Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20030093503A1/en
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 16:28:19
Document Index: 567971489

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 2001', 'Application No. 2001', 'Application No. 2001', 'Application No. 2001', 'Application No. 2002', 'Application No. 2002', 'Application No. 2002', 'Application No. 2002', 'Application No. 2002', 'Application No. 2002', 'Application No. 2001', 'Application No. 2001', 'art 1011', 'art 1012', 'art 1011', 'art 1011', 'art 1012', 'art 1012', 'art 1011', 'art 1012', 'art 1011', 'art 1011', 'art 3004', 'art 3005', 'art 3004', 'art 3004', 'art 3004', 'art 3005', 'art 3005', 'art 3005', 'art 3004']

US20030093503A1 - System for controling medical instruments - Google Patents
System for controling medical instruments Download PDF
US20030093503A1
US20030093503A1 US10/233,508 US23350802A US2003093503A1 US 20030093503 A1 US20030093503 A1 US 20030093503A1 US 23350802 A US23350802 A US 23350802A US 2003093503 A1 US2003093503 A1 US 2003093503A1
US10/233,508
Shigeo Nagayama
2001-09-05 Priority to JP2001-269304 priority Critical
2001-09-05 Priority to JP2001269304A priority patent/JP3725808B2/en
2001-10-18 Priority to JP2001321138A priority patent/JP2003116872A/en
2001-10-18 Priority to JP2001-321138 priority
2001-11-30 Priority to JP2001-367810 priority
2001-11-30 Priority to JP2001367810A priority patent/JP2003164412A/en
2001-11-30 Priority to JP2001-367807 priority
2001-11-30 Priority to JP2001367807A priority patent/JP2003164464A/en
2002-01-30 Priority to JP2002-022103 priority
2002-01-30 Priority to JP2002022103A priority patent/JP3908546B2/en
2002-02-22 Priority to JP2002046743A priority patent/JP2003245286A/en
2002-02-22 Priority to JP2002-046743 priority
2002-02-27 Priority to JP2002-051814 priority
2002-02-27 Priority to JP2002051814A priority patent/JP3866990B2/en
2002-03-15 Priority to JP2002-072934 priority
2002-03-15 Priority to JP2002072934A priority patent/JP4129139B2/en
2002-03-20 Priority to JP2002-079092 priority
2002-03-20 Priority to JP2002079092A priority patent/JP2003275221A/en
2002-07-10 Priority to JP2002-201714 priority
2002-07-10 Priority to JP2002201714A priority patent/JP2004041375A/en
2002-09-03 Application filed by Olympus Corp filed Critical Olympus Corp
2003-01-13 Assigned to OLYMPUS OPTICAL CO., LTD. reassignment OLYMPUS OPTICAL CO., LTD. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: MINO, HIROYUKI, NAGAYAMA, SHIGEO, FUJITA, MASAYA, FURUKAWA, NOBUYUKI, NODA, KENJI, OZAKI, TAKASHI, SANO, DAISUKE, UCHIKUBO, AKINOBU, YAMAKI, MASAHIDE
2003-05-15 Publication of US20030093503A1 publication Critical patent/US20030093503A1/en
A medical equipment control system consists mainly of a plurality of centralized controllers each of which controls on a centralized basis a plurality of pieces of medical equipment installed in an operating room, and a mobile device capable of communicating with the plurality of centralized controllers. The mobile device is used to determine or record control data based on which the plurality of pieces of medical equipment is controlled. The recorded control data is transmitted to and recorded in the centralized controller in an operating room concerned. Thus, a medical equipment control system capable of controlling medical equipment at low cost on a centralized basis is realized.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2001-269304 filed in Japan on Sep. 5, 2001, Japanese Application No. 2001-321138 filed in Japan on Oct. 18, 2001, Japanese Application No. 2001-367807 filed in Japan on Nov. 30, 2001, Japanese Application No. 2001-367810 filed in Japan on Nov. 30, 2001, Japanese Application No. 2002-022103 filed in Japan on Jan. 30, 2002, Japanese Application No. 2002-046743 filed in Japan on Feb. 22, 2002, Japanese Application No. 2002-051814 filed in Japan on Feb. 27, 2002, Japanese Application No. 2002-072934 filed in Japan on Mar. 15, 2002, Japanese Application No. 2002-079092 filed in Japan on Mar. 20, 2002, and Japanese Application No. 2002-201714 filed in Japan on Jul. 10, 2002, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. [0001]
The present invention relates to a medical equipment control system for controlling a plurality of pieces of medical equipment. [0003]
As one type of system including a plurality of pieces of medical equipment, there is, for example, a medical endoscope system including an endoscope. A typical endoscope system consists mainly of an endoscope used for observation, a camera head connected to the endoscope, an endoscopic camera unit that processes an image signal produced by the camera head, a light source unit that supplies illumination light to the endoscope so that an object can be illuminated, and a monitor on which an endoscopic image is displayed based on the image signal processed by the endoscopic camera unit. [0005]
In the endoscope system, the endoscope is inserted into an object region, illumination light emanating from the light source unit is irradiated to the object, and an optical image of the object is picked up by the endoscope. Moreover, in the endoscope system, the endoscopic camera unit processes an image signal representing the object image formed by the camera head, and an endoscopic image is displayed on the monitor according to the resultant image signal. The endoscope system is thus used to observe or examine an intracavitary region. [0006]
By the way, endoscopes are used to conduct surgery. The endoscopic surgery is carried out using, in addition to the foregoing system, a treatment instrument such as an insufflator for dilating the abdominal cavity or a diathermic cautery for resecting or coagulating a living tissue. Various kinds of treatments are performed while a region to be treated is being observed using an endoscope. [0007]
The endoscopic surgery based on the conventional medical endoscope system proceeds as described in, for example, FIG. 174. FIG. 174 is an explanatory diagram describing a conventional flow of endoscopic surgery from a preparation step through a surgery step to a clearing step. [0008]
Normally, a user carries equipment to an operating room prior to surgery and makes preparations including connection of cables and tubes. After the connection is completed, the user turns on the power supply of the medical endoscope system so as to start up the medical endoscope system, and starts endoscopic surgery. [0009]
Prior to the endoscopic surgery, the user initializes various pieces of medical equipment including a diathermic cautery unit and an insufflator unit. At this time, the medical endoscope system to be started up falls into two types: a type that controls the pieces of medical equipment independently of one another and that follows step A in FIG. 174 and a type that controls the pieces of medical equipment on a centralized basis and that follows step B therein. [0010]
The former medical endoscope system is designed to have the pieces of medical equipment operated and controlled independently of one another. For this reason, it is hard to operate the former medical endoscope system because the pieces of medical equipment must be initialized independently of one another. [0011]
The latter medical endoscope system is a centralized control system referred to as an integrated system. A medical endoscope system including a medical equipment control system that operates and controls various pieces of medical equipment on a centralized basis has been proposed as described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-31949. The medical equipment control system described in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-31949 is so easy to operate that the pieces of medical equipment can be initialized automatically at a time. [0012]
The above description is concerned with preparations for surgery. When initializing the pieces of medical equipment is completed, the user conducts surgery. During endoscopic surgery, the user may have to modify the settings of the pieces of medical equipment, that is, have to change one insufflator to another or change the value of an output voltage of a diathermic cautery to another value. After surgery is completed, the user turns off the power supply of the medical endoscope system, removes the cables and tubes extending therefrom, and then concludes the surgery. [0013]
The medical equipment control system described in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-31949 is intended to automatically set up all the pieces of medical equipment using one software system as described at step B. However, the time required by the endoscopic surgery has the majority thereof occupied by step A or step B. The time occupied by step A or step B is much longer than the time occupied by step C according to which the pieces of medical equipment are operated independently of one another during surgery. [0014]
In general, a plurality of operating rooms is included in a hospital, and allocated to endoscopic surgery, laparotomy, and other surgical procedures that are performed on schedule. In recent years, the implementation of the endoscopic surgery has increased, and the medical equipment control system has been widely utilized to such an extent that one medical equipment control system is installed in each of the plurality of operating rooms. [0015]
However, the medical equipment control system described in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-31949 is expensive because of the inclusion of a large-scale touch-sensitive panel that is used to control all pieces of medical equipment on a centralized basis. [0016]
Moreover, the medical equipment control systems installed in the plurality of operating rooms control automatic initialization of medical equipment independently of one another at step B described in FIG. 174. Therefore, when the medical equipment control systems installed in the operating rooms are employed, a user must perform the time-consuming initialization in each operating room. [0017]
In recent years, computers have been designed compactly, and a compact portable terminal referred to as palm-top computer (hereinafter represented by a PDA) has been developed. The portable terminal can produce electronic data and manage a schedule. Moreover, some portable terminals include a wireless communication means conformable to the infrared data association (IrDA) standard (concerning infrared communication) or the Bluetooth standard (concerning radiocommunication). Using this type of portable terminal, not only personal information can be managed but also the wireless communication means is used to transfer data to or from any other system. [0018]
On the other hand, endoscopic surgery systems including those disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications Nos. 2001-95818, 11-299729, and 2002-65618 that are filed by the present applicant have made their debuts. [0019]
The Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-95818 has disclosed an endoscopic surgery system permitting a user to record maintenance information concerning medical equipment on a portable recording medium and to readily check the state of medical equipment forming the system. [0020]
The Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-299729 has disclosed an invention relating to automatic setup of medical equipment. [0021]
The Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-65618 has disclosed an endoscopic surgery system capable of displaying vital signs on a monitor, which a surgery views, and, in case of emergency, displaying a countermeasure on the monitor. [0022]
It is conceivable to adopt a personal digital assistant (PDA) as an input/output terminal for the endoscopic surgery system. [0023]
The conventional endoscopic surgery system has the ability to determine the settings of an insufflator or an electrocautery using a PDA and the ability to communicate data preserved in the endoscopic surgery system to the PDA for preservation of the data in the PDA. The preservation work is supposed to be performed at the completion of surgery. Therefore, an operator may forget to preserve the data and turn off the power supply of the endoscopic surgery system. In this case, downloading becomes impossible. Moreover, even when the data is automatically preserved in the endoscopic surgery system, since the operator often brings the PDA back to his/her office or the like for the purpose of data processing, the operator has to return to an operating room so as to download data. This annoys the operator. [0024]
Moreover, the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-114065 has disclosed an automatic setup feature permitting a user to register and preserve the set values for each piece of equipment, and to then set up the equipment with one touch of a push-button or the like prior to surgery. [0025]
Features of endoscope systems permitting a user to determine operational set values include the foregoing automatic setup feature, a customization feature of customizing the display on an operator panel or a display panel, and a speech recognition feature. [0026]
Based on the personally determined operational set values, a hospital, a department, or a doctor can set up pieces of equipment or lay them out according to their or his/her likes. [0027]
However, the personally determined operational set values are edited by an endoscope system but cannot be edited by any other system. [0028]
Therefore, a doctor cannot perform the editing work at his/her office or the like but has to perform it at an operating room or an adjoining equipment storage place. Therefore, the doctor may have to be cautious about a disinfection/sterilization zone or keep standing but cannot be concentrated on the editing work or proceed with the editing work while relaxing or with literatures spread nearby. [0029]
As mentioned above, the typical endoscopic surgery system consists mainly of: an endoscope used for observation; a camera head connected to the endoscope; an endoscopic TV camera unit for processing an image signal produced by the camera head; a light source unit for supplying illumination light to an object; a monitor on which an object image is displayed; an insufflator unit for dilating the abdominal cavity; and a diathermic cautery unit (hereinafter an electrocautery unit) for resecting or coagulating a living tissue using a diathermic cautery that is a treatment instrument with which a surgical procedure is performed. [0030]
The endoscope is inserted into an object region, and illumination light emanating from the light source unit is irradiated to an object so that the endoscope can pick up an optical image of the object. The endoscopic camera unit processes an image signal representing the object image and being produced by the camera head. The object region visualized by means of the monitor is viewed in order to perform various treatments. Conventionally, these pieces of equipment are used concurrently, and operated and controlled independently of one another. This is annoying. [0031]
In a system having a plurality of controlled apparatuses such as the one disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-303654, a system control device composed of a system controller, a display device, and an operating unit and used to operate all the controlled apparatuses at hand is employed in order to improve the maneuverability of the system. [0032]
Moreover, a system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-319409 has an automatic setup feature for automatically determining the settings of controlled apparatuses so as to set up the controlled apparatuses smoothly at the time of starting up the system. Herein, a user enters and registers all the set values for the apparatuses in advance, and invokes the data, which represents the registered set values, at the startup time. [0033]
Furthermore, a system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-32745 has a recording feature that records system information such as a user's use history or comment and failure information concerning controlled apparatuses. Moreover, a software system permitting a user to easily fetch maintenance information concerning each piece of medical equipment to outside has been proposed in relation to a system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-250507. [0034]
As far as conventional system control systems are concerned, an operating unit is connected to each system all the time. Once the power supply of the system is turned on, the operating unit can be used by anyone. There is therefore a fear that settings designated and registered by a user may be modified by any other user. [0035]
Moreover, the operating unit that can be employed is limited to a dedicated one. Information transmitted to the operating unit is determined uniquely what control system is employed. [0036]
Furthermore, when various system information items are transmitted to an external terminal, if the terminal has a limited storage capacity, a user must select information that must be transmitted. [0037]
Moreover, as a system composed of a plurality of pieces of medical equipment, a medical endoscope system including an endoscope is taken for instance. [0038]
In an endoscope system that will be described below, an insufflator unit, a light source unit, and a therapeutic unit communicate with a centralized controller over cables according to the RS-232C standard. A patient monitor system communicates with the centralized controller over a LAN. The insufflator unit, light source unit, therapeutic unit, and patient monitor system shall be called a plurality of pieces of peripheral equipment or a plurality of peripheral apparatuses. A PDA and other portable information terminals that communicate with the centralized controller by radio according to the Bluetooth standard shall be called mobile devices. [0039]
In the above endoscope system, when the settings of, for example, the insufflator unit that is peripheral equipment are modified, data preserved in the centralized controller is updated through serial transmission conformable to the RS-232C standard. Thereafter, updated data preserved in the centralized controller is transmitted according to a protocol different from the aforesaid one in terms of a transmission speed, that is, the Bluetooth standard in order to update data preserved in one or more mobile devices. [0040]
Depending on the communicating states of the mobile devices, times the mobile devices require to complete updating become different from one another. In particular, if two pieces of wireless equipment conform to the same standard stipulating a certain frequency band, the transmission speeds offered by the wireless equipment may be lowered because of radio interference. The time required to update stored data with data received via an RS-232C interface becomes different from the time required to complete updating of data preserved in a mobile device. It may take much time to complete updating, or there is a possibility that a communication error may occur. Furthermore, lots of pieces of wireless equipment are installed in an operating room and may interfere with one another. [0041]
Wireless communication has the merit that electromagnetic waves pass through obstacles. However, data to be processed by software suffers a loss caused by the obstacles and data processing suffers a high error rate. Consequently, since the number of times of retransmission of a command increases, a transmission speed decreases. A decrease in the data rate offered by the insufflator unit, therapeutic unit, or patient monitor system, which polls the centralized controller according to timing that comes at short intervals, may bring about a polling error. [0042]
For example, displaying biomedical information acquired by the patient monitor system will be discussed. The biomedical information is updated at short intervals and includes a large number of parameters. If an error occurs at the completion of updating because of a difference in a transmission speed, a doctor cannot find a critical change in biomedical information any longer. This hinders surgery. [0043]
As for an endoscopic surgery system designed to control an endoscope system and surgical equipment on a centralized basis, various attempts have been made in order to improve maneuverability. Development of a remote controller or a remote control unit that is used to remotely control the endoscopic surgery system is one of the attempts. [0044]
For example, the IrDA standard or the like concerning infrared communication imposes such restrictions that the endoscope system and surgical equipment must not be separated from the remote control unit by 1 m or more at most, and that the endoscope system and surgical equipment must be fully opposed to the transmitting/receiving module included in the remote control unit. [0045]
In order to adapt the infrared communication to a surgical system that includes many apparatuses to assist in endoscopic surgery, the restrictions pose a critical problem. [0046]
Specifically, a communication-enabled distance, that is, a distance from the remote control unit enabling the surgery system to communicate with the remote control unit is so short that a person who remotely controls the surgery system has to approach the surgery system every time he/she gives an instruction using the remote control unit. This leads to an increase in a surgery time or deterioration in surgical efficiency. [0047]
Moreover, if the surgery system and remote control unit are insufficiently close to each other, or if the surgery system and remote control unit are insufficiently opposed to each other, communication is crippled. Consequently, the surgery system may malfunction. [0048]
