Device for extracorporeal blood treatment comprising a full range display

Abstract

A device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment, comprising a control unit (9) and a display device (2), characterized in that the device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment is equipped with a person positioning / identification device (4), and the person positioning / identification device (4) and the display device (2) are in contact with each other through the control unit (9) for information exchange, and the person positioning / identification device (4) is adapted to obtain and process information about the position of a person located in the environment of the device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment, and the display device (2) is adapted to display information on a display (3; 7) in response to the position of the person so that it is visible from the position of the person.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment, such as a dialysis machine, comprising an integrated or external display device which displays information about the machine to a user, such as feedback about the status of a treatment cycle, maintenance or the condition of the machine, and in particular to an apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment according to the preamble of claim 1. Background Art

[0002] Currently, devices for extracorporeal blood treatment include display devices which are mounted statically or rotatably and pivotally on the device and can be operated manually or mechanically by a user, such as a medical professional, a technician or a patient using home dialysis, by operating elements such as buttons or by a touch screen. The alignment of the display is therefore independent of the spatial position of the user.

[0003] Technology Status

[0004] In a fixed, static arrangement of the display area according to the known state of the art, the visibility of the displayed information is strongly limited by the user and his manual range during normal operation, who has to position himself directly in front of the fixedly mounted display device in order to read the information and / or operate the device for extracorporeal blood treatment. The limitation on the display visibility and the range of manual interaction therefore constitutes a significant disadvantage in particular for clinical personnel such as physicians and nursing staff, who during normal hospital operation simultaneously oversee a plurality of blood treatment processes. Therefore, the displayed information is not often visible to the patient. The unchanged manual range interaction for operating the device for extracorporeal blood treatment is also disadvantageous for service technicians maintaining the device for extracorporeal blood treatment, since it prevents the simultaneous operation of a plurality of machines.

[0005] According to another known state of the art device for extracorporeal blood treatment comprising a rotatable and pivotable display device, the manipulation of one or more machine cycles is improved so that the display can be manually aligned with the position of the user. However, likewise, in the case of using a machine comprising a rotatable / pivoting display device, it is necessary to act within the range of manual interaction and the information can only be read in front of the front face of the display device. Dynamic adaptation of the alignment of the display device with the user's position and machine-user interaction outside the range of manual interaction are not possible.

[0006] This is a problem in particular in situations in which a plurality of machines for extracorporeal blood treatment simultaneously signal a critical situation, since the user must first enter the corresponding range of display visibility of all alarming machines in order to decide which machine requires intervention first. Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is therefore to solve the above-mentioned problems of known display devices on devices for extracorporeal blood treatment, such as dialysis machines, and to design a display device which ensures improved readability and in particular allows visibility of the displayed information of the machine for the user regardless of the spatial position of the user relative to the machine, as well as machine-user interaction outside the manual interaction range, i.e. within which the user can establish direct manual contact for operating the machine.

[0008] This object is achieved according to the invention by the combination of features of claim 1. Advantageous developments / embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the subclaims.

[0009] The basic idea of ​​the invention is therefore to equip an apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment with at least one display device and at least one person positioning / identification device and with corresponding functionality so that the at least one display device dynamically displays information towards the position of a user / person, i.e. tracks the movements of the user / person in the room, respectively, who is in a defined environment around the apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment, so that the information is visible on the display device both from the position (position) of the user / person. In other words, the display direction for the information to be displayed is itself oriented by the current position and by the movements of the user in the room, respectively, who is in a defined environment around the apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment, (changing position) and is aligned and guided towards the user. Furthermore, the apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment can optionally be equipped with a further sensor system, which obtains and processes information about the user's gestures (movements of the user at the current position in the room, respectively, who is in a defined environment around the apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment) and thus allows machine-user interaction outside the range of manual interaction (arm reach) of the user by his / her control gestures within the range of sensory interaction (machine-user interaction).

