Patent Description:
Heretofore, medical apparatuses consisting of a basic unit and accessory components have been known. When coupling the accessory components to the basic unit, a user had to take care about coupling of actually suitable accessory components and restrictions accompanying the coupling of specific accessory components. , in a gynecological surgery, other components are used than in a neurological application.

Moreover, operating medical apparatuses become more and more complicated and, therefore, there is a risk of operating errors of the medical apparatuses, in particular, when additional accessory components are used.

In document <CIT>, managing of a detachable component of a medical device is shown. The medical device is formed by a pulmonary function testing system comprising a basic unit and a detachable mouthpiece having a filter. The mouthpiece comprises an identification marker which is identified by an identification module functionally associated with a controller of the pulmonary function testing system. The controller disables the pulmonary function testing system if the identification module indicates that the currently attached filter is invalid or unidentified.

<NPL> discloses an operating table system wherein the operating table is provided with detachable components.

The independent claims of the present application differ from the prior art cited above in the features that, even though it discloses detachable components, the prior art does not disclose an accessory component comprising an information carrier including information concerning the accessory component as to interference edges of the accessory component and that the medical apparatus performs an active collision monitoring based on read-out information of the accessory component.

Therefore, the object underlying the invention is to provide a medical apparatus and a method for reliably recognizing a specific accessory component and, therefore, to significantly improve a surgical process.

The object is achieved by a medical apparatus according to claim <NUM> and a method according to claim <NUM>. Advantageous further developments are subject-matter of the dependent claims.

According to an aspect of the invention, a medical apparatus comprises a basic unit comprising a coupling point, an accessory component to be coupled to the coupling point of the basic unit, and a controller, wherein the accessory component comprises an information carrier including information concerning the accessory component. The basic unit comprises a sensor configured to read-out the information concerning the accessory component coupled to the basic unit from the information carrier, and the controller is configured to identify the accessory component by means of the read-out information.

By such a configuration of the medical apparatus, identifying a specific accessory component and, as the case may be, reading-out additional available information are easily and reliably possible.

In an advantageous implementation, the medical apparatus is an operating table.

Since operating tables can be equipped with a lot of different accessory components, in particular, in the case of a medical apparatus being an operating table, the identification of the accessory components is advantageous for a safe operation of the operating table.

In a further advantageous implementation, the accessory component is a patient support component.

A lot of accessory parts of an operating table are various patient support components, as, e.g., a leg section, an extension section, or a head section, so that identifying the patient support component is important for avoiding inadmissible configurations of combination of the patient support components.

According to a further advantageous implementation, the information carrier comprises a visible code.

A detection of a visible code by an optical sensor can be easily and reliably executed.

In a further advantageous implementation, the QR code is integrated in the accessory component.

By an integration of the QR code in the accessory component, a reliable attribution of the information carrier and the accessory component is possible during the entire life cycle of the accessory component.

In a further advantageous implementation, the visible code comprises a QR code.

QR codes can include a huge information content on a very small area. Therefore, less space is necessary for providing an appropriate information.

In a further advantageous implementation, the information includes at least one of a serial number, a date of manufacture, and a version of the accessory component.

By such a specification of the accessory component, a more exact determination of an update level and, therefore, of an exact configuration is possible. Thus, possible changes of the characteristics influencing the operation of the medical apparatus comprising the accessory component can be considered.

In a further advantageous implementation, the sensor is integrated in the coupling point.

By this integration, no further bracket for fixing the sensor is necessary. Furthermore, the sensor can be integrated in a safe manner so that the sensor is protected and a reliable function thereof is enabled.

In a further advantageous implementation, the sensor comprises a CMOS camera.

Due to the configuration of the sensor comprising the CMOS camera, an inexpensive optical sensor enabling a flexible use is provided.

According to the invention, the controller is configured to perform an active collision monitoring based on the read-out information.

By the active collision monitoring, positions of interference edges of the accessory component are monitored such that collisions between the accessory component and the medical apparatus or another immobile object can be prevented.

In a further advantageous implementation, the medical apparatus comprises a display device and the controller is configured to display operating instructions for a use of the accessory component and further information about the use on the display device.

By this characteristics, a safe and advanced use of the medical apparatus comprising the accessory component is possible.

In a further advantageous implementation, the controller is configured to display a step-by-step instruction about the use on the display device.

If the use of the medical apparatus comprising the accessory part is complicated, by this configuration of the medical apparatus, a safe and advanced use of the medical apparatus comprising the accessory component is possible.

According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, a method for identifying an accessory component coupled to a medical apparatus includes the steps: coupling the accessory component to the medical apparatus, reading-out the information from the information carrier of the coupled accessory component by the sensor, and identifying the accessory component by the controller.

By such a method, an identification of a specific accessory component and reading-out available information are easily and reliably possible.

According to the method of the invention, an active collision monitoring is performed based on the read-out information.

In a further advantageous implementation of the method, information about the use of the accessory component are displayed on a display device.