Moreover, when people being involved in surgery, such as, a surgeon, an anesthesiologist, a nurse, and a clinical engineer use their own PDAs as remote controllers, respective programs must be installed in the PDAs or data must be downloaded onto the PDAs. The program is required to have the specifications required individually by an operator and to be updated all the time. However, it is time-consuming and labor-intensive for an operator to install a program or to download or update data. This means that it takes much time to make preparations for surgery. [0049]
Moreover, when unintended settings are received during use of medical equipment, if the settings of the insufflator unit, diathermic cautery unit, or any other surgical equipment are varied, the progress of surgery is hindered. [0050]
Moreover, the IrDA standard or the like stipulating infrared communication imposes many restrictions that the endoscope system and surgical device must not be separated from the remote control unit by 1 m or more at most and that the endoscope system and surgical device must be fully opposed to the remote control unit. [0051]
When an attempt is made to adapt the infrared communication to a surgery system that includes many apparatuses so as to assist in endoscopic surgery, the restrictions pose a critical problem. Since the communication-enabled distance is short, remote control cannot be extended reliably. This confuses an operator, and leads to deterioration in surgical efficiency. [0052]
Moreover, the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-319409 and others have proposed a method of determining all the parameters for each of peripheral equipment. Herein, a centralized controller manages a plurality of pieces of medical peripheral, the set values for each piece of peripheral equipment are preserved in a memory, and the set values are read from the memory in order to make preparations for surgery. [0053]
However, in the conventional systems, a TV remote controller is designed for unidirectional simplified communication. When an attempt is made to determine all the parameters or set values, the set values for peripheral equipment concerned must be assigned to the keys of the remote controller, and the remote controller must be handled by the same number of times as the number of parameters or set values to be determined. This is not user-friendly. [0054]
The present invention attempts to break through the foregoing situation. An object of the present invention is to provide a medical equipment control system capable of controlling medical equipment on a centralized basis at low cost. [0055]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a medical equipment control system in which all settings (including those that can be determined using the control means) can be transmitted to a control means using a mobile device. [0056]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a medical equipment control system that offers improved user-friendliness by preventing a user from forgetting to download information sent from medical equipment. [0057]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a medical system control system permitting a user to edit operational set values for a medical system, though not directly, so as to effectively utilize the operational set values. [0058]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a control system capable of identifying a terminal employed and a user and preventing other users from modifying control information. [0059]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a control system permitting a user to freely modify output information. [0060]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a control system capable of readily transmitting system information to another terminal. [0061]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a control system permitting reliable transmission and reception of information despite a difference in an information updating rate at which information preserved in a centralized controller is updated with information sent from peripheral equipment, and an information updating rate at which information preserved in the centralized controller is updated with information sent from a mobile device. Moreover, the control system reduces a difference of display information and permits efficient endoscopic surgery. [0062]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an endoscopic surgery system contributing to improvement of maneuverability in remotely controlling the endoscopic surgery system, to shortening of a surgery time, and to improvement of efficiency in performing surgery. [0063]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a control system permitting a user to download data by performing simple handling, and thus contributing to shortening of the time required to make preparations for surgery. [0064]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a centralized control system in which medical equipment controllers that can remotely control and set up medical equipment and that when medical equipment is in use, permits continuous use of the medical equipment but does not interrupt the use despite reception of control information or setting information concerning the medical equipment, and a plurality of pieces of peripheral equipment are interconnected over an intra-hospital network. The centralized control system permits communication of patient information concerning a patient, who is being transported by an emergency vehicle, over the intra-hospital network, and thus contributes to improvement of efficiency in making preparations for emergency surgery. [0065]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a controller contributing to improvement of maneuverability in remotely operating an endoscopic surgery system so that an operator can handle a remote control unit reliably, and contributing to shortening of a surgery time and to improvement of efficiency in performing surgery. [0066]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a controller contributing to improvement of maneuverability in remotely operating an endoscopic surgery system so that an operator can remotely control the endoscopic surgery system in a user-friendly manner, and contributing to shortening of a surgery time and to improvement of efficiency in performing surgery. [0067]
A control system for controlling medical equipment in accordance with the present invention consists mainly of a mobile device and a controller. The mobile device includes: an operator panel having an operating section that is used to instruct setup of a plurality of pieces of medical equipment; a first information processing circuit that produces data representing the settings of medical equipment on the basis of an instruction entered at the operator panel; and a first communication interface that transmits the setting data produced by the information processing circuit. The controller includes: a second communication interface circuit connected to the plurality of pieces of medical equipment; a third communication interface that receives the setting data sent via the first communication interface and enables bi-directional communication; and a second information processing circuit that transfers the setting data, which is terminated by the second communication interface, to the second communication interface. [0068]
Other features of the present invention and advantages thereof will be fully apparent from the description below.[0069]
FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 are concerned with a first embodiment of the present invention; [0070]
FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing the overall configuration of a medical equipment control system in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; [0071]
FIG. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of a mobile device shown in FIG. 1; [0072]
FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 are explanatory diagrams presenting concrete examples of the way of handling the mobile device; [0073]
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram concerning a case where a set value registration/modification mode image is displayed on a liquid crystal display; [0074]
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram concerning a case where a set value readout mode image is displayed on the liquid crystal display; [0075]
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram concerning a case where control data representing the settings of each piece of medical equipment and being sent from a centralized controller is registered as new data; [0076]
FIG. 6 to FIG. 11 are concerned with a second embodiment of the present invention; [0077]
FIG. 6 shows the appearance of a medical equipment control system in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention; [0078]
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a register name entry image displayed on a terminal monitor shown in FIG. 6; [0079]
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an equipment selection image displayed on the terminal monitor shown in FIG. 6; [0080]
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a setting entry image displayed on the terminal monitor shown in FIG. [0081] 6;
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a register verification image displayed on the terminal monitor shown in FIG. 6; [0082]
FIG. 11 is a flowchart describing a processing flow of controlling addition of data to a programming terminal; [0083]
FIG. 12 to FIG. 18 are concerned with a third embodiment of the present invention; [0084]
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an endoscopic surgery system installed in an operating room; [0085]
FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a patient monitor system; [0086]
FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a screen image displayed on an operator panel when an electrocautery unit is designated; [0087]
FIG. 15 is a plan view showing a screen image displayed on the operator panel when download is designated; [0088]
FIG. 17 is a plan view showing a display operating section of a PDA on which a main menu is displayed; [0089]
FIG. 18 is a plan view showing the display operating section of the PDA on which a download menu is displayed; [0090]
FIG. 19 is a plan view showing a screen image displayed on an operator panel according to a variant of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 12 to FIG. 17; [0091]
FIG. 20 is a sectional view showing in enlargement a major portion of an encased device in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention; [0092]
FIG. 21 is a sectional view showing in enlargement a major portion of an encased device in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the present invention; [0093]
FIG. 22 is a sectional view showing in enlargement a major portion of an encased device in accordance with a seventh embodiment of the present invention; [0094]
FIG. 23 is a sectional view showing in enlargement a major portion of an encased device in accordance with an eighth embodiment of the present invention; [0095]
FIG. 24 is a sectional view showing in enlargement a major portion of an encased device in accordance with a ninth embodiment of the present invention; [0096]
FIG. 25 is a sectional view showing in enlargement a major portion of an encased device in accordance with a tenth embodiment of the present invention; [0097]
FIG. 26 and FIG. 27 are concerned with an eleventh embodiment of the present invention; [0098]
FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram showing an endoscopic surgery system installed in an operating room; [0099]
FIG. 27 is a perspective view showing a setting display panel and its surroundings; [0100]
FIG. 28 to FIG. 30 are concerned with a twelfth embodiment of the present invention; [0101]
FIG. 28 is a side view showing an endoscopic surgery trolley; [0102]
FIG. 29 is a front view showing the endoscopic surgery trolley seen from a clean zone; [0103]
FIG. 30 is a front view showing an LCD monitor installed in an unclean zone; [0104]
FIG. 31 and FIG. 32 are concerned with a thirteenth. embodiment of the present invention; [0105]
FIG. 31 is a perspective view showing an endoscopic surgery trolley with an LCD monitor and a setting display panel left open; [0106]
FIG. 32 is a perspective view showing the endoscopic surgery trolley with the LCD monitor and setting display panel met each other; [0107]
FIG. 33 to FIG. 44 are concerned with a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention; [0108]
FIG. 33 shows the overall configuration of an endoscopic surgery system including the fourteenth embodiment; [0109]
FIG. 34 shows the internal configuration of a system. controller; [0110]
FIG. 35 shows the configuration of a control module; [0111]
FIG. 36 is a screen image transition chart; [0112]
FIG. 37 shows a main screen image; [0113]
FIG. 38 shows an electrocautery screen image; [0114]
FIG. 39 shows an automatic setup screen image; [0115]
FIG. 40 shows an electrocautery unit setting screen image; [0116]
FIG. 41 describes automatic setup; [0117]
FIG. 42 shows the structure of internal data of a PC card; [0118]
FIG. 43 shows state transitions caused by a home editing program; [0119]
FIG. 44 shows an automatic setup screen image for personal computers; [0120]
FIG. 45 to FIG. 49 are concerned with a fifteenth embodiment of the present invention; [0121]
FIG. 45 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a system controller included in the fifteenth embodiment of the present invention; [0122]
FIG. 46 shows a directory tree structure formed in a memory included in a portable terminal; [0123]
FIG. 47 is a flowchart describing setting data designation to be performed using a portable terminal; [0124]
FIG. 48 shows a verification screen image through which it is verified whichever of a plurality of automatic setting data items is adopted; [0125]
FIG. 49 is a verification screen image to be displayed when a plurality of setting data items is available for setup of an electrocautery unit; [0126]
FIG. 50 to FIG. 55 are concerned with a sixteenth embodiment of the present invention; [0127]
FIG. 50 shows the overall configuration of an endoscope system including the sixteenth embodiment; [0128]
FIG. 51 schematically shows the internal configuration of a system controller; [0129]
FIG. 52 shows a main screen image to be displayed on a PDA; [0130]
FIG. 53(A) shows the contents of a first processing flow of registering or identifying information concerning the PDA; [0131]
FIG. 53(B) shows the contents of a second processing flow of registering or identifying information concerning the PDA; [0132]
FIG. 54 shows an input screen image through which a password used to access the PDA is entered; [0133]
FIG. 55 is an identification information input screen image through which identification information of the PDA is entered; [0134]
FIG. 56 and FIG. 57 are concerned with a seventeenth embodiment of the present invention; [0135]
FIG. 56 is a flowchart describing system information transmission; [0136]
FIG. 57 shows a screen image to be displayed when it is found during system information transmission that the storage capacity required by system information is larger than the available storage capacity of a PDA; [0137]
FIG. 58 to FIG. 71 are concerned with an eighteenth embodiment of the present invention; [0138]
FIG. 58 shows the configuration of an endoscopic surgery system; [0139]
FIG. 59 shows the configuration of a patient monitor system shown in FIG. 58; [0140]
FIG. 60 is a schematic block diagram showing the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 58; [0141]
FIG. 61 is a schematic block diagram showing a variant of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 58; [0142]
FIG. 62 is a first diagram showing a screen image displayed on a mobile device shown in FIG. 58; [0143]
FIG. 63 is a second diagram showing a screen image displayed on the mobile device shown in FIG. 58; [0144]
FIG. 64 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a centralized controller shown in FIG. 60; [0145]
FIG. 65 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mobile device shown in FIG. 60; [0146]
FIG. 66 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication interface included in the centralized controller shown in FIG. 64; [0147]
FIG. 67 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communicating state distinguishing module shown in FIG. [0148] 65;
FIG. 68 is a first flowchart describing the operation of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 58; [0149]
FIG. 69 is a second flowchart describing the operation of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 58; [0150]
FIG. 70 is a third flowchart describing the operation of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 58; [0151]
FIG. 71 is a fourth flowchart describing the operation of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 58; [0152]
FIG. 72 to FIG. 76 are concerned with a nineteenth embodiment of the present invention; [0153]
FIG. 72 shows the configuration of an endoscopic surgery system; [0154]
FIG. 73 shows the configuration of a variant of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 72: [0155]
FIG. 74 shows the connective relationships among the components of the centralized control system shown in FIG. 72 and those of a mobile device; [0156]
FIG. 75 is a flowchart describing the operation of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 72; [0157]
FIG. 76 is a flowchart describing the operation of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 73; [0158]
FIG. 77 to FIG. 79 are concerned with a twentieth embodiment of the present invention; [0159]
FIG. 77 shows the configuration of an endoscopic surgery system; [0160]
FIG. 78 is a first diagram for explaining the operation of a mobile device shown in FIG. 77; [0161]
FIG. 79 is a second diagram for explaining the operation of the mobile device shown in FIG. 77; [0162]
FIG. 80 to FIG. 89 are concerned with a twenty-first embodiment of the present invention; [0163]
FIG. 80 shows the overall configuration of an endoscopic surgery system including the twenty-first embodiment with the components thereof laid out in an example of a use state; [0164]
FIG. 81 shows the internal configuration of a major portion of the endoscopic surgery system; [0165]
FIG. 82 schematically shows the appearance of a portable terminal; [0166]
FIG. 83 schematically shows the appearance of an infrared communication adaptor; [0167]
FIG. 84 shows the structure of a joint joining the portable terminal and infrared communication adaptor; [0168]
FIG. 85 shows the internal configuration of the infrared communication adaptor; [0169]
FIG. 86 shows the contents of processing to be performed by the portable terminal; [0170]
FIG. 87 shows the contents of processing to be performed with designation of an insufflator unit which are included in the contents of processing described in FIG. 86; [0171]
FIG. 88 shows a main menu screen image relevant to the contents of processing described in FIG. 86; [0172]
FIG. 89 shows an example of a set value entry screen image that is displayed as a step included in the contents of processing described in FIG. 87; [0173]
FIG. 90 to FIG. 95 are concerned with a twenty-third embodiment of the present invention; [0174]
FIG. 90 schematically shows an infrared communication adaptor; [0175]
FIG. 91 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the infrared communication adaptor; [0176]
FIG. 92 to FIG. 95 are concerned with a twenty-third embodiment of the present invention; [0177]
FIG. 92 schematically shows an infrared communication adaptor; [0178]
FIG. 93(A) shows the outline configuration of an infrared communication port [0179] 5082 of the infrared communication adaptor;
FIG. 93(B) is a functional diagram showing the infrared communication port [0180] 5082 seen in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 93(A);
FIG. 94 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a major portion of the infrared communication adaptor; [0181]
FIG. 95 is an explanatory diagram showing a scene where a manipulator is driven in order to place an infrared receiving element at an angle permitting high optical sensitivity; [0182]
FIG. 96 shows the configuration of an endoscopic surgery system including a twenty-fourth embodiment of the present invention; [0183]
FIG. 97 shows the configuration of an endoscopic surgery system including a twenty-fifth embodiment of the present invention; [0184]
FIG. 98 to FIG. 104 are concerned with a twenty-sixth embodiment of the present invention; [0185]
FIG. 98 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an endoscopic surgery system; [0186]
FIG. 99 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a patient monitor system; [0187]
FIG. 100 is a plan view showing a standard operating screen image for surgeons to be displayed on an operator panel; [0188]
FIG. 101 is a plan view showing a main menu for surgeons displayed on a PDA; [0189]
FIG. 102 is a plan view showing an operating screen image to be displayed on the PDA when an insufflator unit is designated; [0190]
FIG. 103 is a flowchart describing a processing flow of downloading a program and data; [0191]
FIG. 104 is an explanatory diagram concerning the contents of programs and data items to be downloaded based on a verified identification code; [0192]
FIG. 105 shows the configuration of an endoscopic surgery system including a twenty-seventh embodiment of the present invention; [0193]
FIG. 106 shows the configuration of an endoscopic surgery system including a twenty-eighth embodiment of the present invention; [0194]
FIG. 107 to FIG. 111 are concerned with a twenty-ninth embodiment of the present invention; [0195]
