Operating unit, medical device and method for operating said unit

• US 8,860,677 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2010
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Karl, Harald, Oester, Heiko, Sattler, Stefan, Wolfgang, Matthias, Drre, Helmut, Hartleib, Dominik
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US13/389,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20120188187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-178, 434/262, 434/272, 178 1804- 1807, 178/18.09, 340/407.1
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

An operating unit for a medical device is proposed. The operating unit has at least one display, at least one transparent, touch-sensitive first input field, and at least one transparent, touch-sensitive second input field. The at least one second input field is disposed between the at least one display and the at least one first input field. At least one device provides a haptically perceivable feedback after successful operation of the operating unit.

Claims

1. An operating unit, comprising:

a display;

a first transparent and touch-sensitive input field;

a second transparent and touch-sensitive input field; and

a device that provides a haptically perceivable feedback to an operator only when the first input field and the second input field are simulataneously activated,

wherein the second input field is disposed between the display and the first input field.

2. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first input field and the second input field comprises a resistance-controlled input field, or a capacitance-controlled input field, or a sound-wave controlled input field, or an optically-controlled input field.

3. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first input field and the second input field comprise different types of input fields.

4. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first input field covers a same area as the second input field and is arranged on the second input field.

5. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first input field and the second input field cover a same area as the display and are disposed on the display.

6. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein a front side of the display faces towards an operator, and wherein the first input field and the second input field partly cover the front side of the display.

7. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is connected to a rear side of the display facing away from an operator or a carrier of the display.

8. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a vibration motor.

9. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display, the first input field and the second input field are connected to each other.

10. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the haptically perceivable feedback comprises a vibration, a pulsing, or a shaking of at least an area of the operating unit.

11. A medical device, comprising:

an operating unit comprising;

a display;

a first transparent and touch-sensitive input field;

a second transparent and touch-sensitive input field; and

a device that provides a haptically perceivable feedback to an operator only when the first input field and the second input field are simultaneously activated; and

a positioning device that positions a component of the medical device, to a required position,

wherein the second input field is disposed between the display and the first input field, and

wherein the operating unit is configured to input the required position and correspondingly active the positioning device to position the component to the required position only when the first input field and the second input field are simultaneously activated.

12. The medical device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a processing unit configured to:

receive a first signal generated when the first input field is touched,

receive a second signal generated when the second input field is actuated simultaneously, wherein the second input field is located in a direction of touch behind the first input field,

process the first signal and the second signal only when the first signal and the second signal are presented simultaneously, and

output a control signal after processing the first signal and the second signal for activating the device and the positioning device.

13. A method for performing a safety-relevant action by a medical device, comprising:

touching a first input field of an operating unit of the medical device;

simultaneously actuating a second input field of the operating unit, wherein the second input field is located in a direction of touch behind the first input field;

positioning a component of the medical device a positioning device; and

activating the positioning device to position the component to the required position only when the first input field and the second input field are simultaneously activated.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

generating a first signal when the first input field is touched;

generating a second signal when the second input field is actuated simultaneously;

transferring the first signal and the second signal to a processing unit of the medical device; and

generating a control signal by the processing unit for performing a safety-relevant action only if the first signal and the second signal are presented simultaneously.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein duration of actuation of the operating unit is detected and the first signal and the second signal is accepted by the processing unit only if the duration exceeds a minimum duration.