Process and device for activating a medical instrument

• US 7,489,808 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG & Company KGaA (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Drager Medical AG & Co KG (Dragerwerk AG)
• Inventors: Gerder, Henning
• Primary Examiner(s): Mariam; Daniel G
• Application Number:
  US10/969,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20050180615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/116, 382/124, 382/128, 382/209, 382/218, 340/5.52, 340/5.53, 340/5.8, 340/5.82, 340/5.83, 607/31, 902/3, 283/68, 713/186
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/01 specially adapted for anaesthetising A61M16/104, A61M16/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3375 Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/582 by tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/587 Lighting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0612 Eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/08 Other bio-electrical signals
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A simple and reliable process for activating a medical instrument, for example, one containing an anesthetic agent- or drug-dispensing unit (23) as well as a respirator drive (24) for respirating a patient is provided. The medical instrument is switched on, and a sensor (20) for detecting biometric features of a user, which is connected to or communicates with the medical instrument, is activated by the switching on, so that the individual biometric features of a certain user are detected. Te detected individual biometric features of the certain user are compared with the biometric features of at least one user within a preset time period. The medical instrument is released for the operation by the certain user only in case of agreement between the detected individual biometric features of the certain user and biometric features of at least one user, which were entered in the memory in advance.

Claims

1. A process for activating a medical instrument, the process comprising the steps of:

switching the medical instrument on and activating a sensor means for detecting biometric features of a user, the sensor means being connected to or communicating with the medical instrument so that the individual biometric features of a certain user are detected;

comparing the detected individual biometric features of the certain user within a preset time period with the biometric features of at least one user, which were entered in a memory in advance;

releasing the medical instrument for operation by the certain person only in case of agreement between the detected individual biometric features of the certain user and the biometric features of the at least one user, which were entered in the memory in advance, wherein the individual biometric features of a certain user are stored with associated personal, patient- and/or instrument-specific data said instrument-specific data comprising operating and screen options of the medical instrument.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein after the release of the medical instrument, the certain user selects a learning program associated with said medical instrument, so that the individual biometric features of a certain additional user are detected by means of the sensor means and entered in the memory.

3. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the biometric features comprise measured values of one or more of fingerprints, iris or iris patterns or elements of human speech.

4. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said medical instrument is a anesthetic-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit.

5. A process in accordance with claim 4, further comprising the step of:

controlling an amount of an anesthetic or a drug delivered from said anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit to the patient via said control and evaluating unit after said anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit is released via said sensor means.

6. A device for activating a medical instrument, the device comprising:

an anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit;

a central control and evaluating unit with an associated memory, said memory comprising user biometric data;

a sensor means for detecting biometric features of a user and for releasing an anesthetic or a drug via said anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit to a patient; and

an output and monitoring unit, said control and evaluating unit being programmed such that said control and evaluating unit compares said biometric features of the user from said sensor means with said user biometric data, said control and evaluating unit controlling said anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit such that a flow of an anesthetic or a drug is delivered to a patient via said anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit when said biometric features of the user corresponds to said user biometric data, said control and evaluating unit saving said flow of said anesthetic or said drug as patient treatment data in said memory.

7. A device in accordance with claim 6, wherein said sensor means comprises a device for the thermal detection of a fingerprint.

8. A device in accordance with claim 6, further comprising a respirator drive for respirating a patient, wherein the drug-dispensing unit is connected with said respirator drive for respirating a patient.

9. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the respirator drive has a radial flow compressor.

10. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit forms a combined anesthesia workstation with the respirator drive.

11. A process for activating a medical instrument, the process comprising the steps of:

providing an anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit;

providing a central control and evaluating unit with an associated memory, said memory comprising user biometric data, said user biometric data being programmed in said memory in advance;

providing a sensor means for detecting biometric features of a user and for releasing an anesthetic or a drug to a patient, the sensor means being connected to or communicating with the anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit;

providing an output and monitoring unit for on and off switching;

switching the anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit on and activating the sensor means to detect biometric features of a user;

comparing the detected individual biometric features of the user within a preset time period with said user biometric data;

releasing the anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit for operation via said sensor means when the detected individual biometric features of the user corresponds to said user biometric data;

controlling an amount of an anesthetic or a drug delivered from said anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit to the patient via said control and evaluating unit after said anesthetic agent-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit is released;

saving said amount of said anesthetic or said drug to said memory as patient dosage data.

12. A process in accordance with claim 11, wherein after the release of the medical instrument, the user selects a learning program associated with said anesthetic-dispensing or drug-dispensing unit, so that the individual biometric features of a certain additional user are detected by means of the sensor means and entered in the memory.

13. A process in accordance with claim 11, wherein the individual biometric features of the user are stored with associated personal, patient- and/or instrument-specific data.

14. A process in accordance with claim 13, wherein the instrument-specific data comprise operating and screen options of the medical instrument.

15. A process in accordance with claim 11, wherein the biometric features comprise measured values of one or more of fingerprints, iris or iris patterns or elements of human speech.