Method for operating a medical device, medical device and computer program

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (6) for operating a medical device (2). According to the method (6), the medical device (2) communicates (S1) with at least one electronic device (3, 4) about an arrangement of an emission of an electric and / or magnetic field. Further, the medical device (2) determines (S2) a timing of an action of the medical device (2) which causes the emission of an electric and / or magnetic field and / or is sensitive to an electric and / or magnetic field. The step of determining (S2) the timing and the step of communicating (S1) with the at least one electronic device (3, 4) are performed in agreement (7) with each other. Finally, the medical device (2) performs (S3) the action of the medical device (2) based on the determined timing. The invention also relates to a corresponding medical device (2) and a computer program.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to medical environments, such as hospitals or doctors' clinics. In particular, this invention relates to methods for operating medical devices, corresponding medical devices, and corresponding computer programs. Background Technology

[0002] Medical facilities are equipped with a variety of medical and non-medical electronic devices that emit electromagnetic radiation. These devices include typical medical instruments (e.g., imaging and monitoring equipment), personal devices (e.g., mobile phones and computers), hospital facilities (e.g., elevators), and temporary construction equipment (e.g., welding machines). These devices emit radio frequency (RF) radiation, slowly varying strong magnetic fields (e.g., emitted through a power source), and / or ionizing radiation (e.g., emitted through X-ray-based imaging and nuclear medicine equipment).

[0003] While electromagnetic emissions from devices are subject to regulations, these regulations may be insufficient for combinations of two devices, especially if they are in close proximity. In particular, many situations in hospitals (such as intensive care units densely equipped with various instruments) require the simultaneous operation of multiple closely spaced devices, rather than addressing the issue by shutting them down or moving them to a remote location. Furthermore, many devices in hospital environments are mobile, and medical personnel are often unaware of the electromagnetic emissions and interference between devices and their strong dependence on distance. Consequently, in many cases, electromagnetic emissions still impair the functionality and safety of the equipment.

[0004] As an example, while it is often permissible to bring mobile medical devices into magnetic resonance (MR) kits, doing so can cause MR image artifacts. Similarly, RF emissions from MR systems can impair the functionality and safety of these mobile devices. As another example, X-ray imaging systems emit direct and scattered radiation that can interfere with sensors by generating noise in camera images, such as “colored snow.”

[0005] Furthermore, limiting the emission and effects of electromagnetic radiation requires considerable design and construction effort in both hardware and software (e.g., for shielding or filtering). In some cases, even the functionality of the device must be limited to comply with regulations or cope with incoming electromagnetic radiation. Currently, complying with electromagnetic emission regulations, while still requiring effort to shield and filter devices, is the most practical approach to achieving compatibility between any two devices at any distance.

[0006] US Patent Application US2015 / 0367143A1 describes a treatment planning device comprising: a condition acquisition unit configured to acquire a treatment condition; a first planning unit configured to plan a first irradiation of a first irradiation field; and a second planning unit configured to combine the first irradiation planned by the first planning unit with an irradiation of an irradiation field that includes only a portion of the affected area to make a treatment plan that satisfies the treatment condition.

[0007] US Patent Application US2007 / 0167748A1 describes a medical radiation device having a beam source and a deflection device, which can be activated by means of a data processing device according to a radiation schedule (generated using a record of the irradiated tissue produced by a medical imaging diagnostic device). Summary of the Invention

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to improve the treatment of electromagnetic radiation. In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for operating medical devices. Another object of the present invention is to provide related medical devices and related computer programs.

[0009] The object of the invention is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims, wherein further embodiments are incorporated into the dependent claims.

[0010] In one aspect of the invention, a method for operating a medical device is provided. The medical device may be a medical device that emits electric and / or magnetic fields and / or is sensitive to electric and / or magnetic fields.

[0011] The method includes communicating with at least one electronic device regarding an arrangement for the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields via the medical device. This communication may also be referred to as information exchange. Communication may be performed via a wireless channel (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Wi-Fi Direct) or via a wired channel (e.g., hospital Ethernet). The at least one electronic device is specifically different from the medical device.