FIG. 107 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a medical equipment control system; [0196]
FIG. 108 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an endoscopic surgery system; [0197]
FIG. 109 is an explanatory diagram concerning the abilities of a portable information terminal; [0198]
FIG. 110 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the portable information terminal and the configuration of a centralized controller; [0199]
FIG. 111 is a flowchart describing actions to be performed by the medical equipment control system; [0200]
FIG. 112 and FIG. 113 are concerned with a thirtieth embodiment of the present invention; [0201]
FIG. 112 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a medical equipment control system; [0202]
FIG. 113 is a flowchart describing actions to be performed by the medical equipment control system; [0203]
FIG. 114 and FIG. 115 are concerned with a thirty-first embodiment of the present invention; [0204]
FIG. 114 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a medical equipment control system; [0205]
FIG. 115 is a flowchart describing actions to be performed by the medical equipment control system; [0206]
FIG. 116 to FIG. 126 are concerned with a thirty-second embodiment of the present invention; [0207]
FIG. 116 shows the interior of an operating room in which an endoscopic surgery system is installed; [0208]
FIG. 117 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 116; [0209]
FIG. 118 is a block diagram showing the circuitry of an infrared communication adaptor shown in FIG. 117; [0210]
FIG. 119 shows the appearance of a portable terminal shown in FIG. 117; [0211]
FIG. 120 shows the appearance of an infrared communication adaptor shown in FIG. 117; [0212]
FIG. 121 shows a joint joining the portable terminal and infrared communication adaptor shown in FIG. 119 and FIG. 120 respectively; [0213]
FIG. 122 is a flowchart describing a processing flow of controlling the portable terminal shown in FIG. 117 and a system controller; [0214]
FIG. 123 shows a main menu screen image displayed on a display section of the portable terminal during the processing described in FIG. 122; [0215]
FIG. 124 is a flowchart describing setup of an insufflator unit to be performed during the processing described in FIG. 122; [0216]
FIG. 125 shows an error message displayed on the display section of the portable terminal during the processing described in FIG. 124; [0217]
FIG. 126 shows a set value entry screen image displayed on the display section of the portable terminal during the processing described in FIG. 124; [0218]
FIG. 127 to FIG. 132 are concerned with a thirty-third embodiment of the present invention; [0219]
FIG. 127 is a flowchart describing a processing flow of controlling a portable terminal and a system controller; [0220]
FIG. 128 shows a file menu screen image displayed on a display section of the portable terminal during the processing described in FIG. 127; [0221]
FIG. 129 is a flowchart describing endoscopic image file reception described in FIG. 127; [0222]
FIG. 130 shows an endoscopic image displayed on the display section of the portable terminal during the processing described in FIG. 129; [0223]
FIG. 131 shows a first error message displayed on the display section of the portable terminal during the processing described in FIG. 129; [0224]
FIG. 132 shows a second error message displayed on the display section of the portable terminal during the processing described in FIG. 129; [0225]
FIG. 133 and FIG. 134 are concerned with a thirty-fourth embodiment of the present invention; [0226]
FIG. 133 shows the configuration of an endoscopic surgery system; [0227]
FIG. 134 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 133; [0228]
FIG. 135 and FIG. 136 are concerned with a thirty-fifth embodiment of the present invention; [0229]
FIG. 135 shows the configuration of an endoscopic surgery system; [0230]
FIG. 136 is an explanatory diagram concerning the operation of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 135; [0231]
FIG. 137 to FIG. 139 are concerned with a thirty-sixth embodiment of the present invention; [0232]
FIG. 137 shows the configuration of an endoscopic surgery system; [0233]
FIG. 138 is a first explanatory diagram concerning the operation of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 137; [0234]
FIG. 139 is a second explanatory diagram concerning the operation of the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 137; [0235]
FIG. 140 to FIG. 169 are concerned with a thirty-seventh embodiment of the present invention; [0236]
FIG. 140 shows the configuration of an endoscopic surgery system; [0237]
FIG. 141 shows the configuration of a patient monitor system for monitoring a patient's condition shown in FIG. 140; [0238]
FIG. 142 shows a network laid down in the premises of a hospital in which the endoscopic surgery system shown in FIG. 140 is installed; [0239]
FIG. 143 shows an example of an Internet connection service to be provided in order to connect an intra-hospital server shown in FIG. 142; [0240]
FIG. 144 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system controller shown in FIG. 140; [0241]
FIG. 145 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an infrared interface shown in FIG. 144; [0242]
FIG. 146 is a flowchart describing a processing flow of filtering a signal using a filter circuit shown in FIG. 145; [0243]
FIG. 147 is a front view showing the configuration of the system controller shown in FIG. 140; [0244]
FIG. 148 is a back view showing the configuration of the system controller shown in FIG. 140; [0245]
FIG. 149 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an infrared remote controller shown in FIG. 140; [0246]
FIG. 150 shows the appearance of the infrared remote controller shown in FIG. 149; [0247]
FIG. 151 is a flowchart describing a procedure to be followed in order to operate peripheral equipment using a unidirectional infrared remote controller shown in FIG. 140; [0248]
FIG. 152 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a PDA shown in FIG. 140; [0249]
FIG. 153 is a block diagram showing the configurations of a touch-sensitive panel and a wireless communication interface shown in FIG. 152; [0250]
FIG. 154 shows a first screen image displayed on a liquid crystal display unit shown in FIG. 152; [0251]
FIG. 155 shows the components of the PDA shown in FIG. 140 which are exposed on the back thereof; [0252]
FIG. 156 is an explanatory diagram concerning an extension card to be loaded in a card slot shown in FIG. 155; [0253]
FIG. 157 shows a second screen image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit shown in FIG. 152; [0254]
FIG. 158 shows a third screen image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit shown in FIG. 152; [0255]
FIG. 159 shows a fourth screen image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit shown in FIG. 13; [0256]
FIG. 160 shows a fifth screen image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit shown in FIG. 152; [0257]
FIG. 161 shows a sixth screen image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit shown in FIG. 152; [0258]
FIG. 162 shows a seventh screen image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit shown in FIG. 152; [0259]
FIG. 163 shows an eighth screen image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit shown in FIG. 152; [0260]
FIG. 164 shows a ninth screen image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit shown in FIG. 152; [0261]
FIG. 165 shows a tenth screen image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit shown in FIG. 152; [0262]
FIG. 166 shows an eleventh screen image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit shown in FIG. 152; [0263]
FIG. 167 shows a twelfth screen image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit shown in FIG. 152; [0264]
FIG. 168 is a first flowchart describing a procedure to be followed in order to operate peripheral equipment using the PDA shown in FIG. 140; [0265]
FIG. 169 is a second flowchart describing the procedure to be followed in order to operate peripheral equipment using the PDA shown in FIG. 140; [0266]
FIG. 170 is a block diagram showing a major portion of the configuration of a PDA included in a thirty-eighth embodiment of the present invention; [0267]
FIG. 171 is a flowchart describing a procedure to be followed in order to operate a PDA included in a thirty-ninth embodiment of the present invention; [0268]
FIG. 172 is a side view showing a conventional encased device for the purpose of explaining the advantages of the fifth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 20; [0269]
FIG. 173 is a plan view showing the conventional encased device for the purpose of explaining the advantages of the fifth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 20; and [0270]
FIG. 174 is an explanatory diagram describing a procedure starting at a step of making preparations for endoscopic surgery and ending at a step of straightening up an operating room.[0271]
(First Embodiment) [0272]
As shown in FIG. 1, a medical equipment control system [0273] 1 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention consists mainly of: a plurality of centralized controllers 4 that controls on a centralized basis a plurality of pieces of medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) installed in operating rooms 2; and a mobile device 5 capable of communicating with the plurality of centralized controllers 4. Herein, when it says that a mobile device can communicate with a plurality of centralized controllers, it means that the mobile device communicates therewith over cables or by wireless. In the present embodiment, the mobile device 5 includes a connector 7 that is freely detachably attached to the connector receptacles 6 of the centralized controllers 4, and thus can communicate with the centralized controllers 4. Alternatively, the mobile device 5 and centralized controllers 4 may each include a transmitting/receiving means that transmits or receives electromagnetic waves including infrared light waves to that they can communicate with each other by wireless.
Referring to FIG. 1, there are two operating rooms [0274] 2 (2A and 2B). Accordingly, there are two centralized controllers 4 (4A and 4B). Alternatively, the number of operating rooms may be two or more, and the number of centralized controllers 4 may be two or more. The number of centralized controllers 4 may not be equal to the number of operating rooms 2.
The centralized controller [0275] 4 has a plurality of pieces of medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) connected thereto. The plurality of pieces of medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) includes, for example, an endoscope system and therapeutic units used to perform various kinds of treatments while observing a region to be treated using the endoscope system.
The endoscope system consists mainly of: an endoscope used for observation; a camera head connected to the endoscope; an endoscopic camera unit that processes an image signal produced by the camera head; a light source unit that supplies illumination light to the endoscope so that an object will be illuminated; and a monitor on which an endoscopic image represented by a signal processed by the endoscopic camera unit is displayed, though these components of the endoscope system are not shown. The therapeutic units include an insufflator unit that dilates an abdominal cavity, and surgical equipment such as a diathermic cautery unit that enables resection or coagulation of a living tissue, though they are not shown. [0276]
The centralized controller [0277] 4 consists mainly of: a communication interface 11 via which the centralized controller can freely be connected to or disconnected from the plurality of pieces of medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c); a centralized control CPU 12 that controls on a centralized basis the plurality of pieces of medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) via the communication interface 11; a ROM 13 in which programs describing instructions based on which the centralized control CPU 12 acts are stored; a memory 14 in which control data based on which the plurality of pieces of medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) is controlled is stored; and a communication interface 15 via which the centralized controller can communicate with the mobile device 5. Moreover, the centralized controller 4 has an operator panel 16 connected to the centralized control CPU 12 thereof. The operator panel 16 is realized with a simple operating input means such as a sheet switch pad. The operator panel 16 is therefore inexpensive.
The centralized controller [0278] 4 serially communicates with the plurality of pieces of medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) via the communication interface 15. The centralized control CPU 12 included in the centralized controller 4 controls medical equipment concerned on the basis of an operation command entered at the operator panel 16. The step of operating medical equipment during surgery corresponding to step C described in FIG. 12 is carried out using the operator panel 16. The number of settings of medical equipment a user modifies during surgery is quite limited. Although the operating input means such as the sheet switch pad has only a limited number of command buttons, medical equipment can be operated satisfactorily using the operator panel 16.
The mobile device [0279] 5 consists mainly of: a communication interface 21 via which the mobile device can communicate with the centralized controller 4; a mobile CPU 22 that acts on the centralized controller 4 via the communication interface 21; a ROM 23 on which programs describing instructions based on which the mobile CPU 22 acts are stored; a group of operation switches 24 serving as an inputting/operating means and being used to transmit control data; a liquid crystal display 25 on which menu images are displayed depending on whichever of the group of operation switches 24 is manipulated; and a memory 26 in which control data transmitted responsively to a manipulation performed on the group of operation switches 24 is stored.
The mobile device [0280] 5 has a centralized control program and an action program stored in the ROM 23. Based on the centralized control program, the centralized controller 4 controls the plurality of pieces of medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c). Based on the action program, the mobile CPU 22 displays the menu images on the liquid crystal display 25 and acts on the centralized controller 4 responsively to a manipulation performed on the group of operation switches 24.
The mobile device [0281] 5 has, as shown in FIG. 2, a menu image 30, which prompts a user to control the plurality of pieces of medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c), displayed on the liquid crystal display 25.
The menu image [0282] 30 contains a mode display field 31, which presents a current mode, defined as the uppermost part thereof. An equipment name display field 32 that presents an equipment name that indicates an object of the current mode is located below the mode display field 31. Parameter entry fields 33 are located by the right-hand side of the equipment name display field 32. A list indicator field 34 used to indicate a parameter entry field 33 selected from among the parameter entry fields 33 is located by the side of the parameter entry fields 33.
The action program to be run by the mobile CPU [0283] 22 provides a set value registration/modification mode and a set value readout mode. In the set value registration/modification mode, control data which specifies initial set values or the like and based on which the centralized controller 4 controls the plurality of pieces of medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) is determined and registered in the centralized controller 4. In the set value readout mode, the set values registered in the set value registration/modification mode are read out.
The mobile device [0284] 5 has the group of operation switches 24 located below the liquid crystal display 25.
The group of operation switches [0285] 24 includes: a Select button 41 used to select an equipment name presented in the menu image 30; a Finalize button 42 used to finalize determination or modification of parameter values concerning an equipment name selected using the Select button 41; a Send button 43 used to transmit control data representing set values finalized using the Finalize button 42 to the centralized controller 4; a Read Set Value button 44 used to switch the set value registration/modification mode into the set value readout mode; and a Copy button 45 used to read control data that specifies set values entered at the operator panel 16 and that is stored in the memory 14 included in the centralized controller 4. In the menu image 30, the Select button 41 is used to select a parameter associated with any of the parameter entry fields 33, and the Finalize button 42 is used to register or finalize a modified set value.
Next, a concrete example of a way of operating the mobile device [0286] 5 will be described in conjunction with FIG. 3 to FIG. 5. First, a description will be made of the set value registration/modification mode in which medical equipment is designated and parameter values are modified. FIG. 3 shows an example of an image relevant to the set value registration/modification mode in which parameter values for medical equipment are modified or registered. Referring to FIG. 3, the image relevant to the set value registration/modification mode in which parameter values for medical equipment, that is, a diathermic cautery unit and an insufflator unit are modified or registered is displayed on the liquid crystal display 25.
A menu image [0287] 30A shown in FIG. 3 relates to the set value registration/modification mode. Therefore, Set Value Registration/modification appears in the mode display field 31. When the power supply of the mobile device is turned on, the menu image 30A relevant to the set value registration/modification mode is displayed first.
Medical equipment name display fields [0288] 51 are contained as the equipment name display field 32. Set value entry fields 52 are contained as the parameter entry fields 33 and located by the right-hand side of the name display field 51 adopted as the equipment name display field 32. In the set value entry fields 52, set values are displayed together with treatment mode names or setting names. Moreover, a Register button 53 used to finalize or register the modified set values entered in the set value entry fields 52 is located below the name display field 51.
When a user manipulates the Select button [0289] 41 to move a cursor to the name display field 51, a drop-down list box that is not shown appears. The user moves the cursor to a desired medical equipment name listed in the drop-down list box so as to thus select the medical equipment name. The Finalize button 42 is then pressed in order to finalize the selection of the medical equipment name. Consequently, the medical equipment name for which the user wants to modify set values appears in the name display field 51. Set values for the medical equipment that the user wants to modify are displayed in the set value entry fields 52 together with treatment mode names or setting names.
For example, when the user designates a diathermic cautery unit as desired medical equipment, Diathermic Cautery Unit appears in the name display field [0290] 51. “Resection power: 15 W” and “Coagulation power: 20 W” are displayed as treatment mode names and set values in the set value entry fields 52. At this time, the previously designated treatment mode names or setting names and their set values are displayed in the set value entry fields 52.
Thereafter, the user manipulates the Select button [0291] 41 so as to move the cursor to any of the set value entry fields 52, and thus selects a set value entry field 52 whose contents the user wants to modify. A drop-down list box that is not shown then appears from the set value entry field 52. At this time, the list indicator field 34 indicates selection of the set value entry field 52. Referring to FIG. 3, the list indicator field 34 indicates selection of the field “Resection power: 15 W.”
The user then moves the cursor to a field in the drop-down list box which presents a desired treatment mode name or setting name and its set value, and presses the Finalize button [0292] 42 so as to finalize the selection of the treatment mode name or setting name and its set value. The treatment mode name or setting name and its set value are then displayed in the set value entry field 52.
The user then terminates set value modification and presses the Select button [0293] 41 so as to move the cursor to the Register button 53. The user presses the Finalize button 42 so as to finalize registration. The modified set values for medical equipment are stored in the form of control data in the memory 26 included in the mobile device 5 under the control of the mobile CPU 22. The mobile device 5 modifies and registers the set values for desired medical equipment, and transmits the resultant set values to the centralized controller 4 for recording.
Now, a description will be made of the set value readout mode in which registered set values are read out. [0294]
When a user presses the Read Set Value button [0295] 44, the image relevant to the set value readout mode is, as shown in FIG. 4, displayed on the liquid crystal display 25. FIG. 4 shows an example of the image relevant to the set value readout mode. A menu image 30B shown in FIG. 4 relates to the set value readout mode. Therefore, Set Value Readout appears in the mode display field 31.
