Mobile medical device, mobile device and method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile medical device, in particular a C-arm X-ray device, having an equipment cart that can be moved electrically assisted in at least two movement modes, wherein the mobile medical device has at least one handle element, wherein the at least one handle element is configured to be grasped by at least one hand of an operator to move the device, the mobile medical device also has at least one sensor, which is arranged on the handle element or arranged closely to the handle element and is configured to detect measurement data characterizing the type and / or position of grasping performed by the at least one hand, the mobile medical device also has an analysis unit, which is designed to analyze the measurement data with respect to the type and / or position of grasping and to assign the measurement data to the movement mode of the equipment cart, and the mobile medical device also has a control unit for automatically adjusting to the analyzed movement mode of the equipment cart.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a mobile medical device having an equipment carriage that can be moved in at least two movement modes with electrical assistance, a mobile device having an equipment carriage that can be moved in at least two movement modes with electrical assistance, and a method for assisted operation of such a mobile medical device. Background Art

[0002] Mobile X-ray devices which are arranged on a device carriage and are equipped with wheels and can therefore be moved on the floor of a hospital have a particularly high degree of flexibility in terms of their adaptability in different areas or rooms. In this case, manual mobility which is easy to operate in practice must be achieved, in particular the device must be able to be steered, controlled and braked by an operator. It should also be ensured that the device can be controlled as easily as possible during movement and that the device has a compact design for the devices required for control in order to keep the space requirement of the device as small as possible.

[0003] Newer mobile, manually controlled X-ray machines have power-assisted mobility to make it easier for operators to operate or transport the equipment.

[0004] In addition, modern manually controlled, motorized X-ray machines have multiple degrees of freedom, depending on the angle, type and arrangement of their wheels. Depending on the situation, it is desirable to give priority to or prohibit individual degrees of freedom. For example, a mobile X-ray machine should move mainly forward and quickly in a curve when moving from one operating room to another in a corridor, while it should move slowly and accurately forward and sideways when on the operating table in the operating room. Therefore, mobile devices usually offer the possibility of selecting a certain movement mode (for example, only moving forward) by means of a switch or operating button in order to inform the system in which movement mode it is desired to move it. The movement characteristics (acceleration, speed) can also be adjusted in this way. Summary of the invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a mobile medical device having an equipment vehicle that can be moved with electric assistance in at least two movement modes, wherein the mobile medical device achieves improved operability of the device; in addition, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for assisting the operation of the device.

[0006] The technical problem of the present invention is solved by a mobile medical device having an equipment cart that can be moved in at least two movement modes with electrical assistance, a mobile device having an equipment cart that can be moved in at least two movement modes with electrical assistance, and a method for assisting the operation of such a mobile medical device. According to the present invention, a mobile medical device having an equipment cart that can be moved in at least two movement modes with electrical assistance, in particular a mobile C-arm X-ray device, has at least one handle element, wherein the at least one handle element is provided for gripping with at least one hand of an operator to move the device, the mobile medical device also has at least one sensor, which is arranged on the handle element or arranged in close proximity to the handle element and is provided for detecting measurement data that characterizes the type and / or position of gripping performed with the at least one hand, the mobile medical device also has an analysis unit, which is designed to analyze the measurement data with respect to the type and / or position of gripping and to assign (or adapt, relate) the measurement data to the movement mode of the equipment cart, and the mobile medical device also has a control unit for automatically adjusting (or being provided) to the analyzed movement mode of the equipment cart.

