Apparatus for technical diagnosis of errors in a medical/dental apparatus

• US 5,812,397 A
• Filed: 08/02/1995
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sirona Dental Systems GmbH (Sirona Dental Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sirona Dental Systems GmbH & Co. KG.
• Inventors: Pech, Guenther, Pabst, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kaminis, Shah
• Application Number:
  US08/510,313
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 364/580, 364/481, 364/DIG. 1, 364/186, 371/22.1, 371/20.1, 371/22.6, 324/503, 324/73.1
• US Class Current: 700/81
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00725 Calibration or performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 15/02 Chairs with means to adjust position of patient; Controls therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2257 using expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An apparatus having a plurality of components with printed circuit boards (PCB) having electronic circuits that act on electrical and/or electromechanical function elements is provided. The PCBs communicate with one another via a serial communication bus. The components have analog and digital signal generators allocated to them whose signals act on the PCBs as an input quantity. The PCBs have the capability for implementing self-tests. The self-tests provide test results that are supplied to a service computer as input quantities. Converters for the data for a transmission via a standard interface are provided for the transmission of the data onto the service computer. In an embodiment, the service computer has a first module with a diagnosis software component that enables an interactive error diagnosis off-line. The service computer also contains a second module that produces a connection between the first module and the apparatus components to enable an on-line diagnosis with the first module. The second module contains a logic element that logically operates the test results with one another and leads to a diagnosis result that, given adequate localization, appears on a display. When the displayed diagnosis is not yet exact enough, the test results are returned to the first module and interactively further-processed. Interactively supplied answers flow back into the logic element and are operated therein again until an unambiguous error diagnosis results.

Claims

1. In a medical/dental station having a plurality of functional elements respectively operated by a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCBs), said PCBs being connected to each other via a serial communication bus, the improvement of an apparatus for diagnosing a source of an error causing a malfunctioning of at least one of said functional elements, comprising:

a plurality of self-test means respectively disposed in said PCBs for conducting an internal self-test of that PCB in which the self-test means is disposed, each self-test means conducting a self-test including at least one of testing a voltage on said PCB produced by interaction of the PCB with the functional element respectively connected thereto, testing functioning of an internal circuit in said PCB which occurs due to said interaction, and testing whether said PCB is properly communicating with said communication bus, each of said self-test means producing a self-test result dependent on the self-test conducted by the self-test means;

a first module including diagnostic means for conducting an on-line diagnostic routine for identifying said source, and including means for receiving status information describing malfunctioning of any of said functional elements; and

a second module connected between said first module and said communication bus and including logic means, supplied with said test results from each of said PCBs and supplied with said status information from said first module, for logically linking said status information and said test results to form a logic result, and for supplying said logic result to said diagnostic means in said first module, said diagnostic means employing said logic result to identify said source using said diagnostic routine.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said medical/dental station comprises a component containing at least one of said printed circuit boards, and wherein said first module comprises an integral part of said component.

3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said medical/dental station comprises an operating and display component comprising at least one of said printed circuit boards, and wherein said first module comprises an integral part of said operating and display component.

4. The improvement of claim 1 further comprising a service computer remote and temporarily connectable to said communication bus, and wherein said first module comprises a component of said service computer.

5. The improvement of claim 4 further comprising a standard interface in communication with said communication bus, and wherein said service computer comprises a cable terminating in a plug connected to said standard interface.

6. The improvement of claim 1 further comprising display means, in communication with said first module, for displaying a diagnostic result containing an identification of said source.

7. In a medical/dental station having a plurality of functional elements respectively operated by a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCBs), said PCBs being connected to each other via a serial communication bus, a method for diagnosing a source of an error causing malfunctioning of at least one of said functional elements, said method comprising the steps of:

in each of said PCBs, conducting an internal self-test of that PCB, including at least one of testing a voltage on said PCB produced by interaction of the PCB with the functional element respectively connected thereto, testing functioning of an internal circuit in said PCB which occurs due to said interaction, and testing whether said PCB is properly communicating with said communication bus, said self-test producing a self-test result;

in a first module, conducting an on-line diagnostic routine and thereby identifying said source, and supplying status information to said first module describing malfunctioning of any of said functional elements; and

establishing a communication between said first module and a second module and between said second module and said communication bus to supply said second module with said test results from each of said PCBs and with said status information from said first module;

in said second module, logically linking said status information and said test results to form a logic result; and

supplying said logic result to said first module and in said first module conducting said diagnostic routine employing said logic result to identify said source.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising the additional steps of:

(a) displaying a diagnostic result identifying said source;

(b) if said diagnostic result does not satisfy an exactness criterion, repeating said diagnostic routine in said first module using said diagnostic result as a starting point; and

(c) iteratively repeating steps (a) and (b) until said exactness criterion is satisfied.