Wireless transmission for a medical device

• US 8,405,490 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2006
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kagermeier, Robert, Sierk, Dietmar, Staab, Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): MA, KAM WAN
• Application Number:
  US11/995,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20090224935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,456 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/13.24
• US Class Current: 340/13.24
• 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 6/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/586 Detection of faults or malfunction of the device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A system for wireless operation includes a receiver and a mobile remote control unit having an acceleration sensor and a control unit. The mobile remote control unit is operable to wirelessly transmit control signals to the receiver. The control unit is operable to receive and evaluate measurement signals of the acceleration sensor, determine a connection quality between the mobile remote control unit and the receiver, and block the transmission of at least some of the control signals when a decision criterion determined by the measurement signals of the acceleration sensor and the connection quality is exceeded.

Claims

1. A system for wireless operation comprising:

a receiver; and

a mobile remote control unit having an acceleration sensor and a control unit, the mobile remote control unit operable to wirelessly transmit control signals to the receiver,

wherein the control unit is configured to;

receive and evaluate measurement signals of the acceleration sensor;

determine a connection quality between the mobile remote control unit and the receiver;

block the transmission of at least some of the control signals when a decision criterion determined by the measurement signals of the acceleration sensor and the connection quality is exceeded;

determine, from the measurement signals of the acceleration sensor, a relative translocation of the mobile remote control unit;

correlate the relative translocation with a change in the connection quality; and

use the correlation as the decision criterion so that the transmission of at least some of the control signals is only blocked when a reduction in the connection quality is detected in conjunction with the determined relative translocation exceeding a permitted movement.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is operable to determine a current actual position of the mobile remote control unit with respect to a reference position from the measurement signals of the acceleration sensor, the decision criterion being determined based on the current actual position and the connection quality.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control unit is operable to determine a distance between the current actual position and the reference position, the decision criterion being determined based on the distance and the connection quality.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile remote control unit includes an electronic compass.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a memory that is operable to store the current actual position.

6. The system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a reset element operable to reset current coordinates of the current actual position.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is operable to block the transmission of at least selected control signals of the control signals when a predetermined connection value for the connection quality is exceeded.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a release element operable to manually release the blockage.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is operable to emit a first acoustic warning signal when the transmission is blocked, and the mobile remote control unit is actuated to trigger specific control signals of the control signals.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control unit is operable to emit a second warning signal when a critical distance is detected from the mobile remote control unit to the receiver.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control unit is operable to transmit a third warning signal when the connection between the mobile remote control unit and the receiver is interrupted.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a teaching function, with the aid of which a permitted movement space is determinable for the mobile remote control unit.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein detected acceleration values that exceed a predetermined limit value are registered for a subsequent diagnosis.

14. A method for wirelessly transmitting control signals to a receiver using a mobile remote control unit, the method comprising:

determining a translocation of the mobile remote control unit with respect to a reference position using a measurement signal of an acceleration sensor;

determining a connection quality between the mobile remote control unit and the receiver;

determining a decision criterion on the basis of the measurement signal of the acceleration sensor and the connection quality; and

blocking the wireless transmission of the control signals when the decision criterion is exceeded,

wherein determining the decision criterion includes;

correlating a change of the connection quality with the determined translocation; and

using the correlation as the decision criterion so that the wireless transmission of the control signals is only blocked when a reduction in the connection quality is detected in conjunction with the determined translocation exceeding a permitted movement.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising determining a current actual position of the mobile remote control unit with respect to the reference position on the basis of the detected translocation,

wherein the decision criterion is determined on the basis of the current actual position and the connection quality.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising determining a distance between the current actual position and the reference position,

wherein the decision criterion is determined on the basis of the distance and the connection quality.