Device for maneuvering a radiology appliance

• US 5,675,227 A
• Filed: 04/02/1996
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Roos, Hartog, Garrote, Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John W.
• Application Number:
  US08/626,752
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 318/560, 318/563, 318/564, 318/565, 318/600, 318/603, 318/446, 318/445, 378/114, 378/115, 378/116, 378/117, 307/326, 307/327, 307/328, 192/129 R, 192/130, 192/129 A, 246/186
• US Class Current: 318/446
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/10 Safety means specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/20 for electric control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/054 Application timeslot: duration of actuation or delay between or combination of subsequent actuations determines selected function
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 7/00 Devices for introducing a predetermined time delay between the initiation of the switching operation and the opening or closing of the contacts time or time-programme switches H01H43/00

Abstract

A safety system including two command buttons (7, 8) spaced apart from one another geographically, and obliging an operator to use both his hands to control a radiology appliance, or one hand and a foot, is completed by a protocol including, on a single button (7), a short pulse followed by a long pulse during which the maneuver is carried out. It is shown that, under these conditions, the stress on the operator is lower and he is less fatigued

Claims

1. A device for triggering and handling the maneuvering of a radiology appliance including a manually actuated switch linked to a motor for maneuvering the appliance, which includes

a detector 1) for detecting the application to said manually actuated switch of first and second command pulses, consecutive in time, the first command pulse being short and the second command pulse being prolonged and 2) for generating a signal only when both of said command pulses are applied to said unit and only when said second command pulse is applied within a designated period following termination of said first command pulse, said second command pulse having a duration which is longer than said designated period and being maintained as long as appliance handling is needed, and

a circuit, coupled to said detector, for starting the motor only when said signal is delivered by the detector.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, which includes, in the detector,

a set of logic gates in a relationship with the control unit and with a monostable circuit.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 which includes, in the detector,

a retarder circuit for preventing the starting of the motor for a designated period after initiation of said second, prolonged command.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said switch establishes a connection between a reference potential and said detector and establishes a series connection of said reference potential to another switch, for controlling said maneuvering motor in another way.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said designated period is less than one second.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said designated period is about 0.4 seconds.

7. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said switch comprises a control button.

8. A device for triggering the operation of a motor which maneuvers at least a portion of a radiology appliance, said device comprising:

(A) a manually actuated switch;

(B) a detector which is electronically coupled to said switch and which generates an output signal only in the event of the consecutive application of at least first and second command pulses to said switch, wherein

said first command pulse has a first duration,

said detector generates said output signal only if said second command pulse is initiated within a designated period following termination of said first command pulse, and wherein

said second command pulse

     1) has a second duration which is longer than said designated period and

     2) is maintained as long as appliance maneuvering is needed, and wherein

said second duration is relatively long when compared to said first duration; and

(C) a circuit which is electronically coupled to said detector and which applies motive power to said motor only when said output signal is generated by said detector.

9. The device as defined in claim 8, wherein said detector comprises

(A) a monostable latch electronically coupled to said switch;

and

(B) a set of logic gates electronically coupled to said switch and to said monostable latch.

10. The device as defined in claim 9, wherein said detector further comprises a retarder circuit which prevents the generation of said output signal and thus the application of motive power to said motor for a designated period of time after initiation of said second command pulse.

11. The device as defined in claim 10, wherein said retarder circuit comprises an RC circuit disposed between said switch and said set of logic gates.

12. The device as defined in claim 9, further comprising (A) an inverter located between and electronically connected to said switch and said monostable latch and (B) a resister electronically connected to said switch.

13. The device as defined in claim 8, further comprising a power source electronically connected to said monostable latch, and wherein said detector further comprises a resister, an inverter, and a capacitor disposed between said power source and said monostable latch.

14. The device as defined in claim 8, wherein said switch comprises a control button.

15. The device as defined in claim 8, wherein said switch comprises a first switch, and further comprising (A) a second switch, (B) a source of a reference potential, and (C) a second circuit coupled to said second switch, and wherein application of said first switch establishes (1) a connection between said reference potential and said detector and (2) a series connection of said reference potential to said second switch, thereby permitting the application of motive power to said motor immediately upon simultaneous operation of said first and second switches.

16. The device as defined in claim 8, wherein said designated period is less than one second.

17. The device as defined in claim 16, wherein said designated period is about 0.4 seconds.

18. A method of triggering the operation of a motor which maneuvers at least a portion of a radiology appliance, said method comprising:

(A) applying at least first and second consecutive command pulses to a manually actuated switch;

(B) detecting the application of said first and second consecutive command pulses to said switch and generating an output signal only after initiation of said second command pulse and only if said second command pulse is initiated within a designated period following termination of said first command pulse, wherein said designated period is less than one second and wherein said second command pulse

     1) has a duration which is longer than said designated period and

     2) is maintained as long as appliance maneuvering is needed; and

(C) applying motive power to said motor from a first circuit only when said output signal is generated.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein said designated period is about 0.4 seconds.

20. The method as defined in claim 18, further comprising retarding the generation of said second output signal for a designated period of time after initiation of said second command pulse, thereby avoiding bounce effects.

21. The method as defined in claim 20, wherein said second designated period of time is about one microsecond.

22. The method as defined in claim 18, further comprising applying motive power to said motor from a second circuit, even in the absence of the generation of said output signal, upon the simultaneous application of command pulses to said switch and to a second manually actuated switch.

23. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein said first command pulse has a second duration and said duration of said second command pulse is relatively long when compared to said second duration.