[0012] Additionally, the method includes determining the timing of actions performed on the medical device that cause the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields and / or are sensitive to such emissions. If the action of the medical device causes the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields, the purpose of the method is to mitigate the effects of the emitted electric and / or magnetic fields. Conversely, if the action of the medical device is sensitive to electric and / or magnetic fields, the purpose of the method is to mitigate the effects of the emitted electric and / or magnetic fields on the medical device. Of course, the purpose of the method can be a combination of both objectives.

[0013] It should be noted that the steps of communicating with the at least one electronic device via the medical device and determining the timing of the action of the medical device via the medical device can be performed in any order. That is, the communication step can be performed first and then the determination step can be performed, or the determination step can be performed first and then the communication step can be performed, or both steps can be performed simultaneously.

[0014] In either case, the steps of determining the timing and communicating with the at least one electronic device are performed in a mutually agreeable manner. That is, the timing determination may be consistent with the outcome of the communication (i.e., dependent on the outcome of the communication); the communication may be consistent with the outcome of the determination (i.e., dependent on the determination); and / or the timing determination and the communication may be interdependent. In this context, "mutually agreeable" means that the communication and / or timing determination will help mitigate the effects of the emitted electric and / or magnetic fields of the medical device and / or the effects of the emitted electric and / or magnetic fields on the medical device.

[0015] Finally, the action of the medical device is performed based on the determined timing. That is, the action of the medical device is performed at the determined timing. By performing the action of the medical device at the determined timing, the influence of the emitted electric and / or magnetic fields of the medical device and / or the influence of the emitted electric and / or magnetic fields on the medical device are reduced, and the method for operating the medical device is improved.

[0016] According to embodiments, the medical device is a medical imaging device (e.g., an X-ray imaging device, a computed tomography (CT) device, or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device). More specifically, the medical device may be a mobile imaging system. Alternatively or additionally, the medical device is a medical treatment device (e.g., an image-guided therapy (IGT) device). All these medical devices emit and / or are sensitive to electric and / or magnetic fields, thus greatly improving the operation of these medical devices through the described methods.

[0017] According to an embodiment, the at least one electronic device includes another medical device, a computing device, and / or infrastructure equipment. The other medical device may be another medical imaging device, a patient monitoring system, and / or a life support system. The computing device may be a fixed computing device, a mobile computing device, and / or a handheld computing device (e.g., a smartphone). The computing device may have an application installed thereon that enables communication with the medical device. The infrastructure equipment may be an air conditioning system, an elevator, and / or a cleaning system.

[0018] Alternatively or additionally, the at least one electronic device includes a management device that communicates with at least one other electronic device. The management device may be a device management device for a medical environment (e.g., a device management device in a doctor's office or hospital). The other electronic device may be yet another medical device, another computing device, and / or another infrastructure device. In this case, communication between the medical device and other electronic devices can be performed via the management device.

[0019] According to an embodiment, the at least one electronic device and / or the at least one other electronic device may perform another action that causes the emission of an electric field and / or a magnetic field and / or is sensitive to an electric field and / or a magnetic field.

[0020] According to embodiments, the electric and / or magnetic fields include radio frequency electromagnetic fields, magnetic fields, and / or X-rays. Fields like magnetic fields can be static, slowly changing, or rapidly changing. Any of these electric and / or magnetic fields can interfere with at least one electronic device and / or at least one other electronic device and / or medical device, therefore the effects of all the aforementioned electric and / or magnetic fields can be considered.

[0021] According to an embodiment, the steps of communicating with the at least one electronic device include sending information to and / or receiving information from the at least one electronic device. Therefore, communication can be unidirectional (sending to or receiving from the medical device) and similar to broadcasting, or bidirectional (sending to and receiving from the medical device) and similar to handshake. The communication may also involve setting the device clock, or aligning time differences between device clocks (without altering the device clock). Thus, several communication options are possible, and the timing of actions is not affected by inaccurate device clocks.