[0010] More specifically, the device for extracorporeal blood treatment comprises the above-mentioned display device, a person positioning / identification device and a controller (computer), which receives the signal of the person positioning / identification device and calculates the current position of the user relative to the extracorporeal blood treatment device based on it. The calculation may include establishing the current angle (main direction) relative to the device for extracorporeal blood treatment and / or the distance from the device for body blood treatment. Depending on the calculation result, the controller controls the display device so as to align its display direction with the position of the user. To this end, the display device may include, for example, an electrically driven rotor that rotates appropriately, such as a monitor at least around a vertical axis, or the display device may be in the form of an omnidirectional display, in which the direction of the information will be electronically aligned to the position of the user on the omnidirectional display.

[0011] In case of the optional / additional distance measurement, the information can be presented in large (larger) or small (smaller) size, depending on the calculation result.

[0012] In case of the optional / additional gesture recognition function, individual / selected functions of the device for extracorporeal blood treatment can be activated / deactivated / set in a control-based manner depending on the detected / recognized movement of the user at the detected position of the user.

[0013] The advantages of an apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment comprising such a display device and person localization / recognition are direct location-independent visual inspection of the displayed information and the option of direct (that is to say remote control) location-independent operation of the apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment (hereinafter referred to as dialysis machine) by the user, so that in the event that a plurality of machines simultaneously output alarm signals, rapid actions can be taken in a prioritized order. The invention thus allows increased patient safety in the event of an alarm and uncomplicated simultaneous participation in treatment cycles on a plurality of machines.

[0014] In addition, the object is achieved by an apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment comprising a control unit and a display device, wherein the apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment is equipped / configured with a person positioning / identification device, and the person positioning / identification device and the display device are connected for information exchange with each other through the control unit, and the person positioning / identification device is adapted to obtain and process information about the current position of a person in the environment of the apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment, and wherein the display device is adapted to display information on a display, said information preferably being visible from all positions within a range detectable by the person positioning / identification device, depending on the current position of the person, in particular relative to the apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment, preferably automatically displayed in the direction of the person's position so that it (the information) is visible from the person's position.

[0015] In other words, the person locating / recognition device associated with the device for extracorporeal blood treatment detects a person who is within a defined environment of the device for extracorporeal blood treatment (corresponding to the detection capacity of the sensors used), and a control unit, preferably part of the device for extracorporeal blood treatment, controls a display device, the display of which is visible from all positions inside the defined environment, so that the information to be displayed is automatically displayed towards the position of the person within the defined environment. The defined environment around the device for extracorporeal blood treatment is understood to be the entire range detected by the sensor system of the person recognition device.

[0016] Advantageously, a user of the device for extracorporeal blood treatment, including a physician, a nursing staff, a technician or a patient, is identified as a person by a person positioning / identification device in such a configuration of the device for extracorporeal blood treatment, and the information to be presented on the display of the display device is automatically displayed in the direction of the position of the person and is tracked depending on the movement of the person so that the user can move independently of the arrangement of the display on the machine inside the medical room without losing visual contact with the displayed information about the treatment cycle and / or the machine condition. Such a display device can be, for example, a cylindrical or polyhedron including an external peripheral display, wherein it is also possible to arrange a plurality of display surfaces in order to form an overall display surface. It is also possible to arrange manually operated buttons of the display device on the display device, and the integration of a touch screen for operating the display is also possible. In another configuration of the display device according to the invention, a plurality of displays are arranged at different positions in the room so that at least one display is visible from each position in the room. The dynamic adaptation of the display direction depending on the position of the user makes it unnecessary to manually intervene to adjust the display direction, so that the distance of the user from the range of manual interaction does not constitute a limitation to the direct visual inspection of the displayed information. This enables the user to carry out other work in the environment of the apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment, for example operating another machine, without restricting the check of the safe implementation of the treatment cycle on the apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment.

[0017] Preferably, a person locating / identifying device is provided and adapted to obtain and process information about the person's posture, and the display device is adapted to be operable according to the information about the person's posture.

[0018] As an alternative, a person locating / recognizing device comprising a separate sensor system is provided and adapted to obtain and process information about the person's posture, and the display device is adapted to be operable according to the information about the person's posture.

