Methods and systems for position-enabled control of a medical system

• US 8,657,743 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Particle Therapy GmbH & Company KG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Rietzel, Eike, Sommer, Andres
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, Bill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Archer, Marie
• Application Number:
  US12/201,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20090069640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 34087001-87002, 340/870.07, 340/870.16, 340/870.18, 34087025-87028, 340/500, 340/524, 340/529, 340/531, 340/532, 34053912-53932, 340/540, 340/286.01, 340/286.07, 340/999, 340/3.54, 600300-301, 600 1- 8, 378145-161, 378/210, 378193-203, 709223-226
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00212 using remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• 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 34/74 Manipulators with manual electric input means
• 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 6/10 Safety means specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4411 the apparatus being modular A61B6/4283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/581 Remote testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/00 Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges protective face masks A41D13/11; surgeon's or patient's gowns or dresses A41D13/12; devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body liquids A61M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1074 Details of the control system, e.g. user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

A control device for a medical system is provided. The medical system may be a medical diagnosis and/or medical therapy system. The medical system may include a control unit operable to be used to carry out control processes that control the medical system, and a mobile handheld control unit operable to control at least one controllable element of the medical system by a user. The control device may be configured so that one or more control processes may only be carried out by the control unit when the mobile handheld control unit is located at a predefined location.

Claims

1. A control device for a medical system, the control device comprising:

a control unit configured to carry out control processes that control the medical system, and

a mobile handheld control unit in communication with the control unit and configured to control a first controllable element of the medical system by a user,

wherein the control device is configured so that one or more of the control processes are only carried out by the control unit when the mobile handheld control unit is located at a predefined location,

wherein the control device is configured to control a second controllable element of the medical system, the second controllable element not controllable by the mobile handheld control unit regardless of location of the mobile handheld control unit,

wherein the medical system is a particle therapy system, and the control unit is configured to output a beam release signal, and

wherein the control device is configured to output, as a first control process of the one or more control processes, the beam release signal only when the mobile handheld control unit is located at the predefined location.

2. The control device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a position monitoring system that is configured to determine whether the mobile handheld control unit is located at the predefined location.

3. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predefined location is a location in a holding device for the mobile handheld control unit.

4. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile handheld control unit is a cordless handheld control unit.

5. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to control, as a second control process of the one or more control processes, the first controllable element of the medical system by the user using the mobile handheld control unit only when the mobile handheld control unit is located at the predefined location.

6. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to control, as a second control process of the one or more control processes, the second controllable element only when the mobile handheld control unit is located at the predefined location.

7. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the medical system is a medical diagnosis system, a medical treatment system, or a medical diagnosis and treatment system.

8. A medical system comprising:

a diagnosis device, a therapy device, or a diagnosis and therapy device including a first controllable element, and

a control device including a control unit and a mobile handheld control unit, the control unit being configured to carry out a control process that controls the first controllable element of the diagnosis device, the therapy device, or the diagnosis and therapy device, only carried out by the control unit when the mobile handheld control unit is located at a predefined location,

wherein the control device is configured to control, as a first control process of the one or more control processes, a second controllable element of the diagnosis device, the therapy device, or the diagnosis and therapy device only when the mobile handheld control unit is located at the predefined location, the second controllable element not controllable by the mobile handheld control unit,

wherein the medical system is a particle therapy system, and the control unit is configured to output a beam release signal, and

wherein the control unit is configured to output, as a second control process of the one or more control processes, the beam release signal only when the mobile handheld control unit is located at the predefined location.

9. A method for controlling a medical diagnosis system, a medical therapy system, or a medical diagnosis and therapy system, the method comprising:

carrying out one or more control processes to control the medical diagnosis system, the medical therapy system, or the medical diagnosis and therapy system when a mobile handheld control unit is located at a predefined location, and

controlling, with the mobile handheld control unit, a first controllable element of the medical diagnosis system, the medical therapy system, or the medical diagnosis and therapy system,

wherein the one or more control processes includes controlling a second controllable element that cannot be controlled by the mobile handheld control unit,

wherein carrying out the one or more control processes includes carrying out a beam release only when the mobile handheld control unit is located at the predefined location, and

wherein carrying out the beam release includes releasing a particle beam for irradiation.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising monitoring a position of the mobile handheld control unit and determining whether the mobile handheld control unit is located at the predefined location.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein carrying out the one or more control processes when the mobile handheld control unit is located at the predefined location comprises carrying out the one or more control processes when the mobile handheld control unit is located in a holding device for the mobile handheld control unit.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein carrying out the one or more control processes when the mobile handheld control unit is located at the predefined location comprises carrying out the one or more control processes when a cordless handheld control unit is located at the predefined location.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the one or more control processes includes controlling the first controllable element, which is controllable by the user using the mobile handheld control unit.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the second controllable element comprises controlling an accelerator of the medical diagnosis system, the medical therapy system, or the medical diagnosis and therapy system to form a beam, the mobile handheld control unit not being operable to control the accelerator to form the beam, and

wherein carrying out the one or more control processes comprises controlling the accelerator only when the mobile handheld control unit is located at the predefined location.