A setting field [0296] 61 is contained as the equipment name display field 32. Setting display fields 62 are contained as the parameter entry fields 33 by the right-hand side of the setting field 61 contained as the equipment name display field 32. Setting numbers assigned to the operating rooms 2 and registered setting names associated with the setting numbers are displayed in the setting display fields 62. More particularly, for example, when general surgical equipment is used to conduct surgery, a setting display field 62 presenting “general surgery” is selected in order to have access to the settings of the general surgical equipment.
The user presses the Select button [0297] 41 so as to move the cursor to a setting display field 62 presenting a desired register name, and presses the Finalize button 42 so as to finalize the selection. At this time, the list indicator field 34 indicates selection of the setting display field 62. Referring to FIG. 4, the list indicator field 34 indicates selection of the field presenting “urology.”
The user then presses the Send button [0298] 43. This causes the mobile CPU 22 to read control data from the memory 26 according to the register name displayed in the selected setting display field 62. The read control data is then transmitted to the centralized controller 4, for example, the centralized controller 4A installed in the operating room 2A via the communication interface circuit 10, and then recorded therein.
The centralized controller [0299] 4 receives the control data from the mobile device 5 via the communication interface 11 under the control of he centralized control CPU 12, and stores the control data in the memory 14. The centralized controller 4 controls the plurality of pieces of medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) on the basis of the control data stored in the memory 14 under the control of the centralized control CPU 12.
As mentioned above, the mobile device [0300] 5 can communicate with the centralized controller 4. The mobile device 5 can similarly communicate with the centralized controller 4B installed in the other operating room 22B by way of the centralized controller 4A in the operating room 2A, whereby the medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) connected to the centralized controller 4B can be controlled using the mobile device 5.
Thereafter, the user operates the centralized controller [0301] 4A so as to start surgery in the operating room 2A using the medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c).
During surgery, the user handles the operator panel [0302] 16 connected to the centralized controller 4A so as to control the medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c). At this time, the control data representing the settings of the medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) designated using the operator panel 16 is transferred to the centralized control CPU 12 via the communication interface circuit 12, and stored in the memory 14.
After the surgery is completed, the control data representing the settings of the medical equipment [0303] 3 (3 a to 3 c) and being stored in the memory 14 included in the centralized controller 4A is transmitted as new data to the mobile device 5.
The user re-connects the mobile device [0304] 5 to the centralized controller 4A for the purpose of communication. The user then presses the Copy button 45 included in the mobile device 5. Consequently, the mobile CPU 22 included in the mobile device 5 instructs the centralized control CPU 12 included in the centralized controller 4A to read the control data, which specifies the settings of the medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c), from the memory 14, and to transmit the read control data via the communication interface 15.
The mobile CPU [0305] 22 included in the mobile device 5 extends control to register the control data that represents the settings of the medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) and that is sent from the centralized controller 4. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the menu image 30C presents “new data,” whereby the control data is registered as new data. The menu image 30C also presents Set Value Readout. For example, “Settings 5: new data” is displayed in the lowermost one of the setting display fields 62. The control data has a register name entered in a character entry field 63 located below the setting display fields 62, and is then stored in the memory 26.
Consequently, the mobile device [0306] 5 can copy the settings preserved in the centralized controller 4A in the operating room 2A. Therefore, when the mobile device 5 communicates with the centralized controller 4B in the other room, for example, the operating room 2B, the same settings as the settings preserved in the centralized control system installed in the operating room 2A can be transmitted to the centralized controller 4B.
Consequently, according to the present embodiment, the medical equipment control system [0307] 1 capable of controlling the medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) on a centralized basis can be realized at low cost.
According to the present embodiment, the mobile device [0308] 5 has the memory 26, in which the control data is stored, on a fixed basis. The present invention is not limited to this mode. Alternatively, a memory in which control data is stored in advance may be made freely mountable or dismountable on or from the mobile device 5. When the memory is mounted, the data stored in the memory is transmitted to the centralized controller 4 and preserved therein. In this case, a personal computer or any other machine may be used to store control data in the memory. In this case, the mobile device 5 need not include the inputting/operating means that is used to input control data.
(Second Embodiment) [0309]
According to a second embodiment, the medical equipment control system [0310] 1 is constructed using a programming terminal capable of communicating with the mobile device 5 as an inputting/operating means used to enter data that is transmitted to the mobile device 5. The other components are identical to those of the first embodiment. The description of the identical components will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be assigned to the identical components.
As shown in FIG. 6, a medical equipment control system [0311] 70 in accordance with the second embodiment includes a programming terminal 71 capable of communicating with the mobile device 5 as the inputting/operating means used to enter data that is transmitted to the mobile device 5. When it says that the programming terminal can communicate with the mobile device, it means that the programming terminal communicates therewith over a cable or by wireless. According to the present embodiment, the programming terminal 71 has a communication port 72, into which a connection cord 71 a extending from the mobile device 5 is plugged in order to communicate with the mobile device 5, formed in a terminal body 73. Thus, the programming terminal 71 can communicate with the mobile device 5. Alternatively, the mobile device 5 and programming terminal 71 may include a transmitting/receiving means for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves including infrared light waves so that they can communicate with each other by wireless.
Moreover, the programming terminal [0312] 71 has the terminal body 73 connected to a terminal monitor 74 for use. The programming terminal 71 is realized with, for example, a personal computer. The terminal body 73 has an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse, which is not shown, connected thereto, and is thus operated.
The terminal body [0313] 73 has software, which is used to modify a program or control data stored in the memory 26 included in the mobile device 5, installed therein. Moreover, the terminal body 73 has control data, which represents the settings of medical equipment registered in the mobile device 5, stored in a hard disk thereof that is not shown.
In the medical equipment control system [0314] 70 having the foregoing components, the mobile device 5 is connected to the programming terminal 71.
Referring to FIG. 6, an activation image [0315] 80 is displayed on the terminal monitor 74 included in the programming terminal 71. When the power supply of the programming terminal is turned on, the activation image 80 is displayed first. The activation image 80 contains a Register button 81 that is used to register set values in the programming terminal 71, and a Send button 82 used to transmit the set values registered using the Register button 81 to the mobile device 5.
First, a description will be made of the actions to be performed by the programming terminal [0316] 71 when the Register button 81 is pressed in order to register set values. When a user clicks the Register button 81 by handling the keyboard or mouse, the image on the screen of the terminal monitor 74 is switched into a register name entry image 83 shown in FIG. 7.
The register name entry image [0317] 83 shown in FIG. 7 is an image prompting a user to enter a register name associated with a surgical procedure to be performed in each operating room 2 described in conjunction with FIG. 1. Register name entry fields 85 in which register names are entered are located by the right-hand side of setting number fields 84. Up and Down buttons 86 used to move the cursor over the register name entry fields 85 are located below the setting number fields 84. Furthermore, a Register button 87 is located at the right lower corner of the register name entry image 83.
The user uses the keyboard or mouse to enter register names that are recorded in the programming terminal [0318] 71. Referring to FIG. 7, the register name entry image 83 has register names entered in the register name entry fields 85 in association with Settings 1 to Settings 4. The cursor is positioned in the field of Settings 5, and a register name can be entered in the register name entry field 85 associated with the field of Settings 5. The register names to be entered in the register name entry fields 85 are, for example, “General surgery” for Settings 1, “Urology” for Settings 2, “Obstetrics and gynecology” for Settings 3, and “Plastic surgery” for Settings 4. In FIG. 7, the register name entry image 83 contains the fields of Settings 1 to Settings 5. In order to retrieve the other setting numbers, the displayed fields are scrolled up with the movement of the cursor.
After entering register names, the user handles the keyboard or mouse to click the Register button [0319] 87. The register names are then registered. The register names are preserved (stored) in the programming terminal 71. Consequently, the programming terminal 71 can select a proper register name in association with a kind of surgery. Therefore, once the user selects any of the registered register names, the medical equipment 3 (3 a to 3 c) installed in an operating room is set up in a desired manner. When the Register button 87 is clicked, the screen image on the terminal monitor 74 is switched to an equipment selection image 90 shown in FIG. 8.
The equipment selection image [0320] 90 shown in FIG. 8 is an image prompting a user to select medical equipment 3 whose settings the user wants to register. The equipment selection image 90 contains a medical equipment name display field 91 in which the names of a diathermic cautery unit and others are displayed as the names of pieces of medical equipment. A Finalize button 92 is located at the right lower corner of the equipment selection image.
Now, the user handles the keyboard or mouse to select the name of medical equipment whose settings he/she wants to register, and clicks the Finalize button [0321] 92. Consequently, registration of the selected medical equipment name is finalized. In the present embodiment, assume that the names of a diathermic cautery unit and an insufflator unit are selected as medical equipment. When the Finalize button 92 is clicked, the screen image on the terminal monitor 74 is switched to a setting entry image 93 shown in FIG. 9.
The setting entry image [0322] 93 shown in FIG. 9 is an image prompting a user to determine settings of medical equipment selected through the equipment selection image described in conjunction with FIG. 8. The setting entry image 93 prompts a user to enter desired set values for medical equipment the user has selected through the image shown in FIG. 8. The setting entry image 93 contains treatment mode name fields 95 a or setting name fields 95 b that are located below medical equipment name display fields 94. Set value entry fields 96 are located by the right-hand side of the treatment mode name fields 95 a or setting name fields 95 b.
By the right-hand side of the set value entry fields [0323] 96, there are Up and Down buttons 97 to be used to increase or decrease a set value entered in each of the set value entry fields 96.
By the right-hand side of the Up and Down buttons [0324] 97, a list indicator field 98 is positioned in order to indicate selection of any of the set value entry field 96. Moreover, a Finalize Entry button 99 to be used to finalize an entry made in each of the set value entry fields 96 is located below the Up and Down buttons 97.
Herein, a user uses the keyboard or mouse to enter a desired set value in each of the set value entry fields [0325] 96 associated with the selected name of medical equipment. When entry is completed, the Finalize Entry button 99 is clicked in order to finalize the entry. When the Finalize Entry button 99 is clicked, the screen image on the terminal monitor 74 is switched to a register verification image 100 shown in FIG. 10.
The register verification image shown in FIG. 10 is an image prompting a user to verify the contents of register entered through the images ending with the setting entry image [0326] 93 described in conjunction with FIG. 9. The register verification image 100 contains a Verify Register button 100 a to be used to verify the contents of register, and a Cancel Register button 100 b to be used to cancel the contents of register. The Verify Register button 100 a and Cancel Register button 100 b are juxtaposed in the center of the screen.
If a user is satisfied with the contents of register, the user uses the keyboard or mouse to click the Verify Register button [0327] 100 a. Registration is thus completed. If the Verify Register button 100 a is clicked, the screen image on the terminal monitor 74 is switched to the activation image 80 described in conjunction with FIG. 5.
If the user is dissatisfied with the contents of registration, the user uses the keyboard or mouse to click the Cancel Register button [0328] 100 b. The user then repeats registration until he/she is satisfied with the contents of register. If the Cancel Register button 100 b is clicked, the screen image on the terminal monitor 74 is switched to the register name entry image 83 described in conjunction with FIG. 7.
Thereafter, the user terminates setting registration in which set values are registered in the programming terminal [0329] 71. Thereafter, the registered set values are transmitted to the mobile device 5, whereby data transmission is performed.
By following the steps for setting registration described in conjunction with FIG. 6 to FIG. 10, a group of control data items based on which the medical equipment [0330] 3 (3 a to 3 c) in the operating room 2A is set up automatically is stored in the programming terminal 71.
As described in conjunction with FIG. 6, with the mobile device [0331] 5 connected to the programming terminal 71 through the communication port 72, the user uses the keyboard or mouse to click the Send button 82 contained in the activation image 80. This causes the programming terminal 71 to transmit all control data stored therein to the mobile device 5. This enables the mobile device 5 to fetch the control data sent from the programming terminal 71 as if to fetch the control data sent from the centralized controller 4 as described in relation to the first embodiment.
When the control data is received from the programming terminal [0332] 71, for example, “Settings 5: new data” is, as described in conjunction with FIG. 5, displayed in the setting display field 62 on the mobile device 5. For the control data, similarly to the one described in conjunction with FIG. 5, a register name is entered in the character entry field 63. The control data is thus stored in the memory 26, whereby the settings represented by the control data are registered. Incidentally, the entered register name may be modified using the programming terminal 71.
After the user modifies and registers the set values for desired medical equipment using the mobile device [0333] 5 in the same manner as that described in relation to the first embodiment, the user transmits the set values to the centralized controller 4. The centralized controller 4 realizes automatic setup of desired medical equipment.
Moreover, after surgery is completed, a user re-connects the mobile device [0334] 5 to the centralized controller 4A as described in relation to the first embodiment, and presses the Copy button 45. Consequently, control data representing the settings of each medical equipment and being stored in the memory 14 included in the centralized controller 4 during surgery is read as new data into the mobile device 5 for the purpose of registration of the settings.
At this time, when the mobile device [0335] 5 is plugged into the communication port 72 of the programming terminal 71, the control data stored in the memory 26 is transmitted to the programming terminal 71. The programming terminal 71 compares control data sent from the mobile device 5 with the control data stored in the hard disk thereof.
Next, a processing flow of controlling addition of data to the programming terminal [0336] 71 will be described in conjunction with the flowchart of FIG. 11.
As described in FIG. 11, the programming terminal [0337] 71 compares control data sent from the mobile device 5 with control data stored in the hard disk thereof (step S1 and step S2). If the control data is new data bearing a new register name, the data is additionally stored in the hard disk and the settings represented by the data are recognized to be newly registered (step S3). The processing is then terminated (step S4).
If it is found at step S[0338] 1 that the control data is not different from existing control data, the programming terminal 71 performs nothing. The processing is terminated (step S4). In contrast, if the data is new data bearing an existing register name, the programming terminal 71 displays on the terminal screen an alarm message saying that the register name is a duplicate (step S5).
Consequently, every time new control data is stored in the mobile device [0339] 5, new settings are automatically registered in the programming terminal 71. According to the present embodiment, when a plurality of mobile devices 5 is employed, the control data items entered using the other mobile devices 5 are gathered in the programming terminal 71. Consequently, all the mobile devices 5 automatically share the same new control data items.
According to the second embodiment, the programming terminal [0340] 71 has the ability to register settings represented by control data. Alternatively, the mobile device 5 may have the ability to register settings represented by control data.
(Third Embodiment) [0341]
(Features) [0342]
FIG. 12 shows the overall configuration of an endoscopic surgery system [0343] 1003 installed in an operating room 1002.
As shown in FIG. 12, a patient couch [0344] 1010 on which a patient 1048 lies down and the endoscopic surgery system 1003 are installed in the operating room 1002. The endoscopic surgery system 1003 includes a first cart 1011 and a second cart 1012.
Medical equipment, for example, an electrocautery unit [0345] 1013, an insufflator unit 1014, an endoscopic camera unit 1015, a light source unit 1016, a VTR 1017, and a chemical cylinder 1018 filled with carbon dioxide are integrated into the first cart 1011. The endoscopic camera unit 1015 is connected to a first endoscope 1031 over a camera cable 1031 a. The light source unit 1016 is connected to the first endoscope 1031 over a light guide cable 1031 b.
Moreover, a display device [0346] 1019, a centralized display panel 1020, and an operator panel 1021 are mounted on the first cart 1011.
The display device [0347] 1019 is, for example, a TV monitor on which an endoscopic image or the like is displayed.
The centralized display panel [0348] 1020 is a display means on which every information acquired during surgery can be selectively displayed. The operator panel 1021 is composed of a display, for example, a liquid crystal display and touch sensors integrated with the display. The operator panel 1021 serves as a centralized operating unit to be handled by a nurse or the like in a non-sterilized zone.
Furthermore, the first cart [0349] 1011 has a system controller 1022 mounted therein. The electrocautery unit 1013, insufflator unit 1014, endoscopic camera unit 1015, light source unit 1016, and VTR 1017 are connected to the system controller 1022 over transmission lines that are not shown. A communication control module 1063 is incorporated in the system controller 1022, and connected to the communication circuit 9 shown in FIG. 2 over a communication cable 1064.
On the other hand, an endoscopic camera unit [0350] 1023, a light source unit 1024, an image processing unit 1025, a display device 1026, and a second centralized display panel 1027 are integrated into the second cart 1012.
The endoscopic camera unit [0351] 1023 is connected to a second endoscope 1032 over a camera cable 1032 a. The light source unit 1024 is connected to the second endoscope 1032 over a light guide cable 1032 b.