By displaying information about the use of the accessory component, a safe and advanced use of the medical apparatus comprising the accessor component is possible. Now, the invention is elucidated by means of an embodiment referring to the drawings.

<FIG> shows an embodiment of a medical apparatus <NUM> in the form of an operating table. The operating table comprises a basic unit <NUM>. The basic unit <NUM> comprises a base <NUM>, a column <NUM>, and a back section <NUM>. In alternative embodiments the basic unit <NUM> comprises further components or less components.

In <FIG>, two accessory components <NUM>, <NUM> are illustrated. The medical apparatus <NUM> comprises patient support components, namely, a leg section <NUM> and a head section <NUM> as the accessory components <NUM>, <NUM> to be coupled to the basic unit <NUM>, and, therefore, to the medical apparatus <NUM>.

The basic unit <NUM> comprises respectively two coupling points <NUM> for coupling each of the accessory components <NUM>, <NUM>. In an alternative embodiment, in particular, when comprising other types of accessory components, only one coupling point <NUM> or more than two coupling points <NUM> are provided for each accessory component <NUM>, <NUM>.

The accessory component <NUM>, <NUM> comprises an information carrier <NUM> including information concerning the accessory component <NUM>, <NUM>.

The basic unit <NUM> comprises a sensor <NUM> to read-out the information concerning the accessory component <NUM>, <NUM> coupled to the basic unit <NUM> from the information carrier <NUM>.

The medical apparatus <NUM> comprises a controller <NUM> for controlling the functions of the medical apparatus <NUM>. The controller <NUM> is configured to identify the accessory component by the read-out information. The controller <NUM> is further configured to perform an active collision monitoring based on the read-out information.

Furthermore, the medical apparatus <NUM> comprises a display device <NUM>. The controller <NUM> is connected to the display device <NUM>. Moreover, the controller <NUM> is configured to display operating instructions for a use of the accessory component <NUM>, <NUM> and further information about the use on the display device <NUM>. The further information are, e.g., an admissible load of the accessory component <NUM>, <NUM> or an operating range. In a specific embodiment, the controller <NUM> is configured to display a step-by-step instruction about the use of the accessory component <NUM>, <NUM> on the display device <NUM>.

<FIG> shows an enlarged illustration of the accessory component <NUM> and of a portion of the basic unit <NUM> of the medical apparatus <NUM>.

The information carrier <NUM> comprises a visible code. In an alternative embodiment, the information carrier <NUM> is not a visible code but a radio-based code, e.g., a RFID. The visible code is integrated in the accessory component <NUM>. This is achieved, e.g., by etching the visible code in a surface of an element of the accessory component <NUM>. In an alternative embodiment, the visible code is provided on a separate element of the accessory component <NUM>.

The sensor <NUM> is integrated in the coupling point <NUM> on a basic unit-side. In this embodiment, the sensor <NUM> comprises a CMOS camera; however, in an alternative embodiment the sensor is an optical sensor having another configuration, e.g., as a CCD-sensor, or, as suitable for the information carrier <NUM>, the sensor provides tactile sensing.

<FIG> shows a QR code as a visible code of an information carrier <NUM>. The QR code enables providing a huge amount of data. The information includes at least one of a serial number, a date of manufacture and a version. Further information, as, e.g., the load, etc. can also be provided by the information carrier <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a flowchart of a method for identifying an accessory component <NUM>, <NUM> coupled to a medical apparatus <NUM> according to the invention. In use, if one of the accessory components <NUM>, <NUM> is coupled to the basic unit, in step S1, the information is read-out from the information carrier <NUM> of the accessory component <NUM>, <NUM> coupled to the basic unit <NUM> by the sensor <NUM>. In step S2, by the controller <NUM>, the accessory component <NUM>, <NUM> is then identified base on the read-out information.

Claim 1:
A medical apparatus (<NUM>) comprising
a basic unit (<NUM>) comprising a coupling point (<NUM>),
an accessory component (<NUM>, <NUM>) to be coupled to the coupling point (<NUM>), and a controller (<NUM>),
wherein
the accessory component (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprises an information carrier (<NUM>) including information concerning the accessory component (<NUM>, <NUM>),
the basic unit (<NUM>) comprises a sensor (<NUM>) configured to read-out the information concerning the accessory component (<NUM>, <NUM>), coupled to the basic unit (<NUM>) from the information carrier (<NUM>), and
the controller (<NUM>) is configured to identify the accessory component (<NUM>, <NUM>) by the read-out information,
characterized in that
the information concerning the accessory component (<NUM>,<NUM>) includes information as to interference edges of the accessory component(<NUM>,<NUM>), and in that
the controller (<NUM>) is configured to perform an active collision monitoring based on the read-out information, wherein interference edges of the identified accessory component (<NUM>, <NUM>) are monitored such that collisions between the identified accessory component (<NUM>, <NUM>) and the medical apparatus (<NUM>) or another immobile object can be prevented.