DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTACTLESS CONTROL OF A PATIENT TABLE

• US 20150320367A1
• Filed: 05/07/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Dirauf, Franz, Haider, Sultan, Popescu, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 9,785,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/704 Tables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0407 Supports, e.g. tables or beds, for the body or parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/02 Adjustable operating tables; Controls therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/12 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2210/50 for radiography
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for contact-free control of a patient table includes a camera system for detecting at least one gesture of a user of the device, a processing unit for converting the at least one detected gesture into at least one command for controlling the patient table, and an execution unit for executing the at least one command for controlling the patient table. The device can furthermore include a monitoring system for monitoring the control of the patient table and an authentication system for authenticating the user.

Claims

1. A device for contact-free control of a patient table, comprising:

a camera that detects at least one gesture of a person and that converts said gesture into image data that represents said at least one gesture;

a computer processor in communication with said camera that receives said image data from said camera and is configured to convert said image data representing said at least one gesture into at least command for controlling a patient table; and

an execution unit in communication with said computer processor that is provided with said command and that is configured to execute said at least one command for controlling the patient table.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprising a patient table connected to said execution unit.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprising a monitoring system configured to monitor control of said patient table by said execution unit.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said monitoring system comprises a projector that projects an image that designates a position of the patient table.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprising an authentication system configured to authenticate the person making such at least one gesture.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said authentication system is configured to automatically authenticate said person by at least one optical marker associated with said person.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said optical marker is an accessory worn by said person.

8. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said authentication system is configured to authenticate said person by detecting an authentication gesture made by said person.

9. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said authentication system is configured to authenticate said person by reading a chip card associated with said person.

10. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said authentication system is configured, after authenticating said person, is configured to orient said camera to a location of said person.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprising said patient table, and wherein said patient table and said camera are situated respectively in different rooms.

12. A method for contact-free control of a patient table, comprising:

with a camera detecting at least one gesture of a person and converting said gesture into image data that represents said at least one gesture;

providing said image data to a computer processor in communication with said camera and, in said computer processor, converting said image data representing said at least one gesture into at least command for controlling a patient table; and

via an execution unit in communication with said computer processor that is provided with said command, executing said at least one command for controlling the patient table.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 comprising monitoring control of said patient table via a monitoring unit.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 comprising authenticating said person via an authentication unit.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into a control computer for contact-free control of a patient table, said programming instructions causing said control computer to:

operate a camera to detect at least one gesture of a person and convert said gesture into image data that represents said at least one gesture;

convert said image data representing said at least one gesture into at least command for controlling a patient table; and

operate an execution unit according to said command to execute said at least one command for controlling the patient table.