Control for, and method of, operating at least two medical systems

• US 7,747,960 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stereotaxis, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stereotaxis, Inc.
• Inventors: Viswanathan, Raju R., Blume, Walter M., Kastelein, Nathan, Garibaldi, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iturralde; Enrique W
• Application Number:
  US11/670,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20080058963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/718, 715733-734, 715736-737, 715/740, 715/742, 715/761, 715/782, 715/805, 715/767, 715/778, 715/802, 700/19
• US Class Current: 715/767
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/252 indicating steps of a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/254 being adapted depending on the stage of the surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/00 Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161; apparatus for taking X-ray photographs G03B42/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/02 Arrangements for diagnosis sequentially in different planes; Stereoscopic radiation diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/468 allowing annotation or message recording
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/566 involving communication between diagnostic systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/465 : adapted to display user selection data, e.g. icons or menus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/467 : characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5238 : for combining image data of patient, e.g. merging several images from different acquisition modes into one image for image registration algorithms G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 : Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 : involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 : Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A control for, and method of, operating at least two medical systems, each of which generates its own visual display output and accepts commands from an input device. The control includes a display, having an active display area, and at least one inactive display area, at least one input device which provides inputs to the medical system whose visual display output is being displayed on the active display area, and a controller that automatically selects the medical system whose visual display output is displayed on the active display area.

Claims

1. A control for operating at least two medical systems, each of the medical systems generating its own visual display output, and accepting commands from an input device, the control comprising:

a display, having an active display area, and at least one inactive display area;

at least one input device which provides inputs to the medical system whose visual display output is being displayed on the active display area, and a controller that automatically selects the medical system whose visual display output is displayed on the active display area at least in part according to predetermined routine determined by the medical procedure being performed.

2. The control according to claim 1 wherein the controller selects the medical system whose visual display output is displayed on the active display area at least in part according to data received from at least some of the medical systems.

3. The control according to claim 2 wherein the controller selects the medical system whose visual display output is displayed on the active display area at least in part according to user input.

10. The control according to claim 1 wherein the active display area is a dedicated portion of the display.

11. The control according to claim 1 wherein the active display area is a dynamically assigned portion of the display.

4. A control for operating at least two medical systems, each of the medical systems generating its own visual display output, and accepting commands from an input device, the control comprising:

a display, having an active display area, and at least one inactive display area;

at least one input device, and at least one processor programmed to automatically select one of the medical systems at least in part according to predetermined routine determined by the medical procedure being performed and display visual display output from the selected medical system on the active display area, and communicate commands from the at least one input device to the selected medical system, and display at the visual display output from at least one of the non-selected medical systems on the inactive display area.

5. The control according to claim 4 wherein the at least one processor is programmed to select the medical system at least in part based upon input received from at least one of the medical systems.

6. The control according to claim 4 wherein the at least one processor is programmed to selected the medical system at least in part based upon user input.

7. A method of operating at least two medical systems, each of the medical systems generating its own visual display output, and accepting commands from an input device, the method comprising displaying the visual display output of a selected one of the medical systems on an active display area, and displaying the visual display output of at least one non-selected medical systems on an inactive display area;

communicating commands from at least one input device to the medical system whose visual display output is being displayed on the active area, and automatically selecting the medical system whose visual display output is displayed on the active area at least in part according to a predetermined routine determined by the medical procedure being performed.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the medical system selected to have its visual display output displayed on the active display is selected at least in part based upon input received from at least one of the medical systems.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the medical system selected to have its visual display output displayed on the active display is selected at least in part based upon user input.