Reclining device having ultrasonic transducers

Abstract

The invention relates to a reclining device for a human, an animal, or an object. The reclining device comprises a reclining surface which is designed to receive the human, the animal, or the object in a reclining position on a first side of the reclining surface. The reclining device also comprises at least one ultrasonic transducer which is arranged on a second side of the reclining surface. The second side is opposite the first side. The at least one ultrasonic transducer is designed to emit ultrasonic waves through the reclining surface towards the first side and / or to measure ultrasonic waves reflected or transmitted on the first side towards the second side. The reclining device also comprises a mattress filled with an acoustic coupling medium for acoustically coupling the at least one ultrasonic transducer and the reclining surface. The acoustic coupling medium covers the reclining surface on the second side. Part of an outer surface of the mattress forms the reclining surface. The at least one ultrasonic transducer is arranged in the acoustic coupling medium inside the mattress.

Description

[0001] RECLINING DEVICE WITH ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCERS

[0002] Technical area

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the integration of ultrasound into support devices. In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a support device for a human, an animal, or an object, a system comprising the same, and a device and method for externally controlling the movement of at least one ultrasound transducer of a support device for a human, an animal, or an object. Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method for ultrasound imaging and a method for ultrasound treatment.

[0004] background

[0005] Ultrasound has long been a medical technology used to examine patients for pathological organ and tissue changes. Due to its ease of use, inexpensive equipment technology, and direct diagnostic value, this technology is widely used and accepted in the diagnostic field. However, when using diagnostic ultrasound, the transducer is still manually guided by the user. Ultrasound data acquisition is highly dependent on the user. Thus, standardization or precisely reproducible data acquisition, for example, for follow-up, is very limited or even impossible.

[0006] In the operating room environment, ultrasound offers considerable advantages during surgery because it provides real-time data from inside the body and is therefore the only modality that can non-invasively depict changes or the current situation. However, the use of ultrasound still requires a user with the appropriate knowledge to guide the transducer. There are approaches to integrating ultrasound transducers into robotic arms, but even with these approaches the imaging of the surgical site is usually done from above. This has the major disadvantage that data cannot be recorded continuously because the surgeon is also active in the site with his instruments. Real-time monitoring of the procedures is therefore not possible because the intervention and imaging always run sequentially. Against this background, it is a task to enable improved application of ultrasound.

[0007] Summary

[0008] The object is achieved according to the invention by a reclining device for a human, an animal, or an object, as well as a device for externally controlling the movement of at least one ultrasonic transducer of a reclining device for a human, an animal, or an object, according to the independent claims. Further aspects and developments are described in the dependent claims, the following description, and the figures.

[0009] According to a first aspect, the present disclosure relates to a lying device for a human, an animal, or an object. The lying device comprises a lying surface configured to accommodate the human, the animal, or the object in a lying position on a first side of the lying surface. The lying surface is a surface intended for lying down or designed for the human, the animal, or the object to lie down on or be laid down on by third parties. Furthermore, the lying device comprises at least one ultrasonic transducer (in particular a plurality, i.e., N > 2, of ultrasonic transducers) arranged on a second side of the lying surface. The second side is opposite the first side. The at least one ultrasonic transducer is configured to emit ultrasonic waves through the lying surface in the direction of the first side and / or to measure (e.g., reflected or transmitted) ultrasonic waves through the lying surface.In other words: the at least one ultrasound transducer can be configured in particular to measure ultrasound waves reflected on the first side in the direction of the second side or transmitted in the direction of the second side. For this purpose, the lying surface is designed to be correspondingly permeable or largely (acoustically) transparent to ultrasound waves. The lying device according to the first aspect enables the irradiation with ultrasound waves as well as the measurement of (e.g. reflected or transmitted) ultrasound waves from below the lying surface. The treatment of the human or animal accommodated on the lying surface by a practitioner (e.g. examination by a doctor or surgical intervention by a surgeon) does not have to be interrupted for the ultrasound application.Rather, the arrangement of the human or animal and at least one ultrasound transducer on different sides enables parallel ultrasound application and treatment by a practitioner. During a surgical procedure, for example, the operating site can remain free, so that no interruption of the procedure is necessary to couple an ultrasound transducer to a surgically treated area of ​​the human or animal for ultrasound imaging. Likewise, the object can be subjected to any ultrasound application. The frequency of the emitted or measured ultrasound waves depends on the selected ultrasound application. For example, the frequency of the emitted ultrasound waves for a therapeutic ultrasound application can be 200 kHz, 800 kHz, 1 MHz, or 3 MHz - depending on the desired penetration depth of the ultrasound.For ultrasound imaging, the frequency of the emitted and measured ultrasound waves can be, for example, between 2 and 20 MHz. However, it should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned frequency ranges. In principle, any suitable frequency or frequency range can be selected.

[0010] In some embodiments, the lying device comprises a plurality (N>2) of ultrasonic transducers arranged at fixed positions relative to the lying surface in an array (arrangement) that at least partially covers the lying surface (in particular, the entire surface). Accordingly, the human, animal, or object recorded on the lying surface can be at least partially exposed to ultrasound by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, or reflected or transmitted ultrasonic waves from at least one body region of the human or animal recorded on the lying surface or a specific region of the object can be measured.

[0011] In alternative embodiments, the lying device comprises a positioning system which is configured to move the at least one ultrasonic transducer relative to the lying surface based on control data. Accordingly, the at least one ultrasonic transducer can be moved in a controlled manner to specific body regions of the human or animal accommodated on the lying surface or to specific regions of the object accommodated on the lying surface in order to specifically irradiate these regions with ultrasound or to specifically measure ultrasonic waves reflected or transmitted from these regions. The positioning system can be configured in a variety of ways and, for example, have mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic and / or electrical components or subsystems for moving the at least one ultrasonic transducer relative to the lying surface. The control data can be generated inside or outside (i.e. externally) the lying device.Because the positioning system is controlled by the control data, the positioning of the at least one ultrasonic transducer can be performed independently of the person treating the human or animal. In particular, the positioning of the at least one ultrasonic transducer can be standardized and reproducible, since the person treating the human or animal does not have to manually guide the at least one ultrasonic transducer.For example, the human or animal can be imaged several times from the lying surface over a period of time to monitor the progress, and the at least one ultrasound transducer can be moved specifically to one or more body regions of interest of the human or animal or specifically over one or more body regions of interest of the human or animal based on the control data in order to collect measurement data for ultrasound imaging of the one or more body regions of interest with the at least one ultrasound transducer. Due to the positioning of the at least one ultrasound transducer based on the control data, the one or more body regions of interest of the human or animal can be approached or moved over in a standardized and exactly reproducible manner, thus obtaining images of the body region with a high degree of comparability.In an analogous manner, the at least one ultrasound transducer can be moved to one or more target body regions or over one or more target body regions in a standardized and exactly reproducible manner based on the control data in order to treat them specifically with (therapeutic) ultrasound.

[0012] According to embodiments, the positioning system can be controlled based on the control data, for example, to move one or more of the at least one ultrasonic transducers along one or more spatial directions relative to the lying surface (one-, two-, or dimensional movement of the at least one ultrasonic transducer) and / or to rotate (rotate) one or more of the at least one ultrasonic transducers relative to the lying surface and / or to tilt (tilt) one or more of the at least one ultrasonic transducers relative to the lying surface. Accordingly, the at least one ultrasonic transducer can be placed or aligned relative to the human, animal, or object being scanned on the lying surface in a suitable manner for a desired or planned ultrasound application.

[0013] The positioning system can optionally also be equipped with one or more position detection sensors to determine the absolute position of the at least one ultrasonic transducer or the position of the at least one ultrasonic transducer relative to the lying surface, thus enabling, for example, a clear spatial assignment of the measurement data from the at least one ultrasonic transducer. Automatic detection of anatomical structures of the human or animal, or of structures within the object, can also be enabled.

[0014] In some embodiments, the positioning system comprises, for example, at least one measuring system (in particular a plurality of measuring systems) that is freely movable relative to the lying surface. The at least one measuring system comprises one or more of the at least one ultrasonic transducers (i.e., one or more ultrasonic transducers), at least one actuator (e.g., wheels, magnetic actuators, pneumatic actuators, or walking actuators) for moving the measuring system relative to the lying surface, and a drive system for driving the at least one actuator based on the control data. The respective measuring system can be moved freely relative to the lying surface via the at least one actuator and the drive system, in order to be able to approach or move over one or more body regions in a targeted manner for a desired or planned ultrasound application with the respective at least one ultrasonic transducer of the respective measuring system.If the positioning system comprises multiple measuring systems, these can, for example, independently approach or move over several different body regions for a desired or planned ultrasound application (e.g., parallel ultrasound imaging for multiple body regions). The support device or the positioning system comprises a surface on which the wheels of at least one measuring system can roll, enabling the measuring system to be moved relative to the support surface.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the at least one measuring system comprises a rechargeable battery that is configured to provide electrical energy for the drive system and the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the at least one measuring system. The lying device further comprises a charging system that is configured to charge the rechargeable battery. In other words: the at least one measuring system is electrically driven in order to move relative to the lying surface. The charging of the rechargeable battery can be carried out both wirelessly (e.g. inductively) and via a wire (e.g. via a cable connection or electrical contacts of the respective measuring system and the charging system that can be brought into contact with one another). The rechargeable battery, together with the charging system, enables the respective measuring system to move freely relative to the lying surface, so that one or more body regions can be targeted orcan be traversed for a desired or planned ultrasonic application with the respective at least one ultrasonic transducer of the respective measuring system.