[0022] According to an embodiment, the steps of communicating with the at least one electronic device and determining the timing include: setting a timing for the action of the medical device via the medical device; and sending information about the set timing to the at least one electronic device via the medical device. Therefore, by setting the timing for the action itself and notifying the at least one electronic device of the set timing, the medical device enables the at least one electronic device to take measures to reduce the effects of the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields. As an example, the transmitted information could be a planned timing and type of warning broadcast with the emission from the medical device (e.g., transmitting for 2 minutes at 0dBm in an RF band from 63.8MHz to 64.2MHz at a specific location in a conventional mode with RF on for 3ms and off for 7ms).

[0023] According to an embodiment, the method further includes receiving information about a set timing via the at least one electronic device. Based on the information, the at least one electronic device and / or the at least one other electronic device reduce the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields during a time period corresponding to the set timing. In this case, the information may include a request to suspend the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields via the at least one electronic device and / or the at least one other electronic device, or a request to suspend certain emissions of electric and / or magnetic fields (e.g., emissions in an RF band within a specific frequency range). Therefore, by reducing and / or suspending the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields during the time period in which the medical device performs an action, interference from the electric and / or magnetic fields on the medical device is reduced or even eliminated, thus allowing the medical device to operate more efficiently and / or accurately.

[0024] Alternatively or additionally, the at least one electronic device and / or the at least one other electronic device adjusts their operation based on received information about the set timing. For example, the at least one electronic device and / or the at least one other electronic device can schedule sensitive actions of the at least one electronic device and / or the at least one other electronic device when the medical device is not emitting electric and / or magnetic fields. That is, the at least one electronic device and / or the at least one other electronic device can use information about the timing of the medical device's actions to stagger their own key (sub)functions in time. An example could be staggering their own data acquisition with the RF transmissions of a mobile imaging system. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one electronic device and / or the at least one other electronic device can use knowledge of the (medical device's) no-transmission time to apply data filtering only when needed. That is, filtering is applied when the medical device performs an action, and not applied at other times. Moreover, in particular, software-based filters can be adjusted by including knowledge of the type and timing of external transmissions. Therefore, data quality is improved and filtering effort is reduced.

[0025] According to an embodiment, the steps of communicating with the at least one electronic device and determining the timing include receiving information from the at least one electronic device via the medical device regarding the timing of the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields via the at least one electronic device and / or via the at least one other electronic device. Therefore, the at least one electronic device and / or the at least one other electronic device sets the timing for the emission of the electric and / or magnetic fields and notifies the medical device of the set timing. Based on the received information, the medical device sets the timing for its actions. Specifically, the medical device sets the timing for its actions to a time period in which almost no other device emits electric and / or magnetic fields, i.e., interleaving the actions of the medical device with the actions of other devices emitting electric and / or magnetic fields, so that the actions of the medical device can be performed effectively and accurately.

[0026] According to an embodiment, the steps of communicating with the at least one electronic device and determining the timing include: negotiating with the at least one electronic device regarding the timing of the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields via the medical device. As an example, the negotiation can be performed using a management device, wherein the management device assigns timing for the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields. As another example, the negotiation can be performed using at least one electronic device and / or at least one other electronic device, wherein the at least one electronic device and / or at least one other electronic device considers the emission of most electric and / or magnetic fields near the medical device. Therefore, in this case, bidirectional communication is performed to align the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields. For the negotiation, device priorities can be used. The priorities can be predetermined based on the type of device or for a specific device. Priorities can also be adjusted by the device, for example, based on parameters of the device or another device (e.g., a life support system may have priorities based on changes in the patient's condition, such as priorities given by changes in pulse, blood pressure, or oxygen saturation, for example). Alternatively or additionally, priorities can be input by the user. Therefore, an optimal distribution of emission timings among the medical device, at least one electronic device, and / or at least one other electronic device can be achieved. Once the negotiation is completed, the timing of actions on the medical equipment will be set based on the negotiation results.

