Control unit for a medical device

• US 5,879,298 A
• Filed: 06/13/1997
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Drobnitzky, Matthias, Kuth, Rainer, Lenz, Gerald, Krogmann, Henrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler, Brian L.
• Application Number:
  US08/874,150
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 600/126, 600/407, 297/217.1, 297/217.2, 297/217.3, 297/463.2
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/60 Supports for surgeons, e.g. chairs or hand supports seats for dentists or surgeons associated with dental chairs or operating chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 15/02 Chairs with means to adjust position of patient; Controls therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/14 adapted for operation by a part of the human body other than the hand, e.g. by foot
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/24 using pneumatic or hydraulic actuator for storing energy in a spring motor H01H3/301

Abstract

A control unit for a medical device has an actuation part and an electrical signal output that, due to an actuation of the actuation part, emits a control signal for a control computer of the medical device. The actuation device is secured to a work chair at the level of the heel of the foot of a person on the work chair.

Claims

1. In a medical device operated by a control computer having a computer keyboard, the improvement of a control unit for said medical device comprising:

a work chair adapted to receive a medical device operator;

an actuation element disposed on said work chair at foot level, and adapted to be actuated with a side of a foot of a medical device operator on said work chair;

means, upon actuation of said actuation element, for emitting an electrical control signal to said control computer for controlling said medical device, and

said actuation element comprising a closed pressure bellows connected to a hose conduit, and wherein said means for emitting said control signal comprising a pressure transducer in communication with said hose conduit which emits an electrical signal upon compression of said bellows, and electronic evaluation means, supplied with said electrical signal, for generating said control signal upon compression of said bellows.

2. A control unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said work chair has a vertical supporting column, and wherein said pressure bellows is elongated and has a longitudinal direction, and wherein said bellows is attached to said supporting column with said longitudinal direction substantially vertically oriented.

3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said electronic evaluation means comprises means for generating said control signal dependent on a pressure change at said pressure transducer.

4. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said means for emitting said control signal upon actuation of said actuation element comprises means for emitting a control signal substantially identical to a function control signal emitted by said computer keyboard.

5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said function control signal and said control signal each comprise a data word.