[0016] In some embodiments, the at least one measuring system further comprises at least one distance sensor configured to determine a distance between the at least one measuring system and objects in its surroundings. The drive system is correspondingly configured to drive the at least one actuator (e.g., a plurality of wheels) based on the determined distance. The distance sensor can use known time-of-flight methods, e.g., optical or acoustic (in particular, ultrasound-based) methods, to determine the distance. In general, the distance sensor can use any method suitable for determining the distance. The distance sensor enables the respective measuring system to determine its position and thus improve the movement of the respective measuring system relative to the lying surface.For example, distances to one or more boundaries of the movement space of at least one measuring system can be determined using the distance sensor, allowing the respective measuring system to determine its position within the movement space and take this into account when moving to a target position. Alternatively or additionally, distances to one or more additional measuring systems can be determined and taken into account when planning a movement trajectory to a target position in order to avoid a collision with the additional measuring system.

[0017] According to some embodiments, the lying device can alternatively or additionally comprise a tracking system (location system) which is configured to track (or determine) a respective position of the at least one measuring system. The tracking system can use known methods, e.g. optical, acoustic or inductive, for position determination. In general, the tracking system can use any method suitable for position determination. The tracking system makes it possible to determine the position of the respective measuring system and thus improve the movement of the respective measuring system relative to the lying surface. For example, the position determined by the tracking system can be transmitted to the respective measuring system so that the respective measuring system can take the determined position into account when moving to a target position.Alternatively or additionally, the position determined by the tracking system can be fed to a circuit or logic that generates the control data, so that the circuit or logic can take the position determined by the tracking system into account when generating the control data.

[0018] In some embodiments, the at least one measuring system comprises a wireless communication circuit configured to wirelessly receive the control data and optionally also further data, such as a position of the measuring system measured by the tracking system or a position of another measuring system measured by the tracking system. Radio or high-frequency waves or optical waves, for example, can be used for the wireless communication. The wireless communication can take place according to a standardized radio protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, WLAN IEEE 802.11, ZigBee, etc.). Analogously, the wireless communication circuit can also be configured to wirelessly transmit output data of the respective measuring system to an external entity (outside the respective measuring system) (e.g., measurement data of the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the measuring system or data or quantities derived therefrom).Accordingly, no wired connection is necessary for data exchange.

[0019] In alternative embodiments, wired data exchange may also be provided. Wired data exchange may be preferable to wireless data exchange in certain applications. Accordingly, instead of the wireless communication circuit, the at least one measuring system has a communication circuit for wired communication, which is configured for wireless communication in a manner analogous to that described above.

[0020] According to some embodiments, the at least one measuring system further comprises a circuit coupled to the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the measuring system and configured to control the emission of ultrasonic waves by the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the measuring system and / or to process the measurement data generated by the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the measuring system based on the measured (e.g., reflected or transmitted) ultrasonic waves. In other words, the circuit responsible for controlling the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the measuring system or for data evaluation is integrated into the respective measuring system, so that the measuring system can directly control the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the measuring system or evaluate its measurement data.For example, the circuit can be configured to apply a respective control signal to the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the measuring system to initiate the emission of ultrasonic waves of a specific frequency over a specific period of time. For example, the circuit can be configured to digitize, filter, combine, analyze, etc., the measurement data of the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the measuring system during processing.

[0021] In alternative embodiments, the lying device can comprise an array of ultrasonic transducers comprising a first section, a second section and a third section. The array can be made from individual elements or provided as an integral component. The first section is (substantially) flat. The second section and the third section are arranged at opposite ends of the first section and are raised relative to the first section such that the ultrasonic transducers arranged in the second section and third section face side regions of the human, animal or object, while the lying surface accommodates the human, animal or object in the lying position.In other words: The array of ultrasound transducers has a broadly U-shaped cross-section, so that not only the part of the human, animal or object lying on the lying surface, but also the side areas of the human, animal or object can be subjected to ultrasound application. Likewise, the array of ultrasound transducers can have a semicircular or arcuate shape in the broadest sense. For example, lateral areas of the human, animal or object can be captured in ultrasound imaging, or lateral areas of the human, animal or object can be treated with (therapeutic) ultrasound. In still other words: Along one spatial direction, the two ends of the array of ultrasound transducers are directed upwards, i.e.curved toward the lying surface, so that the ultrasonic transducers arranged at the curved ends face the side areas of the human, animal, or object, while the lying surface accommodates the human, animal, or object in a lying position. The array of ultrasonic transducers can be, for example, a linear or matrix array. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this. In principle, any type of array can be used.

[0022] According to some embodiments, the reclining device comprises a communication circuit configured to receive the control data from an entity outside the reclining device. The control data can be received both wirelessly (e.g., via radio or high-frequency waves or optical waves) and wired (e.g., via a cable or an optical fiber). Communication can occur according to a standardized communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, WLAN IEEE 802.11, ZigBee, etc.). Since the control data can be generated outside the reclining device, no computing power, logic, or corresponding circuit capacity for generating the control data needs to be provided in the reclining device itself. The control data can be generated, for example, outside the reclining device by a server that can be coupled to the communication circuit.Accordingly, the reclining device itself can be provided cost-effectively with reduced circuitry or logic. Similarly, the communication circuit can also be configured to wirelessly transmit output data from the reclining device to an external entity (outside the reclining device) (e.g., measurement data from at least one ultrasonic transducer or data or variables derived therefrom).

[0023] In alternative embodiments, the lying device can comprise an interface circuit configured to receive input data indicating a user input from a user for controlling the movement of the at least one ultrasonic transducer and / or a detected position or movement of a body part of the user (e.g., a hand, an arm, a head), and / or a detected gaze direction of the user, and / or a detected position or movement of a medical instrument used by the user (e.g., a scalpel, a clamp, etc.). The input data can be received both wirelessly (e.g., via radio or high-frequency waves or optical waves) and wired (e.g., via a cable or an optical fiber). Communication can occur according to a standardized communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, WLAN IEEE 802.11, ZigBee, etc.). The user input can, for example,by a human-machine interface such as a joystick, a touch-sensitive screen, a computer mouse or a microphone. The position of the body part or movement of the user, the direction of gaze of the user as well as the position or movement of the medical instrument used by the user can be recorded, for example, by a tracking system inside or outside the lying device. Furthermore, the lying device comprises a processing circuit which is set up to determine, on the basis of the input data, a region (of the person, object or animal recorded by the lying surface) to be sounded by the at least one ultrasound transducer. For example, the input data can be processed using one or more static rules or by means of artificial intelligence (e.g. by means of a trained machine learning model).trained machine-learning model) is evaluated and a region to be irradiated is determined from this. For example, the position of a user's hand, the direction of gaze of the user or the position of a medical instrument used by the user can be used to determine the body region of the human or animal being treated or examined by the user. Likewise, the user can, for example, select a body region of interest in a graphical user interface or give a corresponding voice command. Accordingly, this region can be determined as the region to be irradiated in order to, for example, support the user by means of ultrasound imaging for this body region. The processing circuit is further configured to determine a target position for the at least one ultrasound transducer based on the region to be irradiated.Since the human or animal is photographed in a lying position on the lying surface, each body region can, for example, be assigned a specific location or a specific area or region of the lying surface and determined as the target position for the at least one ultrasonic transducer. The processing circuit is then configured to determine the control data based on the target position. To this end, the processing circuit generates the control data in such a way that it includes one or more commands to cause the positioning system to move the at least one ultrasonic transducer to the target position relative to the lying surface. It should be noted that the processing circuit can determine several regions to be irradiated and accordingly several target regions over time in order to gradually move the at least one ultrasonic transducer to the target positions.Likewise, in the presence of multiple independently movable ultrasound transducers (e.g., in the form of multiple measurement systems described above) and multiple regions or target positions to be irradiated, a first portion of the ultrasound transducers can be moved in parallel to a first of the target positions, a second portion of the ultrasound transducers to a second of the target positions, etc., by appropriately generating the control data on the part of the processing circuit. Accordingly, parallel imaging of multiple body regions can be performed, for example.