[0027] According to an embodiment, the method further includes transmitting a trigger signal via the medical device in relation to the timing of the action of the medical device. Information about these trigger signals may already be included in the information transmitted via the medical device. As an example, a mobile imaging system may announce in a warning broadcast that a trigger signal indicating the exact start time of a scheduled launch will be issued. Other devices receive both the pre-arranged scheduling information and the subsequent precise timing trigger to obtain improved timing.

[0028] Similarly, other devices (i.e., at least one electronic device and / or at least one other electronic device) can transmit a trigger signal. As an example, a mobile imaging system can request a pause in RF transmissions by other devices in the mobile imaging system's receiving band. The mobile imaging system can then wait for a trigger signal that marks the start of this "RF silence".

[0029] According to an embodiment, the method further includes adjusting the operation of the medical device based on information received from the at least one electronic device. This adjustment addresses interference generated by the electric and / or magnetic fields emitted by the at least one electronic device and / or at least one other electronic device. Specifically, the medical device can use knowledge of the non-emission timing of other devices to apply data filtering only when needed. Moreover, in particular, it is possible to adjust the software-based filter by including knowledge of the type and timing of the external emission. Therefore, data quality is improved and filtering effort is reduced.

[0030] According to an embodiment, the method further includes determining at least one of the distances between the medical device and the at least one electronic device and / or between the medical device and the at least one other electronic device. This distance can be determined using the known location of the device (e.g., in a medical environment). Alternatively, the distance can be determined based on the strength of the wireless signal used for communication. Once the distance has been determined, at least one of the following steps is performed based on the determined at least one distance: determining the timing of the action of the medical device; reducing the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields; adjusting the action of the at least one electronic device and / or at least one other electronic device; setting the timing of the action of the medical device; and / or adjusting the action of the medical device. Specifically, the electric and / or magnetic fields emitted by other devices can be ignored when they are too far from the medical device. In other words, the above steps are only applied when the two devices are within mutual interference range. Therefore, unnecessary emission restrictions are avoided.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the method further includes: recording communications between the medical device and the at least one electronic device, and analyzing the recorded communications to identify critical areas and / or critical times. As an example, the more critical signals sent in a hospital, the higher the likelihood of interference with incompatible devices. As another example, the recorded information can be used to identify the risk of older devices that are (not yet) compatible with the methods described above. As yet another example, message logging and statistical processing of the recorded messages can help identify critical areas and critical times as an early warning of risk situations. As yet another example, logging and processing can also detect abnormal device behavior; for example, if activity information is sent too frequently, the device may be malfunctioning or unable to function properly within the hospital network.

[0032] In another aspect of the invention, a medical device is provided. The medical device includes a computing unit and is configured to perform the method described above. Therefore, the details, additional embodiments, and advantages of the medical device correspond to the details, additional embodiments, and advantages of the method for operating the medical device described above.

[0033] In another aspect of the invention, a computer program is provided. When executed by a computer, the computer program causes the computer to perform the described method. Therefore, the details, additional embodiments, and advantages of the computer program correspond to the details, additional embodiments, and advantages of the described method for operating a medical device.

[0034] These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent and elucidated from the embodiments described below. Attached Figure Description

[0035] In the following description, preferred embodiments of the invention will be illustrated by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a medical environment is shown;

[0037] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method for operating a medical device is shown;

[0038] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of another method for operating a medical device is shown;

[0039] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating another embodiment of a method for operating a medical device is shown; and

[0040] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating another embodiment of a method for operating a medical device is shown.

[0041] In the accompanying drawings, elements corresponding to those already described may have the same reference numerals. Examples, embodiments, or optional features, whether or not indicated as non-limiting, should not be construed as limiting the claimed invention. List of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1. Medical Environment 2. Medical equipment 3. Monitoring System 4. Management Equipment 5. Computing equipment 6 methods 7. Consistent opinion S1 communication S2 Determined S3 Execution S4 Settings S5 Send S6 reduction S7 Adjustment S8 Receive S9 Settings S10 Negotiation Detailed Implementation

[0042] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of medical environment 1 is shown. Medical environment 1 may be, for example, a doctor's clinic or a hospital.

