Medical examination and treatment apparatus

• US 7,813,838 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Sommer, Andres
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broadhead; Brian J
• Application Number:
  US11/214,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20060058919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/246, 700/250, 700/254, 700/260, 700/261, 700/262, 318/568.12, 318/568.24, 901/1.2, 901/49, 702/188
• US Class Current: 700/254
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2255 Means for positioning patient, shock wave apparatus or locating means, e.g. mechanical aspects, patient beds, support arms, aiming means positioning of patients for radiation diagnosis A61B6/04; positioning of locating means inside shock wave apparatus A61B17/2256
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00123 and automatic shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0487 Motor-assisted positioning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/102 Protection against mechanical damage, e.g. anti-collision devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4458 the source unit or the detector unit being attached to robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/589 Setting distance between source unit and patient
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/088 with position, velocity or acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones

Abstract

A medical examination and treatment apparatus includes a robot operable to control a tool, and an internal position-determination system to measure a position of the tool by determining a setting of adjusting elements of the robot. The apparatus further includes an external position-determination system to measure the position of the tool, and a position monitoring system to compare the position of the tool determined by the internal position-determination system with the position of the tool determined by the external position-determination system. A mobility of the tool is restricted if an adjustable threshold relating to deviations between position measurements is exceeded.

Claims

1. A medical examination and treatment apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a robot operable to move a tool, the robot comprising an adjusting element attached to the tool;

an internal position-determination system to measure a position of the tool by determining a setting of the adjusting element of the robot, the internal position-determination system being internal to the robot in a same room as the tool and robot;

an external position-determination system to measure directly the position of the tool while the tool is in a same location when the internal position-determination system measures the position of the tool, the external position-determination system being independent of the robot; and

a position monitoring system to compare the position of the tool determined by the internal position-determination system with the position of the tool determined by the external position-determination system,

wherein a mobility of the tool is restricted by restricting the movement of the adjusting element of the robot if an adjustable threshold relating to a deviation between position measurements determined by the comparison is exceeded, and

wherein the external position-determination system is disposed on the tool and in the room.

2. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the robot is a bent robot arm.

3. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 2, wherein the tool is a patient bed controlled by the robot.

4. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 3, wherein the external position-determination system is an optical measurement system.

5. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 3, wherein the position monitoring system is coupled with a collision monitoring system.

6. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 5, wherein the position monitoring system is coupled with an acceleration measurement system that detects accelerations of the patient bed.

7. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 6, wherein the robot stops the patient bed if an impermissible acceleration of the patient bed is detected by the acceleration measurement system.

8. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tool is a patient bed controlled by the robot.

9. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 8, wherein the position monitoring system is coupled with an acceleration measurement system that detects accelerations of the patient bed.

10. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 9, wherein the robot stops the patient bed if an impermissible acceleration of the patient bed is detected by the acceleration measurement system.

11. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external position-determination system is an optical measurement system.

12. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 11, wherein the optical measurement system is a camera-supported system.

13. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position monitoring system is coupled with a collision monitoring system.

14. The medical examination and treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external position-determination system is configured differently from the internal position-determination system.

15. A method for operating a medical examination and treatment apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a tool to perform a medical examination or treatment, the tool being moved by a robot connected to a bottom surface of the tool;

measuring a position of the tool with an internal position-determination system by determining a setting of the robot, the internal position-determination system being internal to the robot in a same room as the patient bed and robot;

measuring directly the position of the tool with an external position-determinationsystem while the tool is in a same location when the internal position-determination system measures the position of the tool, the external position-determination system being independent of the robot and disposed on the bottom surface of the tool in the room; and

comparing the position of the tool determined by the internal position-determination system with the position of the tool determined by the external position-determination system,

wherein a mobility of the tool is restricted by restricting the movement of the adjusting element of the robot if an adjustable threshold relating to a deviation between position measurements determined by the comparison is exceeded.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the tool is stopped if the deviation between the position measurements is greater than the adjustable threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the adjustable threshold is dependent on a speed of movement of the tool.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the adjustable threshold is dependent on a speed of movement of the tool.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein providing comprises providing the robot with adjusting elements, and wherein measuring the position with the internal position-determination system comprises determining a setting of the adjusting elements.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the comparing is performed continuously and automatically.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the adjustable threshold is dependent on a speed of movement of the tool.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the comparing is performed continuously and automatically.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the tool is stopped if the deviation between the position measurements is greater than the adjustable threshold.