[0024] As the two exemplary embodiments above show, the lying device can have an interface for intelligently controlling the ultrasound emission and / or data acquisition in / from a body region. According to some exemplary embodiments, the at least one ultrasound transducer is arranged in an acoustic coupling medium for acoustically coupling the at least one ultrasound transducer and the lying surface. The acoustic coupling medium covers the lying surface on the second side. The acoustic coupling medium is a substance or material that facilitates the transmission of ultrasound waves between the lying surface and the at least one ultrasound transducer. The acoustic coupling medium serves as a medium through which the ultrasound waves can propagate in order to ensure that there is only the smallest possible orthere is minimal energy loss when the ultrasonic waves pass from the at least one ultrasonic transducer through the acoustic coupling medium and to the lying surface and then into the person or animal or object and vice versa. The acoustic coupling medium can be, for example, a gel. Such gels are also referred to as “ultrasound gel,” “sonogel,” or “contact gel.” For example, the gel can be a water-based gel. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In other examples, the acoustic coupling medium can be, for example, water, a water mixture, or an oil. In general, any suitable substance can be used for the acoustic coupling medium. The composition of the acoustic coupling medium can depend, for example, on the specific application and thus on the frequency range of the ultrasonic waves emitted and / or to be measured by the at least one ultrasonic transducer.

[0025] In some embodiments, the lying device further comprises a mattress filled with the acoustic coupling medium. A portion of a casing (or cover / envelope) of the mattress forms the lying surface. In other words, the lying surface of the mattress forms the lying surface of the lying device. The at least one ultrasonic transducer is arranged within the mattress. The mattress filled with the acoustic coupling medium enables comfortable accommodation of the human or animal and simultaneously ensures good acoustic coupling between the at least one ultrasonic transducer and the human or animal.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the shape of the lying surface is deformable to adapt to the body shape of the human or animal or to the shape of the object. For example, the lying surface can be formed by an elastic, sound-permeable membrane or, more generally, an elastic, sound-permeable material, so that the lying surface can conform to the body of the human or animal or to the shape of the object. Adapting the lying surface to the body of the human or animal or to the shape of the object can optionally also lead to improved contact by generating negative or positive pressure.

[0027] In some embodiments, the lying device further comprises a processing circuit coupled to the at least one ultrasonic transducer and configured to control the emission of ultrasonic waves by the at least one ultrasonic transducer and / or to process the measurement data generated by the at least one ultrasonic transducer based on the measured (e.g., reflected or transmitted) ultrasonic waves. For example, the processing circuit can be configured to apply a respective control signal to the at least one ultrasonic transducer in order to trigger the emission of ultrasonic waves of a specific frequency over a specific period of time. For example, the processing circuit can be configured to digitize, filter, combine, analyze, etc., the measurement data of the at least one ultrasonic transducer during processing.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the processing circuit is removably attached to a plug-in interface of the bed. In other words, the processing circuit can be provided as part of a plug-in module, so that the processing circuit can be non-destructively separated from the bed and used, for example, for one or more additional bed devices.

[0029] In some embodiments, the lying device comprises a plurality of ultrasound transducers. The processing circuit comprises a plurality of electronic channels (i.e. signal processing paths) for controlling the emission of the ultrasound waves. In this case, the number of electronic channels can be fewer than the number of ultrasound transducers, so that a separate electronic channel is not available for each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers. In such embodiments, the lying device can further comprise a multiplexer circuit which is configured to selectively couple the electronic channels to a subset of the plurality of ultrasound transducers. Accordingly, a subset of the plurality of ultrasound transducers can be controlled to emit ultrasound waves. The desired ultrasound application is often limited to a specific body region of the human or animal.a specific region of the object, so that only a fraction of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers needs to be excited. Accordingly, a relatively small number of electronic channels is sufficient, since these can be selectively coupled to any of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers as needed via the multiplexer circuit. For example, 2048 ultrasonic transducers can be provided, which can be selectively coupled to 128 electronic channels of the processing circuit for controlling the emission of ultrasonic waves via the multiplexer circuit.

[0030] According to some embodiments, the processing circuit can, for example, be configured to select the subset of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers based on data indicating a region (of the human, animal, or object captured by the lying surface) to be irradiated with the ultrasonic waves. As described above, the region to be irradiated can be determined from various input data. Accordingly, for example, with a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged at fixed positions relative to the lying surface, a subset of the ultrasonic transducers can be selected that are in the immediate vicinity of the region to be irradiated. With a plurality of ultrasonic transducers that can be moved relative to the lying surface by means of a positioning system as described above, for exampleBased on the size of the region to be sounded or the desired (target) sound level, a subset of the ultrasonic transducers is selected and moved to the region to be sounded using the positioning system. The processing circuit is then configured to control the multiplexer circuit and couple the electronic channels to the selected subset of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers. Accordingly, the selected ultrasonic transducers can be controlled by the electronic channels to emit the ultrasonic waves.

[0031] Analogously, the processing circuit can comprise a plurality of further electronic channels (i.e., signal processing paths) for processing measurement data. The number of further electronic channels can in turn be fewer than the number of ultrasonic transducers. Accordingly, the multiplexer circuit can further be configured to selectively couple the further electronic channels to a further subset of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers. Accordingly, the measurement data of the further subset of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers can be processed. As described above, the desired ultrasound application is often limited to a specific body region of the human or animal or a specific region of the object, so that only the measurement data of a fraction of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers need to be processed.Based on the above numerical example, for example, 2048 ultrasonic transducers can be provided, which can be selectively coupled to 128 electronic channels of the processing circuit for processing measurement data by means of the multiplexer circuit. The ultrasonic transducers of the further subset of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers for measuring, for example, reflected or transmitted ultrasonic waves can be the same as or different from the ultrasonic transducers of the subset of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers for emitting ultrasonic waves.

[0032] According to some embodiments, the lying device further comprises a removable cover for at least part of the lying surface. The cover can be understood as a lid which covers at least part of the lying surface (in particular the entire lying surface). The cover or the lid is designed such that the person, the animal or the object is at least partially (in particular completely) covered while it is held by the lying surface in the lying position. The cover comprises at least one ultrasonic transducer (in particular a plurality, i.e. M > 2, of ultrasonic transducers) which is designed to emit ultrasonic waves in the direction of the lying surface and / or to measure reflected or transmitted ultrasonic waves from the direction of the lying surface. With the additional cover, ultrasonic waves can be transmitted into the person, the animal or the object from two opposite spatial directions.The object is introduced via at least one ultrasound transducer in the cover or on the second side of the lying surface. Likewise, reflected or transmitted ultrasound waves from two opposite spatial directions can be measured. This enables improved spatial resolution for ultrasound imaging, while for therapeutic ultrasound applications, it allows the introduction of sound energy from multiple spatial directions.

[0033] In some embodiments, the cover comprises a contact section for contacting the human, animal or object, while the lying surface accommodates the human, animal or object in the lying position. In other words: the contact section is designed to come into contact with the human, animal or object when the human, animal or object is lying on the lying surface. The at least one ultrasonic transducer of the cover is arranged in an acoustic coupling medium for acoustically coupling the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the cover and the contact section. The acoustic coupling medium covers the contact section. The acoustic coupling material is arranged on a first side of the contact section, which is opposite a second side of the contact section, which is designed to come into contact with the human, animal or object.The acoustic coupling medium can be designed as described above. The contact section, together with the arrangement of the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the cover in the acoustic coupling medium, enables good acoustic coupling between the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the cover and the human, animal, or object.

[0034] According to some embodiments, the shape of the contact section is deformable to adapt to the body shape of the human or animal or the shape of the object. For example, the contact section can be formed by an elastic, sound-permeable membrane or, more generally, an elastic, sound-permeable material, so that the contact section can conform to the body of the human or animal or the shape of the object. Adapting the contact section to the body or shape can optionally also lead to improved contact by generating negative or positive pressure.

[0035] In some embodiments, the cover comprises a further positioning system which is configured to move the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the cover based on further control data within the cover and relative to the lying surface. Accordingly, the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the cover can be moved in a controlled manner to specific body regions of the person or animal recorded on the lying surface or to specific regions of the object recorded on the lying surface in order to specifically irradiate these regions with ultrasound or to specifically measure ultrasonic waves reflected or transmitted from these regions. The further positioning system can be configured in a variety of ways and can, for example, comprise mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic and / or electrical components or subsystems in order to move the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the cover relative to the lying surface.Analogous to the above explanations for the at least one ultrasound transducer on the second side of the lying surface, the at least one ultrasound transducer of the cover can also be guided relative to the lying surface in a standardized and reproducible manner using the additional control data. For example, by appropriately configuring the control data and the additional control data, section-by-section or layer-by-layer ultrasound imaging can be performed using the at least one ultrasound transducer on the second side of the lying surface and the at least one ultrasound transducer of the cover, so that the lying device enables ultrasound-based tomography.