[0043] Medical environment 1 includes medical device 2. In the figure, medical device 2 is shown as a mobile C-arm X-ray imaging system; however, medical device 2 could also be another medical imaging device (e.g., an X-ray imaging device, a computed tomography (CT) device, or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device) or a medical treatment device (e.g., an image-guided therapy (IGT) device). All of these medical devices 2 emit and / or are sensitive to electric and / or magnetic fields.

[0044] The medical environment 1 also includes a patient monitoring system 3 and management equipment 4 (e.g., as two electronic devices). Additionally or alternatively, the medical environment 1 may include other electronic devices (e.g., other medical devices, computing devices, and / or infrastructure equipment).

[0045] Medical device 2, as well as electronic devices 3 and 4, are configured to communicate with each other via wireless (as shown) and / or wired connections.

[0046] The management device 4 is also configured to communicate with other electronic devices (e.g., computing device 5, shown as a smartphone in the figure).

[0047] In addition, medical device 2 is configured to perform the following methods.

[0048] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method 6 for operating a medical device 2 is shown. Method 6 includes communication S1 between the medical device 2 and at least one electronic device 3, 4 regarding the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields. This communication may also be referred to as information exchange. Communication may be performed via a wireless channel (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Wi-Fi Direct) or via a wired channel (e.g., hospital Ethernet). At least one electronic device 3, 4 is specifically different from the medical device 2.

[0049] Additionally, method 6 includes determining the timing of S2's action on the medical device 2, wherein the action causes the emission of an electric field and / or magnetic field and / or is sensitive to an electric field and / or magnetic field. If the action of the medical device 2 causes the emission of an electric field and / or magnetic field, the purpose of method 6 is to mitigate the effects of the emitted electric field and / or magnetic field by the medical device 2. On the other hand, if the action of the medical device 2 is sensitive to an electric field and / or magnetic field, the purpose of the method is to mitigate the effects of the emitted electric field and / or magnetic field on the medical device 2. Of course, the purpose of method 6 can be a combination of the two objectives described above.

[0050] It should be noted that the steps of communicating S1 with at least one electronic device 3 or 4 via medical device 2 and determining the timing of the action of medical device 2 via medical device 2 can be performed in any order. That is, the step of communicating S1 can be performed first and then the step of determining S2 can be performed, or the step of determining S2 can be performed first and then the step of communicating S1 can be performed, or both steps S1 and S2 can be performed simultaneously.

[0051] In either case, the steps of determining the timing S2 and communicating S1 with at least one electronic device 3, 4 are performed in a mutually agreeable manner, as indicated by the arrows. That is, the timing determination S2 may be consistent with the result of communication S1 (i.e., dependent on the result of communication S1); communication S1 may be consistent with the result of determining S2 (i.e., dependent on determining S2), and / or the timing determination S2 and communication S1 may be interdependent. In this context, "mutually agreeable" means that communication S1 and / or timing determination S2 will help mitigate the effects of the electric and / or magnetic fields emitted by the medical device 2 and / or the effects of the emitted electric and / or magnetic fields on the medical device 2.

[0052] Finally, the action of medical device 2 is performed based on the determined timing of S2. That is, the action of medical device 2 is performed at the determined timing of S2. By performing the action of medical device S at the determined timing of S2, the influence of the emitted electric field and / or magnetic field of medical device 2 and / or the influence of the emitted electric field and / or magnetic field on medical device 2 are reduced, and the method 6 for operating medical device 2 is improved.