[0007] The mobile medical device or device vehicle has a known electric auxiliary device, i.e. a servo-assist device, for easier movement, which is used to significantly reduce the operator's force consumption for moving the device vehicle. The movement mode should be understood here as a certain pre-adjustment (or preset), during which one or more characteristics of the mobility of the device (e.g. slow driving, fast driving, translation, turning, lateral movement...) are particularly assisted and / or other characteristics are assisted to a lesser extent or not assisted at all or locked. For example, a movement mode can be set to drive the device vehicle quickly along a straight orientation and / or in a curve (or turn) and prevent lateral movement, which movement mode can be set to transport the device from one space to another. Another movement mode can be designed to slowly move a small (e.g., in the centimeter range) distance from the parking place in all possible directions, and this movement mode can be set to position the device in the operating room. Other movement patterns can be designed for slow movement of medium-sized distances (for example in the meter range) and curves, which can be provided for moving the device into a parking position in an operating room.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for automatically assisting the operation of a mobile medical device, the mobile medical device comprising an equipment cart that can be moved electrically assisted in at least two movement modes and at least one handle element for gripping with the aid of at least one hand of an operator to move the equipment cart, the method comprising the following steps: detecting measurement data characterizing a type and / or position of gripping with the aid of at least one hand, analyzing the measurement data with respect to the type and / or position of gripping and assigning the measurement data to a movement mode of the equipment cart, and automatically adjusting to the determined movement mode of the equipment cart.

[0009] The mobile medical device according to the invention and the method according to the invention have a number of advantages. The automatic recognition of the gripping characteristics of the operator and the automatic conversion into a movement pattern simplify the operation of the mobile X-ray device and make it particularly intuitive for the operator. This results in important time gains and increased efficiency during medical examinations. The operator can easily operate blindly and can focus his attention on other more important tasks without having to manually select movement characteristics, because this is automatically performed by the mobile device. The automatic recognition of the gripping characteristics and the association of the gripping characteristics with the determined movement pattern are particularly reliable and accurate and greatly facilitate the operation of the medical device for the operator.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, the sensor or sensors are designed to detect measurement data characterizing the number of gripping hands of the operator and / or the size of the gripping hand or hands and / or the position of the gripping hand or hands and / or the placement surface of the gripping hand or hands and / or the gripping strength and / or gripping characteristics (or gripping profiles). Such gripping characteristics are particularly suitable for drawing conclusions about the planned or intended movement of the device by the operator, so that by identifying one or more of these characteristics, the movement mode can be selected automatically and particularly simply and accurately.

[0011] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the at least one sensor is formed by at least one capacitive sensor. Capacitive sensors are particularly reliable and effective in identifying human fingers or hands. These sensors can also be integrated into the handle element in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner. In particular, a plurality of sensors can also be arranged on the handle element or arranged in close proximity to the handle element. The entire handle element can also be formed by a capacitive sensor in order to ensure particularly reliable identification. In addition, other sensors, such as resistive sensors, proximity sensors, light sensors, pressure sensors or cameras can be provided.

[0012] According to another design of the present invention, the at least two movement patterns can be individually adjusted for at least two operators. To achieve this, for example, the operator can be detected by detecting grip characteristics, such as the size of the hand, and the personalized movement pattern can be adjusted accordingly. Alternatively, the operator can also be identified by an additional camera and image recognition software and then individually adjusted to the movement pattern.

[0013] According to another design of the present invention, the first motion mode is designed so that when it is adjusted to the first motion mode, it assists in quickly moving the device vehicle at a distance greater than 2m. According to another design of the present invention, the second motion mode is designed so that when it is adjusted to the second motion mode, it assists in slowly moving the device vehicle at a distance less than 15cm. These motion modes are usually the most important motion modes in principle. However, these motion modes can also be designed more specifically when necessary, for example by locking or assisting other determined motion modes. There may also be other motion modes, in which one or more characteristics of the mobility of the device (such as slow driving, fast driving, translation, turning, lateral movement...) are particularly assisted and / or other characteristics are assisted to a lesser extent or not assisted at all. There may also be multiple different motion modes.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the mobile medical device is formed by a mobile C-arm X-ray device having a rotatable C-arm that is adjustable in multiple degrees of freedom.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the first handle element is designed to push and / or pull the mobile device that can be moved electrically assisted in at least two movement modes, and the second handle element is designed to grasp with the aid of at least one hand of the operator to adjust the C-arm electrically assisted. In this connection, it can be provided that the second handle element has at least one sensor, which is arranged on the handle element or arranged in close proximity to the handle element and is designed to detect measurement data that characterizes the type and / or position of the grasping performed with the aid of the at least one hand, and wherein the analysis unit is designed to analyze the measurement data in terms of the type and / or position of the grasping and to assign the measurement data to the adjustment mode of the C-arm, and the control unit is designed to automatically adjust to the analyzed adjustment mode. The adjustability of the C-arm also has servo assistance in this case. The adjustment mode should be understood here as a certain pre-adjustment similar to the movement mode, during which one or more characteristics of the adjustability of the C-arm (e.g. slow adjustment, fast adjustment, rotation, translation...) are particularly assisted and / or other characteristics are assisted to a lesser extent or not assisted at all or locked. By means of a corresponding design of the second handle element and of the medical device, the operation of the mobile device is likewise simplified and made particularly intuitive for the operator.

