Camera arrangement for medical items and products

Abstract

The invention relates to a camera arrangement for surgical instruments having a camera (1), wherein the camera arrangement has a direct lighting strand (8) having a plurality of LEDs, the light of which is directed directly onto a reading area (20), and wherein the camera arrangement further has an indirect lighting strand (6) having a plurality of LEDs, the light of which is directed indirectly via a reflection dome (4) onto the reading area, wherein the reflection dome (4) is arranged on a side of the two first lighting strands (6, 8) facing away from the reading area (20).

Description

[0001] Camera arrangement for medical items and products

[0002] Description

[0003] Technical area

[0004] The present disclosure relates to the illumination concept of a camera arrangement for medical devices, e.g., surgical instruments. The camera arrangement detects at least machine-readable codes attached to medical devices, e.g., surgical instruments.

[0005] Background of the invention

[0006] In surgery, surgical instruments are individually recorded, for example, to compile a selection of several instruments and make them available to the surgeon. This recording can be done semi-automatically, with the instruments being sorted manually while electronic monitoring takes place using a camera system serving as a scanner.

[0007] State of the art

[0008] DE 39 17 876 A1, which originates from the applicant, discloses a system for loading a surgical instrument set. A handheld reader automatically scans barcodes attached to the instruments. The scanned instrument is automatically displayed to the user on a monitor and recorded as available on a list.

[0009] In this context, direct illumination units are known to make the respective machine-readable code of the surgical instruments visible to the camera.

[0010] The DMT100 document from IOSS discloses a tabletop camera assembly with a camera eye located on top. During operation, a user holds the machine-readable two-dimensional data matrix code of the surgical instrument over the camera eye, which is then automatically read. Multi-channel LED illumination is provided, with the appropriate channel being automatically selected from four illumination channels.

[0011] A fundamentally similar tabletop device for scanning Data Matrix codes, even on curved surfaces of surgical instruments, is known by the product name Surgiscan or Surgiscan Ultra from 2DSurgical. The camera assembly features an indirect illumination unit. The corresponding data sheet of the same name discloses an LED illumination with 256 colors for constant illumination or flash operation.

[0012] Brief description of the invention

[0013] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a camera arrangement at least for scanning machine-readable codes, the recognition reliability and speed of which are improved compared to the prior art.

[0014] This object is achieved with regard to the camera arrangement with the combination of features of claim 1.

[0015] The camera arrangement for or for the detection / visual handling / assessment of or for use in handling medical devices, e.g., surgical instruments, according to the disclosure has a first camera which is configured and designed at least for detecting machine-readable codes of medical devices, e.g., surgical instruments. The camera arrangement has a first direct illumination strand with a plurality of LEDs (i.e., a number of LEDs are arranged on a first direct circular path, preferably around the first camera as the center), the light of which is preferably directed directly onto a reading area or working area for the medical device or its code by means of an at least partially circumferential, preferably annular diffuser. The camera arrangement further has a first indirect illumination strand with a plurality of LEDs (i.e.,a number of LEDs are arranged on a first indirect circular path, preferably around the first camera as the center), the light of which is directed indirectly via a first, e.g. concave, reflection dome onto the reading area. The first (single-piece or multi-piece) reflection dome is arranged on a side of the two first lighting strands facing away from the reading area. With this camera arrangement, various lighting scenarios are possible, and recognition reliability is improved. The rapid and early, sufficient recognition reliability increases the overall recognition speed. The camera arrangement therefore enables the user to have an increased throughput of medical devices.

[0016] Medical devices include, for example, the surgical instruments already mentioned or other medical instruments or medical devices or parts of medical devices or medical products or medical consumables.

[0017] As already mentioned, the reflection dome can also be made up of multiple pieces, e.g., composed of several surfaces. For example, a hollow cuboid is also easily possible from a technical perspective.

[0018] Based on an evaluation of the quality of the camera images (e.g. in terms of illumination but also in terms of reflection) on the surface of the medical device to be viewed, individual sections of the illumination strands can preferably be controlled separately and adjusted to the conditions in terms of brightness in order to achieve ideal illumination for the reading process (homogeneous illumination of the code / minimization of reflection / maximization of the contrast between medical device and code).

[0019] A further development stage is the combination of adaptive lighting as described above and a camera with autofocus (e.g. voice coil motor or liquid lens).

[0020] A simple, device-technically simple further development with optimal illumination is achieved when the first two lighting strands have approximately the same diameter, in the sense of a double ring / double circular path, and their backs are adjacent to each other. It should be noted that the first two lighting strands could, for example, be formed by a ring- or circular-shaped circuit board equipped with a number of LEDs on each side. The circuit board defining the circular path has a certain board width, and the LEDs can also be radially offset from one another within this board width (and still be considered to be on a circular path).