[0053] Figure 3A flowchart illustrating another embodiment of a method 6 for operating a medical device 2 is shown. The steps of communicating with at least one electronic device 3, 4 (S1) and determining timing (S2) (indicated by dashed boxes) include: setting timing for the action of the medical device 2 (S4) via the medical device 2, and sending information (S5) regarding the set timing to at least one electronic device 3, 4 via the medical device 2. Thus, the medical device 2 sets timing for the action itself and notifies at least one electronic device 3, 4 of the set timing, allowing at least one electronic device 3, 4 to take measures to reduce the effects of electric and / or magnetic field emissions. One such measure is reducing the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields (S6) during a time period corresponding to the set timing, based on the information, via at least one electronic device 3, 4 and / or at least one other electronic device 5. In this case, the information may include a request to suspend the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields via at least one electronic device 3, 4 and / or at least one other electronic device 5, or certain emissions of electric and / or magnetic fields (e.g., emissions in an RF band within a specific frequency range). Therefore, by reducing S6 and / or suspending the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields during the time period in which the medical device 2 performs its actions, interference from the electric and / or magnetic fields on the medical device 2 is reduced or even eliminated, thus allowing the medical device 2 to operate more efficiently and / or accurately. Alternatively or additionally, at least one electronic device 3, 4 and / or at least one other electronic device 5 adjusts the actions of at least one electronic device 3, 4 and / or at least one other electronic device 5 in S7 based on received information about the set timing. For example, at least one electronic device 3, 4 and / or at least one other electronic device 5 can schedule sensitive actions of at least one electronic device 3, 4 and / or at least one other electronic device 5 when the medical device 2 is not emitting electric and / or magnetic fields. That is, at least one electronic device 3, 4 and / or at least one other electronic device 5 can use information about the timing of the actions of the medical device 2 to interleave their own key (sub)functions in time. An example could be interleaving their own data acquisition with the RF emissions of a mobile imaging system. Alternatively or additionally, at least one electronic device 3, 4 and / or at least one other electronic device 5 may use knowledge of the no-emission time (of the medical device 2) to apply data filtering only when necessary. That is, filtering is applied when the medical device 2 performs an action, and not at other times. Moreover, in particular, the software-based filter can be adjusted by including knowledge of the type and timing of the external emission. Therefore, data quality is improved and filtering effort is reduced.

[0054] Figure 4A flowchart of another embodiment of a method 6 for operating a medical device 2 is shown. In method 6, the steps of communicating with at least one electronic device S1 and determining timing S2 (indicated by dashed boxes) include: receiving, via the medical device 2, information S8 relating to the timing of the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields via at least one electronic device 3, 4 and / or via at least one other electronic device 5. Therefore, at least one electronic device 3, 4 and / or at least one other electronic device 5 sets the timing for the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields and notifies the medical device 2 of the set timing. Based on the received information S8, the medical device 2 sets the timing S9 for the operation of the medical device 2. Specifically, the medical device 2 sets the timing for the operation to a time period in which there is little or no emission of electric and / or magnetic fields by other devices 3, 4, 5, i.e., interleaving the operation of the medical device 2 with the operation of other devices 3, 4, 5 emitting electric and / or magnetic fields, so that the operation of the medical device 2 can be performed effectively and accurately.

[0055] Figure 5 A flowchart of another embodiment of a method 6 for operating a medical device 2 is shown. In method 6, the steps of communicating with at least one electronic device 3, 4 S1 and determining timing S2 (indicated by dashed boxes) include: negotiating S10 between the medical device 2 and at least one electronic device 3, 4 regarding the timing of the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields. As an example, the negotiation S10 can be performed using a management device 4, wherein the management device 4 assigns timing for the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields. As another example, the negotiation S10 can be performed using at least one electronic device 3, 4 and / or at least one other electronic device 5, wherein at least one electronic device 3, 4 and / or at least one other electronic device 5 considers the emission of most electric and / or magnetic fields in the vicinity of the medical device 2. Thus, in this case, bidirectional communication is performed to align the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields. For the negotiation, device priorities can be used. Priorities can be predetermined based on the type of device or for a specific device. Priorities can also be adjusted by the device, for example, based on parameters of the device or another device (e.g., a life support system may have priorities based on changes in the patient's condition, such as priorities given by changes in pulse, blood pressure, or oxygen saturation, for example). Alternatively or additionally, priorities can be input by the user. Therefore, an optimal distribution of transmission timings can be achieved among medical device 2, at least one electronic device 3, 4, and / or at least one other electronic device 5. Once negotiation S10 is complete, the timing of the action of medical device 2 in S9 is set based on the result of negotiation S10.