[0016] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the mobile medical device has a display device for displaying information about the activated movement mode. The display device can also be integrated on the handle element or in the handle element or at least arranged in close proximity to the handle element. This can be, for example, an LED display device. Such a display unit has the advantage that the operator can immediately recognize which movement mode is automatically selected by observing it.

[0017] The invention further comprises a mobile device having an equipment vehicle that can be moved in at least two movement modes with electric assistance, the mobile device having at least one handle element, wherein the at least one handle element is provided for gripping with at least one hand of an operator to move the device, the mobile device also having at least one sensor, the sensor being arranged on the handle element or arranged in close proximity to the handle element and being provided for detecting measurement data characterizing the type and / or position of gripping with the at least one hand, the mobile device also having an analysis unit, the analysis unit being designed for analyzing the measurement data with respect to the type and / or position of gripping and assigning the measurement data to the movement mode of the equipment vehicle, the mobile device also having a control unit for automatically adjusting to the analyzed movement mode of the equipment vehicle. The mobile device can be, for example, a shopping cart or a warehouse transport platform. The invention can be used in particular for mobile devices with a high specific weight in order to ensure simplified maneuverability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The present invention and other advantageous embodiments are explained in detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments schematically shown in the drawings, without thereby restricting the present invention to said exemplary embodiments. In the drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 A view showing a mobile C-arm X-ray device according to the invention with a handle element;

[0020] Figure 2 a view showing a handle element; and

[0021] Figure 3 The steps of the method according to the invention for automatically assisting in the operation of a mobile C-arm x-ray device are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Figure 1 A mobile C-arm X-ray apparatus 1 having a C-arm 3 arranged on an apparatus trolley 2 is shown. The C-arm 3 is arranged on the apparatus trolley 2 by means of one or more mechanical connection devices so that the C-arm 3 can be moved in multiple degrees of freedom. The apparatus trolley can thus, for example, rotate (see arrow), tilt and translate. An X-ray source 4 is arranged at one end of the C-arm 3 and an X-ray detector 5 is arranged at the other end, by which an X-ray image of the object to be inspected can be captured at multiple possible recording positions (angles). The mobile C-arm X-ray apparatus 1 is controlled by a system control device 8. The apparatus trolley 2 has a plurality of, for example, two, three or four multi-directional or omnidirectional wheels 6, by means of which the apparatus trolley can be moved and displaced forward, laterally and / or in a curve. The wheels can each have their own drive. The mobile C-arm X-ray apparatus is usually pushed or moved by an operator. For this purpose, the apparatus trolley has a handle element 7, which can be grasped by the operator with one or both hands in order to push or pull the apparatus trolley. Two or more handle elements can also be arranged on the device carriage. The mobility is additionally assisted in terms of force, i.e. the device has a (known, not shown) servo drive, which electrically assists the operator during the movement. In this way, the mobile C-arm X-ray device 1 can be easily moved in all directions.

[0023] In the context of electrically assisted mobility, the mobile C-arm X-ray device 1 has at least two different movement modes. A movement mode is to be understood as a specific presetting, during which one or more characteristics of the mobility of the equipment vehicle (e.g. slow travel, fast travel, translation, turning, lateral movement, etc.) are particularly assisted and / or other characteristics are assisted to a lesser extent or not assisted at all or locked. For example, a first movement mode can be provided for fast movement of the equipment vehicle in a straight orientation and / or in a curve and preventing lateral movement, which movement mode can be provided, for example, for transporting the device from one space to another over a distance of more than 4 m. Another (e.g. second) movement mode can be designed for slow movement of small distances (e.g. less than 50 cm) from a parking position in all possible directions, which movement mode can be provided for (precisely) positioning the device in the operating room. Other (e.g. third) movement modes can be designed for slowly moving medium-sized (e.g. between 50 cm and 4 m) distances and curves, which can be provided for moving the device into a parking position in an operating room. Other or alternative movement modes, for example with only one characteristic (fast, slow, etc.) can also exist.

