Abstract:
A method for the enabling or blocking of an operating mode in a medical diagnostic device enables the operating mode of the diagnostic device only after successful verification of the consumable material required for the operational mode. The consumable material is identified by a machine-readable identification tag, which is read off by a reading device.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to the German application No. 10 2004 014 712.4, filed Mar. 25, 2004 which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.  
       FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a method for the enabling or blocking of an operating mode in a medical diagnostic device, in particular to image-generating diagnostics.  
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0003]     Such a method is known from DE 102 20 348 A1. Whenever a user wishes to use a piece of medical equipment, a check is made as to whether the user is authorized to use said equipment and whether the costs incurred are to be paid before the use thereof. Use is automatically enabled if authorization still exists, and if no costs are outstanding. Alternatively, use is automatically blocked if authorization no longer exists, or if costs are still outstanding.  
         [0004]     DE 101 55 092 A1 discloses a method for enabling an operational part of a computer software product and of installations pertaining thereto. As soon as a user wishes to use the operational part of the computer software product, a processor causes a transmitter to transmit a launch signal. It is only when a transponder receives this launch signal and thereupon transmits back an enabling code that the operational part of the computer software product is run.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0005]     In medical diagnostic devices, in particular for image-generating diagnostics, consumable materials are frequently used. These may be, for example, sedatives or contrast media. In particular, when using contrast media in image-generating diagnostics, for example in computer tomography scanners or magnetic resonance tomography scanners, correct use is necessary. Likewise the possibility should be excluded of a contrast medium or consumable material that is incompatible with the respective selected operating mode of the diagnostic device being used.  
         [0006]     An object of the present invention is to provide a method by means of which the use in medical diagnostic devices of consumable materials that are not suitable for the respective operating mode is prevented.  
         [0007]     The above object is achieved by the claims. The consumable materials required for an operating mode are provided with a machine-readable identification tag and are detected by a reading device. Then an enabling system connected to the reading device verifies that the consumable materials required have been detected correctly by interrogating a database connected thereto which stores corresponding information relating to the respective operating mode. It is only after successful verification of the consumable material that the enabling system releases the operating mode of the diagnostic device. If, for example, a user inadvertently attempts to use an incorrect contrast medium for an examination, this is detected by the enabling system and the respective operating mode is blocked. Unnecessary repeat examinations are thus avoided, which is an advantage in particular where there may be side effects of using consumable materials or of the examination itself, for example in computer tomography scanning.  
         [0008]     In an advantageously designed method, each time the identity tag is read off, the reading device decreases a value on a counter located in the identification tag by a given value. Here the counter contains the possible number of applications for the respective pack of consumable material. The enabling system releases the operating mode of the diagnostic device only when the decrease on the counter has been successfully verified. As soon as the counter reaches a given value, the operating mode of the diagnostic device is blocked by the enabling system when the identification tag is read off by the reading device. This prevents, for example, a used bottle of contrast medium being filled with a contrast medium that does not correspond with the operating mode and being incorrectly used.  
         [0009]     In an advantageously designed method, the enabling system releases the operating mode of the diagnostic device only after successful verification by the reading device of a particular manufacturer of the required consumable material. This has the advantage, in particular when using contrast media in image-generating diagnostics, that the same contrast medium from a particular manufacturer is always used and that no generic products of a different quality or composition come into use, in which case the parameters of the examination would have to be modified.  
         [0010]     In an advantageously designed method, the use of the consumable material is transmitted by the enabling system to a storage device that is connected to the diagnostic device, such that the use can be stored in a patient-related manner. This has the advantage that the costs of medical diagnostic examination can be calculated in a patient-related manner. There is the additional advantage that the use of the consumable material is documented in a patient-related manner, which is particularly desirable where the consumable material has side effects.  
         [0011]     In a further advantageously designed method, the database likewise stores advice on the use of the respective operating mode and in particular on the consumable material used. After the consumable material has been read in by the reading device, information on the use of the consumable material in the respective operating mode of the diagnostic device is requested from the database by the enabling system and displayed on a display medium together with advice relating to the use of the respective mode of operation. This minimizes the risk of incorrect operation by the user.  