[0056] Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings and the foregoing description, such description and illustration are to be regarded as illustrative or exemplary rather than restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

[0057] By studying the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, those skilled in the art can understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the quantifiers "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in dissimilar dependent claims does not indicate that combinations of these measures cannot be advantageously used. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A method (6) for operating a medical device (2), comprising: The medical device (2) communicates with at least one electronic device (3, 4) regarding the arrangement of the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields (S1). The timing of the following actions of the medical device (2) is determined by the medical device (2) via (S2), the actions causing the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields and / or being sensitive to electric and / or magnetic fields. The steps of determining the timing (S2) and communicating with the at least one electronic device (3, 4) (S1) are performed in agreement (7); and The medical device (2) performs (S3) the action of the medical device (2) based on the determined timing.

2. The method (6) according to claim 1, wherein, The medical device (2) is a medical imaging device and / or a medical treatment device, more specifically a mobile imaging system.

3. The method (6) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The at least one electronic device (3, 4) includes another medical device (3), a computing device, an infrastructure device and / or a management device (4) that communicate with at least one other electronic device (5).

4. The method (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The electric and / or magnetic fields include radio frequency electromagnetic fields, magnetic fields, and / or X-rays.

5. The method (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, Communicating with the at least one electronic device (3, 4) (S1) includes sending information to the at least one electronic device (3, 4) and / or receiving information from the at least one electronic device (3, 4).

6. The method (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, Communicating (S1) and determining (S2) the timing with the at least one electronic device (3, 4) includes: The timing of the action of the medical device (2) is set (S4) using the medical device (2); and The medical device (2) sends (S5) information about the set timing to at least one electronic device (3, 4).

7. The method (6) according to claim 6, further comprising: Information about the set timing is received through at least one electronic device (3, 4); The emission of electric and / or magnetic fields is reduced (S6) during a time period corresponding to a set timing by means of at least one electronic device (3, 4) and / or by means of at least one other electronic device (5); and / or The operation of the at least one electronic device (3, 4) and / or the at least one other electronic device (5) is adjusted (S7) based on the received information about the set timing by the at least one electronic device (3, 4) and / or by the at least one other electronic device (5).

8. The method (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The communication (S1) and determination (S2) timing with the at least one electronic device (3, 4) includes: The medical device (2) receives (S8) information relating to the timing of the transmission of electric and / or magnetic fields by the at least one electronic device (3, 4) and / or by the at least one other electronic device (5) from the at least one electronic device (3, 4); and The timing of the action of the medical device (2) is set (S9) by the medical device (2) based on the received information.

9. The method (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The communication (S1) and determination (S2) timing with the at least one electronic device (3, 4) includes: The timing of the emission of electric and / or magnetic fields is negotiated between the medical device (2) and the at least one electronic device (3, 4) (S10); and Based on the result of the negotiation, the timing of the action of the medical device (2) is set (S9).

10. The method (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: The medical device (2) emits a trigger signal related to the timing of the action of the medical device (2).

11. The method (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising: The actions of the medical device (2) are adjusted based on information received from the at least one electronic device (3, 4).

12. The method (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising: Determine at least one of the distances between the medical device (2) and the at least one electronic device (3, 4) and / or between the medical device and the at least one other electronic device (5), wherein at least one of the following steps is performed based on the determined at least one distance: Determine (S2) the timing of the action of the medical device (2); Reduce the emission of (S6) electric and / or magnetic fields; Adjust (S7) the operation of the at least one electronic device (3, 4) and / or the operation of the at least one other electronic device (5); Setting (S9) the timing of the operation of the medical device (2); and / or Adjust the operation of the medical device (2).

13. The method (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising: Record the communication between the medical device (2) and the at least one electronic device (3, 4); as well as Analyze the recorded communications to identify key areas and / or key times.

14. A medical device (2) comprising a computing unit and configured to perform the method (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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