Device and process for uniformly lighting an operating area

• US 8,050,547 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2009
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG & Company KGaA (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Drager Medical GmbH (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Inventors: Fornasiero, Livio
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey; W. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, LINDA B
• Application Number:
  US12/418,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20090261759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 396/4, 362/3, 362/804
• US Class Current: 396/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/371 with simultaneous use of two cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/804 Surgical or dental spotlight

Abstract

A device and a process are provided for uniformly lighting an operating area for performing the lighting of an operating area (2) of a bed (30) by means of a lighting unit (3) such that a selected lighting field (13) is lighted uniformly. The image signals of a camera (7) are sent to an image processing unit (17), in which the image signals are analyzed and the individual lighting elements (6) are switched via the control unit (18). A lighting situation is acquired in the process for initializing and operating this lighting system and a lighting field (13) of interest is selected. The image signals are analyzed during the operation and sent to the control unit (18) in order to switch the lighting elements (6) such that uniform lighting is obtained in the first lighting field (13).

Claims

1. A device for uniformly lighting at least one lighting field, the device comprising:

a lighting fixture housing;

a lighting unit with a plurality of lighting elements accommodated in said lighting fixture housing, said plurality of lighting elements providing at least one lighting field area as output;

a camera having a camera acquisition area, said camera providing data relating to image segments of said at least one lighting field area as output;

a control unit for providing actuating signals for actuating said lighting elements with data acquired by said camera in said camera acquisition area as said image segments;

an image processing unit receiving said output of said camera, said image processing unit determining parameters of said image segments to light the at least one lighting field based on said data, wherein said control unit adjusts the actuating signals, for the plurality of lighting elements, to reduce the differences in the luminosities of the image segments based on said parameters of said image segments determined by said image processing unit

an operating unit;

a display unit, wherein;

said control unit switches on all lighting elements of the lighting unit simultaneously;

said camera acquires an image of the operating area, said image being displayed on said display unit;

said operating unit sets at least one lighting field of interest with a corresponding brightness distribution;

said control unit switches off all lighting elements and said control unit switches on each one of the plurality of lighting elements one after another in a sequence and said camera acquires an image for every single lighting element and stored in a first data field;

said image processing unit analyzes the first data field to determine if said camera was hiding from view;

said image processing unit further analyzes the first data field such that said image processing unit determines the parameters for actuating the plurality of lighting elements, said parameters being stored in a first parameter field;

said control unit switches the individual lighting elements and a control view of the lighting is provided as output on the display unit;

said operating unit confirms the actuation of the plurality of lighting elements, wherein initialization is terminated and operation of said lighting element is started;

a polling is performed via said operating unit to execute the first mode of operation for uniform lighting and the first mode of operation is continued;

said image processing unit analyzes the data image acquired by said camera in a continuous sequence and said image processing unit compares the first data field and said image processing unit adjusting the actuation parameters of the first parameter field; and

the actuation by the control unit of the individual lighting elements of the lighting unit is performed according to the first parameter field and the first mode of operation is continued without interruption with a return to said polling.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one additional camera having an additional camera acquisition area, said additional camera being connected to said image processing unit and wherein said additional camera acquisition area overlaps said camera acquisition area in an operating area.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting field comprises at least two lighting fields illuminated by said lighting elements actuated by said control unit via a control line.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said camera is integrated in said lighting fixture housing.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said camera is aligned stationarily in relation to an operating area.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

an additional lighting unit, with a plurality of lighting elements, is connected to said control unit in addition to said lighting unit, said additional lighting unit being controlled on the basis of the parameters of the image processing unit.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lighting elements comprise light-emitting diodes.

8. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means for a pulsed switchover of the lighting elements.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said control unit adjusts the actuating signals of a control line for said lighting elements such that differences between luminosities of said image segments of the at least first lighting field is below a preset limit value.

10. A device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the at least additional lighting unit comprises a movable and pivotable unit.

11. A process for operating a lighting system for uniformly lighting a lighting field, the process comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of lighting elements;

switching the lighting elements on one after another in a sequence to provide a plurality of switch-on events;

acquiring an image with at least one camera for each of said switch-on events of every single lighting element;

storing each acquired image in a first data field;

in a continuous sequence analyzing a data image acquired by the at least one camera and comparing the data image acquired with the first data field;

providing a first parameter field;

continuously adjusting actuation parameters of the first parameter field; and

continuously adjusting individual lighting elements and the control unit continuously actuates the lighting unit according to the first parameter field, wherein;

a) all lighting elements of the lighting unit are switched on simultaneously by the control unit in a step;

b) an image of the operating area is acquired by at least one camera in at least one first acquisition area and displayed on the display unit in a step;

c) at least one lighting field of interest with a corresponding brightness distribution is set via the operating unit in a step;

d) all lighting elements are switched off in a fourth step and each one of the plurality of lighting elements is switched on one after another in a sequence and an image is acquired by the at least one camera for every single lighting element and stored in a first data field;

