System for controlling medical devices

• US 20040143677A1
• Filed: 06/23/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl Storz Endoscopy-America Incorporated (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Original Assignee: Storz Endoskop Produktions GmbH (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Inventors: Novak, Pavel
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A system for controlling medical devices is disclosed, generally comprising a surgical network, an input device for entering a medical command, a controller for generating medical command data, and a translator for communicating with at least one ancillary device, where the ancillary device is either a device that is not compatible with the surgical network or is a device that generates high-bandwidth data. In some embodiments, the ancillary device is connected via Ethernet for high-bandwidth data transmission or via Bluetooth for wireless control.

Claims

1. A system for controlling ancillary medical devices, comprising:

a surgical network;

an input device, connected to said surgical network, for inputting a medical command;

a controller, connected to said surgical network, for receiving the medical command and generating corresponding medical command data;

a translator, connected to said surgical network, for receiving and translating the medical command data;

at least one ancillary medical device, in communication with said translator, for receiving the translated medical command data and carrying out the corresponding medical command; and

a data stream, generated by at least one of said at least one ancillary medical devices and communicated to said translator, with a higher bandwidth than said surgical network is capable of transmitting.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said input device is connected to said controller.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said translator is in communication with at least one of said at least one ancillary medical devices via an Ethernet connection.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said translator is in communication with at least one of said at least one ancillary medical devices via a wireless connection.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said surgical network includes a self-configuring bus.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said bus is a CAN bus.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said surgical network comprises an Ethernet.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an ancillary network.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an ancillary controller connected to said ancillary network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said ancillary network includes an ancillary input device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said ancillary input device is connected to said ancillary controller.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said translator is in communication with said ancillary controller via an Ethernet connection.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of said at least one ancillary medical devices is in communication with said ancillary controller via a wireless connection.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein said ancillary network includes a self-configuring bus.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein said ancillary network comprises an Ethernet.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said translator includes a lookup table for performing translations.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said data stream is video data, the system further comprising a monitor, which is connected to said surgical network, for reproducing said video data as a video image after said video data has been translated by said translator.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the video image is a live video feed.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said surgical network includes at least one primary medical device, and the video image is a visual representation of at least one of said primary or ancillary medical devices.

22. A system for controlling ancillary medical devices, comprising:

a surgical network;

an input device, connected to said surgical network, for inputting a medical command;

a controller, connected to said surgical network, for receiving the medical command and generating corresponding medical command data;

a translator, connected to said surgical network, for receiving and translating the medical command data;

at least one ancillary medical device not connectable to said surgical network, in communication with said translator, for receiving the translated medical command data and carrying out the corresponding medical command; and

feedback data generated by said at least one ancillary medical device and communicated to said translator.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said input device is connected to said controller.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said translator is in communication with at least one of said at least one ancillary medical device via an Ethernet connection.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein said translator is in communication with at least one of said at least one ancillary medical device via a wireless connection.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein said surgical network includes a self-configuring bus.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said bus is a CAN bus.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein said surgical network comprises an Ethernet.

30. The system of claim 22, further comprising an ancillary network.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising an ancillary controller connected to said ancillary network.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said ancillary network includes an ancillary input device.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said ancillary input device is connected to said ancillary controller.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein said translator is in communication with said ancillary controller via an Ethernet connection.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein at least one of said at least one ancillary medical devices is in communication with said ancillary controller via a wireless connection.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

37. The system of claim 30, wherein said ancillary network includes a self-configuring bus.

38. The system of claim 30, wherein said ancillary network comprises an Ethernet.

39. The system of claim 22, wherein said translator includes a lookup table for performing translations.

40. A system for controlling both primary medical devices, which are part of a surgical network, and ancillary medical devices, comprising:

a surgical network;

an input device, connected to said surgical network, for inputting a medical command;

a controller, connected to said surgical network;

for receiving the medical command and generating corresponding medical command data;

at least one primary medical device, connected to said surgical network, having a first translator for receiving and translating the medical command data;

at least one ancillary medical device, in communication with the first translator, for receiving the translated medical command data and carrying out the corresponding medical command;

a data stream, generated by at least one of said at least one ancillary medical devices, with a higher bandwidth than said surgical network is capable of transmitting; and

a second translator, in communication with said surgical network, for receiving and translating said data stream.

41. A system for controlling both primary medical devices, which are part of a surgical network, and ancillary medical devices, comprising:

a surgical network;

an input device, connected to said surgical network, for inputting a medical command;

a controller, connected to said surgical network, for receiving the medical command and generating corresponding medical command data;

at least one primary medical device, connected to said surgical network, having a first translator for receiving and translating the medical command data;

at least one ancillary medical device not connectable to said surgical network, connected to said first translator, for receiving the translated medical command data and carrying out the corresponding medical command;

feedback data generated by said at least one ancillary medical device; and

a second translator, in communication with said surgical network, for receiving and translating said feedback data.

