Apparatus for operating a medical appliance

• US 7,256,771 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Storz Endoskop Produktions GmbH (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Original Assignee: Storz Endoskop Produktions GmbH (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Inventors: Novak, Pavel, Strohle, Tasso
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Jimmy
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TAMMY T
• Application Number:
  US10/785,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20040227737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 715/773
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/02 Adjustable operating tables; Controls therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/12 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An apparatus for operating a medical appliance, such as a moving operating table, has a touchscreen on which a user interface is displayed. The user interface has a number of first buttons. A control unit initiates first actions of the medical appliance when the first buttons are actuated by a user. Furthermore, the user interface has at least one stop area which, when actuated, stops any first action. The first buttons and the stop area are spatially distributed over the user interface such that center points between each first button and the stop area are located outside each first button.

Claims

1. An apparatus for operating a medical appliance, said apparatus having:

a touchscreen adapted to display a user interface, said user interface comprising a plurality of first buttons to be actuated by a user, and comprising at least one stop area, with each first button having a centroid, and a control unit connected with the touchscreen, wherein the control unit is adapted to initiate a first action of the medical appliance when a first button is actuated by a user, wherein the control unit is adapted to stop the first action, when the stop area is actuated, and wherein the plurality of first buttons and the stop area are spatially distributed over the user interface such that any center point defined on an assumed connecting line between each centroid and the stop area is located outside of each first button.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stop area includes a second button.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to initiate a first action only while the associated first button is being actuated.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first actions are spatial movements of the medical appliance.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a voice input unit for receiving and evaluating voice commands.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the voice input unit and the user interface are coupled to one another such that at least the stop area is active whenever a voice command is input.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the medical appliance is a moving operating table.

8. An apparatus for operating a medical appliance, said apparatus having a touchscreen adapted to display a user interface and having a control unit, wherein the user interface comprises a number of first buttons, and wherein the control unit is adapted to initiate first actions of the medical appliance when the first buttons are actuated, wherein the user interface comprises at least one stop area which, when actuated, stops any first action, and wherein the first buttons and the stop area are spatially distributed over the user interface such that center points between each first button and the stop area are located outside each first button.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the stop area includes a second button.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control unit is adapted to initiate a first action only while the corresponding first button is being actuated.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first actions are spatial movements of the medical appliance.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control unit includes a voice input unit for receiving and evaluating voice commands.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the voice input unit and the user interface are coupled to one another such that at least the stop area is active whenever a voice command is input.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the medical appliance is a moving operating table.

15. An apparatus for operating a medical appliance, comprising:

a touchscreen that displays a plurality of buttons and at least one stop area; and

a control unit connected to the touchscreen;

wherein said control unit initiates an action of the medical appliance when one of said buttons is touched by a user;

wherein said control unit stops the action of the medical appliance when the stop area is touched by the user;

wherein each of said buttons and said stop area has a centroid; and

wherein said plurality of buttons and said stop area are spatially distributed on the touchscreen such that the center points of the connecting lines that connect the centroid of each of said buttons with the centroid of said stop area are located outside of each of said buttons.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said stop area comprises an additional button.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said control unit initiates the action of the medical appliance only when the corresponding button is being touched.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the action of the medical appliance comprises spatial movements of the medical appliance.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said control unit includes a voice input unit for receiving and evaluating voice commands.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said voice input unit and said user interface are coupled to one another such that at least said stop area is active whenever a voice command is in put.

21. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the medical appliance comprises a moving operating table.