[0019] The gesture-based operation of the display device allows the user to operate the display outside the range of manual interaction. In this way, they can ensure a rapid adaptation of the presentation, such as the type, size or switching of information menus, without having to change their position inside the room. The possibility of gesture-based operation of the dialysis machine outside the range of manual interaction means a considerable convenience for the users, since they can also react at distances where direct manual intervention is not possible. Especially in situations in which critical alarms are reported on the machine, the possibility of a direct reaction serves the safety of the patient. Furthermore, the range of sensory interaction that exceeds the range of manual interaction allows the user to manipulate multiple treatment processes in parallel in a more explicit manner.

[0020] Further preferably, the device for extracorporeal blood treatment can be operated using user profiles, each user profile is associated with a user identity, and the person identification device is adapted to obtain and process information about the person's user identity, and a display device is provided and adapted to display information on the display according to the relevant user profile depending on the person's user identity, and a display device and / or a dialysis machine are provided and are debugged to be operable in response to the person's user identity according to the relevant user profile.

[0021] In such configurations, it is possible to automatically specify personal display settings, such as size, brightness, optical selection of information groups, etc., and user-dependent authorization for operating the machine for a single user when operating an apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment. Under normal circumstances, the authorization for making specific changes and settings, such as drafting a treatment cycle, changing a treatment cycle or intervening in a current treatment cycle, will be for different amounts of user groups, such as physicians, nursing staff and technicians. With display settings that depend on, the user's operating convenience is increased. A person identification device that can determine the identity of a person within the scope of the sensory interaction of the machine can also ensure that the operating functions authorized by the user can be performed uniquely. This type of user identification helps to prevent any situation in which a first user is recorded in the machine and a second user from the vicinity of the machine performs an operation with the authorization of the first user. This prevents unauthorized access to the treatment cycle and constitutes another measure for increasing the safety of the patient. A simple possibility of determining identity is provided by reading out a chip, which is integrated in, for example, a badge carried by a clinical staff member or a visitor card or a chip card of a patient and can be read out by a person identification device.

[0022] It is further preferred that the person identification means comprises at least one camera. The camera provides a well-known, inexpensive sensor system by means of which person identification can be facilitated. It is particularly preferred that the person identification means comprises a facial recognition means. Facial recognition provides another option for determining the identity of a user in the vicinity of the device for extracorporeal blood treatment and replaces the badge carried for operating the machine. Furthermore, facial recognition is superior to the chip card carried, since the interchange of the badge may result in the fact that a user in possession of a foreign chip card will operate the machine with authorizations that are not authorized to him / her. Furthermore, the risk of unnoticed loss of a badge and of operating a blocked machine in this way is eliminated by facial recognition.

[0023] Preferably, the apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment is equipped with means for sound alarm, such as a siren, and the person identification device and the means for sound alarm are in information exchange contact with each other, and the means for sound alarm is provided and adapted to be operable by a signal of the person identification device.

[0024] The acoustic alarm on the device for extracorporeal blood treatment ensures that users who are outside the visual range or who turn away from the display can also be notified by the alarm. This is particularly advantageous in the case of highly critical errors in order to obtain a rapid reaction of the clinical staff. The connection of the device for the acoustic alarm and the person recognition device helps to automatically deactivate the alarm when an authorized user intervenes in the treatment process by gesture.

[0025] Furthermore, it is preferred that the display device comprises a display having a convexly curved display surface, which faces away from the center of curvature. A display of this shape can be observed by a user from a plurality of positions in a room, depending on the radius of curvature and the circumference, the display having said shape being visible from all positions in the room. Thus, information on the curved display can be automatically displayed always towards the position of the user, so that the information is always visible by the user without any active intervention by the user. It is not mandatory that the curvature of the display surface is around 360°, an opening towards the rear side of the machine is also advantageous, since a machine comprising such a display device can be suitably integrated into the side of a wall in a small room.