[0036] In particular, the further positioning system can be controlled based on the further control data, for example, to move one or more of the at least one ultrasonic transducers of the cover within the cover along one or more spatial directions relative to the lying surface (one-, two-, or dimensional movement of the at least one ultrasonic transducer) and / or to rotate (rotate) one or more of the at least one ultrasonic transducers within the cover relative to the lying surface and / or to tilt (tilt) one or more of the at least one ultrasonic transducers within the cover relative to the lying surface. Accordingly, the at least one ultrasonic transducer within the cover can be placed or aligned in a suitable manner for a desired or planned ultrasound application relative to the human, animal, or object recorded on the lying surface.

[0037] In some embodiments, the removable cover can also be used with a conventional support device, ie, a support device without integrated ultrasonic transducers. In this way, irradiation with ultrasonic waves as well as the measurement of (e.g., reflected or transmitted) ultrasonic waves is also possible, analogous to the method described above.

[0038] As previously stated, the support device can be used for a variety of ultrasound applications. For example, the support device can be an operating table (i.e., a table on which a patient lies during a surgical procedure), a medical treatment table (i.e., a table on which a practitioner performs a medical treatment or examination), a hospital bed (e.g., a nursing bed or a hospital bed), or a rescue stretcher (i.e., a device with which a non-ambulatory person can be transported in a lying position by one or more rescuers).

[0039] The preceding examples discuss various processing circuits and other circuits of the bed. These circuits can be implemented as separate circuits, as a single fully integrated circuit, or as multiple partially integrated circuits. In other words, the functionalities of several of the processing circuits and other circuits of the bed described above can be implemented by a single circuit of the bed.

[0040] According to a second aspect, the present disclosure relates to a system comprising a lying device according to the first aspect and a support adapted to partially cover the human, animal or object, while the lying surface accommodates the human, animal or object in the lying position. The support comprises at least one ultrasonic transducer (in particular a plurality, i.e. K > 2, of ultrasonic transducers) which is designed to emit ultrasonic waves in the direction of the human, animal or object and to measure ultrasonic waves reflected or transmitted by the human, animal or object. Similar to what was described above for the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the cover, by means of the combination of the lying device according to the invention and the support, ultrasonic waves can be emitted into the human, animal or object from two opposite spatial directions.The object is introduced via at least one ultrasound transducer in the support or on the second side of the lying surface. Likewise, reflected or transmitted ultrasound waves from two opposite spatial directions can be measured. This enables improved spatial resolution for ultrasound imaging, while for therapeutic ultrasound applications, it allows the introduction of sound energy from multiple spatial directions.

[0041] In some embodiments, the support can also be used separately (i.e., separately from or without) the reclining device according to the first aspect.

[0042] According to some embodiments, the support comprises a contact section for contacting the human, animal or object, while the lying surface accommodates the human, animal or object in the lying position. In other words: the contact section is designed to come into contact with the human, animal or object when the human, animal or object lies on the lying surface. The at least one ultrasonic transducer of the support is arranged in an acoustic coupling medium for acoustically coupling the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the support and the contact section. The acoustic coupling medium covers the contact section. The acoustic coupling material is arranged on a first side of the contact section, which is opposite a second side of the contact section, which is designed to come into contact with the human, animal or object.The acoustic coupling medium can be designed as described above. The contact section, together with the arrangement of the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the support in the acoustic coupling medium, enables good acoustic coupling between the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the support and the human, animal, or object.

[0043] In some embodiments, the shape of the contact section or support is deformable to adapt to the body shape of the human or animal or the shape of the object. For example, the contact section or support can be formed by an elastic, sound-permeable membrane or, in general, an elastic, sound-permeable material, so that the contact section or support can conform to the body of the human or animal or the shape of the object. Adapting the contact section or support to the body or the shape can optionally also lead to improved contact by generating negative or positive pressure.

[0044] According to a third aspect, the present disclosure relates to a device for externally controlling the movement of at least one ultrasonic transducer of a lying device for a human, an animal, or an object. The device can, for example, be a server or a computing cloud that is coupled to the lying device (for example, the previously described communication circuit of the lying device). The lying device is, for example, a lying device according to the first aspect. The device comprises an interface circuit that is configured to receive input data that represents a user input from a user for controlling the movement of the at least one ultrasonic transducer and / or a detected position or movement of a body part of the user (e.g.a hand, an arm, a head) and / or a detected gaze direction of the user and / or a detected position or movement of a medical instrument used by the user (e.g., a scalpel, a clamp, etc.). The input data can be received both wirelessly (e.g., via radio or radio frequency waves or optical waves) and wired (e.g., via a cable or an optical fiber). Communication can occur according to a standardized communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, WLAN IEEE 802.11, ZigBee, etc.). The user input can be detected, for example, by an external or internal human-machine interface such as a joystick, a touch-sensitive screen, a computer mouse, or a microphone. The position of the body part or movement of the user, the gaze direction of the user, as well as the position or movement of the medical instrument used by the user can, for example,by a tracking system inside or outside the device. Furthermore, the device comprises a processing circuit which is configured to determine, based on the input data, a region to be irradiated by the at least one ultrasonic transducer. Analogous to the principles previously described for the processing circuit of the lying device, the input data can be evaluated, for example, using one or more static rules or by means of artificial intelligence (e.g. by means of a trained machine-learning model), and a region to be irradiated can be determined therefrom. The processing circuit is also configured to determine a target position for the at least one ultrasonic transducer based on the region to be irradiated.The target position can also be determined analogously to the principles previously described for the processing circuit of the lying device. Furthermore, the processing circuit is configured to determine control data for a positioning system of the lying device based on the target position. The control data comprise one or more commands to cause the positioning system to move the at least one ultrasonic transducer relative to a lying surface of the lying device to the target position. The lying surface is designed, as previously described, for recording the human, animal, or object in a lying position on a first side of the lying surface. The at least one ultrasonic transducer is, as previously described, arranged on a second side of the lying surface, which is opposite the first side.The interface circuit is further configured to transmit the control data to the lying device (wirelessly or wired). It should be noted that the processing circuit can determine a plurality of regions to be irradiated and, accordingly, a plurality of target regions over time in order to gradually move the at least one ultrasound transducer to the target position. Likewise, if there are a plurality of independently movable ultrasound transducers and a plurality of regions or target positions to be irradiated, a first portion of the ultrasound transducers can be moved to a first of the target positions, a second portion of the ultrasound transducers to a second of the target positions, etc., in parallel by appropriately generating the control data on the part of the processing circuit. Accordingly, for example, parallel imaging of a plurality of body regions can be carried out.

[0045] According to a fourth aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for externally controlling the movement of at least one ultrasonic transducer of a support device for a human, an animal, or an object (e.g., a support device according to the first aspect). The method comprises receiving input data indicating a user input from a user for controlling the movement of the at least one ultrasonic transducer and / or a detected position or movement of a body part of the user and / or a detected viewing direction of the user and / or a detected position or movement of a medical instrument used by the user. Furthermore, the method comprises determining a region to be irradiated by the at least one ultrasonic transducer based on the input data. Likewise, the method comprises determining a target position for the at least one ultrasonic transducer based on the region to be irradiated.The method further comprises determining control data for a positioning system of the lying device based on the target position. The control data comprise one or more commands to cause the positioning system to move the at least one ultrasonic transducer relative to a lying surface of the lying device to the target position. The lying surface is configured to accommodate the human, animal, or object in a lying position on a first side of the lying surface. The at least one ultrasonic transducer is arranged on a second side of the lying surface, which is opposite the first side. The method comprises transmitting the control data to the lying device.

[0046] The device according to the third aspect and the method according to the fourth aspect enable the external control of the movement of at least one ultrasonic transducer of a lying device for a human, an animal, or an object. Accordingly, the lying device itself can be provided cost-effectively with reduced circuitry or logic.

[0047] According to a fifth aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for ultrasound imaging. The method comprises irradiating a human, an animal, or an object that is accommodated on the lying surface of a lying device according to the first aspect or a system according to the second aspect using one or more of the at least one ultrasound transducers of the lying device. The method further comprises measuring (e.g., reflected or transmitted) ultrasound waves using one or more of the at least one ultrasound transducers of the lying device. In addition, the method comprises generating an image of at least a portion of the human, the animal, or the object based on the measured (e.g., reflected or transmitted) ultrasound waves. The image can be generated using known methods or approaches based on the measured data.The lying device enables the irradiation with ultrasonic waves as well as the measurement of reflected or transmitted ultrasonic waves from below the lying surface. The treatment of the person or animal lying on the lying surface by a practitioner (e.g. examination by a doctor or surgical intervention by a surgeon) does not have to be interrupted for ultrasound imaging. Likewise, according to the above embodiments, standardized and precisely reproducible data acquisition is possible, e.g. for follow-up monitoring. For ultrasound imaging, the frequency of the emitted and measured ultrasonic waves can be, for example, between 2 and 20 MHz. It should be noted, however, that the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned frequency range. In principle, any suitable frequency or any suitable frequency range can be selected.