[0024] For particularly intuitive operation in terms of mobility, the C-arm X-ray device has a number of components which ensure automatic adjustment to the currently required operating mode. Figure 2 As shown in an enlarged manner, a plurality of capacitive sensors 12 are integrated into the handle element 7. The capacitive sensors 12 are designed to detect measurement data about the grip of the operator, i.e., for example, exactly where the grip is made and at how many positions of the handle element 7. The measurement data are then transmitted to an evaluation unit 9, which is designed to evaluate the measurement data. The evaluation unit 9 evaluates the measurement data to determine the type and position of the grip performed by the operator's hand. The evaluation unit can, for example, evaluate whether the operator grips with one or two hands, how many fingers are involved, how tightly the grip is made, exactly where the grip is made and to what extent and in which direction the grip is pushed and / or can, for example, generate grip characteristics.

[0025] The handle element 7 may alternatively have other sensors, such as a pressure sensor 15, a resistive sensor, a proximity sensor, a light sensor or a camera sensor 16, to more accurately characterize the type of grip or the grip characteristics of the operator. The measurement data of these sensors are also analyzed by the analysis unit 9 in terms of the type and position of the grip. In addition, for example, the operator itself can also be identified according to the operator's operating style or by means of facial recognition or fingerprint recognition. After analyzing the measurement data in terms of the type and / or position of the grip through the operator's gap, the analysis unit 9 configures the determined characteristics to the existing motion mode. The verified motion mode is then presented as the motion mode that the operator wants to perform, is transmitted to the system control device 8 of the mobile C-arm X-ray device 1 and is adjusted to the motion mode by the system control device 8. The equipment vehicle can then move in the adjusted motion mode in this way. In this way, the operator's typical operating style related to it can be converted into the adaptive motion of the equipment, and the user does not need to manually (for example, using a button or a joystick) select the desired motion. In addition, personalized motion characteristics can be realized when identifying the operator.

[0026] In order to show the operator which movement mode is set or which state the hand recognition is in, a display element 13, such as an LED or a small screen, is provided. The display element can be arranged around the handle element 7 or at other locations of the mobile C-arm X-ray device 1. In addition, a display device can also be arranged on a common monitor. The monitor 11 can be arranged on the mobile C-arm X-ray device or on an additional mobile trolley 10.

[0027] For example, instead of a handle element 7 that can be used for gripping with two hands, two smaller handle elements with corresponding sensors can be provided, each of which is only provided for gripping with one hand. The corresponding measurement data can then be evaluated jointly for both handle elements, i.e., for example, whether gripping is only performed with one hand and what type of gripping is present.

[0028] In addition to mobility, the adjustability of the C-arm can also be optionally adjusted automatically in the manner described. Therefore, there can also be two or more adjustment modes, i.e., certain pre-adjustments for the adjustment of the C-arm, during which one or more characteristics of the adjustment of the C-arm (e.g., slow, fast, rotating ...) are particularly assisted and / or other characteristics are assisted to a lesser extent or not assisted at all or locked. The C-arm itself can be adjusted manually with the assistance of a servo. Capacitive sensors 12 and / or other sensors are also arranged on other handle elements 17 that are provided for manual, servo-assisted adjustment of the C-arm by an operator, and the capacitive sensors 12 and / or other sensors detect measurement data that characterize the type and / or position of the operator's grip. The measured values ​​can then be analyzed by the analysis unit in terms of the type and / or position of the grip and correspondingly assigned to the adjustment mode of the C-arm. The adjustment mode is then automatically adjusted to the adjustment mode by the system control device.