[0021] A simple device-technically simple further development with optimal illumination is also achieved if at least one of the two first lighting strands is arranged and / or attached to a circumferential inner edge of the first reflection dome. Preferably, the first (e.g., annular) diffuser is also arranged and / or attached directly or indirectly to the circumferential inner edge of the first reflection dome.

[0022] According to a first embodiment, control software or a control unit is programmed such that a camera image can be generated, for which purpose the two first lighting strands can be controlled alternately one after the other. In a specific embodiment, for example, an exposure time of the first camera of 2 ms and a control frequency of the two lighting strands of 500 Hz are provided.

[0023] Also disclosed is a method for operating a camera arrangement, wherein the exposure of the first camera is achieved by alternately controlling the first two illumination strands. Autofocus is achieved, for example, by a voice coil motor or liquid lens.

[0024] According to a second embodiment, the control software or the control unit is programmed such that at least two (preferably several) images from the first camera can be generated consecutively, whereby each individual camera image can be generated by controlling only one of the two first lighting strands. The optimal camera image generated by the optimal first lighting strand can then be automatically determined by comparing the at least two (preferably several) camera images.

[0025] Also disclosed is a method for operating a camera arrangement, wherein at least two (preferably several) exposures of the first camera are carried out one after the other, and wherein each individual exposure is carried out by controlling only one of the two first illumination strands.

[0026] Advantageous handling of the medical devices is achieved when the first two lighting strands are arranged approximately horizontally, and when the first reflection dome is arranged above the first two lighting strands, while the reading area is arranged below the first two lighting strands. This results in the light beams of the LEDs of the first direct lighting strand (at least one component) being directed downward, while the light beams of the LEDs of the first indirect lighting strand (at least one component) are directed upward into the first reflection dome.

[0027] The handling of the medical devices is further improved if a support, preferably a support surface, e.g., a support plate, is arranged below the reading area. The support surface can advantageously also define a lower limit for the reading area in which the machine-readable code can be clearly captured. The user can then place the medical devices to be scanned on the support surface or even simply slide them over the support surface under the camera.

[0028] In preferred embodiments, the first camera is arranged in a recess of the first reflection dome.

[0029] A second camera is arranged on a side of the reading area facing away from the two first lighting strands and the first reflection dome and the first camera (i.e. preferably opposite the first camera), wherein the camera arrangement further comprises a second direct lighting strand with a plurality of LEDs, the light of which is directed directly onto the reading area through an at least partially circumferential (e.g. annular) diffuser. Furthermore, the camera arrangement has a second indirect lighting strand with a plurality of LEDs, the light of which is directed indirectly onto the reading area via a second, e.g. concave, reflection dome. The second reflection dome is arranged on a side of the two second lighting strands facing away from the reading area.It should also be noted here that the two second lighting strands (in correspondence with the first lighting strands) could, for example, be formed by a ring-shaped or circular-shaped circuit board being equipped with a number of LEDs on each side, wherein the circuit board defining the circular path has a certain plate width and the LEDs can also be radially offset from one another within this plate width (and can nevertheless still be described as being on a circular path).

[0030] This camera arrangement allows for additional lighting scenarios and further improves detection reliability. The faster and earlier detection reliability further increases overall detection speed.

[0031] The supplementary illumination can be in both the visible and non-visible wavelength ranges, or it can change its wavelength within different lighting scenarios. In this case, the two cameras are designed for different wavelength ranges from the group of visible light, UV light, and IR light.

[0032] Glare must be prevented, especially when the two cameras are directed toward each other (share a common optical axis). Bandpass filters are preferably used for this purpose.

[0033] To magnify the optically small barcodes and to increase the reading range of the machine-readable code, a camera arrangement with a parabolic mirror is also conceivable. This is positioned on one side of the reading area facing away from the first two illumination strands and the first reflection dome, and its specific curvature optically enlarges the machine-readable code. The resulting distortion can be calculated from the image.

[0034] In a first embodiment, the parabolic mirror is convex.

[0035] In a second embodiment, the parabolic mirror is concave, with the first camera being arranged at a focus of the parabolic mirror. If an additional light source is arranged, for example, adjacent to the focus of the concave parabolic mirror, whose light is directed indirectly via the parabolic mirror onto the reading area, this provides further improved illumination or a further alternative lighting scenario for the reading area or work area.

[0036] The codes machine-readable by the camera system are primarily two-dimensional area codes or barcodes, especially data matrix codes, but also one-dimensional codes such as conventional barcodes. Furthermore, the camera system can also be configured for optical character recognition (OCR).

[0037] According to a further development of the camera arrangement, particularly its electronic evaluation unit, additional customized lighting scenarios are possible for other applications, such as surface inspection or cutting edge inspection. In this case, the aforementioned reading area of ​​the machine-readable code is also an inspection area of ​​the instrument.