42. A system for controlling medical devices, comprising:

a surgical network;

an input device, connected to said surgical network, for inputting a medical command;

a controller, connected to said surgical network, for receiving the medical command and generating corresponding medical command data;

an ancillary network;

a medical device connected to said surgical network, said device having

a first interface, by which said medical device is connected to said surgical network, and

a second interface, by which said medical device is in communication with said ancillary network; and

a data stream, generated by said medical device and communicated to said ancillary network, with a higher bandwidth than said surgical network is capable of transmitting.

43. A method for controlling ancillary medical devices, the method comprising:

providing a surgical network;

entering a medical command into the surgical network;

generating corresponding medical command data;

translating the medical command data;

communicating the translated medical command data to an ancillary medical device;

executing the corresponding medical command with the ancillary medical device;

generating a data stream, having a higher bandwidth than the surgical network is capable of transmitting, with the ancillary medical device;

translating the data stream; and

communicating the translated data stream to the surgical network.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the medical command is entered with an input device that is connected to a controller that generates the corresponding medical command data.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the medical command data is communicated to, and the data stream is communicated from, the ancillary medical device via an Ethernet connection.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the medical command data is communicated to, and the data stream is communicated from, the ancillary medical device via a wireless connection.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the surgical network includes a self-configuring bus.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the bus is a CAN bus.

50. The method of claim 43, wherein the surgical network comprises an Ethernet.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein the ancillary medical device is part of an ancillary network.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein an ancillary controller is connected to the ancillary network.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein an ancillary input device is connected to the ancillary network.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the ancillary input device is connected to the ancillary controller.

55. The method of claim 52, wherein the translator communicates with the ancillary controller via an Ethernet connection.

56. The method of claim 52, wherein the translator communicates with the ancillary controller via a wireless connection.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

58. The method of claim 51, wherein the ancillary network includes a self-configuring bus.

59. The method of claim 51, wherein the ancillary network comprises an Ethernet.

60. The method of claim 43, wherein the medical command data and the data stream are each translated by a lookup table.

61. The method of claim 43, wherein the data stream is video data, further comprising the step of reproducing the video data as a video image.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the step of reproducing the video data as a video image includes reproducing a live video feed.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein the step of reproducing the video data as a video image includes reproducing a visual representation of the ancillary medical device or another medical device.

64. A method for controlling ancillary medical devices, the method comprising:

providing a surgical network;

entering a medical command into the surgical network;

generating corresponding medical command data;

translating the medical command data;

communicating the translated medical command data to an ancillary medical device that is not connectable to the surgical network;

executing the corresponding medical command with the ancillary medical device;

generating feedback data with the ancillary medical device;

translating the feedback data; and

communicating the translated feedback data to the surgical network.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the medical command is entered with an input device that is connected to a controller that generates the corresponding medical command data.

66. The method of claim 64, wherein the medical command data is communicated to, and the feedback data is communicated from, the ancillary medical device via an Ethernet connection.

67. The method of claim 64, wherein the medical command data is communicated to, and the feedback data is communicated from, the ancillary medical device via a wireless connection.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein the wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

69. The method of claim 64, wherein the surgical network includes a self-configuring bus.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein the bus is a CAN bus.

71. The method of claim 64, wherein the surgical network comprises an Ethernet.

72. The method of claim 64, wherein the ancillary medical device is part of an ancillary network.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein an ancillary controller is connected to the ancillary network.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein an ancillary input device is connected to the ancillary network.

75. The method of claim 74, wherein the ancillary input device is connected to the ancillary controller.

76. The method of claim 73, wherein the translator communicates with the ancillary controller via an Ethernet connection.

77. The method of claim 73, wherein the translator communicates with the ancillary controller via a wireless connection.

78. The method of claim 77, wherein the wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

79. The method of claim 72, wherein the ancillary network includes a self-configuring bus.

80. The method of claim 72, wherein the ancillary network comprises an Ethernet.

81. The method of claim 64, wherein the medical command data and the feedback data are each translated by a lookup table.

82. A method for controlling medical devices, the method comprising:

providing a surgical network;

providing an ancillary network;

providing a medical device having a first interface and a second interface;

entering a medical command into the surgical network;

generating corresponding medical command data;

communicating the medical command to the medical device via the first interface;

executing the medical command with the medical device;

generating a data stream, having a higher bandwidth than said surgical network is capable of transmitting, with the medical device; and

communicating the data stream to the ancillary network via the second interface.