Abstract:
An ergonomic radiology work station has front and back tables or work platforms that can be raised or lowered electrically to adjust for optimum posture and comfort of the user. Video monitors on the rear platform displays medical images. Interface equipment, e.g., keyboard and mouse, are situated on the front work platform. A pull-out sanitizer hood irradiates the keyboard and other interface devices with ultraviolet radiation after a radiology work session. An interlock arrangement ensures that the work platforms cannot be moved up or down when the hood is pulled out, and ensures that UV lamps in the hood are disabled when the hood is pushed back in to its home or withdrawn position. The hood with slide(s) and interlock(s) may be provided as a kit to retrofit an existing work station.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates workstations for daily use by radiology professionals in the interpretation of digital radiological images. The invention is also directed to workstations which provide adjustable support for the platform for the video monitors on which the images are presented, and also provide adjustable support for the keyboard, mouse, trackball, or other manipulated human-computer interface control features that are used by the radiologist for calling up and scanning the images. The invention is more particularly concerned with ergonomic radiology workstations of this type which include a feature for sanitizing the keyboard and/or other interface devices between work sessions. 
     As a general matter, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for radiology workstations. Users need to be able to adjust the position of the monitors and of the keyboard (and other interface devices) for the work session, to achieve optimal posture and to avoid fatigue. To achieve optical ergonomics, the conditions of the radiology reading room, ambient lighting, and ergonomic set-up of the keyboard, monitors and seating, must all be taken into account for each user. The height of the monitors relative to the user can be adjusted to reduce the requirement for head and body movement in reading the radiological images, and the height of the table or platform of the monitor should be adjusted relative to the user&#39;s seating to optimize comfort and reduce arm and upper body fatigue. For these reasons, a number of workstations have been proposed with a rear platform on which the video monitor or monitors are positioned, and a front platform on which the keyboard and mouse or trackball are positioned. Electric gearmotors or similar devices are installed for adjusting the height of the front and rear platforms for the user&#39;s comfort and to reduce fatigue factors. The workstation has a base that rests on the floor, and a pedestal or pedestals, which include a height adjustment feature, on which the front and rear work platforms are supported. In some work stations, there can be separate independent vertical supports for the front work platform and the rear work platform. In other work stations, the there can be a main vertical support pedestal for the rear table or platform, and an arm or arms that support the front work platform from the main pedestal, and allow for controlled motorized height adjustment of the front work table or platform. 
     These workstations are frequently used by a number of different radiology professionals during the day, with each having his or her own height requirement for both the monitor platform and the keyboard platform. The workstations have up/down controls for both the rear and front platforms, so that these height adjustments can be made easily for each radiologist at the commencement of the work session. In some work stations, the settings can be stored or programmed, and then the necessary adjustments made automatically for each individual radiology professional. 
     Because each radiology work station is used by a number of different people, there is a need to disinfect or sanitize the parts of the work station that are touched by the hands, namely, the human-machine interface devices such as the keyboard and mouse. It would be desirable to carry out some sort of sanitization at the end of each radiology work session, but to date no simple provision has been included in any radiology work station that could effectively sanitize the keyboard and mouse or trackball. 
     A separate, stand-alone keyboard and mouse sterilizing device has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,122, for a general-use computer work station. A UV sterilization feature is provided to radiate a keyboard and mouse. The keyboard and mouse are mounted on a sliding platform, and an ultraviolet lamp is turned on when the platform is slid into an enclosure. The device is practical only with a non-adjustable workstation, and would be difficult to incorporate into an ergonomic work station of the type to which the present invention is directed. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ergonomic radiology work station arrangement that avoids the drawbacks of the prior art, and permits safe and effective keyboard sterilization after the completion of a work session. 
     It is another object to provide a radiology work station with a keyboard sterilization feature that can be used when needed and will not interfere with the normal adjustment of the height of front or rear portions of the work station. 
     It is still another object to provide a keyboard sterilization feature for a radiology work station, in which a sterilizer hood can be pulled out for use and remain in a withdrawn position during a normal radiology work session. 
     In accordance with an aspect of this invention, an ergonomic filmless radiology work station is provided for a radiologist to study medical images that have been captured in digital form and displayed on one or more monitors. The work station is formed of a base adapted to rest upon the floor of the work room or work center. At least one pedestal or pedestal arrangement extends vertically upward from base, and supports an front work platform or table top, and a rear work platform or table top. The front work platform is adjustably supported from the pedestal arrangement so it can be adjusted up or down to suit the radiologist or other user. The front work platform has a central area on its upper surface thereof adapted for placement of one or more interface control devices to be manipulated by the radiologist, namely, a keyboard and a mouse or trackball device. The rear work platform is situated rearward or distally of the front work platform and is elevated in respect to the front work platform. The rear work platform is adjustably supported from the pedestal arrangement, with rear work platform being adapted to support one or more video monitors which display the medical images to be studied by the radiologist. A motorized height adjustment mechanism is operatively coupled with the front work platform and the rear work platform to allow the radiologist to control and position the two work platforms respectively at desired heights above the base. A control panel, i.e., up and down switches, are provided for the radiologist and are coupled to motorized height adjustment mechanism. These can be actuated by the radiologist, so that the motorized height adjustment mechanism moves each of the front and rear work platforms upward and downward to the correct height for optimal comfort and efficiency. 
