Technical device and associated remote control

• US 7,256,705 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kagermeier, Robert, Staab, Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III; Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/799,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20050017871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.72, 340/825.69, 341/176, 398/106, 320/114, 320/115, 562/4
• US Class Current: 340/12.55
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/04 Positioning of patients; Tiltable beds or the like operating tables A61G13/00; operating chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/02 Adjustable operating tables; Controls therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling

Abstract

A technical device and an associated remote control is provided. The remote control includes a support and a contact. The technical device includes a support rail and a contact rail. The support, the contact, the support rail and the contact rail are adapted to one another and fashioned such that an optical and/or electrical effective connection is automatically produced between the contact and the contact rail via attachment of the remote control to the support rail.

Claims

1. A remote control, comprising:

a support and a contact of the remote control;

a support rail and a contact rail of a technical device, said support and said contact being fashioned such that at least one of an optical and electrical effective connection is automatically produced between said contact and said contact rail via attachment of said remote control to said support rail, said support rail and said contact rail being elongated to permit said remote control to be positioned at a plurality of arbitrary positions along said support rail while providing said at least one of optical and electrical effective connection between said contact rail and said remote control to provide power to said remote control at said plurality of arbitrary positions.

2. A remote control according to claim 1, wherein the effective connection is an electrically conductive contact to carry power from said contact rail to said remote control.

3. A remote control according to claim 1, wherein the effective connection is an inductive connection to carry power from said contact rail to said remote control.

4. A remote control according to claim 1, wherein the effective connection is an optical connection.

5. A remote control according to claim 1, wherein the remote control is supplied with an electrical voltage via the effective connection.

6. A remote control according to claim 5, further comprising:

a charging module connected with said contact; and

an accumulator module connected with said charging module.

15. A remote control according to claim 1, wherein the support is formed via a semicircular depression that is open at a bottom of the support and can engage part way around the support rail.

16. A remote control according to claim 1, wherein the remote control comprises operating elements that can be used by a user to operate said technical device when said remote control is attached to said support rail and said contact rail.

17. A remote control according to claim 1, wherein said contact is comprised of contact elements that are shaped to slide into effective contact said contact rail upon attachment of the remote control.

18. A remote control according to claim 1, wherein said contact rail is arranged on an underside of said technical device, and said contact is arranged on said remote control so as to extend to said underside of said technical device so as to move into contact with said contact rail when said support is positioned on said support rail.

19. A remote control according to claim 18, wherein said support is disposed relative to said contact so that when said support is engaged on said support rail, said remote is able to rotate to move said contact into engagement with said contact rail from below.

20. A remote control according to claim 1, wherein said technical device is a patient positioning table, and said support rail and said contact rail being separate and spaced from one another, said support rail and said contact rail extending along a greater part of a length of said patient positioning table.

21. A remote control according to claim 1, wherein said support rail is adapted to allow an attachment of the remote control at an arbitrary position along an entire length of the support rail.

22. A remote control according to claim 1, wherein said contact rail is adapted to allow a contact of the remote control at an arbitrary position along an entire length of the contact rail.

31. A remote control as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support rail and said contact rail are separate and spaced apart from one another.

34. A remote control as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support rail is at least one of:

a ridge, a groove, a depression, a recess, and a permanent magnet rail.

35. A remote control as claimed in claim 20, wherein said support rail and said contact rail extend over an entire length of said patient positioning table.

7. A technical device and a remote control, comprising:

a support rail and a contact rail of a technical device, said support rail and said contact rail being elongated and extending along a substantial portion of said technical device;

a support and a contact of said remote control adapted to connect to said support rail and said contact rail, said support being shaped to automatically position said contact of said remote control in effective connection with said contact rail when said remote control is supported on said support rail by said support;

said support rail and said contact rail being fashioned such that at least one of an optical and electrical effective connection is automatically produced between said contact and said contact rail via attachment of said remote control to said support rail; and

said remote control being mountable at a plurality of arbitrary locations along said support rail and said contact rail, said remote control being operable to control said technical device when at said arbitrary locations.

8. A technical device according to claim 7, wherein the effective connection is an electrically conductive contact to carry power from said contact rail to said remote control.

9. A technical device according to claim 7, wherein the effective connection is an inductive connection to carry power from said contact rail to said remote control.

10. A technical device according to claim 7, wherein the effective connection is an optical connection.

11. A technical device according to claim 7, wherein an electrical supply voltage is made available via the effective connection to charge a power storage in said remote.

12. A technical device according to claim 11, wherein the contact rail is connected with a low-voltage supply.

13. A technical device according to claim 7, wherein said technical device is a medical-technical device.

14. A technical device according to claim 13, wherein said medical or technical device is a patient positioning table, said support rail and said contact rail extending over a greater part of length of said patient positioning table.

23. A technical device and remote control according to claim 7, wherein the support is formed via a semicircular depression that is open at a bottom of the support and can engage part way around the support rail.

24. A technical device and remote control according to claim 7, wherein the remote control comprises operating elements that can be used by a user to control said technical device when said remote control is attached to said support rail and said contact rail.

25. A technical device and remote control according to claim 7, wherein said contact is comprised of contact elements that are shaped to slide into slots in said contact rail upon attachment of the remote control.

26. A technical device and remote control according to claim 7, wherein said contact rail is arranged on an underside of the technical device.

27. A technical device and remote control according to claim 7, wherein said contact is moved on said contact rail from below.

28. A technical device and remote control according to claim 7, wherein the technical device is a patient positioning table and said contact rail and said support rail extent along a substantial length of said patient positioning table.

29. A technical device and remote control according to claim 7, wherein said support rail is adapted to allow an attachment of the remote control at an arbitrary position along an entire length of the support rail.

30. A technical device and remote control according to claim 7, wherein said contact rail is adapted to allow a contact of the remote control at an arbitrary position along an entire length of the contact rail.

32. A technical device and a remote control as claimed in claim 7, wherein said support is substantially hook shaped, and said contact and said contact rail are disposed relative to said support such as to permit force of gravity to be brought into effective contact between said contact and said contact rail.

33. A technical device and a remote control as claimed in claim 32, wherein said support is shaped to permit rotation of said remote into position with effective contact between said contact and said contact rail.