An endoscopic image formed by the endoscopic camera unit [0352] 1023 is displayed on the display device 1026. Every information acquired during surgery can be selectively displayed on the second centralized display panel 1027.
The endoscopic camera unit [0353] 1023, light source unit 1024, and image processing unit 1025 are connected to a relay unit 1028 mounted in the second cart 1012 over transmission lines that are not shown. The relay unit 1028 is connected to the system controller 1022 mounted in the first cart 1011 over a relay cable 1029.
The system controller [0354] 1022 controls on a centralized basis the camera unit 1023, light source unit 1024, and image processing unit 1025 that are integrated into the second cart 1012 as well as the electrocautery unit 1013, insufflator unit 1014, camera unit 1015, light source unit 1016, and VTR 1017 that are integrated into the first cart 1011. When communication links are established between the system controller 1022 and these pieces of equipment, the system controller 1022 displays a setting screen image, which presents the settings of each piece of connected equipment and operation switches, on the liquid crystal display of the operator panel 1021. Moreover, a set value can be modified or entered by pressing a desired operation switch that is defined as a predetermined area on the liquid crystal display so as to actuate a touch sensor associated with the predetermined area.
A remote controller [0355] 1030 serves as a second centralized operating unit to be handled by an operator in a sterilized zone. Using the remote controller 1030, any other equipment with which a communication link is established can be operated via the system controller 1022. The system controller 1022 analyzes biomedical information acquired by a patient monitor system 1004 that will be described later, and displays the results of analysis on a given display device.
Moreover the system controller [0356] 1022 has an infrared communication port that is not shown. The infrared communication port is located at a position from which infrared light waves can be readily emitted, such as, a position near the display device 1019. The infrared communication port is connected to the system controller 1022 over a cable.
Next, the patient monitor system [0357] 1004 will be described in conjunction with FIG. 13.
As shown in FIG. 13, the patient monitor system [0358] 1004 employed in combination with the present embodiment includes a signal connector 1041. An electrocardiograph 1043, a pulse oximeter 1044, a capnograph 1045, and other vital sign measuring instruments are connected to the signal connector 1041 via cables 1042.
The capnograph [0359] 1045 is connected to a breath sensor 1047 over a cable 1046. The breath sensor 1047 is attached to a hose 1049 extending from an inhaler mounted on the patient 1048. Consequently, an electrocardiogram, a blood oxygen saturation, a breath carbonic dioxide concentration, and other biomedical information concerning the patient 1048 can be measured.
The signal connector [0360] 1041 is electrically connected to a control module 1050 incorporated in the patient monitor system 1004. The control module 1050 is connected to a display device 1056 by way of a video signal line 53, a video connector 1054, and a cable 1055. Moreover, the control unit 1050 is electrically connected to a communication control module 1006. The communication control module 1006 is connected to a communication circuit 1009 through a communication connector 1051.
The communication circuit [0361] 1009 is connected to a communication controller that is included in the endoscope system 1003 and that is not shown.
Next, what are displayed on the screen of the operator panel [0362] 1021 when the electrocautery unit is designated will be described in conjunction with FIG. 14.
As shown in FIG. 14, a main menu [0363] 1100 is displayed on the left part of the operator panel 1021. The main menu 1100 contains fields 1101 to 1108 in which TV camera, Light Source Unit, Insufflator unit, Electrocautery unit, Ultrasound Processing Unit that is not shown in FIG. 1, VTR, Power Off, and Download are specified. In the state shown in FIG. 14, the selected Electrocautery Unit field 1104 is highlighted in yellow. A setting screen image 1110 to be used to determine the settings of the selected electrocautery unit is displayed on the right part of the operator panel 1021.
Next, what are displayed when the Download field [0364] 1108 contained in the main menu 1100 is selected will be described in conjunction with FIG. 15.
As shown in FIG. 15, a detail menu [0365] 1120 concerning download is displayed on the right part of the operator panel 1021. The detail menu 1120 contains a selection field 1121 that is used to designate whether download is needed, and a menu 1122 having items concerning download. The menu 1122 contains an Equipment Settings field 1123, a Vital Signs field 1124, an Endoscopic Image field 1125, an All Data field 1126, a User Designation 1 field 1127, and a User Designation 2 field 1128. The User Designation 1 and User Designation 2 are included in order to permit an operator to download desired download items by performing one manipulation. For example, once the set values for equipment and vital signs are registered in association with User Designation 1, both the set values and vital signs can be downloaded by performing one manipulation.
Next, a case where the main menu is displayed on a display operating section of a PDA [0366] 1008 will be described in conjunction with FIG. 16.
As shown in FIG. 16, a main menu [0367] 1130 is displayed on the display operating section of the PDA 1008. The main menu 1130 contains fields 1131 to 1135, and 1138 in which TV Camera, Light Source Unit, Insufflator unit, Electrocautery unit, Ultrasound Processing Unit, and Download are specified.
Next, a case where a download menu is displayed on the display operating section of the PDA [0368] 8 will be described in conjunction with FIG. 17.
As shown in FIG. 17, a download menu [0369] 1140 is displayed on the display operating section of the PDA 1008 because download is designated through the main menu. The download menu 1140 contains an Equipment Settings field 1143, a Vital Signs field 1144, an Endoscopic Image field 1145, an All Data field 1146, a User Designation 1 field 1147, and a User Designation 2 field 1148.
As mentioned above, both the main menu [0370] 1130 and download menu 1140 are displayed on the display operating section of the PDA 1008 while having substantially the same contents as those displayed on the operator panel 1021. Moreover, the PDA 1008 has an infrared communication port that is not shown.
According to the present embodiment, the electrocautery unit [0371] 1013, insufflator unit 1014, endoscopic camera unit 1015, light source unit 1016, and VTR 1017 are adopted as medical equipment to be used for medical activities.
The system controller [0372] 1022, operator panel 1021, and PDA 1008 constitute a control system for controlling the medical equipment.
Moreover, the system controller [0373] 1022 includes: a receiving means that receives predetermined information from the medical equipment; a storage means in which the predetermined information received by the receiving means is temporarily stored; and a transmitting means that transmits the predetermined information read from the storage means to the PDA 1008 serving as a recording device which records information on a predetermined recording medium.
Moreover, the system controller [0374] 1022 and operator panel 1021 serve as a terminating means for terminating the action of the foregoing control system.
Furthermore, the system controller [0375] 1022 includes a judging means that judges whether the transmitting means has transmitted information, and a termination control means that controls the terminating means on the basis of the result of judgment made by the judging means.
(Operations) [0376]
Operations to be exerted by the third embodiment having the foregoing components will be described below. [0377]
FIG. 18 is a flowchart describing a procedure started with the display of the main menu and ended with download. [0378]
At step S[0379] 1001, the system controller 1022 displays the main menu 1100 shown in FIG. 14 on the operator panel 1021.
Thereafter, at step S[0380] 1002, the system controller 1022 sets up the electrocautery unit 1013 and insufflator unit 1014 on the basis of an entry an operator made at the operator panel 21. During surgery, if no switch is pressed, that is, any part of the operator panel 1021 is not pressed, steps S1002, S1003, S1004, and S1002 are carried out in that order.
After surgery is completed, when the Power Off field [0381] 1107 contained in the main menu displayed on the operator panel 1021 is pressed, the judgment is made in the affirmative at step S1003. The system controller 1022 then passes control to download of step S1005.
Download will be described. At step S[0382] 1005, the main menu on the operator panel 1021 is changed to the download menu 1140 shown in FIG. 15. The Download field 1108 in the main menu 1100 is highlighted in yellow, whereby it is indicated that download is in progress. When an operator selects a desired download item at the operator panel 1021, the system controller 1022 and PDA 1008 communicate with each other through the infrared communication ports thereof according to the IrDA protocol so that data will be downloaded to the PDA 1008. Consequently, data received from the system controller 1022 is preserved in the storage means such as the hard disk of the PDA 1008.
When download is completed, the system controller [0383] 1022 passes control to step S1006. If the Power Off field 1107 has been selected, the power supply is turned off at step S1007. If the Power Off field 1107 is not pressed at step S1003 but the Download field 1108 is pressed at step S1004, the system controller 1022 performs download at step S1005 and passes control to step S1006. Since the Power Off field 1107 has not been selected, control is returned to step S1002. The procedure is repeated.
Incidentally, when the power supply of the PDA [0384] 1008 is turned off, the same procedure as the one described in the flowchart of FIG. 18 is carried out.
(Advantages) [0385]
As mentioned above, according to the present embodiment, when the Power Off field [0386] 1107 is pressed at the operator panel 1021, the system controller 1022 and PDA 1008 automatically communicate with each other so that data will be downloaded to the PDA 1008. Download will never be forgotten. This results in a user-friendly endoscopic surgery system.
In the third embodiment, the system controller [0387] 1022 and PDA 1008 communicate with each other according to the IrDA standard. Alternatively, radiocommunication that is achieved using radio waves according to the Bluetooth standard or the like will do. Moreover, a communication method that requires connection via RS-232C interfaces over a cable may be adopted.
FIG. 19 is a plan view showing a screen image on the operator panel that is displayed according to a variant of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 12 to FIG. 17. The components other than the illustrated ones will be described in conjunction with FIG. 12 and FIG. 14. [0388]
According to the present variant, when the Power Off field [0389] 1107 contained in the main menu 1100 shown in FIG. 14 is pressed, if download has not been performed, an alarm message 1129 is, as shown in FIG. 19, displayed on a setting screen image 1110. The system controller then enters a standby state. Thus, an operator is notified of the fact that download has not been performed.
According to the present variant, the alarm message [0390] 1129 prevents a user from forgetting to download data.
(Fourth Embodiment) [0391]
A fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 14. [0392]
As described in relation to the third embodiment by referring to FIG. 12 and FIG. 14, the PDA [0393] 1008 communicates with the system controller 1022 by means of infrared light waves. If there is an obstacle between the PDA 1008 and system controller 1022 or if the distance between them exceeds a standard value, communication is suspended.
According to the IrDA standard, bi-directional communication is achieved between the PDA [0394] 1008 and system controller 1022. In the fourth embodiment, the PDA 1008 and system controller 1022 check at intervals of, for example, one sec if they have successfully received signals sent from the others. If either of the signals is not detected, a built-in buzzer generates an alarm sound. Consequently, if the PDA 1008 goes out of a communication-enabled range within which the PDA 1008 can communicate with the system controller 1022, an operator immediately becomes aware of the fact. The operator can therefore achieve download. Moreover, the operator is prevented from going out of an operating room with the PDA 1008 put in his/her pocket or the like.
Moreover, the PDA [0395] 1008 may be fastened to a user's wrist using a wristband that is not shown. This allows the user to make his/her hands free. Moreover, the user is prevented from forgetting where he/she has put the PDA.
Incidentally, an operating unit like the system controller [0396] 1022 shown in FIG. 12 or equipment from which numerous cords are extended is likely to incur extraneous force. The force causes the equipment to float from the surface of a floor or any other installed surface on which the equipment is installed. Fifth to tenth embodiments that attempt to solve this problem will be described in conjunction with FIG. 20 to FIG. 25.
(Fifth Embodiment) [0397]
(Features) [0398]
As shown in FIG. 20, an encased device [0399] 1200 is adapted to, for example, the system controller 1022 shown in FIG. 12.
The encased device [0400] 1200 in accordance with the fifth embodiment includes a casing 1201 that is compact and lightweight and has a plurality of connectors, a plurality of foot-holders 1204 having smoothing surfaces 1206, and a plurality of feet 1202 each having an adsorbent surface that is repeatedly usable.
The bottom of the casing [0401] 1201 has four feet 1202.
Four foot-holders [0402] 1204 are embedded in an installed surface 1203.
The foot [0403] 1202 has an adsorbent material 1205, which is repeatedly usable and washable, applied thereto.
The foot-holder [0404] 1204 has the smoothing surface 1206 on which the adsorbent material 1205 fixed to the foot 1202 is bonded. An adhesive seal 1207 is fixed to the bottom of the foot-holder 1204, whereby the foot-holder 1204 is bonded to the installed surface 1203.
(Operations) [0405]
Owing to the foregoing structure, the adsorbent material [0406] 1205 of the foot 1202 of the encased device 1200 is attracted to the smoothing surface 1206 of the foot-holder 1204.
(Advantages) [0407]
An advantage provided by the present embodiment will be described by comparing with FIG. 172 that is a side view of a conventional encased device and FIG. 173 that is a plan view thereof. [0408]
First, a conventional encased device [0409] 1290 shown in FIG. 172 and FIG. 173 has feet 1292 fixed to the bottom of a casing 1201 thereof. Through holes 1296 are bored in foot-holders 1294 placed on an installed surface 1203. The installed position of the encased device 1200 is determined with the feet 1292 and through holes 1296.
There is a gap between each foot [0410] 1292 and the through hole 1296 of each foot-holder 1294, and a structure for preventing the casing 1201 from floating is not included. Therefore, the casing 1201 of the conventional encased device 1290 may be displaced or may float due to extraneous force (force exerted in pressing a switch on the casing 1201 or tensile force exerted by cables 1297, 1298, and 1299 spliced to connectors).
In contrast, in the encased device [0411] 1200 in accordance with the fifth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 20, since the adsorbent materials 1205 of the feet 1202 are attracted to the smoothing surfaces 1206 of the foot-holders 1204, the casing 1201 will neither be displaced nor float. Moreover, if the adsorbent material 1205 were smeared with humor or blood, the adsorbent material could be detached and cleaned with water. This is preferable in terms of sanitary.
(Sixth Embodiment) [0412]
(Features) [0413]
As shown in FIG. 21, four sucker feet [0414] 1212 are fixed to the bottom of the casing 1201 of an encased device 1210. The sucker feet 1212 each have a sucker 1215 that is repeatedly usable. The foot-holders 1204 each have the smoothing surface 1206 to which the sucker 1215 of each sucker foot 1212 is attracted. The other members are identical to those of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 20. The same reference numerals will be assigned to the identical members, and the description of the members will be omitted.
(Operations) [0415]
Owing to the foregoing structure, the suckers [0416] 1215 of the sucker, feet 1212 of the casing 1201 are attracted to the smoothing surfaces 1206 of the foot-holders 1204.
(Advantages) [0417]
According to the sixth embodiment, the suckers [0418] 1215 of the sucker feet 1212 are attracted to the smoothing surfaces 1206 of the foot-holders 1204. Force exerted in preventing floating of the casing 1201 works more effectively than it does in the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 20.
(Seventh Embodiment) [0419]
(Feature) [0420]
As shown in FIG. 22, four feet [0421] 1222 are fixed to the bottom of the casing 1201 of an encased device 1220.
Moreover, four foot-holders [0422] 1224 are placed on the installed surface 1203.
Each foot [0423] 1222 has a semicylindrical groove 1228 formed circumstantially. The distal portion of the foot 1222 is tapered from the semicylindrical groove 1228 towards the installed surface 1203.
Each foot-holder [0424] 1224 has a plurality of hemispheric projections 1229 formed on the internal surface thereof. The foot-holder 1224 has a smoothing surface 1226 to which an adsorbent material 1225 applied to the foot 1222 is attracted. The other members are identical to those of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 20. The same reference numerals will be assigned to the identical members, and the description of the members will be omitted.
(Operations) [0425]
Owing to the foregoing structure, the adsorbent materials [0426] 1225 of the feet 1222 of the casing 1201 are attracted to the smoothing surfaces 1226 of the foot-holders 1224. Furthermore, the hemispheric projections 1229 of each foot-holder 1224 are fitted in the semicylindrical groove 1228 of each foot 1222.
(Advantages) [0427]
According to the seventh embodiment, the hemispheric projections [0428] 1229 are fitted into the semicylindrical groove 1228 and locked therein. Force exerted in securing the casing 1201 works more successfully than it does in the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 20.
(Eighth Embodiment) [0429]
(Features) [0430]
As shown in FIG. 23, four feet [0431] 1224 are fixed to the bottom of the casing 1201 of an encased device 1230. Four hoot-holders 1234 are placed on the installed surface 1203. The foot-holders 1234 each have one or more screws threaded in the lateral surface thereof. Screws 1240 are meshed with the screws 1239, and have the tips thereof fitted in the semicylindrical groove 228 formed in each foot 1222.
