel of a tablet. The touch-sensitive control panel provides access to one or more function units, for example, for initiating control signals for a positioning and/or an alignment of the medical device, or a second function unit for specifying a direction of movement for a mobile medical unit, or a third function unit for specifying a motion speed for the mobile medical device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a mobile medical device, the apparatus comprising:

a tablet computer configured for controlling a movement of the mobile medical device;

said tablet computer having a touch-sensitive control panel; and

said control panel of a control unit of said tablet computer having at least one function unit for initiating control signals for a positioning and/or an alignment of the medical device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mobile medical device is a mobile C-arm.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one function unit is one of a plurality of function units including a first function unit for initiating control signals for a positioning and/or an alignment of the medical device and a second function unit for specifying a direction of movement for a mobile medical unit; and

based on a first starting point and a contact point on the interface of said control panel, a direction vector is formed and control signals for drive means of the mobile medical device are derived therefrom.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

said plurality of function units includes a third function unit for specifying a motion speed for the mobile medical device;

a motion speed for the mobile medical device is derived from a predeterminable length of the direction vector based on the first starting point while retaining the direction of the direction vector, wherein a starting speed is predetermined for an existing length and the starting speed is increased or decreased by lengthening or shortening the direction vector.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the mobile medical device is a mobile C-arm and said plurality of function units includes a sixth function unit for specifying an alignment of the C-arm, wherein directions of movement are selected for the C-arm and an angular setting can be predetermined.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the mobile medical device is a mobile C-arm and said plurality of function units includes a seventh function unit for specifying a rotational speed for the C-arm.

7. A method of controlling a mobile medical device, the method which comprises:

providing a tablet computer with a control panel and a control unit configured to control the mobile medical device;

initiating with at least one function unit of the control panel of the control unit control signals for a positioning and/or an alignment of the medical device.

8. The method according to claim 7, which comprises forming a direction vector based on a first starting point and a touch point on an interface of the control panel and deriving from the direction vector control signals for a drive of the mobile medical device.

9. The method according to claim 8, which comprises deriving a motion speed for the mobile medical device from the predeterminable length of the direction vector based on the first starting point while retaining a direction of the direction vector;

and wherein a starting speed is predetermined for an existing length of the direction vector and the method further comprises increasing or decreasing the speed by lengthening or shortening the direction vector.

10. The method according to claim 7, which comprises selected a motion direction for the C-arm and predetermining an angular setting and a rotational speed.