Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-01
2001-08-07
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C600S473000, C600S476000, C600S477000, C250S358100, C250S574000, C250S349000, C345S158000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272368
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a medical installation of the type having a number of components which are adjustable in position within an examination room, and during such adjustment are subject to possible collisions with each other and/or with persons in the examination room.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In medical installations, for example an x-ray diagnostics installation with adjustable components, the image generating system can have a C-shaped arc as a component that is adjustable along its circumference at a holder, this arc carrying an x-ray radiator and a radiation receiver at its ends. The image generating system can thus be optimally adjusted for the transirradiation of an examination subject from different directions. To this end, for example, the table for the examination subject can also be adjustable in height and in a plane as a further component.
Given an x-ray diagnostics installation of this type, there is the risk that the adjustable components will come too close to the examination subject, even touch the examination subject under certain substances and thereby jeopardize his or her safety. In order to avoid such a risk, limit switches can be provided at the adjustable components that effect a standstill of, for example, the adjustment motor of the component when such components strike an obstacle.
In order to avoid this risk, German OS 36 04 955 already discloses that the adjustable components be provided with sensors that report the respective position of the components to a computer. The computer compares this position to an envelope erected over the bearing device and signals when one of the adjustable components touches the envelope. It is thereby possible to avoid a collision.
In a medical system disclosed by German OS 43 35 301, a collision is avoided without complicated mathematical model formation but still taking moveable obstacles into consideration, for example by using the patient monitoring. To this end, video cameras are provided for monitoring the room of the medical system, whereby an electronics combines the coordinates of the contours of the components and of the obstacles to form a multi-dimensional vector and forwards this to a three-dimensional neural network that blocks movements that would lead to collisions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a medical installation of the type initially described wherein, in particular, collisions of components of the medical devices with one another as well as collisions with unknown objects freely moveable in space, for example with persons, can be avoided and that the outlay required therefor is low in view of the structural implementation.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention in a medical installation having an apparatus for acquiring the position of at least one object located in a room, including a light transmitter for emitting a narrow light fan as well as a camera for acquiring the at least one object. The signals of the camera are supplied to an evaluation unit that generates 3D data corresponding to the at least one object on the basis of these signals, the 3D data being used in order to avoid collisions of the object. Sensors at the components can thus be foregone and the medical installation is compact and simple in structure.
It is especially advantageous when the evaluation unit evaluates the signals of the camera in view of the active or passive triangular 3D technique, as a result of which data are obtained corresponding to the spatial arrangement of the at least one object.
It is also advantageous when the light transmitter generates a two-dimensional light fan with which, in particular, the room in which the medical installation is arranged can be optically scanned. The scanning of the room is thus especially good and a large amount of data can be received from the camera within a short time.
It is particularly advantageous for the light transmitter to be an infrared light source since infrared light cannot be perceived by an operator or by the examination subject, so that it is not disturbing.
Environmental influences due to the ambient light can be excluded in the signal generation by placing an infrared filter in front of the camera, preferably a narrow-band infrared filter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5486700 (1996-01-01), Silberklang et al.
patent: 5622187 (1997-04-01), Carol
patent: 5630431 (1997-05-01), Taylor
patent: 5729475 (1998-03-01), Romanik, Jr.
patent: OS 36 04 955 (1987-08-01), None
patent: PS 43 35 301 (1994-12-01), None
Lateef Marvin M.
Lin Jeoyuh
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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