     A keyboard sanitizer device is in the form of a hood mounted at an underside of the rear work platform. A drawer slide or slides mounted on the rear work platform support an upper support plate, which is thus adapted to be pulled forward to an extended position and pushed in to a retracted position beneath the rear work platform. At least one UV generator lamp, e.g., a pair of UV fluorescent tubes, is positioned on said upper support plate; and a shield or curtain extends circumferentially about the support plate and depends downward from it. This curtain contains the UV radiation so that it illuminates the keyboard and mouse, but restrains stray radiation. When the keyboard sanitizer device is pulled out it is positioned over the central area, and the one UV lamp is energized, the device irradiates the central area with sanitizing UV radiation. 
     An electrical interlock mechanism is operatively coupled to the keyboard sanitizer device and to said motorized height adjustment mechanism. When the keyboard sanitizer device is pulled out to its extended position, the interlock mechanism disables the motorized height adjustment mechanism so that the height of the front and rear work platforms cannot be changed while the hood is pulled out. When the hood or keyboard sanitizer device is pushed in to its retracted or home position, the interlock mechanism disables the keyboard sanitizer device so that the UV generator lamp or lamps are prevented from generating UV radiation. 
     The work station may be of the type in which the pedestal includes left and right support posts supporting the rear work platform and left and right support posts supporting the front work platform, with the motorized height adjustment mechanism having motor drives associated each of the support posts. Of course, other arrangements are possible for adjusting the vertical positions of the front and rear work platforms relative to one another, and relative to the base. 
     The curtain that surrounds the keyboard sanitizer device can be formed with rigid shades disposed at least on front, left and right sides, or may incorporate a fabric curtain disposed at least on a front side of said upper support platform of the hood. The curtain may be composed of both rigid slats or shades and also fabric portions. The curtain can preferably be in the form of fabric drapes opaque to UV wavelengths. 
     The UV generator lamp can includes a UV fluorescent tube, or a pair of such tube. Preferably, the pair of UV fluorescent tubes are twenty-one to twenty-seven inch tubes and are disposed transversely on said upper support platform. UV-emitting LEDs may be employed for this purpose. 
     In one favorable embodiment, the electrical interlock mechanism can include a presence switch disposed at the back or distal side of the keyboard sanitizer hood. This can be a mechanical, magnetic, or optical presence switch. The presence switch provides an indication of one sense (e.g., on or closed) when the hood is disposed in its retracted position, and then provide an indication of an opposite sense (e.g., off or open) when the hood is pulled out to its extended position. 
     In other possible embodiments, the interlock mechanism may be associated with a mechanical latch that is operator actuated for pulling out the hood. Also, in some embodiments, the interlock may be software-implemented. 
     An auxiliary device may be used for sanitizing the monitors, where a touch screen video monitor is employed. 
     The above and many other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of a selected preferred embodiment, which is to be considered in connection with the accompanying Drawing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an ergonomic radiology work station incorporating a keyboard sanitizing hood device according to one preferred embodiment of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of this embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a lower view of the sanitizer hood of this embodiment 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to the Drawing, and initially to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an ergonomic radiology work table or work station  10  has a front or proximal work table top or platform  12  and a rear or distal work table top or platform  14 , each of which can be adjustably positioned vertically for optimal posture and comfort for the user, i.e., for the radiologist viewing and studying medical images. The support structure for the front and rear platforms includes a base  16  that rests on the floor of the radiology study room, with motorized pedestals or support posts  18  for the left and right sides of the front platform  12  and motorized pedestals or support posts  20  for the left and right sides of the rear work platform  14 . In this embodiment, for each of the motorized pedestals  18 ,  20  there is a lower portion containing a gear motor or similar device, and an upper post portion that slides in the lower portion and on which the respective support platform is mounted. Of course, many other arrangements of adjustable-height work stations are available. 
     Also shown in this embodiment are a control panel  22  mounted on the front of the work platform  12 , at the underside near the front edge. This panel  22  has four push-button switches to permit the user to raise and lower the front and rear work platforms  12 ,  14 , respectively. These are connected by cables (not shown) to an electrical control box  24  shown here as positioned at the rear of one of the support pedestals  20 . 
     From one to four video monitors may be supported on the rear work platform  14 , and in this illustrated embodiment there are two flat panel monitors  26 . These are coupled to a work station computer  28  which is here shown as supported on a portion of the base  16  at one end of the work station  10 . The computer  28  supplies digital, i.e., filmless, medical images to the monitors  26  where they are presented to the radiologist as video images. 
     An operator&#39;s keyboard  30 , as well as a computer mouse  32  or other human-computer interface device, are positioned in a central area  34  (shown in dash lines) of the upper surface of the front work table top or platform  12 . A chair  36  is shown here in broken or ghost lines to indicate the position of the radiologist when seated at the front or proximal side of the work station  10 . 