[0029] exist Figure 3 The method for assisting operation according to the present invention is shown in Figure 1 The invention relates to a method for a mobile C-arm X-ray apparatus. In a first step 20, measurement data are detected by sensors (12, 15, 16), which are characteristic of the type and / or position of gripping by at least one hand. The measurement values ​​can then be evaluated by an evaluation unit in a second step 21 with respect to the type and / or position of gripping and can be assigned to a movement pattern of the equipment vehicle. In a third step 22, the determined movement pattern is automatically adjusted.

[0030] The invention enables a more efficient and more intuitive operation of the platform, since blind operation by the operator is ensured. The operator knows which movement mode is set, since the operator controls this directly by the way he grips. The method for automatically assisting the operation is ideally implemented in the control software of the mobile C-arm X-ray device.

[0031] Alternatively, the different movement modes can be set manually, for example via a switch or via a user interface.

[0032] In addition, a mobile device having an equipment cart that can be moved electrically assisted in at least two movement modes can have at least one handle element, wherein the at least one handle element is arranged for gripping with at least one hand of an operator to move the device, the mobile device also has at least one sensor, the sensor is arranged on the handle element or arranged in close proximity to the handle element and is arranged for detecting measurement data characterizing the type and / or position of gripping performed with the at least one hand, the mobile device also has an analysis unit, the analysis unit is designed to analyze the measurement data in terms of the type and / or position of gripping and to assign the measurement data to the movement mode of the equipment cart, the mobile device also has a control unit for automatically adjusting to the analyzed movement mode of the equipment cart, and the mobile device also has non-medical use. The mobile device can be, for example, a shopping cart or a warehouse transport platform. The present invention can be used in particular for mobile devices with a high specific weight in order to ensure simplified maneuverability. Therefore, for a shopping cart, for example, it can be adjusted to a first movement mode when operated with one hand (normal movement) and to a second movement mode when operated with two hands (brake-type movement). By differentiating between one-handed and two-handed operation, safe movement can be ensured on inclined terrain (e.g. in parking lots). In this way, the shopping cart can be controlled precisely and simply, regardless of weight. For warehouse transport platforms, for example, very large weights can be moved precisely, since many transport vehicles in logistics centers still have to be moved manually. Therefore, a distinction can be made here between a first movement mode (normal movement on the ground) with two-handed operation and a second movement mode (movement parallel to the shelf) with one-handed operation.

[0033] The present invention can be briefly summarized as follows: a mobile medical device having an equipment cart that can be moved electrically assisted in at least two movement modes, the mobile medical device having at least one handle element, wherein the at least one handle element is configured to be grasped by at least one hand of an operator to move the device, the mobile medical device also having at least one sensor, the sensor being arranged on the handle element or arranged closely to the handle element and configured to detect measurement data characterizing a type and / or position of a grip performed by the at least one hand, the mobile medical device also having an analysis unit, the analysis unit being designed to analyze the measurement data with respect to the type and / or position of the grip and to assign the measurement data to a movement mode of the equipment cart, the mobile medical device also having a control unit for automatically adjusting to the analyzed movement mode of the equipment cart.

Claims

1. A mobile medical device (1), comprising a device carriage (2) which can be moved electrically assisted in at least two movement modes, the mobile medical device (1) comprising at least one handle element (7), wherein: The at least one handle element (7) is configured to be grasped by at least one hand of an operator to move the device, and the mobile medical device also has at least one sensor (12, 15, 16) which is arranged on the handle element (7) or in the immediate vicinity of the handle element and is provided for detecting measurement data characterizing a gripping property of a grip performed by means of the at least one hand, an analysis unit (9) which is designed to analyze the measurement data with respect to gripping characteristics and to automatically assign the measurement data to a movement pattern of the equipment vehicle (2), wherein the gripping characteristics yield conclusions about a movement of the equipment planned or intended by an operator, a control unit for automatically adjusting to the analyzed movement pattern of the equipment vehicle (2), The at least two movement modes can be individually adjusted for at least two operators, wherein the at least one sensor (12, 15, 16) is designed to detect measurement data characterizing the gripping characteristics of the operators, the analysis unit (9) is designed to analyze the measurement data on the operator side and to assign the measurement data to the individualized movement modes, and the control unit is designed to automatically adjust to the analyzed individualized movement mode.

