System and method for wireless detector application in medical systems

• US 9,081,082 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Xinyu, Ye, Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERWIN, RYAN W
• Application Number:
  US13/299,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 340/539.1, 340/0.11, 340/0.12, 340/0.21, 340/0.16, 340/0.14, 455/115.3, 455/513
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4494 Means for identifying the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/563 involving image data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

A system for wireless detector application in a medical system is provided. The system includes at least three host wire adapters configured to receive beacon messages broadcast periodically by a wireless detector, and obtain information about the wireless detector based on the received beacon messages. The system further includes a controller configured to receive information about the wireless detector from the at least three host wire adapters, and determine a position of the wireless detector based on the received information.

Claims

1. A system for applying a wireless detector in a medical system, comprising:

at least three host wire adapters configured to;

receive beacon messages broadcast periodically by the wireless detector; and

obtain information about the wireless detector based on the received beacon messages; and

a controller configured to;

receive information about the wireless detector from said at least three host wire adapters, the information including a respective current signal strength of said at least three host wire adapters;

determine a position of the wireless detector based on the received information;

compare the respective current signal strengths reported by said at least three host wire adapters to obtain a largest signal strength and to set a host wire adapter corresponding to the largest signal strength as an active host wire adapter;

cause the remaining host wire adapters not set as the active host wire adapter to enter a sleep mode; and

determine an updated active host wire adapter when the active host wire adapter has a poor link quality due to positioning within a non-line-of-sight range of the wireless detector.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the beacon messages are ultra-wide band beacons.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the information about the wireless detector includes at least one of angle and time of arrival information.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said controller is configured to perform the following operations when the information about the wireless detector includes time of arrival information:

calculating a time it takes the beacon messages of the wireless detector to arrive at each of said at least three host wire adapters;

converting the times into distances between the wireless detector and each of said at least three host wire adapters; and

determining the position of the wireless detector based on the distances and positions of said at least three host wire adapters.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to perform the following operations when the information about the wireless detector includes signal strength:

estimating distances between the wireless detector and said at least three host wire adapters based on a degradation of the respective current signal strengths; and

determining the position of the wireless detector based on the distances between the wireless detector and said at least three host wire adapters and positions of said at least three host wire adapters.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein a distance between every two of said at least three host wire adapters is smaller than a predetermined distance.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined distance is 5 meters.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein said at least three host wire adapters are positioned at corners of a room where the wireless detector is located, and are 2 to 3 meters from a floor and at least 0.3 meters from a ceiling.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said controller is further configured to set, when there are a plurality of wireless detectors, a wireless detector facing a radiation source as a target detector according to a position and angle of the radiation source and positions of the plurality of wireless detectors.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said controller is further configured to set a first wireless detector along a radiation beam as the target detector when there are more than one wireless detectors facing the radiation source.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one host wire adapter is positioned opposite to an insertion direction of the target detector.

12. A method for applying a wireless detector in a medical system, comprising:

obtaining, utilizing at least three host wire adapters, information about the wireless detector based on beacon messages broadcast periodically by the wireless detector, the information including a respective current signal strength of said at least three host wire adapters;

determining a position of the wireless detector based on the information from the at least three host wire adapters;

comparing the respective current signal strengths reported by the at least three host wire adapters to obtain a largest signal strength and to set a host wire adapter corresponding to the largest signal strength as an active host wire adapter;

causing the remaining host wire adapters not set as the active host wire adapter to enter a sleep mode; and

determine an updated active host wire adapter when the active host wire adapter has a poor link quality due to positioning within a non-line-of-sight range of the wireless detector.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the beacon messages are ultra-wide band beacons.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the information about the wireless detector is at least one of angle and time of arrival information.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein when the information about the wireless detector includes time of arrival information, determining a position of the wireless detector comprises:

calculating a time it takes the beacon messages of the wireless detector to arrive at each of the at least three host wire adapters;

converting the times into distances between the wireless detector and each of the at least three host wire adapters; and

determining the position of the wireless detector based on the distances and positions of the at least three host wire adapters.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein when the information about the wireless detector includes signal strength, determining a position of the wireless detector comprises:

estimating distances between the wireless detector and the at least three host wire adapters based on a degradation of the respective current signal strengths; and

determining the position of the wireless detector based on the distances between the wireless detector and the at least three host wire adapters and positions of the at least three host wire adapters.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

setting, when there are a plurality of wireless detectors, a wireless detector facing a radiation source as a target detector according to a position and angle of the radiation source and positions of the plurality of wireless detectors.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a first wireless detector along a radiation beam is set as the target detector when there are more than one wireless detectors facing the radiation source.