Operating lamp with adjustable mounting

• US 5,038,261 A
• Filed: 10/09/1990
• Issued: 08/06/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Heraeus Med GmbH (Getinge AB)
• Original Assignee: WC Heraeus GmbH (Heraeus Holding GMBH)
• Inventors: Kloos, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US07/594,356
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 362/233, 362/271, 362/272, 362/286, 362/386, 362/419, 362/428, 362/804, 315/149, 315/152
• US Class Current: 362/286
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/35 Supports therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/043 mounted by means of a rigid support, e.g. bracket or arm
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/14 Adjustable mountings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/28 adjustable in more than one plane
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/00 Arrangement of electric circuit elements in or on lighting devices characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/508
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/205 for operating theatres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/804 Surgical or dental spotlight

Abstract

An operating-room light fixture features a cardanic mounting connected to an overhead beam or other stationary support by joints or linkages which rotate about horizontal and vertical axes. After setting of the optimal illumination zone into the operating plane, that zone'"'"'s coordinates, and the associated coordinates of the lamp housing, are stored as values in a computer. Upon intentional or unintentional spatial displacement of the lamp housing, angle sensors in the joints, and a distance sensor in the lamp housing, furnish data to the computer, which calculates a compensating adjustment and carries it out by applying control signals to positioning motors in the cardanic mounting, until the axis or axes of the light beam(s) again place the optimal illumination zone on the operating field.

Claims

1. A method of automatically aligning an operating room lamp, said lamp having

a lamp housing (9) emitting at least one light beam Sept. 20, 1990

a cardanic mounting (1,2,3,4,5,6) supporting said housing and including a joint (2) Sept. 20, 1990 rotatable about a horizontal axis and at least one further joint (1) Sept. 20, 1990 rotatable about a vertical axis;

at least one means for positioning an axis of said light beam onto an operating field to produce an illuminated zone, said means including a respective positioning motor at each of said joints (3,4);

a distance sensor mounted on said housing (9) for sensing distance between said housing and said operating field, and connected to said positioning means for automatic feedback control,

an angle sensor at each joint (1,2,3,4) of said cardanic mounting; and

a computer, connected to outputs of said sensors and to control inputs of said motors;

comprising the steps of

reading distance and angle data from said sensor into said computer;

calculating, based on said data, coordinates of said lamp housing and of said operating field;

storing said coordinates in said computer;

monitoring said distance and angle sensors and thereby detecting relative displacement between said lamp housing and said operating field;

testing any detected displacement to determine whether such displacement exceeds predetermined limits; and

, if so,

applying control signals to at least one of said motors until a predetermined relationship between said lamp housing and said operating field is restored.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising

adjusting alignment of a light beam axis (10) as a function of distance between said lamp housing (9) and said operating field (8).

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising

aligning axes of a plurality of light beams so that said light beams overlap to form an intensely illuminated zone.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said calculating step comprises

translating said distance and angle data into Cartesian coordinates and, in the event of undesired deviation from previous coordinates, applying control signals to said positioning motors as a function of differences between previous coordinates and current coordinates of said lamp housing (9).

5. Operating room lamp having

a lamp housing (9) emitting at least one light beam Sept. 20, 1990;

a cardanic mounting (1,2,3,4,5,6) supporting said housing and including a joint (2) Sept. 20, 1990 rotatable about a horizontal axis and at least one further joint (1) Sept. 20, 1990 rotatable about a vertical axis;

at least one means for positioning an axis of said light beam onto an operating field to produce an illuminated zone; and

a distance sensor connected to said positioning means for automatic feedback control,

wherein, in accordance with the invention,

said positioning means includes a respective positioning motor at each of said joints (3,4);

each joint (1,2,3,4) of said cardanic mounting is equipped with an angle sensor;

said distance sensor (15) is mounted on said housing (9) for sensing distance between said housing and said operating field;

a computer is provided, connected to outputs of said sensors and to control inputs of said motors, said computer processing output signals from said sensors to determine coordinates of said lamp housing and of said operating field, and generating control signals to said motors to automatically adjust lamp housing position and alignment with respect to said operating field.

6. Operating room lamp according to claim 5, wherein

at least two light beams are emitted by respective light sources (16) in the lamp housing (9), and

means are provided for aligning optical axes of said beams with an operating field (8) so that said beams overlap to form a intensely illuminated zone in said operating field.

7. Operating room lamp according to claim 5, wherein each angle sensor optically scans a coded surface.

8. Operating room lamp according to claim 5, wherein each angle sensor comprises a Hall generator.