[0038] Additional illumination in the UV range is useful, for example, to better detect contamination on the instrument.

[0039] The lighting strands mentioned can be circular or arc-shaped. The lighting strands mentioned can also be polygonal lines with at least four sides and corners. The lighting strands can also have interruptions. The lighting strands are preferably LED strips.

[0040] Brief Description of the Figures Fig. 1 is a camera arrangement according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Fig. 2 is a camera arrangement according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Fig. 3 is a camera arrangement according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0043] Fig. 4 is a camera arrangement according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Description of the embodiments

[0045] Four embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below based on the accompanying figures.

[0046] Fig. 1 is a camera arrangement according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure in a side schematic sectional view.

[0047] A (first) camera 1 is housed in a camera housing 2, the lens of which is directed downward through a central recess 3 of, for example, a concave reflection dome 4. The illumination is formed by two illumination strands 6, 8, which are arranged and attached to a circumferential inner edge of the reflection dome 4.

[0048] The lower illumination strand is called the direct illumination strand 8 because its LEDs, preferably evenly distributed around the circumference, emit their light downwards through a circumferential, e.g., ring-shaped diffuser 9 directly toward the medical device, e.g., the instrument, or its machine-readable code. The diffuser 9 in front of the direct illumination strand 8 creates greater light scattering. This type of illumination produces dark-field illumination. The upper illumination strand is called the indirect illumination strand 6 because its LEDs, evenly distributed around the circumference, emit their light upwards into the reflection dome 4, thus indirectly illuminating the medical device or its machine-readable code.

[0049] The circumferential inner edge of the reflection dome 4 and the two illumination strands 6, 8, and the diffuser 9 are approximately horizontal. At a distance a below the diffuser 9, a storage surface 12, designed as a storage plate, is arranged, on which the medical device is placed. The distance a is dimensioned such that a sharp image of a medical device placed thereon with the machine-readable code facing upward can be captured by the camera 1. This area is called the reading area.

[0050] Furthermore, camera 1 is also capable of imaging instrument surfaces. The user of the camera system can detect contamination by viewing a monitor (not shown) or the evaluation software of a control unit (not shown).

[0051] Finally, camera 1 is also capable of imaging any cutting edges or cutting edges present on the instrument. The user can inspect and evaluate these by viewing the monitor or the control unit's evaluation software.

[0052] Fig. 2 is a camera arrangement according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure in a side schematic sectional view.

[0053] The components and functions, in particular the lighting from Fig. 1, are implemented in an upper area. The support surface 12 from Fig. 1 is omitted. Instead, a further camera 11 is provided below the reading area 20, the lens of which is directed upwards from below the reading area 20.

[0054] A second illumination system with two second illumination strands 16, 18 in the infrared range of 850 nm makes the readout more robust against ambient light, especially if the second camera 11 has a bandpass filter 13 of 850 nm. The two illumination strands 16, 18, a second diffuser 19, and a second reflection dome 14 are positioned and operatively connected to the second camera 11 in the same way as the upper arrangement explained with reference to Fig. 1.

[0055] Fig. 3 is a camera arrangement according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure in a side schematic view.

[0056] The components and functions, in particular the lighting from Fig. 1, are implemented in an upper area. The support surface 12 from Fig. 1 has been omitted. Instead, a convex parabolic mirror 22 is arranged below the reading area 20. This mirror is therefore arranged on the lower side of the reading area 20, facing away from the two first illumination strands 6, 8 and the first reflection dome 4, in order to optically enlarge the machine-readable code through its specific curvature. The distortion resulting from this camera arrangement is calculated out of the image.

[0057] Fig. 4 is a camera arrangement according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure in a side schematic sectional view.

[0058] The two illumination strands 6, 8 and the diffuser 9, as well as their interaction with the reflection dome 104, correspond in principle to the first exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 1. However, the reflection dome 104 does not have a recess for the camera 1. Instead, the camera 1 is arranged below the reading area 20 in a focus 124 of a concave parabolic mirror 122, which is also arranged below the reading area 20. The concave parabolic mirror 122 is open upwards toward the reading area 20.

[0059] Directly below the focus 124 of the parabolic mirror 122, a further indirect illumination 106 is arranged, the light from whose LEDs (not shown) is directed initially downwards and then indirectly via the parabolic mirror 122 onto the reading area 20. This provides further improved illumination and another alternative lighting scenario. The light from the two upper illumination strands 6, 8, which passes by the medical device, e.g., instrument, is also reflected via the parabolic mirror 122 to the reading area 20. The downward-directed parallel light from the illumination strands 6, 8 is reflected via the parabolic mirror 122 onto its focus 124, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 4.