         [0012]     One embodiment of the method is advantageous in that a contactlessly readable transponder is read off by the reading device, as a result of which handling is facilitated. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     Further advantages and details will become apparent from the description that follows of an embodiment, in conjunction with the drawings. The drawings show:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1 : a diagram of the diagnostic device and  
         [0015]      FIG. 2 : a flowchart showing the main process steps. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION  
       [0016]     The diagnostic device shown in diagram form in  FIG. 1  comprises a diagnostic module  101 , which is connected to an enabling system  102 . The test control unit  103  is used to select an operating mode for the diagnostic device. A database  104  stores information relating to the respective mode of operation, which information is interrogated by the enabling system  102 . In particular, information relating to the consumable material required for the respective operating mode is interrogated and displayed on a display medium  105 . A reading device  106  that is connected to said enabling system comprises a transmitter and receiver unit  107 , which establishes a wireless communication  108  with a transponder  109 . The transponder  109  is affixed to a pack of consumable material, which here takes the form of a bottle of contrast medium  110 . In addition to an operating unit  111  and a transmitter and receiver unit  112 , the transponder  109  also contains a memory in the form of an EEPROM  113 . Said EEPROM  113  is both readable and writable by the operating unit  111 . Writing procedures, that is, changes to the EEPROM  113  are irreversible. The EEPROM  113  functions as a counter that stores the number of possible uses of the bottle of contrast medium  110 . In each read-off procedure, the operating unit  111  transmits the value stored in the EEPROM  113  to the reading device  106  and decreases the value stored in the EEPROM by “one”. A successful or unsuccessful decrease is likewise transmitted to the reading device  106 . The EEPROM  113  additionally contains information on the brand and “best before” date of the contrast medium. The above data are likewise transmitted to the reading device  106 . All the data transmitted by the transponder to the reading device  106  are further transmitted to the enabling system  102 , which decides from data whether it will enable or block the operating mode of the diagnostic device. If, for example, the “best before” date on the contrast medium has been exceeded, the operating mode of the diagnostic device is blocked. Likewise from a given value of the EEPROM  113 , preferably the value “zero”, the operating mode of the diagnostic device is blocked by the enabling system  102  and thus the bottle of contrast medium  110  cannot be used. As a result thereof, use of a bottle of contrast medium  110  filled with a potentially inferior generic product is prevented, for example. After successful verification by the reading device  106 , the enabling system  102  transmits the use of the consumable material to a connected memory unit  114 , wherein corresponding data are stored in a patient-related manner.  
         [0017]     According to the method shown in  FIG. 2 , the operating mode of the diagnostic device is selected in step  1 . Then in step  2  information from the database relating to the operating mode is interrogated and stored in the enabling system. Said information contains in particular the consumable material that is required for the respective mode of operation. In step  3  the user is prompted to determine, by means of the reading device, the consumable material that is required for the mode of operation. In step  4  a check is made as to whether the consumable material has been determined. If this is not the case, the user is again prompted to do so in step  3 . If the consumable material is detected, then a check is made in step  5  as to whether the correct consumable material has been detected. If this is not the case, in step  6 , the operating mode is blocked and the user is again prompted in step  1  to select a mode of operation. In three subsequent steps  7 ,  8  and  9 , the manufacturer of the consumable material, the number of applications that can be carried out with the respective pack and the “best before” date are checked. If one of the checks  7 ,  8  or  9  is unsuccessful, in step  6  the operating mode is blocked and the user is again prompted in step  1  to select an operating mode. Where there is a positive outcome for selection steps  7 ,  8  and  9 , in the subsequent step  10  the number on the consumable material counter in the transponder is decreased by the value “one”. In step  11  the transponder subsequently provides notification as to whether the decrease in the number on the counter has been successfully achieved. In step  12 , the enabling system checks from the data transmitted by the transponder whether the decrease in the number on the counter was successful. If this is not the case, the operating mode is blocked in step  6  and the user is again prompted in step  1  to select an operating mode. In the case of a correct decrease in the number on the counter, in step  13  the advice relating to the use of the consumable material and operational mode that has been interrogated in the database is displayed on the display medium. The operating mode is then enabled in step  14  and the use of the consumable material is stored in step  15  at the same time as the patient-related documentation.