[0048] According to a sixth aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for (therapeutic) ultrasound treatment. The method comprises irradiating a human or animal, who is accommodated on the lying surface of a lying device according to the first aspect or of a system according to the second aspect, with (therapeutic) ultrasound waves using one or more of the at least one ultrasound transducer of the lying device. The lying device enables irradiation with (therapeutic) ultrasound waves from below the lying surface. The treatment of the human or animal accommodated on the lying surface by a practitioner (e.g., surgical intervention by a surgeon) does not have to be interrupted for the ultrasound application. Likewise, no manual guidance of an ultrasound head by a user or practitioner is necessary.For example, the frequency of the emitted ultrasonic waves for therapeutic ultrasound treatment can be 200 kHz, 800 kHz, 1 MHz, or 3 MHz—depending on the desired penetration depth of the ultrasound. However, it should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned frequencies. In principle, any suitable frequency or frequency range can be selected.

[0049] Short character description

[0050] Some examples of devices and / or methods are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. They show:

[0051] Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a lying device in the form of an operating table;

[0052] Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of a lying device in the form of a rescue stretcher;

[0053] Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment of a lying device in the form of an operating table;

[0054] Fig. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of a lying device in the form of an operating table;

[0055] Fig. 5 shows a fifth embodiment of a lying device in the form of an operating table;

[0056] Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 show a sixth embodiment of a lying device in the form of an operating table;

[0057] Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 show an embodiment of a measuring system;

[0058] Fig. 10 shows a seventh embodiment of a lying device in the form of an operating table;

[0059] Fig. 11 shows an eighth embodiment of a support device in the form of an operating table; Fig. 12 shows a ninth embodiment of a support device in the form of an operating table;

[0060] Fig. 13 shows an embodiment of a device for externally controlling the movement of at least one ultrasonic transducer of a lying device;

[0061] Fig. 14 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for externally controlling the movement of at least one ultrasonic transducer of a lying device;

[0062] Fig. 15 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for ultrasound imaging; and

[0063] Fig. 16 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for ultrasonic treatment.

[0064] Description

[0065] Some examples will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. However, other possible examples are not limited to the features of these detailed embodiments. These may include modifications of the features, as well as equivalents and alternatives to the features. Furthermore, the terminology used herein to describe specific examples is not intended to be limiting of other possible examples.

[0066] Throughout the description of the figures, identical or similar reference numerals refer to identical or similar elements or features, which may be implemented identically or in a modified form while providing the same or a similar function. Furthermore, the thickness of lines, layers, and / or regions in the figures may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0067] When two elements A and B are combined using "or," this is to be understood as disclosing all possible combinations, i.e., only A, only B, and A and B, unless explicitly defined otherwise in the individual case. As an alternative formulation for the same combinations, "at least one of A and B" or "A and / or B" may be used. This applies equivalently to combinations of more than two elements.

[0068] If a singular form is used, such as "a," "an," and "the," and the use of only a single element is neither explicitly nor implicitly defined as mandatory, further examples may also use multiple elements to implement the same function. If a function is described below as being implemented using multiple elements, further examples may implement the same function using a single element or a single processing entity.It is further understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has" and / or "having" when used herein describe the presence of the specified features, integers, steps, operations, processes, elements, components and / or a group thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, processes, elements, components and / or a group thereof.

[0069] Fig. 1 shows a support device 100 for a human 130 in the form of an operating table. The support device 100 can also be used for an animal.

[0070] The lying device comprises a lying surface 110, which is configured to accommodate the person 130 in a lying position on a first side of the lying surface 110. The lying surface 110 is supported by a table base 105 of the operating table 100. The lying surface 110 is shown semi-transparent in Fig. 1, so that the plurality of ultrasound transducers 120 arranged on a second side of the lying surface 110 is visible. The second side is opposite the first side, so that the person 130 and the ultrasound transducers 120 are separated by the lying surface 110. The lying surface 110 is permeable or (acoustically) transparent to ultrasound waves. Likewise, a shape of the lying surface 110 can be deformed to adapt to the body shape of the person 130. For example, the lying surface 110 can be formed by an elastic, sound-permeable membrane orgenerally an elastic, sound-permeable material can be formed so that the lying surface 110 can nestle against the body of the person 130. The adaptation of the lying surface 100 to the body of the person 130 can optionally also lead to improved body contact by generating negative or positive pressure. The ultrasonic transducers 120 are arranged at fixed positions relative to the lying surface 110 in an array (e.g., a matrix array) that essentially completely covers the lying surface 110. The ultrasonic transducers 120 are configured to emit ultrasonic waves through the lying surface 110 in the direction of the first side and / or to measure ultrasonic waves reflected on the first side in the direction of the second side (e.g., ultrasonic waves reflected by the person 130). Depending on the ultrasound application, the majority of ultrasonic transducers 120 or subsets thereof can be used as ultrasonic sensors (e.g.,for ultrasound imaging) or as ultrasound actuators (e.g., for therapeutic ultrasound applications). For illustration purposes, emission cones of emitted ultrasound waves 121 are shown in Fig. 1.

[0071] The frequency of the ultrasonic waves emitted or measured by the ultrasonic transducers 120 can be adjusted according to the selected ultrasound application. For example, the frequency of the emitted ultrasonic waves for a therapeutic ultrasound application can be 200 kHz, 800 kHz, 1 MHz, or 3 MHz—depending on the desired penetration depth of the ultrasound. For ultrasound imaging, the frequency of the emitted and measured ultrasonic waves can be, for example, between 2 and 20 MHz. However, it should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned frequency ranges. In principle, any suitable frequency or frequency range can be selected.

[0072] Depending on the design or desired ultrasound application, only a portion of the lying surface 110 may be covered by the ultrasound transducers 120. For example, only the area of ​​the lying surface 110 on which the upper body of the person 130 rests (or is intended to rest) or only the area of ​​the lying surface 110 on which the legs 130 of the person rest (or are intended to rest) may be covered by the ultrasound transducers 120.

[0073] The lying device 110 enables the irradiation with ultrasound waves as well as the measurement of reflected ultrasound waves from below the lying surface 110. The treatment of the human 130 recorded on the lying surface 110, for example by a surgeon, therefore does not have to be interrupted for the ultrasound application. Rather, the arrangement of the human 130 and the ultrasound transducer 120 on different sides of the lying surface allows the surgical procedure and the ultrasound application to be carried out in parallel. For example, ultrasound imaging can be carried out in parallel during the surgical procedure using the lying device without disturbing the surgeon or another treating physician or without having to interrupt the intervention on the human 130. The surgical site can therefore remain free from above for the surgeon to use for ultrasound imaging.Since the imaging of the surgical site is performed from below, real-time monitoring of the surgical procedure is possible.

[0074] The lying surface 110 can, for example, be the lying surface of a mattress of the operating table 100, so that the ultrasound transducers 120 are arranged within the mattress. The mattress is filled with an acoustic coupling medium for acoustically coupling the ultrasound transducers 120 and the lying surface 110. The coupling medium is not explicitly shown in Fig. 1 for reasons of clarity. The ultrasound transducers 120 can, for example, be integrated into a gel- or water-filled mattress, which is sealed at the top towards the person 130 with an elastic, sound-permeable membrane (material) that conforms to the body of the person 130.

[0075] However, it should be noted that the lying surface 110 does not necessarily have to be the lying surface of a mattress of the operating table 100. Regardless of whether the lying surface 110 is the lying surface of a mattress of the operating table 100, the ultrasonic transducers 120 can generally be arranged in an acoustic coupling medium for acoustically coupling the ultrasonic transducers 120 and the lying surface 110. The acoustic coupling medium then covers the lying surface 110 on the second side.

[0076] Fig. 2 shows another lying device 200 for a person in the form of a rescue stretcher. For reasons of clarity, the person has been omitted from Fig. 2. In Fig. 2, the lying surface 110 is again shown semi-transparent, so that the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 120 arranged on a second side of the lying surface 110 is visible. The person, not shown in Fig. 2, is again accommodated by the lying surface in a lying position on the first side of the lying surface 110, analogous to the principles described above.

[0077] As in the embodiment of Fig. 1, the ultrasonic transducers 120 are arranged at fixed positions relative to the lying surface 110 in an array (e.g., a matrix array) that essentially completely covers the lying surface 110. The ultrasonic transducers 120 are configured to emit ultrasonic waves through the lying surface 110 in the direction of the first side and / or to measure ultrasonic waves reflected on the first side in the direction of the second side. Depending on the ultrasound application, the majority of ultrasound transducers 120 or subsets thereof can be operated as ultrasound sensors (e.g., for ultrasound imaging) or as ultrasound actuators (e.g., for therapeutic ultrasound applications). For illustration purposes, emission cones of emitted ultrasonic waves 121 are again shown in Fig. 2.