[0026] Preferably, the display means is adapted to display a criticality assessment in the event of an alarm. This allows the user to immediately decide the urgency of action, particularly in the event of alarms being raised simultaneously on multiple machines.

[0027] Further preferred is a network of multiple devices for extracorporeal blood treatment comprising the above-mentioned features, characterized in that the display device of the devices for extracorporeal blood treatment is adapted to display the information to be displayed on the display surface of the display device according to the priority of the alarms in the event of parallel alarms on multiple machines.

[0028] The automatic prioritization of parallel alarms enables the user to prepare immediate troubleshooting actions, since the previously required analysis of the urgency of the errors reported in parallel in such networks is omitted. Thus, it is ensured that critical errors are eliminated in the minimum time and that patient safety is further increased. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by way of the included drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 A simplified representation of a device for extracorporeal blood treatment according to the invention is shown, said device comprising display means with an external convexly curved display and comprising a person recognition device.

[0031] Figure 2 Shown is a schematic representation of the interaction range around a device for extracorporeal blood treatment.

[0032] Figure 3 A simplified top view of a display device is shown, comprising a multi-faceted display and a plurality of display sub-regions, each sub-region having a viewing angle α.

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic representation of an apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment is shown, which comprises a machine component according to the invention.

[0034] List of component symbols

[0035] 1 Equipment for extracorporeal blood treatment

[0036] 2 Display device

[0037] 3 Curved Display

[0038] 4-person positioning / identification device

[0039] 5 Scope of Manual Interaction

[0040] 6 Scope of sensor interaction

[0041] 7 Multi-sided display

[0042] 8 Display sub-areas

[0043] 9 Control unit

[0044] 10 Facial recognition device classification DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Figure 1A simplified representation of an apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment is illustrated, the apparatus comprising a display device 2 with an external convex curved display 3 in the present case and a person positioning / identification device 4. The display device 2 is preferably arranged in the upper region of the apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment (dialysis machine) so that it is within the viewing range of the user. The surface of the curved display 3 on the display device 2 is convexly curved and is bent away from the center of curvature so that it faces the user in the periphery (preferably 360°) of the apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment from all appropriate positions in the room. In the preferred upper region of the display device 2, a person positioning / identification device 4 is provided, the sensor system of which covers the (complete) periphery of the apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment. The position of a person in the periphery of the apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment is detected by the person positioning / identification device 4, and the detection signal of the controller / control unit / computer is preferably supplied to the apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment. Since devices 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment are state of the art and, as is known, they are always equipped with a control unit for controlling / regulating functions within the device, a more detailed description of such devices and their control may be omitted herein; instead, reference may be made, for example, to the state of the art associated with the applicant of the present application. The controller controls the display device 2 in such a way that the information to be displayed can always be displayed in the direction of the user via its curved display.

[0046] Figure 2 Schematic representation of the interaction range around the device 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment is illustrated. The range of manual interaction 5 (average arm length) is the range around the device 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment indicated by the dashed line, within which the user can establish direct contact with the device 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment in order to manually operate, for example, actuating elements such as buttons and switches on the machine or the display device 2, or a touch screen on the display device 2. The range of sensory interaction 6 indicated by the dash-dotted line extends from the device 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment beyond the range of manual interaction. Within the range of sensory interaction 6, the user is able to interact with the device 1 via the person recognition device 4 ( Figure 2 The user can be identified by the display device 2 (not shown) and the information displayed by the display device 2 is displayed in the direction of the user. Within the range of sensor interaction 6, for example, the user's gesture and / or the user's identity can be detected by the person positioning / recognition device 4, so that the user can contactlessly operate the device 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment and / or the display device 2 within the range of sensor interaction 6 in a manner that is preferably selected / individually simplified for the user.

[0047] Figure 3A simplified top view of an exemplary display device 2 is shown, comprising a multifaceted display 7 and a plurality of display subareas 8, each with a viewing angle α. The multifaceted shape is achieved by planar adjacent display subareas 8 facing away from the center of the polyhedron and oriented to different directions of the room. The viewing angle α is selected so that from each position within the perimeter around the apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment, at least one display subarea 8 is visible to the user. For reasons of simplicity, the viewing angle α is indicated only at one display subarea 8.

