Method for monitoring movement with a medical installation and associated medical installation

• US 7,855,656 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Maschke, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/148,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20080258929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.1, 340/686.2, 340/686.6, 340/573.1, 340/573.5, 340/572.1, 340/539.12, 340/539.13, 340/539.23, 378/21, 378/65, 378/196, 600/407, 600/424
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/102 Protection against mechanical damage, e.g. anti-collision devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4458 the source unit or the detector unit being attached to robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring the movement of at least one mobile object with a medical installation. A current three-dimensional position of the at least one mobile object is detected by at least one position sensor that is arranged on the at least one mobile object. The invention also relates to the associated medical installation.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a movement of a mobile object in a medical installation, comprising:

arranging a position sensor on the mobile object, wherein the mobile object is selected from the group consisting of;

an X-ray system, a patient'"'"'s bed, a respirator, a trolley, a tool table, an operator, and a patient;

detecting a current three-dimensional position of the mobile object by the position sensor;

determining a relative position of the mobile object to a further mobile object or a fixed object based on the detected position of the mobile object; and

triggering an action if the relative position is smaller than a limit value for avoiding a collision between the mobile object and the further mobile object or the fixed object.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position of the mobile object is detected continuously or at time intervals.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position of the mobile object is detected by a receiving device based on a signal from the position sensor.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of:

issuing an alarm, slowing down the movement of the mobile object, issuing a feedback at a user interface, stopping the movement of the mobile object, and performing a further measure for collision avoidance.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein a plurality of limit values for the relative position are determined and different measures for collision avoidance are performed based on the relative position and the limit values.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the alarm is issued if the relative position is smaller than a first limit value, the movement of the mobile object is slowed down and the feedback is issued at the user interface if the relative position is smaller than a second limit value, and the movement of the mobile object is stopped if the relative position is smaller than a third limit value.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position sensor comprises a cableless position sensor.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position sensor is operated by a method selected from the group consisting of:

a magnetic method, an electromagnetic method, an electric method, a capacitive method, an inductive method, an optical method, a thermal method, and an acoustic method.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position sensor is arranged on the mobile object by a method selected from the group consisting of:

an adhesion surface, a label, a hook, a loop strap, a mechanical clamp, a clip, a screw, a pin, a needle, a hair pin, a strap, a sling-on strap, an aim strap, a spectacle frame, a clothing, a mouth guard, and a head cap.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of position sensors are arranged on a plurality of mobile objects for detecting current three-dimensional positions of the mobile objects.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position of the mobile object is compared with movements of other components of the medical installation that are stored in a system control or actually moved movements and a measure for collision avoidance is performed based on the comparison.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a receiving device is arranged on the mobile object and a measure for collision avoidance is performed based on a signal detected on the receiving device.

13. A medical installation, comprising:

a mobile object, wherein the mobile object is selected from the group consisting of;

an X-ray system, a patient'"'"'s bed, a respirator, a trolley, a tool table, an operator, and a patient;

a position sensor arranged on the mobile object that detects a current three-dimensional position of the mobile object; and

an evaluation unit that;

determines a relative position of the mobile object to a further mobile object or a fixed object based on the detected position of the mobile object; and

triggers an action if the relative position is smaller than a limit value for avoiding a collision between the mobile object and the further mobile object or the fixed object.

14. The medical installation as claimed in claim 13, wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of:

issuing an alarm, slowing down the movement of the mobile object, issuing a feedback at a user interface, stopping the movement of the mobile object, and performing a further measure for collision avoidance.

15. The medical installation as claimed in claim 14, wherein a plurality of limit values for the relative position are determined and different measures for collision avoidance are performed based on the relative position and the limit values.

16. The medical installation as claimed in claim 15, wherein the evaluation unit issues the alarm if the relative position is smaller than a first limit value, slows down the movement of the mobile object and issues the feedback at the user interface if the relative position is smaller than a second limit value, and stops the movement of the mobile object if the relative position is smaller than a third limit value.