[0078] The lying surface 110 can, as shown in Fig. 2, for example, be a surface of a lying shell 205 of the rescue stretcher 200, so that the ultrasonic transducers 120 are arranged within the lying shell. In alternative embodiments, the lying surface 110 can also be the lying surface of a mattress of the rescue stretcher 200, so that the ultrasonic transducers 120 are arranged within the mattress. Irrespective of this, the ultrasonic transducers 120 can generally be arranged in an acoustic coupling medium for acoustically coupling the ultrasonic transducers 120 and the lying surface 110. The acoustic coupling medium then accordingly covers the lying surface 110 on the second side. For example, a cavity filled with the coupling medium can be formed in the lying shell 205, in which the ultrasonic transducers 120 are arranged.

[0079] Fig. 3 shows another support device 300 for a human 130 in the form of an operating table. In contrast to the support device 100 shown in Fig. 1, the ultrasonic transducers of the support device 300 are not arranged at fixed positions relative to the support surface 110. Rather, the support device 300 comprises a positioning system 340 configured to move the ultrasonic transducers 320 relative to the support surface 110 based on control data. In the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 3, the ultrasonic transducers 320 are arranged, for example, in the form of a linear array. For illustration purposes, the ultrasonic waves 321 emitted by the ultrasonic transducers 320 are again shown in Fig. 3.

[0080] Purely by way of example for the positioning system 340, Fig. 3 shows two rails or guideways along which the ultrasonic transducers 320 can be moved by the positioning system 340. Thus, a one-dimensional movement of the ultrasonic transducers 320 relative to the lying surface 110 is possible in order to selectively or sequentially irradiate one or more body regions of the person 130 with the ultrasonic waves 321 and / or to measure ultrasonic waves reflected therefrom. Optionally, the positioning system 340 can also be configured to rotate one or more of the ultrasonic transducers 320 relative to the lying surface 110 and / or to tilt (incline) one or more of the ultrasonic transducers 320 relative to the lying surface 110.

[0081] The positioning system 340 can be configured in a variety of details and, for example, can comprise additional mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and / or electrical components or subsystems for moving the ultrasonic transducers 320 along the two rails or guideways relative to the lying surface 110. For example, the ultrasonic transducers 320 can be mounted on movable carriages of the positioning system 340, which can be moved along the rails or guideways, for example, by means of a controllable electric drive. Likewise, the ultrasonic transducers 320 can be coupled, for example, to one or more controllable hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders of the positioning system 340 in order to move the ultrasonic transducers 320 along the rails or guideways.

[0082] Electronics or a circuit of the positioning system 340 for the corresponding control of the mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic and / or electrical components or subsystems of the positioning system 340 based on the control data can, as indicated in Fig. 3, be provided, for example, in the table base 105 of the operating table 300. The reference numeral 350 generally designates various possible electrical circuits of the operating table 300. The electronics or circuit of the positioning system 340 can be a component of the possible electrical circuits 350 of the operating table 300. The electronics or circuit of the positioning system 340 can, for example, generate one or more control signals based on the control data and transmit them to the mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic and / or electrical components or subsystems.Subsystems of the positioning system 340 to guide the ultrasonic transducers 320 to a desired position or along a desired movement trajectory.

[0083] The positioning system 340 can optionally also be equipped with one or more position detection sensors to determine its position relative to the lying surface 110 and thus, for example, enable a clear spatial assignment of the measurement data from the ultrasound transducers 320. The control data can be received from an external entity outside the operating table 300, such as a server or a computer cloud / data cloud. The lying device 300 can, for example, have a communication circuit configured to receive the control data from an entity outside the lying device 300 (wired or wireless). The communication circuit can be part of the possible electrical circuits 350 of the operating table 300.

[0084] Alternatively, the control data can be generated within the operating table 300, for example, by a processing circuit of the operating table 300. The processing circuit can in turn be part of the possible electrical circuits 350 of the operating table 300. The support device 300 can, for example, comprise an interface circuit configured to receive input data indicating a user input from a user (e.g., a practitioner of the human 130) for controlling the movement of the ultrasound transducers 320 and / or a detected position or movement of a body part of the user and / or a detected line of sight of the user and / or a detected position or movement of a medical instrument used by the user (e.g., a scalpel).

[0085] The processing circuit is configured to determine, based on the input data, a region of the human 130 to be irradiated by the ultrasonic transducer 320 and, based on the region to be irradiated, to determine a target position for the ultrasonic transducer 320. The control data with corresponding commands for the positioning system 340 are then determined by the processing circuit based on the target position.

[0086] In this way, the ultrasonic transducers 320 integrated into the lying device 300 can be controlled depending on the situation. For example, ultrasound measurement data can be acquired on the body regions of the person 130 that are meaningful and useful for the user (e.g., a surgeon). In addition to control via user input such as a touch-sensitive display, computer, joystick, or other manual input devices, according to the above explanations, voice commands from the user, gestures from the user, or even eye movements from the user can also be used for the situational positioning of the ultrasonic transducers 320. Inputs from surgical robots or collaborative robots (cobots), for example, can also be used as input data, and the ultrasonic transducers 320 can be positioned accordingly using the positioning system 340.

[0087] According to the above explanations, the ultrasound transducers 320 can also be positioned based on the feedback from the instruments used. For example, the position or movement of an instrument (e.g., scalpel) can be optically tracked or determined (i.e., tracked) using a position detection system in the operating room, and from this the position or movement of the instrument relative to the surgical site can be determined. This position data can then be used, according to the above explanations, to automatically move the ultrasound transducers 320 into the vicinity of the treated part of the surgical site and to generate ultrasound measurement data, for example, for ultrasound imaging of the treated body region of the human 130. The integrated ultrasound transducers 320 can thus, for example, automatically follow the instrument(s) of a surgeon and reliably deliver ultrasound measurement data in real time, for example, for ultrasound imaging.The surgeon is thus able to monitor the surgical progress in real time using ultrasound.

[0088] The processing circuit described above or a separate processing circuit, which is included in possible electrical circuits 350 of the operating table 300, is also coupled to the ultrasonic transducers 320 to control the emission of the ultrasonic waves 312 by the ultrasonic transducers 320 or to process the measurement data generated by the ultrasonic transducers 320 based on the reflected ultrasonic waves. For example, the processing circuit can be configured to apply a respective control signal to the ultrasonic transducers 320 to selectively initiate the emission of ultrasonic waves of a specific frequency over a specific period of time. Likewise, the processing circuit can be configured, for example, to digitize, filter, combine, analyze, etc., the measurement data of the ultrasonic transducers 320 during processing.

[0089] To control the emission of ultrasonic waves 321, the processing circuit comprises a plurality of electronic channels (i.e., signal processing paths). The number of electronic channels may be fewer than the number of ultrasonic transducers 320, so that not each of the ultrasonic transducers 320 has its own electronic channel available for control. In such embodiments, the support device 300 may further comprise a multiplexer circuit, which in turn may be a component of the possible electrical circuits 350 of the operating table 300. The multiplexer circuit is then configured to selectively couple the electronic channels to a subset of the ultrasonic transducers 320. Accordingly, a subset of the ultrasonic transducers 320 can be controlled to emit ultrasonic waves.Often, the desired ultrasound application is limited to a specific body region 130 of the human body, so that only a fraction of the ultrasound transducers 130 need to be excited. Accordingly, a relatively small number of electronic channels is sufficient, since these can be selectively coupled to any of the ultrasound transducers 320 as needed by the multiplexer circuit.

[0090] For example, the processing circuit can be configured to select the subset of ultrasonic transducers 320 based on data indicating a region of the human 130 to be irradiated with ultrasonic waves 321. For example, the region to be irradiated can be determined from the input data described above. Based on the size of the region to be irradiated or on the basis of a desired (target) sound level, a subset of ultrasonic transducers 320 can now be selected and moved to the region to be irradiated by means of the positioning system 340. The processing circuit is then configured accordingly to control the multiplexer circuit to couple the electronic channels to the selected subset of ultrasonic transducers 320. Accordingly, the selected ultrasonic transducers can be controlled by the electronic channels to emit ultrasonic waves 321.

[0091] Analogously, the processing circuit has a plurality of additional electronic channels (i.e., signal processing paths) for processing measurement data. The number of additional electronic channels can also be fewer than the number of ultrasonic transducers. Accordingly, the multiplexer circuit can further be configured to selectively couple the additional electronic channels to a further subset of the ultrasonic transducers 320. Accordingly, the measurement data of the further subset of the ultrasonic transducers 320 can be processed. As described above, the desired ultrasound application is often limited to a specific body region of the human 130, so that only the measurement data from a fraction of the ultrasonic transducers 320 need to be processed.The ultrasonic transducers of the further subset of ultrasonic transducers 320 for measuring the reflected ultrasonic waves may be the same as or different from the ultrasonic transducers of the subset of ultrasonic transducers 320 for emitting the ultrasonic waves 321.