[0048] Figure 4 A schematic representation of an apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment is illustrated, the apparatus comprising a machine component according to the invention. The apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment is equipped with a control unit 9 connected to a display device 2 and a person location / recognition device 4. The person location / recognition device 4 is preferably equipped with a facial recognition device 10. Signals detected / generated by the sensor system of the person location / recognition device 4, such as the position of a person in the environment of the apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment, his posture and / or, where appropriate, the identity of the user, and, where appropriate, the signals of the associated facial recognition device 10 are forwarded to the control unit 9. In response to the signals of the person location / recognition device 4, the control unit 9 controls the display of information on the display device 2, such as the display direction of information to be displayed on the display of the display device 2 in response to the current position of the person detected by the person location / recognition device 4 in the environment of the apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment. Likewise, signals are forwarded from the apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment to the control unit 9, which controls the information to be displayed by the display device 2 in response to the transmitted information from the apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment. Furthermore, user-dependent authorization for operating the apparatus 1 for extracorporeal blood treatment and the display device 2 is controlled by the control unit 9. To achieve this purpose, the user identity is detected by the user identification device 4, for example by reading a person-related chip, or by facial recognition performed by the facial recognition device 10, and the user identity is forwarded to the control unit 9, which allows or blocks the user's operation input in response to the relevant user profile stored on the control unit 9.

Claims

1. A device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment, comprising a control unit (9) and a display device (2), characterized in that The device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment is equipped with a person locating / identifying device (4), and The human positioning / identification device (4) and the display device (2) are in information exchange contact with each other through the control unit (9), and providing and adapting the human positioning / identification device (4) to obtain and process at least information about the position of a person located in a range detectable by the human positioning / identification device (4), and The display device (2) comprises an external peripheral display (3; 7) which is visible from all positions within the range detectable by the person positioning / identification device (4) and is provided and adapted to automatically electronically align the display direction of the information to be displayed on the peripheral display (3; 7) in the direction of the person's position in response to at least the person's position relative to the device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment, and to present the information in a larger or smaller size depending on the distance of the user to the device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment so that the information is visible from the person's position.

2. The device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment according to claim 1, characterized in that providing and adapting the person locating / identifying means (4) to obtain and process information about the person's posture, and The display device (2) is adapted to be operable depending on the information about the posture of the person.

3. The device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The person locating / identifying device (4) is adapted to obtain and process information about the person's posture, and The device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment is adapted to be operable depending on information about the posture of the person.

4. The device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment is operable with user profiles, each user profile being assigned to a user identity, and The person locating / identifying means (4) is adapted to obtain and process information about the user identity of the person, and The display device (2) is adapted to display information on a display (3, 7) in response to the user identity of the person according to a relevant user profile.

5. The device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment is operable with user profiles, each user profile being assigned to a user identity, and The person locating / identifying means (4) is adapted to obtain and process information about the user identity of the person, and The display device (2) and / or the apparatus (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment are adapted to be operable according to a relevant user profile in response to the user identity of the person.

6. The device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the person positioning / identification device (4) comprises a camera.

7. The device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the person localization / identification device (4) comprises a facial recognition device (10).

8. The device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the device (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment is equipped with means for an audible alarm, and The person locating / identifying device (4) and the device for sounding an alarm are in information exchange contact with each other via the control unit (9), and The means for sounding an alarm is adapted to be operable in response to a signal from the person locating / identifying means (4).

9. An apparatus (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the display device comprises a display (3) having a convexly curved display surface bent away from a centre of curvature.

10. Apparatus (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the display device (2) is adapted to display a critical assessment in an alarm situation.

11. A network of multiple devices for extracorporeal blood treatment as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the display device of the devices for extracorporeal blood treatment displays the information to be displayed on the display surface of the display device according to the priority of the alarm in the event of an alarm on multiple devices.

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