2. The mobile medical device according to claim 1, wherein: The sensors (12, 15, 16) are designed to detect measurement data characterizing the number of gripping hands of an operator and / or the size of the gripping hand or hands and / or the position of the gripping hand or hands and / or the placement surface of the gripping hand or hands and / or the gripping strength of the grip.

3. The mobile medical device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The at least one sensor is formed by at least one capacitive sensor (12).

4. The mobile medical device according to claim 1 or 2, which is formed by a mobile C-arm X-ray device having a C-arm (3) that can be adjusted in multiple degrees of freedom.

5. The mobile medical device according to claim 4, wherein: A first handle element (7) is designed for pushing and / or pulling the mobile device which can be moved electrically assisted in at least two movement modes, and a second handle element (17) is designed for gripping with at least one hand of an operator for electrically assisted adjustment of the C-arm (3).

6. The mobile medical device according to claim 5, wherein: The second handle element (17) has at least one sensor (12), which is arranged on the handle element (17) or arranged in close proximity to the handle element and is designed to detect measurement data characterizing gripping characteristics of a grip performed by means of the at least one hand, and wherein the analysis unit (9) is designed to analyze the measurement data with respect to the gripping characteristics and to assign the measurement data to an adjustment mode of the C-arm, and the control unit is designed to automatically adjust to the analyzed adjustment mode.

7. The mobile medical device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a plurality of sensors (12, 15, 16), which are arranged on the at least one handle element or in close proximity to the at least one handle element.

8. The mobile medical device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first movement mode is designed so that when the first movement mode is set, it assists in quickly moving the equipment vehicle (2) over a distance greater than 4 m.

9. The mobile medical device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The second movement mode is designed so that when the second movement mode is set, the equipment vehicle (2) is assisted to be slowly moved over a distance of less than 50 cm. 10 . The mobile medical device as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a display element ( 13 ) for displaying information about an automatically activated movement pattern.

11. A method for automatically assisting the operation of a mobile medical device, the mobile medical device having an equipment carriage (2) that can be moved electrically assisted in at least two movement modes and at least one handle element (7) for grasping with at least one hand of an operator to move the equipment carriage (2), the method comprising the following steps: detecting measurement data characterizing gripping characteristics of a grip performed by means of at least one hand, Analyzing the measurement data with respect to gripping characteristics and automatically assigning the measurement data to a movement pattern of the equipment vehicle (2), wherein: The grip characteristics give rise to inferences about the movement of the device planned or intended by the operator, and Automatically adjust to the determined movement mode of the equipment vehicle (2), The at least two movement patterns can be individually adjusted for at least two operators, wherein measurement data characterizing the gripping characteristics of the operators are detected, the measurement data are analyzed on the operator side and assigned to the personalized movement patterns, and the analyzed personalized movement patterns are automatically adjusted.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: Measurement data are detected which characterize the number of gripping hands of the operator and / or the size of the gripping hand or hands and / or the position of the gripping hand or hands and / or the resting surface of the gripping hand or hands and / or the gripping strength of the grip.

13. A mobile device having a device carriage which can be moved in at least two movement modes with electrical assistance, the mobile device having at least one handle element, wherein: The at least one handle element is configured to be grasped by at least one hand of an operator to move the device, and the mobile device also has at least one sensor which is arranged on the handle element or in the immediate vicinity of the handle element and is provided for detecting measurement data which characterize a gripping property of a grip performed by means of the at least one hand, an analysis unit designed to analyze the measurement data with respect to a gripping characteristic, which yields conclusions about a movement of the equipment planned or intended by an operator, and to automatically assign the measurement data to a movement pattern of the equipment vehicle, and a control unit for automatically adjusting to the analyzed movement pattern of the equipment vehicle, The at least two movement modes can be individually adjusted for at least two operators, wherein the at least one sensor (12, 15, 16) is designed to detect measurement data characterizing the gripping characteristics of the operators, the analysis unit (9) is designed to analyze the measurement data on the operator side and to assign the measurement data to the individualized movement modes, and the control unit is designed to automatically adjust to the analyzed individualized movement mode.

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