     An ultraviolet keyboard sanitizing hood device  40  is shown here, in the form of a slide-out hood or downward-facing compartment, which is positioned beneath the under surface of the rear table top  14 , centered near the front edge thereof. 
     The hood or device  40  has a slide or pair of slides, formed of sliding parts  42  that are mounted onto the sides of an upper support plate  44 , and fixed parts  43  that are supported on vertical members  114 . These members  114  are mounted onto the underside of the table top  14 , near the front or proximal edge. The members  114  are positioned at left and right sides of the hood  40 . The upper support plate  44  is mounted on the slide or slides  42   43 , so that the support plate can be pulled forward out from under the table top  14  and pushed back to a home position under the table top. There are one or more UV generating lamp devices, e.g., a pair of UV fluorescent tubes  46  mounted on the lower side of the support plate  44  to generate sanitizing UV radiation. Favorably these can be 21-inch to 27-inch tubes, e.g., 24-inch UV tubes, so as to span approximately the width of the central (keyboard) area  34  so as to span the keyboard and mouse. In some cases, a grid of shorter tubes, e.g., 18-inch tubes, can be used to provide adequate UV coverage over the keyboard and mouse. 
     A curtain or curtains  48  are positioned peripherally on the support plate  44  and hang from the edges of the support plate. These may be in the form of rigid slats (i.e., sheet metal) or fabric drapes, or may be constructed partly of each, such as rigid slats above and the bottom portion being an opaque drape. The object of the curtain is to contain the UV radiation so that it irradiates the keyboard  30  and mouse  32  within the central area  34 , but prevents stray UV light from radiating elsewhere in the radiology room. 
     The hood  40  is of the same dimension and profile of the central area  34 , so that when the hood  40  is pulled out, the hood is positioned over that area  34  and bathes the keyboard  30  and mouse device  32  with sterilizing radiation. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the hood is normally positioned in a retracted home or distal position beneath the rear table top  14 , but can be pulled out to a proximal, extended position over the central area  34  of the front table top  12 , so that the keyboard and mouse can be irradiated and sterilized after a radiology work session. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , an interlock mechanism is provided so that the hood  40  can be turned on to generate UV radiation only when it has been pulled out away from its home position, and so that when the hood has been pulled out, the motorized pedestal mechanisms are disabled and cannot change the vertical position of either the front table top  12  or the rear table top  14 . 
     A hood position sensor  50 , shown schematically in  FIG. 2 , is coupled to a lamp enable/disable circuit  52  so that the lamps or UV tubes  46  can be energized only when the hood  40  is pulled out to the extended position over the keyboard and mouse area  34 . The position sensor  50  is also coupled to a table enable/disable circuit  54 , which ensures that the motorized pedestals  18 ,  20  can only be energized when the hood  40  is fully pushed in to its retracted or home position. 
     Some detail of the UV keyboard sterilizer hood  40  is shown in  FIG. 3 , where the hood  40  is viewed from underneath. Here are shown the slides  42  which are attached to the under side of the rear table top  14 . There are rollers (which roll within the slides  42 ) mounted on the upper side of the upper support plate  44 , and those rollers are obscured in this view. There are a pair of twenty-four inch UV fluorescent tubes  46  mounted transversely on the under side of the support plate  44 , and the drape or curtain  48  is shown along the periphery of the support plate  44 . 
     A proximity switch  50   a , which is a component of the hood position sensor  50 , is shown here mounted at a distal or back edge of the hood  40 , and there is a coiled electrical cable  56  at the back edge of the hood, to connect with other components of the work station. Some components, such as the UV ballast, would be understood to be present, and are not specifically illustrated here. In simplest form, the switch  50   a  may be a single, momentary-contact switch to turn the gear motors off and turn the UV lamp(s) on when the hood  40  is pulled forward. 
     The proximity switch  50   a  may be optical, magnetic, mechanical proximity sensor. The circuit for energizing the UV lamp(s)  46  may incorporate a timer or time delay, e.g., so that there is a delay of a few minutes after the radiology work station before the sanitizing radiation is emitter and/or so that the emission of radiation is terminated after some predetermined time, e.g., fifteen minutes. Also, an audible sounder may be incorporated to alert the user that the UV sanitizing procedure is about to begin, or to indicate that the procedure has been completed. 
     In some preferred embodiments, the computer  28  may keep track of the times and completions of the sanitization procedures. 
     In this embodiment, the slide  42  is adapted for one-dimensional motion only, i.e., the hood can only be pulled out and pushed back, and remains at the same level in its retracted and extended positions. However, in other possible embodiments, it may be possible to lower the hood when in the extended position, so that the drapes or curtains  48  contact the upper surface of the front table top  12 . 
     The hood  40  may be provided as a separate, add-on assembly to convert or retrofit an existing radiology work station. In that case, the sanitizing hood  40  with slides and the required sensors and switches can be included in a kit, and may be installed in the field. 
     While the invention has been described hereinabove with reference to a selected preferred embodiment, it should be recognized that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment. Rather, many modification and variations would present themselves to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.