[0092] The coupling between the individual circuits or components of the possible electrical circuits 350 of the operating table 300 and the ultrasound transducer 320 as well as the positioning system 340 can be varied. In particular, wired couplings, wireless couplings (e.g., radio, optical, acoustic, etc.), or combinations thereof can be used.

[0093] In the embodiment of Fig. 3, the ultrasonic transducers 320 are arranged in the form of a linear array. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. Rather, essentially any array shape can be used and can be selected, for example, based on the desired or intended use of the respective support device. For illustrative purposes, further support devices with different array shapes and also different configurations of the positioning system are described in more detail below.

[0094] Fig. 4 shows another support device 400 for a person 130 in the form of an operating table. In contrast to the support device 300 shown in Fig. 3, the ultrasonic transducers 420 of the support device 400 are arranged in the form of a matrix array. The positioning system 440 of the support device 400 can also move the ultrasonic transducers 420 in two mutually orthogonal spatial directions compared to the positioning system 340 of the support device 300. In other words: While the ultrasonic transducers 320 in the support device 300 shown in Fig. 3 can only be moved along the longitudinal direction of the support device 300, the ultrasonic transducers 420 in the support device 400 shown in Fig. 4 can be moved both along the longitudinal direction and along a width direction of the support device 400. For this purpose, further rails or running surfaces of the positioning system 440 are indicated in Fig. 4.

[0095] As indicated in Fig. 4, the ultrasonic transducers 420 can also be rotated relative to the lying surface 110 by the positioning system 440. The positioning system 440 can also be configured to tilt (incline) one or more of the ultrasonic transducers 420 relative to the lying surface 110. For example, the matrix array can be configured as a so-called rigid-flex array, so that some of the ultrasonic transducers 420 are tiltable, while others of the ultrasonic transducers 420 are not.

[0096] Fig. 4 also indicates that the direction of the emitted ultrasonic waves 421 can be adjusted by beamforming, i.e., by appropriately adjusting the phases and levels (intensities) for the individual ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 420. The processing circuit for controlling the emission of the ultrasonic waves 421 by the ultrasonic transducers 420 can therefore be configured to adjust the phases and levels (intensities) for the individual ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 420 in order to obtain a desired radiation characteristic (e.g., main direction of the emitted ultrasonic energy).

[0097] Fig. 5 shows another support device 500 for a human 130 in the form of an operating table. The support device 500 is a modification of the support device 300 shown in Fig. 3.

[0098] In the lying device 500 shown in Fig. 5, the lying surface 510 is not completely flat like the lying surface 110 shown in Fig. 3, but is curved upwards at the sides. The ultrasonic transducers 520 of the lying device 500 are arranged in the form of a correspondingly curved array and can be moved at least along the longitudinal direction of the lying surface 510 via the positioning system 540, analogous to the principles described in connection with Fig. 3.

[0099] The array comprises a first section, a second section, and a third section. The array can be manufactured from individual elements or provided as an integral component. The first section is located in the center of the array and is substantially flat, as is the central part of the lying surface 510. The second section and the third section are arranged at opposite ends of the first section and are raised relative to the first section, such that the ultrasonic transducers arranged in the second section and third section face side regions of the human 130, while the lying surface 510 accommodates the human 130 in the lying position. In other words: Along the width direction of the lying surface 510, the two ends of the array of ultrasonic transducers 520 are upwards, i.e.curved toward the lying surface 510, so that the ultrasonic transducers arranged at the curved ends face the human side. The array of ultrasonic transducers 520 thus has a broadly U-shaped cross-section.

[0100] Due to the curved shape of the array of ultrasound transducers 520, not only the part of the human 510 lying flat on the lying surface 510, but also the lateral regions of the human 130 can be subjected to ultrasound application. For example, lateral regions of the human can also be captured in ultrasound imaging, or lateral regions of the human can be treated with (therapeutic) ultrasound. For illustration, the ultrasound waves 521 emitted by the ultrasound transducers 520 are again shown in Fig. 5.

[0101] In the embodiment of Fig. 5, the array of ultrasonic transducers 520 is a linear array. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this. In principle, any type of array that is curved upwards along a spatial direction, ie, toward the lying surface 510, can be used.

[0102] In the previously described embodiments, the arrangement of possible electrical circuits of the operating table is shown in the respective table base. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The electrical circuits of the support device for controlling the ultrasonic transducers, for processing the measurement data of the ultrasonic transducers, for controlling the positioning system, etc., can be provided partially or entirely as part of a plug-in module. This is illustrated in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, which show another support device 600 for a person 130 in the form of an operating table. The processing circuit described above is provided here as part of a plug-in module 660, so that the processing circuit is removably attached to a plug-in interface 650 of the support device 600. The processing circuit can therefore be separated from the support device 600 without causing any damage and, for example,for one or more additional lying devices. Analogous to the processing circuit described above, the multiplexer circuit described above or the electronics or circuitry of the positioning system 640 for the ultrasonic transducers 620 can also be provided as part of the plug-in module 660, so that the multiplexer circuit and / or electronics or circuitry of the positioning system 640 is removably attached to the plug-in interface 650 of the lying device 600 and can be separated from the lying device 600 without causing damage. In the above embodiments, the ultrasonic transducers and the other electronics are separate. The present disclosure is not limited thereto. Fig. 8 shows a measuring system 800 that is freely movable relative to the lying surface. While Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of the measuring system 800 together with its housing 810, Fig.9 further shows a semi-transparent representation of the measuring system 800.

[0103] The measuring system 800 comprises one or more ultrasonic transducers 820 according to the above embodiments. Furthermore, the measuring system comprises a plurality of actuators in the form of wheels 830 for moving the measuring system 800 relative to the lying surface, which are driven by a drive system of the measuring system 800 based on the control data. As already described above, the wheels 830 are only one possible form of actuator. Other actuators for moving the measuring system 800 can also be used. For reasons of clarity, the drive system is not shown separately in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. For example, the measuring system 800 can comprise four driven wheels 830, as shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. However, any other number of wheels can also be used for the measuring system. For example, the wheels 830 can be designed as omni-wheels. In Fig.In Figure 9, reference numeral "850" generally designates a circuit board that generally represents the many possible electrical circuits or subsystems of the measuring system 800. For example, the drive system may be at least partially part of the circuit board 850.

[0104] The measuring system 800 can be freely moved relative to the lying surface via the wheels and the drive system in order to be able to approach or move over one or more body regions in a targeted manner for a desired or planned ultrasound application with the at least one ultrasound transducer of the measuring system 800. This is explicitly shown again in Fig. 10, which shows a further lying device 1000 for a person 130 in the form of an operating table.

[0105] The positioning system 1040 of the lying device 1000 comprises not just one measuring system, but three measuring systems 1041, 1042, and 1043. The measuring systems 1041, 1042, and 1043 are designed like the measuring system 800 described herein and can move freely on a surface of the lying device 1000 by means of the respective driven wheels (e.g., in a space of the lying device 1000 filled with an acoustic coupling medium) and thus move relative to the lying surface 1010 of the lying device 1000. With the three measuring systems 1041, 1042, and 1043, various body regions of the human 130 can be examined or treated simultaneously (in parallel). In the example of Fig. 10, the neck region of the human 130 is examined or treated with the measuring system 1041, while a shoulder region of the human 130 is examined or treated in parallel with the measuring system 1042 and a leg region of the human 130 is examined or treated in parallel with the measuring system 1043.is treated.

[0106] The respective measuring system comprises a rechargeable battery configured to provide electrical energy for the drive system and the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the measuring system. In Figs. 8 and 9, the battery is not explicitly shown, but electrical contacts 840 are shown for contacting a charging system of the lying device. For example, the battery can be at least partially part of the circuit board with circuits 850. Fig. 10 shows a corresponding electrical contact 1050 of the charging system. In alternative embodiments, charging can also be contactless, e.g., inductive.

[0107] The respective measuring system further comprises at least one distance sensor configured to determine a distance between the at least one measuring system and objects in its surroundings. For example, the at least one distance sensor can be at least partially part of the circuit board 850. The drive system is configured accordingly to drive the plurality of wheels based on the determined distance. The distance sensor enables the respective measuring system to determine its position and thus improve the movement of the respective measuring system relative to the lying surface. For example, the measuring system illustrated in Fig. 10 can use the distance sensor to determine the distances to the further measuring systems 1042 and 1043 or lateral boundaries of the lying surface 1010 in order to take these into account when moving the measuring system 1041.

[0108] Furthermore, the reclining device 1000 comprises a tracking system 1060 configured to track (or determine) the respective position of the measuring systems 1041, 1042, and 1042. Corresponding sensors 1061, 1062, 1063, and 1064 of the tracking system 1060 are indicated in Fig. 10. The tracking system 1060 enables the position of the respective measuring systems 1041, 1042, and 1042 to be determined, thus improving the movement of the respective measuring systems 1041, 1042, and 1042 relative to the reclining surface 1010. For example, the position determined by the tracking system 1060 can be transmitted to the respective measuring system 1041, 1042 and 1042, so that the respective measuring system 1041, 1042 and 1042 can take the determined position into account when moving to, for example, a target position.