The other members are identical to those of the seventh embodiment. The same reference numerals will be assigned to the identical members, and the description of the members will be omitted. [0432]
(Operations) [0433]
Owing to the foregoing structure, the adsorbent materials [0434] 1225 of the feet 1222 of the casing 1201 are attracted to the smoothing surfaces 1226 of the foot-holders 1224. Moreover, the tips of the screws 1240 are fitted into the semicylindrical groove 1228 formed in each foot 1222, and the foot is thus immobilized.
(Advantages) [0435]
According to the eighth embodiment, the tips of the screws [0436] 1240 are fitted into the semicylindrical groove 1228 formed in each foot so that each foot will be immobilized. Force exerted in immobilizing the casing 1201 works more successfully than it does in the seventh embodiment shown in FIG. 22.
(Ninth Embodiment) [0437]
(Feature) [0438]
As shown in FIG. 24, four feet [0439] 1252 are fixed to the bottom of the casing 1201 of an encased device 1250. Moreover, four hoot-holders 1254 are placed on the installed surface 1203.
Each foot [0440] 1252 has a flange 1258 formed on the side thereof facing the installed surface 1203. The flange 1258 serves as a catch. Each foot-holder 1254 has a hooked portion 1259, and also has a smoothing surface 1256 to which an adsorbent material 1255 applied to each foot 1252 is attracted. The other members are identical to those of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 20. The same reference numerals will be assigned to the identical members, and the description of the members will be omitted.
(Operations) [0441]
Owing to the foregoing structure, the flange [0442] 1258 of each foot 1252 is engaged with the hooked portion 1259 of each foot-holder 1254, and the hooked portion 1259 catches the flange 1258 of the foot 1252. Furthermore, the adsorbent material 1255 of the foot 1252 of the casing 1201 is attracted to the smoothing surface 1256 of the foot-holder 1254.
(Advantages) [0443]
According to the ninth embodiment, the flange [0444] 1258 of each foot 1252 is engaged with the hooked portion 1259. Consequently, the ninth embodiment provides the same advantage as the seventh embodiment shown in FIG. 22. The encased device 1250 can be installed readily. This leads to improvement of working efficiency.
(Tenth Embodiment) [0445]
(Feature) [0446]
As shown in FIG. 25, four feet [0447] 1262 are fixed to the bottom of the casing 1201 of an encased device 1260. Moreover, four foot-holders 1264 are placed on the installed surface 1203.
Each foot [0448] 1262 has a slit 1268 formed in the periphery thereof near the end thereof facing the installed surface 1203. Each foot-holder 1264 has a hooked portion 1269 and a smoothing surface 1266 to which an adsorbent material 1265 applied to each foot 1262 is attracted. The other members are identical to those of the ninth embodiment shown in FIG. 24. The same reference numerals will be assigned to the identical members, and the description of the members will be omitted.
(Operations) [0449]
Owing to the foregoing structure, the hooked portion [0450] 1269 of each foot-holder 1264 is fitted into the slit 1268 of each foot 1262, and thus locked in the slit 1268 thereof. Furthermore, the adsorbent material 1265 of each foot 1262 of the casing 1201 is attracted to the smoothing surface 1266 of each foot-holder 1264.
(Advantages) [0451]
According to the tenth embodiment, the hooked portion [0452] 1269 is locked in the slit 1268 of each foot 1262. Consequently, the tenth embodiment provides the same advantage as the ninth embodiment shown in FIG. 24.
By the way, the operator panel [0453] 1021 shown in FIG. 12 serves as a setting display panel to be used to determine set values for equipment that assists in endoscopic surgery. The operator panel 1021 is disposed on the side of the first cart 1011 serving as an endoscopic surgery trolley.
Moreover, conventional endoscopic surgery trolleys are classified into a type having a setting display panel disposed on the side of an endoscopic surgery trolley as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications Nos. 7-303654 and 2001-128992, and a type having a setting display panel disposed separately from an endoscopic surgery trolley as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-132121. [0454]
The setting display panels included in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 12 and described in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications Nos. 7-303654 and 2001-128992 are each disposed on the side of an endoscopic surgery trolley. Therefore, it is impossible for a nurse to freely change the orientation of the setting display panel, and it is very hard to modify the settings of equipment within a crowded operating room. Moreover, the setting display panel described in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-132121 is disposed separately from the endoscopic surgery trolley. It is possible for a nurse to freely change the orientation of the setting display panel. The maneuverability of the setting display panel is therefore satisfactory. However, the setting display panel itself may interfere with people working in a crowded operating room. [0455]
Eleventh to thirteenth embodiments that attempt to solve the foregoing problem will be described in conjunction with FIG. 26 to FIG. 32 below. [0456]
(Eleventh Embodiment) [0457]
(Feature) [0458]
As shown in FIG. 26, a patient couch [0459] 1010 on which a patient 1048 lies down, an endoscopic surgery trolley 1301 serving as an endoscopic surgery system, a monitor 1302, and an anesthesia machine 1303 are installed in an operating room. Doctors 1304 and 1305 and nurses 1306 and 1307 are working in the operating room. The trolley 1301 has a setting display panel 1311 used to determine or display the set values for equipment that assists in endoscopic surgery.
As shown in FIG. 27, the endoscopic surgery trolley [0460] 1301 has the setting display panel 1311, a driver 1312 to be used to axially rotate the setting display panel, and an arm 1313. One end of the arm 1313 is fixed to the frame of a main body of the endoscopic surgery trolley 1301, and the other end thereof bears the setting display panel 1311 via the driver 1312.
Owing to the foregoing structure, a person who operates equipment can change the orientation of the screen of the setting display panel [0461] 1311 by 180° or more with respect to the main body of the endoscopic surgery trolley 1301.
(Operations) [0462]
When the driver [0463] 1312 of the endoscopic surgery trolley 1301 axially rotates, the setting display panel 1311 thereof rotates to change its orientation.
(Advantages) [0464]
According to the eleventh embodiment, the orientation of the setting display panel [0465] 1311 can be changed. This contributes to improvement of efficiency in proceeding with work such as setting modification or setting verification to be performed by a nurse or the like in an unclean zone during surgery. Eventually, a load the nurse incurs can be lightened.
(Twelfth Embodiment) [0466]
(Feature) [0467]
As shown in FIG. 28, an endoscopic surgery trolley [0468] 1321 has an LCD monitor 1331, which includes a touch-sensitive panel, and an LCD monitor 1341 integrated with each other. The LCD monitor 1331 and LCD monitor 1341 are mounted on the top of the endoscopic surgery trolley using arms 1322. The endoscopic surgery trolley 1321 has a footswitch that is not shown and that can be stepped on in a clean zone.
As shown in FIG. 29, the LCD monitor [0469] 1331 has a setting switch 1332 that is used to display an endoscopic image, and a setting switch 1333 that is used to display a screen image that is supposed to be displayed on a setting display panel.
As shown in FIG. 30, the LCD monitor [0470] 1341 has a setting switch 1342 that is used to display an endoscopic image, and a setting switch 1343 that is used to display a screen image that is supposed to be displayed on the setting display panel.
(Operations) [0471]
In the endoscopic surgery trolley [0472] 1321, depending on whichever of the setting switches of each of the LCD monitor 1331 and LCD monitor 1341 is pressed, one of the LCD monitor 1331 and LCD monitor 1341 displays an endoscopic image and the other displays a screen image.
(Advantages) [0473]
According to the twelfth embodiment, an LCD monitor on which an endoscopic image is displayed and a setting display panel are integrated with each other. This contributes to space saving. [0474]
(Thirteenth Embodiment) [0475]
(Feature) [0476]
As shown in FIG. 31 and FIG. 32, an LCD monitor [0477] 1353 and a setting display panel 1354 that are integrated with each other using a hinge 1352 are placed on the top of an endoscopic surgery trolley 1351.
(Operations) [0478]
The endoscopic surgery trolley [0479] 1351 has the setting display panel 1354 that axially turns on the hinge 1352 so as to change the orientation thereof. As shown in FIG. 31, when the LCD monitor 1353 and setting display panel 1354 are left open, the screen of the LCD monitor 1353 lies in a clean zone and the screen of the setting display panel 1354 lies in an unclean zone.
(Advantages) [0480]
According to the thirteenth embodiment, unless the endoscopic surgery trolley is used, the screen of the setting display panel [0481] 1354 and the screen of the LCD monitor 1353 are, as shown in FIG. 32, met each other. Thus, the screen of the setting display panel 1354 and the screen of the LCD monitor 1353 can be protected.
(Fourteenth Embodiment) [0482]
As shown in FIG. 33, an endoscopic surgery system [0483] 2001 is constructed in an operating room. Herein, a TV camera head 2004 having a built-in imaging device is mounted on an endoscope 2005 used to perform endoscopic examination. The endoscope 2005, an insufflator unit guide pipe 2006 used to dilate the abdominal cavity, and an electrocautery probe 2007 used to electrically cauterize a tissue are thrust into a patient 2003 lying down on an operating table 2002. A signal cable 2008 coupled to the TV camera head 2004, a light guide cable 2009 coupled to the endoscope 2005, an insufflator tube 2010 coupled to the insufflator guide pipe 6, and a signal cable 2011 coupled to the electrocautery probe 2007 are led to a TV camera unit (hereinafter abbreviated to a TV camera for brevity's sake) 2013, a light source unit (hereinafter abbreviated to a light source) 2014, an insufflator unit 2015, and an electrocautery unit 2026 respectively which are integrated into a trolley 2012.
In addition to the TV camera [0484] 2013 that processes a signal picked up by the imaging device, the light source 2014 that supplies illumination light, the insufflator unit 2015 that supplies a gas to dilate the abdominal cavity, and the electrocautery unit 2016 that supplies high-frequency power for cauterization, a system controller 2017 that controls the entire system (serves as a medical system controller), a VTR 2018 that records a video signal produced by the TV camera 2013, and a monitor 2019 on which an image is displayed according to the video signal sent from the TV camera 2013 are integrated into the trolley 2012.
Moreover, an operator panel [0485] 2021 used to operate the endoscopic surgery system and a display panel 22 on which an image or the like is displayed are mounted on the trolley 2012. Furthermore, a remote controller 2023 used to remotely control or operate the endoscopic surgery system is detachably attached to the operating table 2 or the like.
Medical equipment including the TV camera [0486] 2013 is connected to the system controller 2017 over communication cables that are not shown. According to the present embodiment, a PC card 2025 that will be described in conjunction with FIG. 34 can be loaded in the system controller 2017.
FIG. 34 shows the internal configuration of the system controller [0487] 2017.
The system controller [0488] 2017 can be operated using the touch-sensitive panel type operator panel 2021 or remote controller 2023. Displaying information or the like sent from the system controller 2017 is controlled using the operator panel 2021 or display panel 2022.
The system controller [0489] 2017 includes: a remote controller signal receiving module 2026 that receives a signal from the remote controller 2023; an operator panel signal receiving module 2027 that receives a signal from the operator panel 2021; an operator panel drive 2028 that transmits data needed to display information on the operator panel 2021; and a display panel drive 2029 that transmits data needed to display information on the display panel 2022.
Moreover, a communication module [0490] 2030 that communicates with medical equipment mounted in the trolley 2012 is connected to the TV camera 2013, light source 2014, insufflator unit 2015, electrocautery unit 2016, and VTR 2018 over communication cables. The communication module 2030 can communicate with the medical equipment bi-directionally.
Moreover, the system controller [0491] 2017 includes a PC card drive 2031 that receives or transmits data to or from the PC card 2025 when having the PC card 2025 loaded therein. This is intended to transfer data to or from a personal computer or any other external information processing unit via the PC card 2025 serving as a nonvolatile information recording device, for example, a flash memory.
Moreover, a video signal processing module [0492] 2032 included in the system controller 2017 digitizes a video signal sent from the TV camera 2013, and transfers the resultant signal to the control module 2033. Moreover, the video signal processing module 2032 converts video data produced by the control module 2033 into an analog signal, and transmits the analog signal to the monitor 2019.
The control module [0493] 2033 for controlling the foregoing components as well as a power unit 2034 that supplies power to the components and a hard disk 2035 in which automatic setup data is preserved are included in the system controller 2017. A program for producing the automatic setup data needed to automatically set up medical equipment in order to conduct surgery and a program for editing it are stored in the hard disk 2035.
The control module [0494] 2033 is realized with a board personal computer. As shown in FIG. 35, the control module 2033 has, in addition to the CPU 2036, a RAM 2037 and various kinds of general interfaces which a typical personal computer has, such as, a serial port 2038, a parallel port 2039, a LAN port 2040, a PS/2 port 2041, a USB port 2042, an FDD port 2043 through which the control module is connected to a floppy® disk drive, and an IDE port 2044 through which the control module is connected to a hard disk drive 2035, and a video port 2045 through which a video signal is transmitted.
In general, it is necessary for surgery to determine an operation mode in which each piece of medical equipment operates and the set values for each piece of medical equipment. In this case, an automatic setup feature will prove useful. Specifically, the automatic setup feature preserves operational set values prior to surgery, and reads the set values at the start of surgery so as to set up each piece of medical equipment. According to the present embodiment, the automatic setup feature can be, as described later, implemented by loading the PC card [0495] 2025, which can be freely unloaded and serves as a recording means in which operational setting information (operational set values) is recorded, in the system controller 2017 included in the endoscopic surgery system 1.
An external personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated to a personal computer) or any other information processing unit is used to record operational setting information (or more particularly, automatic setup data) on the PC card [0496] 2025. The PC card 2025 is then loaded in the PC card drive 2031 included in the system controller 2017, whereby the operational setting information recorded in the PC card 2025 is read and effectively used to set up medical equipment.
In short, according to the present embodiment, an external information processing unit other than a conventional endoscopic surgery system can record or edit operational setting information. Moreover, the operational setting information can be utilized in efforts to realize a user-friendly medical system control system (and medical system). [0497]
As described later, a personal computer a doctor uses to edit data at his/her office with the PC card [0498] 2025 loaded therein has the same features as the control module 2033 shown in FIG. 35 (in FIG. 35, a hard disk and a display means are connected through the IDE port 2044 and video port 2045 respectively). Furthermore, the personal computer has a PC card drive in or from which the PC card 2025 can be loaded or unloaded.
Next, operations to be exerted by the present embodiment will be described. First, referring to the screen image transition chart of FIG. 36, a description will be made of actions to be performed by the system controller [0499] 2017 included in the fourteenth embodiment.
When the power supply of the system controller [0500] 2017 is turned on, a main screen image G1 is displayed on the screen of the operator panel 2021. A transition can be made from the main screen image G1 to a TV camera image G2, a light source screen image G3, etc., or an electrocautery screen image G4. Moreover, a transition can be made from the main screen image G1 to an automatic setting screen image G5 by manipulating an Auto Setup button 55 that will be described later.
Automatic setting can be executed through the automatic setup screen image G[0501] 5.
Moreover, the automatic setup screen image G[0502] 5 can be changed to a TV camera setting screen image, a light source setting screen image, etc., or an electrocautery unit setting screen image G6.
FIG. 37 shows a concrete example of the main screen image G[0503] 1.
The main screen image G[0504] 1 contains an insufflator unit information field 2051 as the right upper part thereof. A set value of an insufflation pressure and a measured value thereof are presented in the insufflator unit information field 2051.
An electrocautery unit information field [0505] 2052 is displayed as the middle part of the main screen image, wherein an output mode, a resection power value, and a coagulation power value are presented.
A monitor and display panel field [0506] 2053 is displayed as the left lower part of the main screen image. Whether a video signal received by the system controller 2017 is frozen or released (captured) can be specified in the field. Captured video data can be recorded in the PC card 2025 and seen at other personal computer.
A TV camera operation field [0507] 2054 is displayed as the right lower part of the main screen image, wherein the names of the features of the TV camera 2013 are presented. When part of the screen image defined as a button is pressed, any value can be set for each of the features. When the Auto Setup button 2055 is pressed, the main screen image is changed to the automatic setup screen image G5.
By the way, a list [0508] 2056 of pieces of medical equipment connected to the system controller 2017 is displayed as the left part of the main screen image.
When, for example, an Electrocautery Unit field is pressed, the main screen image is changed to a screen prompting a user to operate the electrocautery unit [0509] 2016. The electrocautery screen image G4 is shown in FIG. 38.
Similarly to the main screen image G[0510] 1, a list 2057 of pieces of medical equipment is displayed as the left part of the screen image. An Electrocautery Unit field is hatched because the electrocautery unit is currently designated.