[0060] In all embodiments of the camera arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the following control options are provided for a flicker-free camera image:

[0061] The two illumination strands 6, 8 are controlled offset at a frequency of 500 Hz. During a control cycle, only one of the two illumination strands 6, 8 is active. This creates different lighting scenarios, which highlight different artifacts on different surfaces of the medical device, e.g., instruments. The timing of the illumination strands 6, 8 is not visible to the user. The timing can be perceived via the camera image. To compensate for this, the exposure time of the sensor or camera 1 is set to 2 ms.

[0062] Another variant of the lighting control is the control of camera 1 synchronously with the lighting line 6, 8. In this case, only one lighting line 6, 8 is controlled with each newly recorded camera image. To show the user a "steady" camera image, only the camera image of one lighting line 6, 8 is displayed.

[0063] Synchronization of camera 1 to the lighting corresponds to the formula:

[0064] Frequency = y(20+n) [Hz], where frequency is the possible illumination frequency, n is any natural number or zero, and y is the number of illumination scenarios. A frequency of 20 Hz or frames per second is required to generate a smooth display of the camera images on a monitor (not shown). The frequency of camera 1 in this case is determined by the formula

[0065] Braids >= m * FCamera where FCamera is the frequency of camera 1 and m is any natural number.

[0066] To ensure that the change between the lighting scenarios, especially between the lighting strands 6, 8, is not visible to the human eye and to avoid flickering, the frequency should be at least 100 Hz.

[0067] List of reference symbols:

[0068] 1 first camera

[0069] 2 first camera body

[0070] 3 recess

[0071] 4; 104 first reflection dome

[0072] 6 first indirect lighting strand

[0073] 8 first direct lighting strand

[0074] 9 first diffuser

[0075] 11 second camera

[0076] 12 second camera body

[0077] 13 bandpass filters

[0078] 14 second reflection dome

[0079] 16 second indirect lighting strand

[0080] 18 second direct lighting strand

[0081] 19 second diffuser

[0082] 20 Reading area

[0083] 22 convex parabolic mirror

[0084] 106 additional indirect lighting

[0085] 122 concave parabolic mirror

[0086] 124 Focus

[0087] Flight frequency of lighting

[0088] Further frequency of the camera a distance m natural number n natural number or zero

Claims

Claims Camera arrangement with a first camera (1) which is set up and designed to capture machine-readable codes from medical devices, wherein the camera arrangement has a first direct illumination strand (8) with a plurality of LEDs whose light is directed directly onto a reading area (20), and wherein the camera arrangement further has a first indirect illumination strand (6) with a plurality of LEDs whose light is directed indirectly onto the reading area via a first reflection dome (4), wherein the first reflection dome (4) is arranged on a side of the two first illumination strands (6, 8) facing away from the reading area (20). Camera arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the rear sides of the two first illumination strands (6, 8) face one another.Camera arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the two first illumination strands (6, 8) is arranged and / or fastened to a circumferential inner edge of the first reflection dome (4). Camera arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the two first illumination strands (6, 8) can be controlled one after the other to generate a camera image. Camera arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least two camera images of the first camera (1) can be generated one after the other, and wherein each individual camera image can be generated by controlling only one of the two first illumination strands (6, 8). Camera arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the two first illumination strands (6, 8) are arranged approximately horizontally, and wherein the first reflection dome (4) is arranged above the two first illumination strands (6, 8), while the reading area (20) is arranged below the two first illumination strands (6, 8). Camera arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a support (12) for the instrument is arranged below the reading area (20). Camera arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first camera (1) is arranged in a recess (3) of the first reflection dome (4).Camera arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a second camera (11) is arranged on a side of the reading area (20) facing away from the two first illumination strands (6, 8) and the first reflection dome (4) and the first camera (1). The camera arrangement further comprises a second direct illumination strand (18) with a plurality of LEDs whose light is directed directly onto the reading area (20). The camera arrangement further comprises a second indirect illumination strand (16) with a plurality of LEDs whose light is directed indirectly onto the reading area (20) via a second reflection dome (14). The second reflection dome (14) is arranged on a side of the two second illumination strands (16, 18) facing away from the reading area (20). The camera arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the two cameras (1, 11) are designed for different wavelength ranges from the group consisting of visible light, UV light, and IR light.Camera arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a parabolic mirror (22; 122) is arranged on a side of the reading area (20) facing away from the two first illumination strands (6, 8) and the first reflection dome (4). Camera arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the parabolic mirror (22) is convex. Camera arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the parabolic mirror (122) is concave, and wherein the first camera (1) is arranged in a focus (124) of the parabolic mirror (122), and wherein a further indirect illumination (106) is provided, the light of which is directed indirectly via the parabolic mirror (122) onto the reading area (20).

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