e) the first data field is analyzed to determine if the at least one camera was hiding from view in a step;

f) the first data field is analyzed in a further step and the parameters for actuating the plurality of lighting elements are determined and stored in a first parameter field;

g) the individual lighting elements are switched by means of the control unit and a control view of the lighting is provided as output on the display unit in a step;

h) the actuation of the plurality of lighting elements is confirmed via the operating unit, the initialization is terminated and the operation is started in an eighth step;

i) a polling is performed in a further step to execute the first mode of operation for uniform lighting and the first mode of operation is continued;

j) the data image acquired by the at least first camera is analyzed in a continuous sequence in a further step and compared with the first data field and the actuation parameters of the first parameter field are adjusted; and

k) the actuation by the control unit of the individual lighting elements of the lighting unit is performed in a further step according to the first parameter field and the first mode of operation is continued without interruption with a return to the step i).

12. A process in accordance with claim 11, wherein a polling is provided in the step i) for terminating the first mode of operation with uniform lighting.

13. A process in accordance with claim 11, wherein a polling is provided in the step i) for switching over into a second mode of operation.

14. A process in accordance with claim 11, wherein the actuation of the individual lighting elements of the lighting unit is carried out according to the second mode of operation.

15. A process in accordance with claim 11, wherein a first lighting field of interest and at least one second lighting field of interest are set via the operating unit.

16. A process in accordance with claim 11, wherein the switchover of the individual lighting elements takes place in a pulsed manner.

17. A process in accordance with claim 13, wherein the second mode of operation is a mode in which the maximum luminosity of all lighting elements is switched on.

18. A process in accordance with claim 13, wherein the second mode of operation is a mode based on an average brightness distribution of all lighting elements according to the first parameter field.

19. A process in accordance with claim 13, wherein the second mode of operation is a mode of manually preset luminosity of all lighting elements.

20. A device for uniformly lighting at least one lighting field, the device comprising:

a lighting fixture housing;

a lighting unit with a plurality of lighting elements accommodated in said lighting fixture housing, said plurality of lighting elements providing at least one lighting field area as output;

a camera having a camera acquisition area, said camera providing data relating to image segments of said at least one lighting field area as output;

an image processing unit receiving said output of said camera, said image processing unit analyzing said data such that said image processing unit determines light element actuation parameters of one or more of said lighting elements;

a control unit providing one or more actuating signals to said one or more of said lighting elements, said control unit adjusting said one or more actuating signals in conformance with a relationship defined by said actuation parameters, wherein said one or more actuating signals reduce a difference in luminosity of said image segments, said control unit switching said plurality of lighting elements on one after another in a sequence to provide a plurality of switch-on events, said camera acquiring an image for each of said switch-on events of every single light element.

21. A process for operating a lighting system for uniformly lighting a lighting field, the process comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of lighting elements;

switching the lighting elements on one after another in a sequence to provide a plurality of switch-on events;

acquiring an image with at least one camera for each of said switch-on events of every single lighting element;

storing each acquired image in a first data field;

in a continuous sequence analyzing a data image acquired by the at least one camera and comparing the data image acquired with the first data field;

providing a first parameter field comprising actuation parameters for controlling a luminosity of one or more of said lighting elements, said actuation parameters being determined based on said first data field;

continuously adjusting actuation parameters of the first parameter field; and

continuously adjusting individual lighting elements and the control unit continuously actuates the lighting unit according to the first parameter field, wherein said luminosity of said one or more of said lighting elements is continuously controlled by said control unit based on said actuation parameters.

22. A process in accordance with claim 21, wherein:

a) all lighting elements of the lighting unit are switched on simultaneously by the control unit in a step;

b) an image of the operating area is acquired by at least one camera in at least one first acquisition area and displayed on the display unit in a step;

c) at least one lighting field of interest with a corresponding brightness distribution is set via the operating unit in a step;

d) all lighting elements are switched off in a fourth step and each one of the plurality of lighting elements is switched on one after another in a sequence and an image is acquired by the at least one camera for every single lighting element and stored in a first data field;

e) the first data field is analyzed to determine if the at least one camera was hiding from view in a step;

f) the first data field is analyzed in a further step and the parameters for actuating the plurality of lighting elements are determined and stored in a first parameter field;

g) the individual lighting elements are switched by means of the control unit and a control view of the lighting is provided as output on the display unit in a step;

h) the actuation of the plurality of lighting elements is confirmed via the operating unit, the initialization is terminated and the operation is started in an eighth step;

i) a polling is performed in a further step to execute the first mode of operation for uniform lighting and the first mode of operation is continued;

j) the data image acquired by the at least first camera is analyzed in a continuous sequence in a further step and compared with the first data field and the actuation parameters of the first parameter field are adjusted; and

k) the actuation by the control unit of the individual lighting elements of the lighting unit is performed in a further step according to the first parameter field and the first mode of operation is continued without interruption with a return to the step i).