A list [0511] 2058 of settings that must be determined in order to operate the electrocautery unit is displayed as the right part of the screen image. When a button in each setting is pressed, the setting can be determined or modified.
A Mode field presents an output mode that is selected from a mono-polar mode or a bipolar mode. A Cut mode field presents a resection mode that is selected from among Pure resection, Mixture [0512] 1, and Mixture 2. A Cut Power field presents a power value for resection. A Coag. Mode field presents a coagulation mode that is selected from Coagulation and Soft.
A Coag. Power field presents a power value for coagulation. A Preset field presents whether the settings determined for the previous use are adopted. A Standby field presents whether the electrocautery unit is put on standby but is not powered. [0513]
When a Main button [0514] 2059 in the lower most field is pressed, the electrocautery screen image is returned to the main screen image G1.
Now, automatic setup will be described. [0515]
The automatic setup feature is implemented during a time interval from the instant the endoscopic surgery system [0516] 2001 is carried into an operating room to the instant surgery is started. Medical equipment can operate in various modes on the basis of numerous set values. It is time-consuming to determine the set values at every start of surgery. The automatic setup feature is intended to preserve such set values in advance and set up all pieces of medical equipment with one touch of a button at the start of surgery.
In order to implement the automatic setup feature, the Auto Setup button [0517] 2055 is pressed through the main screen image G1. This causes the main screen image G1 to make a transition to the automatic setup screen image G5 shown in FIG. 39.
The left part of the automatic setup screen image G[0518] 5 is displayed as a medical equipment list 2060, and the right part thereof is displayed as an automatic setup data list 2061.
In order to produce automatic setup data, first, any of the first to eighteenth fields is pressed in order to designate a storage area which is associated with the pressed field included in the automatic setup data list [0519] 2061 and in which data is stored. Thereafter, a text input means such as a keyboard (not shown) is used to enter a field name in the field.
Referring to FIG. 39, Doc. Itoh is entered as the name of the first field that is included in the list [0520] 2061 and that is associated with a storage area in which automatic setup data designated by Doc. Itho is stored. Doc. Katoh is entered as the name of the second field that is included therein and that is associated with a storage area in which automatic setup data designated by Doc. Katoh is stored. Doc. Satoh is entered as the name of the third field that is included therein and that is associated with a storage area in which automatic setup data designated by Doc. Satoh is stored.
With any field included in the automatic setup data list [0521] 2061 held down, an Edit button 2062 in the lowermost field is pressed. Medical equipment whose settings must be edited is selected from the left-hand medical equipment list 2060, and the field that presents the selected medical equipment name is pressed. FIG. 40 shows an electrocautery unit setting screen image G6 that is displayed with the press of the Electrocautery Unit field.
In the electrocautery unit setting screen image G[0522] 6 shown in FIG. 40, the features of the electrocautery unit are presented. The electrocautery unit setting screen image G6 is a little different from the electrocautery screen image G4 retrieved through the main screen image G1.
Similarly to the electrocautery screen image G[0523] 4, the electrocautery screen image G6 contains a medical equipment list 2057′ as the left part thereof, and contains an electrocautery unit setting list 2058′ as the right part thereof. Unlike the electrocautery screen image G4 shown in FIG. 38, all the features of the electrocautery unit are not presented.
The Standby field and Preset field (shown in FIG. 38) are not contained in the screen image G[0524] 6 because these settings cannot be automatically determined. Moreover, an Auto Setup button 2055′ is presented in the lower field of the electrocautery unit setting screen image G6.
After set values based on which all or required pieces of medical equipment are automatically set up are determined through the automatic setup screen image G[0525] 5 shown in FIG. 39, the Edit button 2062 is pressed again in order to terminate editing.
Moreover, when an Exec. button [0526] 2063 defined in the right lower field of the automatic setup screen image G5 is pressed, automatic setup is executed for equipment whose name is specified in a selected field included in the automatic setup data list. When the PC card 2025 is loaded in (the PC card drive 2031 included in) the system controller 2017, automatic setup is performed as described in the flowchart of FIG. 41.
When the Exec. button [0527] 2063 is pressed, it is judged at step S2001 whether the PC card 2025 is loaded. If the PC card 2025 is not loaded, control is jumped to step S2005. Automatic setup is performed based on designated automatic setup data.
If the PC card [0528] 2025 is loaded, the contents of the PC card are retrieved at step S2002.
It is then judged from the results of retrieval whether automatic setup data is present (step S[0529] 2003). If the automatic setup data is present, the data is read. The data stored in the PC card 2025 is given higher priority over the currently selected automatic setup data (step S2004). Automatic setup is performed based on the data stored on the PC card 2025 at step S2005.
In other words, the control module [0530] 2033 in the system controller 2017 transmits automatic setup data concerning medical equipment to the medical equipment via the communication module 2030, and sets up the medical equipment according to a designated operation mode, a designated power value, and so one.
If data stored in the PC card [0531] 2025 is designated by, for example, Doc. Itoh as shown in FIG. 42, an electrocautery unit setting file 2066 contained in an electrocautery unit setting directory 2065 is transmitted to the electrocautery unit 2016, and the electrocautery unit 2016 is set up based on the received data. A file contained in a TV camera setting directory 2067 is transmitted to the TV camera 2013, and the TV camera is set up based on the received data. The same applies to the light source 2014 and others.
At step S[0532] 2006, it is judged whether automatic setup data stored in the PC card 2025 has the same title as automatic setup data stored in the hard disk 2035 in the system controller 2017. If data having the same title is not found, the processing is terminated. If data having the same title is found, it is checked at step S2007 whether the automatic setup data stored in the hard disk 2035 in the system controller 2017 is overwritten with the automatic setup data stored in the PC card 2025. Specifically, an overwriting screen image is displayed at step S2007 in order to prompt a user to determine whether the overwriting is performed.
If the user designates that the overwriting is performed, the automatic setup data stored in the hard disk [0533] 2035 in the system controller 2017 is overwritten with the automatic setup data stored in the PC card 2025 (step S2009). The processing is then terminated. If the user does not designate that the overwriting is performed, the processing is terminated.
FIG. 42 shows a data structure adopted for the PC card [0534] 2025.
The PC card [0535] 2025 has an automatic setup directory (in this case, assigned to Doc. Itoh) created therein. The electrocautery unit setting directory 2065 is nested in the automatic setting directory. An electrocautery unit setting file 2066 is contained in the electrocautery unit setting directory 2065. A mode name and set values including a power value are recorded, for example, in a text mode.
Aside from the above directories, there are directories associated with respective pieces of medical equipment, such as, a TV camera setting directory [0536] 2067 and a light source setting directory.
When a doctor using the system [0537] 1 (or the system controller 2071) installs a home editor program (or personal computer editor program) in his/her personal computer that has an information processing feature, the doctor can edit data stored in the PC card 2025 in his/her office.
FIG. 43 is a state transition chart relevant to a personal computer having the home editor program installed therein. [0538]
After the power supply of a personal computer is turned on, when the home editor program is activated, a personal computer automatic setup screen image G[0539] 11 appears. A transition can be made from the personal computer automatic setup screen image G11 to a TV camera setting screen image G12, a light source setting screen image G13, etc., or an electrocautery unit setting screen image G14.
Edited data can be transferred to the PC card [0540] 2025 that is loaded in the personal computer so that it can be unloaded freely. In order to install the home editor program in a personal computer, the home editor program may be first read from the PC card 2025 and then installed. The home editor program may be stored in the PC card shown in FIG. 42.
FIG. 44 shows the personal computer automatic setup screen image G[0541] 11 displayed when the home editor program is activated.
The personal computer automatic setup screen image G[0542] 11 contains a list 2070 of connectable pieces of medical equipment as the left-hand part thereof, and contains a setting data list 71 as the right-hand part thereof.
An End button [0543] 2072, an Edit button 2073, and a PC Card Output button 2074 are defined in the lower part of the personal computer automatic setup screen image.
A doctor first selects a field number associated with a storage area, in which data is stored, from the setting data list [0544] 2071. Thereafter, the doctor selects the name of medical equipment to be used from the right-hand medical equipment list 2070, and enters set values for the medical equipment. The setting screen image is the same as the image displayed when the system controller 2017 extends control in an operating room. For example, when a name of an electrocautery unit is selected, the screen image shown in FIG. 40 appears.
After entering the set values is completed, the PC Card Output button [0545] 2074 is pressed in order to record the entered setting data in the PC card 2025. When the End button 2072 is pressed, the editor program is terminated.
When setting data concerning medical equipment a doctor has edited in his/her office is preserved in the PC card [0546] 2025, the medical equipment can be automatically set up based on the setting data prior to surgery. At this time, automatic setup data recorded in the system controller 2017 installed in an operating room can also be modified (updated).
The present embodiment provides an advantage described below. [0547]
Automatic setup work need not be performed at a site of surgery. Data edited in a doctor's office can be used to automatically set up medical equipment. Consequently, the endoscopic surgery system [0548] 2001 is realized as a user-friendly system.
(Fifteenth Embodiment) [0549]
Next, a fifteenth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 45 to FIG. 49. [0550]
The configuration of an endoscopic surgery system to be constructed in an operating room that accommodates the present embodiment is nearly identical to the one shown in FIG. 33. Moreover, a portable terminal [0551] 2047 is usable. FIG. 45 shows the configuration of the system controller 2017 employed in this case.
The system controller [0552] 2017 can be controlled or operated using the touch-sensitive panel type operator panel 2021 or the remote controller 2023 as described in relation to the fourteenth embodiment. Moreover, information provided by the system controller 2017 is displayed on the operator panel 2021 or display panel 2022.
The remote controller signal receiving module [0553] 2026 receives a signal from the remote controller 2023. The operator panel signal receiving module 2027 receives a signal from the operator panel. The operator panel drive 2028 transmits data needed to display information on the operator panel. The display panel drive 2029 transmits data needed to display information on the display panel.
Moreover, the communication module [0554] 2030 that communicates with medical equipment integrated into the trolley 2012 communicates with the TV camera 2013, light source 2014, insufflator unit 2015, electrocautery unit 2016, and VTR 2018 respectively. Moreover, data can be transferred to or from the portable terminal 2047 via the communication module 2030.
Data is transferred to or from an external personal computer by way of the PC card [0555] 2025. Moreover, according to the present embodiment, setting data entered using the portable terminal 2047 can be used to set up medical equipment via (the communication module 2030 in) the system controller 2017.
FIG. 46 shows a directory tree structure in a storage means (in practice, a memory) incorporated in the portable terminal [0556] 2047.
A Doc. Kitoh data directory [0557] 2064′ created in the memory incorporated in the portable terminal 2047 has a plurality of sub-directories such as an electrocautery setting directory 2065′, a TV camera setting directory 2067′, and other medical equipment setting directories. Moreover, the electrocautery setting directory 2065′ contains an electrocautery setting file (1) 2066′ and an electrocautery setting file (2) 2066″. Thus, setting data is preserved in the form of a plurality of files.
Moreover, a Doc. Gotoh directory [0558] 2064″ has a sub-directory of an electrocautery setting directory 2065″. Thus, setting data concerning a plurality of pieces of medical equipment is preserved within the Doc. Gotoh directory.
Next, the operations to be exerted by the present embodiment will be described below. [0559]
According to the fourteenth embodiment, only one setting data is available for setup of each piece of medical equipment. According to the present embodiment, a plurality of setting data items is available therefor. Any of the data items can be selected. [0560]
FIG. 47 is a flowchart describing a processing flow of setting data selection to be performed using the portable terminal [0561] 2047.
When the power supply of the portable terminal [0562] 2047 is turned on, the number of automatic setup data items preserved in the memory in the portable terminal is counted at step S2011. It is then checked if a plurality of automatic setup data items is available (step S2012).
If a plurality of automatic setup data items is available, a verification screen image is displayed in order to verify whichever of the data items is employed. Automatic setup data is designated through the verification screen image (step S[0563] 2013). If a plurality of setting data items is unavailable, control is passed to step S2014.
FIG. 48 shows a concrete example of the verification screen image to be displayed when a plurality of automatic setting data items is available. After one automatic setting data is selected through the screen image, the number of data items available for setup of each piece of medical equipment is verified at step S[0564] 2014.
If a plurality of data items is available for setup of each piece of medical equipment, the verification screen image is displayed in order to verify whichever of the setting data items is employed. A user designates medical equipment data, which he/she wants to employ, through the verification screen image (step S[0565] 2016). If a plurality of data items is unavailable for setup of medical equipment, the selection need not be performed. Control is then passed to a step of verifying which of data items is employed for the next medical equipment.
FIG. 49 shows a verification screen image to be displayed when a plurality of data items is available for setup of medical equipment that is an electrocautery unit. [0566]
Referring to FIG. 49, the number of data items is three. If the number of data items is larger, a Next Page button [0567] 2075 in the screen image is pressed in order to switch screen images. If the screen image is not especially needed, a Not Select button 2076 may be pressed.
After data for use in setting up medical equipment is selected at step S[0568] 2016, it is verified at step S2017 whether another medical equipment name is found.
If another medical equipment name is found, control is returned to step S[0569] 2014. The processing of step S2014 to step S2016 is repeated. When all medical equipment names have been selected, it is designated that no more medical equipment name is found. Setup to be performed using the portable terminal 2047 is terminated.
The portable terminal [0570] 2047 is connected to the system controller 2017 in the operating room, and automatic setup is executed. Consequently, the system controller 2017 reads setting data designated using the portable terminal 2047. The read data is given higher priority over the automatic setting data recorded in the system controller 2017.
The processing flow is nearly identical to the one described in FIG. 41, whereby “PC card” described in FIG. 41 should be read as “portable terminal.” If the same automatic setting data is preserved in the system controller [0571] 2017, it is checked whether the preserved data is overwritten with another. If so, the automatic setting data in the system controller 2017 is overwritten with the automatic setting data designated using the portable terminal 2047.
The present embodiment provides the advantage described below. [0572]
Any of a plurality of automatic setting data items can be selected, and medical equipment can be set up based on the selected data. A plurality of doctors can use the automatic setting data items while sharing the sole portable terminal [0573] 2047. The plurality of automatic setting data items can be used in common.
Moreover, set values can be modified if necessary or according to a technique adopted. [0574]
(Sixteenth Embodiment) [0575]
FIG. 50 shows an endoscope system [0576] 3001 including a sixteenth embodiment of a control system in which the present invention is implemented. The endoscope system 3001 is constructed by incorporating a group of pieces of medical equipment into a first cart 3004 and a second cart 3005 which are disposed with a patient couch 3002, on which a patient 3 lies down, between them.
Medical equipment, for example, an electrocautery unit. [0577] 3006, an insufflator unit 3007, an endoscopic TV camera unit (hereinafter abbreviated to a TV camera) 3008A, a light source unit (hereinafter abbreviated to a light source) 3009A, a VTR 3010, and a chemical cylinder 3011 filled with carbon dioxide are integrated into the first cart 3004. Moreover, a TV monitor 3012A or the like on which an endoscopic image or the like is displayed, a centralized display panel 3013A on which every information acquired during surgery can be selectively displayed, and an operator panel 3014 that consists of a display such as a liquid crystal display and touch sensors integrated with the display, and that serves as a centralized operating means to be handled by a nurse or the like in an non-sterilized zone are mounted on the first cart 3004.
Moreover, the first cart [0578] 3004 has a PDA slot 3016 in which a general-purpose portable operating terminal, with which the endoscope system can be operated easily, or more particularly, a personal digital assistant (PDA) 3015 can be inserted.
The electrocautery unit [0579] 3006, insufflator unit 3007, TV camera 3008A, light source 3009A, and VTR 3010 are connected to a system controller 3017, which is a centralized control means for controlling the entire system provided on the cart 3004, over transmission lines that are not shown.
Moreover, the light source [0580] 3009A is connected to a first endoscope 3019A over a light guide cable 3018A over which illumination light is propagated. The illumination light emanating from the light source 3009A is supplied to (a light guide lying through) the first endoscope 3019A. Consequently, an abdominal lesion of the patient 3003 into which the insertion member of the first endoscope 3019A is thrust is illuminated.
A camera head [0581] 3020A having an imaging device incorporated therein is mounted on the eyepiece unit of the first endoscope 3019A. An optical image picked up by an observation optical system incorporated in the first endoscope 3019A is converged on the imaging device incorporated in the camera head 3020A, and propagated to the TV camera 3008A over a camera cable 3021A. The resultant signal is processed by a signal processing circuit incorporated in the TV camera 3008A, whereby a video signal is produced and transferred to a TV monitor 3012A. An endoscopic image of the lesion is then displayed on the TV monitor 3012A.
On the other hand, a TV camera [0582] 3008B, a light source 3009B, a TV monitor 3012B on which an endoscopic image produced by a TV camera 3000B is displayed, and a second centralized display panel 3013B on which any information acquired during surgery can be selectively displayed are integrated into the second cart 3005.
The light source [0583] 3009B is connected to a second endoscope 3019B over a light guide cable 3018B over which illumination light is propagated. The illumination light emanating from the light source 3009B is supplied to the (light guide lying through) second endoscope 3019B. Consequently, an abdominal lesion of the patient 3 into which the insertion member of the second endoscope 3019B is thrust is illuminated.
A camera head [0584] 3020B having an imaging device incorporated therein is mounted on the eyepiece unit of the second endoscope 3019B. An optical image of the lesion picked up by an observation optical system incorporated in the second endoscope 3019B is converged on the imaging device incorporated in the camera head 3020B, and propagated to the TV camera 3008B over a camera cable 3021B. The resultant signal is processed by a signal processing circuit incorporated in the TV camera 3008B, whereby a video signal is produced and transferred to a TV monitor 3012B. Consequently, an endoscopic image of the lesion is displayed on the TV monitor 3012B.
The TV camera [0585] 3008B and light source 3009B are connected to a relay unit 3022, which is mounted in the second cart 3005, over transmission lines that are not shown. The relay unit 3021 and system controller 3017 are connected to each other over a relay cable 3023.
Consequently, the pieces of medical equipment (group of controlled apparatuses) including the TV camera [0586] 3008B and light source 3009B mounted in the second cart 3005, the electrocautery unit 3006, insufflator unit 3007, TV camera 3008A, light source 3009A, and VTR 3010 mounted in the first cart 3004 are controlled by the system controller 3017 on a centralized basis.
Moreover, a remote controller [0587] 3024 serving as a centralized operating means is disposed near the patient couch 3002, and connected to the system controller 3017 over a transmission line. The remote controller 3024 is used to control or operate various pieces of medical equipment.
Moreover, the system controller [0588] 3017 and PDA slot 3016 are connected to each other over a universal serial bus (USB) 3025 (see FIG. 51). When the PDA 3015 is inserted into the PDA slot 3016, the fact is recognized by a plug-and-play (hereinafter PnP) feature.
When a communication link is established between the system controller [0589] 3017 and medical equipment, a setting screen image presenting the set states of pieces of connected medical equipment and operation switches is displayed on the liquid crystal display of the operator panel 3014. A set value can be modified or entered by pressing a predetermined area on the liquid crystal display that is defined as a desired operation switch so as to actuate a touch sensor associated with the area.
Graphical user interface (GUI) software [0590] 3026 (see FIG. 51) that helps a user control the endoscope system 3001 easily is installed in the PDA 3015.
When the identified PDA [0591] 3015 has been registered by PDA terminal information registration/identification software 3027 (see FIG. 51) installed in the system controller 3017, if the user has been certified thereby, the pieces of medical equipment can be controlled using graphics displayed on the screen of the PDA 3015 by the GUI software 3026. FIG. 52 shows a main screen image displayed when the PDA 3015 having the GUI software 3026 installed therein is activated.
FIG. 51 schematically shows the internal configuration of the system controller [0592] 3017 that has the ability to distinguishes users or terminals. Consequently, identified users or terminals alone are permitted to use the PDA. In other words, a plurality of users can share the PDA.
A processor [0593] 3030 including an MPU 3028 that performs various kinds of processing and a memory 29, and a recording device 3033 in which control software 3031 that controls the pieces of medical equipment and software 3027 that registers or identifies terminal information concerning the PDA 3015 are stored are incorporated in the system controller 3017. in the storage device 3033. Moreover, a user-specific information recording area 3032 is defined in the storage device 3033.
According to the present embodiment, (a user is certified and the PDA [0594] 3015 is identified so that only a registered user can control the system controller 3017 using only the specified PDA 3015, which will be described later). Besides, the information recording area 3032 specific to each registered user is defined, and users use different information recording areas. Thus, any other user is prevented from modifying setting information or control information, and each user can use the user-designated setting information (or control information).
The system controller [0595] 3017 and PDA slot 3016 are connected to each other over a communicating means permitting both transmission and reception, that is, bi-directional communication, for example, over a universal serial bus (USB) 3025. When the PDA 3015 is inserted into the PDA slot 3016, the fact is recognized by the plug-and-play (PnP) feature of the system controller.
If the identified PDA [0596] 3015 has been registered by the software 3027 installed in the system controller 3017 (as long as the user has been certified), the pieces of medical equipment can be controlled using the graphics displayed on the screen of the PDA 3015 by the GUI software 3026.
According to the present embodiment, the endoscope system [0597] 3001 includes: one or more pieces of medical equipment (medical apparatuses) including the electrocautery unit 3006; the system controller 3017 that controls the medical equipment; a general-purpose portable terminal, for example, the PDA 3015; a communicating means such as the USB 3025 permitting the system controller 3017 and PDA 3015 to communicate with each other; an identifying means (identification software) that identifies the PDA 3015 and user that are permitted to communicate with the system controller 3017; the PDA software 3026 needed to control the system controller 3017; and the processor 3030 including the MPU 3028 that serves as a recording area control means so as to control a storage area in the recording device 3033. Consequently, only when a specific user having been registered uses the registered specific PDA 3015, the user can operate the medical equipment. Moreover, a storage area is allocated to each user so that a user can record setting information in his/her allocated storage area. Thus, the setting information is protected from being updated by any other user.
Moreover, the general-purpose PDA [0598] 3015 is used to control the system controller 3017. A user can select a display format most suitable for information to be transferred to the PDA.
FIG. 53(A) and FIG. 53(B) are flowcharts describing registration and identification to be performed by the software [0599] 3027 for registering or identifying information preserved in the PDA 15. First, the method of registering information in the PDA 3015 will be described with reference to FIG. 53(A).
The PDA [0600] 3015 having been registered in the system controller 3017 is prepared and inserted into the PDA slot 3016. The GUI software 3026 is used to select an information registration mode (step S3001), whereby a password entry screen image shown in FIG. 54 appears.
The password entry screen image presents a prompt for prompting a user to enter a password. A user-specific password is then entered along with the prompt (step S[0601] 3002).
A keyboard displayed below the prompt is used to enter the user-specific password. When a Collate button is pressed, the entered password is collated with a stored one. If a user fails to remember the password, the user cannot newly register information using the PDA [0602] 3015.
If the entered password is collated with the stored one, the collation is completed. An identification information entry screen image prompting the user to enter identification information concerning the PDA [0603] 3015 that is a portable terminal is displayed as shown in FIG. 55 (step S3003). A prompt prompting the user to enter the identification information concerning the PDA 3015 that is actually used appears. The user then enters the identification information (step S3004). Herein, for example, a MAC address specific to each PDA 3015 is entered as the identification information.
At the same time, a language in which a message is written when the PDA [0604] 3015 to be registered is inserted is registered in an adopted language selection field 3034. A sound to be generated when the registered PDA 3015 is inserted is registered in an output sound field 3035. Thus, information display and sound generation are achieved as a user likes irrespective of the hardware performance of the system controller 3017.
After or before an entry is made, a Cancel button [0605] 3036 is pressed in order to cancel registration. When the Cancel button 3036 is pressed, control is returned to step S3001 (step S3005). After identification information is entered and an adopted language is selected, if a Verify Register button 3037 is pressed, a registration verification screen image appears (step S3006). If a user is satisfied with the contents of the screen image, identification information registration is completed (step S3007). If the user is dissatisfied with the contents of the screen image, control is returned to step S3004. Identification information is re-entered. Thus, identification information of the PDA 3015 can be registered.
Incidentally, after the PDA [0606] 3015 is identified, the user may be certified.
Next, PDA identification will be described in conjunction with FIG. 53(B). [0607]
When the power supply of the system controller [0608] 3017 is turned on (step S3011), a PDA terminal identification program that is part of the PDA terminal registration/identification software 27 is activated at step S3012. It is judged at step S3013 whether the PDA 3015 has been inserted in the PDA slot 3016. If not, the system controller waits until the PDA is inserted into the PDA slot.
When the PDA [0609] 3015 is inserted into the PDA slot 3016, identifying the PDA 3015 is carried out (step S3014). A user enters a password and PDA identification information. If they are incorrect, an error message is displayed (step S3015) and control is returned to step S3014. A correct password and correct PDA identification information are entered again.
After a correct password and correct PDA identification information are entered, an application installed in the PDA [0610] 3015 is activated at step S3016. Consequently, setting information (or control information) can be transmitted or received to or from the system controller 3017, and the pieces of medical equipment can be controlled or operated. The PDA identification is then completed.
FIG. 52 shows a screen image displayed with an application activated. The names of pieces of medical equipment connected to the system controller [0611] 3017, such as, the names of the electrocautery unit 3006 and TV camera 3008A (TV camera 3001 in FIG. 52) are displayed so that the pieces of medical equipment can be controlled.
For example, when the name of the electrocautery unit [0612] 3006 is selected, the set state of the electrocautery unit 3006 and other information can be received from the system controller 3017. Moreover, the set state of the electrocautery unit 3006 can be presented through the screen image displayed on the PDA 3015. An instruction indicating that setting information should be modified may be issued from the PDA 3015 and transmitted to the system controller 3017. Thus, the state of the electrocautery unit 3006 or the like can be changed or the operation thereof can be controlled.
The contents of display can be made independent of the system controller [0613] 3017, or in other words, can be made user-specific. A user can determine the contents of display as he/she likes.
Moreover, various pieces of medical equipment can be set up, and the setting information or control information can be recorded. In this case, the information is recorded in a storage area specific to each other (more particularly, in the user-specific information recording area [0614] 3032 shown in FIG. 51) in the recording device 3033 included in the system controller 3017. Consequently, setting information or control information can be reliably protected from being modified by any other user.
Specifically, each user can repeatedly use information which the user has determined and recorded. Thus, a user-friendly environment can be provided. [0615]
The present embodiment provides the advantages described below. [0616]
As mentioned above, according to the present invention, only a user whose name has been registered (certified) can transfer setting information (or control information) to or from the system controller [0617] 3017 using a portable terminal whose name has been registered. This results in a user-friendly system. Moreover, a recording area in which setting information (or control information) concerning the system 1 is recorded is allocated to each certified user. Consequently, the setting information (or control information) determined by each user can be reliably protected from being modified by any other user.
Moreover, using software installed in a portable terminal, with no restrictions imposed by software installed in the system [0618] 1, a user can modify or select visual information to be displayed on the portable terminal or audio (sounds) information according to his/her likes. Thus, a user-friendly system is realized.
According to the present embodiment, the PDA slot [0619] 3016 and system controller 3017 are connected to each other over the USB bus 3025. Alternatively, a LAN, an IEEE1394 bus, or any other communicating means will do.
Moreover, a MAC address is adopted as identification information of the PDA [0620] 3015. Alternatively, a serial number will do.
According to the present embodiment, a recording area in which setting information is recorded is different from user to user. Alternatively, certified users may be allowed to freely use predetermined reference setting information. [0621]
Specifically, a certified user can use, in addition to his/her designated information, reference setting information to set up medical equipment. In this case, users can enjoy freedom in selection. Alternatively, medical equipment may be reset to operate based on the reference setting information. [0622]
(Seventeenth Embodiment) [0623]
Next, a seventeenth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 56 and FIG. 57. An endoscope system including the present embodiment has the same configuration as the one shown in FIG. 50. The same reference numerals will be assigned to components identical to those described in relation to the sixteenth embodiment. [0624]
According to the present invention, when the PDA [0625] 3015 is used to operate medical equipment, system information can be readily transmitted from the system controller 3017 to the PDA 3015 according to an available storage capacity offered by the PDA 3015.
What is referred to as system information refers to a user's history concerning operation of the endoscope system [0626] 3001, hardware failure information of each controlled apparatus, error information stemming from communication with the system controller 3017 or interlocking between controlled apparatuses, or a TV camera image to be displayed with occurrence of an error.
Next, system information transmission will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 56. [0627]
To begin with, when system information must be transmitted from the system controller [0628] 3017 to the PDA 3015, the GUI software 3027 is used to select a system information transmission screen image (FIG. 57) (step S3031).
When the screen image is selected, the PDA [0629] 3015 analyzes the available storage capacity A of the recording device included in the PDA 3015, and presents the storage capacity through the system information transmission screen image (FIG. 57) (step S3032). At the same time, the system controller 3017 analyzes the storage capacity B occupied by system information in the own recording device 3033, and presents the storage capacity through the system information transmission screen image for verification (FIG. 57) (step S3033).
It is then judged whether the available storage capacity A of the recording device [0630] 3033 included in the PDA 3015 is larger than the storage capacity B required by system information (step S3034). In the example shown in FIG. 57, the storage capacity B required by system information is larger than the available storage capacity A of the recording device 3033 included in the PDA 3015.
If the available storage capacity A of the PDA [0631] 3015 is larger than the storage capacity B required by system information (namely, A>B), a Compress Info. button 3041 is not presented through the system information transmission screen image shown in FIG. 57 but only a Send Info. button 3042 is presented. When the Send Info. button 3042 is pressed, information is entirely transmitted (step S3035).
If the available storage capacity A of the PDA [0632] 3015 is equal to or smaller than the storage capacity B required by system information (namely, A≦B), the Compress Info. button 3041 is presented. In this state, the system controller 1307 judges whether compression and transmission is instructed (step S3036).
When the Compress Info. button [0633] 3041 is not pressed but the Send Info. button 3042 is pressed, the system controller 3017 transmits data, of which size agrees with the available storage capacity of the PDA 3015, out of data representing the latest system information (step S3037).
On the other hand, if the Compress Info. button [0634] 3041 is pressed, the system controller 3017 compresses the data representing system information, analyzes a storage capacity C required by the compressed data, updates the contents of the system information transmission screen image (FIG. 57), and compares the storage capacity C with the storage capacity A (step S3038).
It is then judged whether the available storage capacity A of the recording device [0635] 3033 included in the PDA 3015 is larger than the storage capacity C required by compressed data of system information (step S3039).
If the available storage capacity A of the PDA [0636] 3015 is larger than the storage capacity C required by the compressed data of system information (namely, A>C), all the compressed data of system information is transmitted (step S3040).
On the other hand, if the available storage capacity A of the PDA [0637] 3015 is equal to or smaller than the storage capacity C required by the compressed data of system information (namely, A≦C), a message saying that even compressed data cannot be entirely preserved in the PDA 3015 is displayed through the system information transmission screen image (FIG. 57). The system controller 3017 transmits data, of which size agrees with the available storage capacity of the PDA 3015, out of the data representing the latest system information.
Thereafter, medical equipment can be controlled or operated using the PDA [0638] 3015.
According to the present embodiment, whether data is compressed depends on a user. Alternatively, software may be installed so that the system controller [0639] 3017 autonomously makes a judgment.
Specifically, the endoscope system consists mainly of: at least one equipment; the system controller [0640] 3017 that controls the equipment; a general-purpose portable terminal; a communicating means that permits communication between the system controller 3017 and the portable terminal; the portable terminal software 3026 needed to control the system controller 3017; a system information recording means in which system information is recorded and that is included in the system controller 3017; an information verifying means that verifies what the storage capacity of the portable terminal is and that is included in the system controller 3017; and a transmitting means that autonomously selects and transmits output information according to the storage capacity information verified by the information verifying means. Consequently, even if the storage capacity of the portable terminal is smaller than the storage capacity required by system information, the time-consuming work of selecting data to be transmitted to the portable terminal need not be carried out. The system information can be readily transmitted to the portable terminal.
Incidentally, system information may be automatically or manually transmitted based on a user-designated mode. [0641]
The present embodiment provides the advantages described below. [0642]
The present embodiment can provide the same advantages as the advantages provided by the sixteenth embodiment. In addition, when system information has to be transmitted to a terminal, it can be transmitted through simple handling. Moreover, whether data is compressed may not depend on a user's choice. If the system controller [0643] 3017 is designed to autonomously judge whether data should be compressed, the system information can be transmitted more readily.
(Eighteenth Embodiment) [0644]
(Features) [0645]
As shown in FIG. 58, a patient c