[0109] The respective measuring system comprises a wireless communication circuit configured to wirelessly receive the control data and optionally also other data, such as a position of the measuring system measured by the tracking system 1060 or a position of another measuring system measured by the tracking system. For example, the wireless communication circuit can be at least partially part of the circuit board 850. In alternative embodiments, a wired data exchange can also be provided.

[0110] Analogous to the above embodiments, the at least one measuring system further comprises a circuit coupled to the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the measuring system and configured to control the emission of ultrasonic waves by the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the measuring system and / or to process the measurement data generated by the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the measuring system based on the reflected ultrasonic waves. For example, this circuit can be at least partially part of the circuit board 850.

[0111] According to exemplary embodiments, a measuring system can thus move freely within the gel- or water-filled space of the operating table 1000, for example, and is controlled externally, e.g., wirelessly (although the control and power supply can also be wired). The wireless measuring system is equipped with a rechargeable battery and a wireless connection. In addition to the charging point for this wireless measuring system in the support device 1000, it has independent distance sensors for free movement within the space. For precise position detection, a tracking system (e.g., acoustic, optical, inductive, etc.) integrated into the sides of the support device 1000 can optionally be used for precise position determination.

[0112] The wireless measurement system is fully integrated into the 1000 bed rest and is part of the positioning system. As described above, it can be wirelessly connected (e.g., radio, optical, acoustic, etc.) to an additional data processing unit, power supply (e.g., inductive), display unit, etc. Alternatively, it can also be wired.

[0113] Fig. 11 shows an extension of the reclining device 500 shown in Fig. 5. Compared to the reclining device 500, the reclining device 1100 shown in Fig. 11 additionally includes a removable cover 1150 for a majority of the reclining surface 510. The cover 1150 functions as a lid that covers a majority of the reclining surface 510. The cover 1150 partially covers the person 130 while they are supported by the reclining surface 510 in the reclining position.

[0114] The cover 1150 comprises further ultrasonic transducers 1160, which are arranged in the form of a further array and are configured to emit ultrasonic waves in the direction of the lying surface 510 (i.e., in the direction of the person 130) and / or to measure reflected ultrasonic waves from the direction of the lying surface 510 (i.e., ultrasonic waves reflected by the person). The ultrasonic transducers 520 of the lying device 1100, which are arranged below the lying surface 510, are not visible in Fig. 11 for perspective reasons. In the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 5, the array of ultrasonic transducers 1160 is a linear array. However, the present exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto. In principle, any type of array can be used.

[0115] With the additional cover, ultrasound waves can be introduced into the human 130 from two opposite spatial directions via the respective ultrasound transducers in the cover 1150 or on the second side of the lying surface 510. Likewise, ultrasound waves reflected from two opposite spatial directions can be measured. This enables improved spatial resolution for ultrasound imaging, while for therapeutic ultrasound applications, the introduction of sound energy from multiple spatial directions is possible.

[0116] The cover 1150 comprises a further positioning system 1170 for the ultrasonic transducers 1160. Purely as an example of the positioning system 1170, Fig. 11 shows two rails or guideways along which the ultrasonic transducers 1160 can be moved by the further positioning system 1170. The further positioning system 1170, like the previously described positioning systems, can be configured in a variety of ways to move the ultrasonic transducers 1160 based on further control data within the cover 1150 and relative to the lying surface 510. Accordingly, the ultrasonic transducers 1160 of the cover 1150 can be moved in a controlled manner to specific body regions of the human 130 being photographed on the lying surface 510 in order to specifically irradiate them with ultrasound or to specifically measure reflected ultrasonic waves from them.

[0117] Analogous to the above explanations for the ultrasonic transducers on the second side of the lying surface 510, the ultrasonic transducers 1160 of the cover 1150 can also be guided in a standardized and reproducible manner relative to the lying surface 510 by means of the further control data. In particular, the further positioning system 1170 can, for example, be controllable based on the further control data to move one or more of the ultrasonic transducers 1160 within the cover 1150 along one or more spatial directions relative to the lying surface 510 and / or to rotate one or more of the ultrasonic transducers 1160 within the cover 1150 relative to the lying surface 510 and / or to incline one or more of the ultrasonic transducers 1160 within the cover 1150 relative to the lying surface 510. For example, by appropriately configuring the control data and the further control data, a section-by-section orLayered ultrasound imaging can be performed using the ultrasound transducers on the second side of the lying surface 510 and the ultrasound transducers 1160 of the cover 1150, so that the lying device 1000 enables ultrasound-based tomography.

[0118] The cover 1150 comprises a contact section for contacting the person 130, while the lying surface 510 accommodates the person 130 in the lying position. In other words, the contact section is designed to come into contact with the person 130 when the person 130 is lying on the lying surface. In Fig. 11, the underside of the cover 1150 is therefore deformable, so that a shape of the contact section or at least a part of the underside of the cover 1150 can be adapted to the body shape of the person 130. For example, the contact section can be formed by an elastic, sound-permeable membrane or, in general, an elastic, sound-permeable material, so that the contact section can conform to the person's body. Adapting the contact section to the body can optionally also lead to improved body contact by generating negative or positive pressure.The ultrasonic transducers 1160 are arranged in an acoustic coupling medium for acoustically coupling the ultrasonic transducers 1160 and the contact section. The acoustic coupling medium covers the contact section. The acoustic coupling material is arranged on a first side of the contact section, which is opposite a second side of the contact section, which is designed to come into contact with the person. The acoustic coupling medium can be designed as described above. The contact section, together with the arrangement of the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the cover in the acoustic coupling medium, enables good acoustic coupling between the at least one ultrasonic transducer of the cover and the person.

[0119] Fig. 12 shows a modification of the support device 1100 shown in Fig. 11. Compared to the support device 1100, the support device 1200 shown in Fig. 12 comprises a shortened removable cover 1250, which covers only a smaller portion of the support surface 510 compared to the cover 1150. The dimensions of the removable cover can be selected, for example, depending on a desired ultrasound application.

[0120] As an alternative to the removable covers 1150 and 1250 shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, a support 190 that is deformable to adapt to the body shape of the human 130 can also be used - as shown in Fig. 1. The support 190 is adapted to partially cover the human 130, while the lying surface 110 accommodates the human 130 in the lying position. Analogous to the removable covers 1150 and 1250, the support 190 comprises a plurality of ultrasonic transducers configured to emit ultrasonic waves toward the human 130 and to measure ultrasonic waves reflected by the human 130. Similar to what was previously described for the ultrasonic transducers of the covers 1150 and 1250, ultrasonic waves can be introduced into the human 130 from two opposite spatial directions by means of the combination of the lying device 100 according to the invention and the support 190.Likewise, ultrasonic waves reflected from two opposite spatial directions can be measured. This enables improved spatial resolution for ultrasound imaging, while for therapeutic ultrasound applications, the introduction of sound energy from multiple spatial directions is made possible. The lower side of the support 190 in turn comprises a contact section for contacting the person 130, while the lying surface 110 accommodates the person 130 in the lying position. In other words, the contact section is designed to come into contact with the person 130 when the person 130 is lying on the lying surface 110. The ultrasonic transducers of the support 190 are arranged in an acoustic coupling medium for acoustically coupling the ultrasonic transducers of the support 190 and the contact section. The acoustic coupling medium covers the contact section.The acoustic coupling material is arranged on a first side of the contact section, which is opposite a second side of the contact section, which is designed to come into contact with the person 130. The acoustic coupling medium can be designed as described above. For example, the contact section or at least a part of the support 190 can be formed by an elastic, sound-permeable membrane or generally an elastic, sound-permeable material, so that the contact section or support 190 can conform to the body of the person 130. Adapting the contact section or support 190 to the body can optionally also lead to improved body contact by generating negative or positive pressure.

[0121] As can be seen from the embodiments described above, the positioning systems according to the present disclosure enable a targeted alignment of the ultrasonic transducers or arrays of ultrasonic transducers in all desired spatial directions.

[0122] In the exemplary embodiments described above, a bed device with only one movable array of ultrasonic transducers was generally shown. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. Rather, bed devices according to the present disclosure can be equipped with multiple movable arrays of ultrasonic transducers, which are moved or operated according to the principles described above. The individual arrays of ultrasonic transducers can be configured identically or differently.

[0123] As described above, the control data for the respective positioning system can be generated by an external entity outside the respective reclining device. Fig. 13 shows a corresponding device 1300 for externally controlling the movement of at least one ultrasonic transducer of a reclining device for a human. The device 1300 can, for example, be a server or a computing cloud that is coupled to the reclining device (for example, the previously described communication circuit of the reclining device).

[0124] The device 1300 comprises an interface circuit 1310 configured to receive input data 1301 indicating a user input from a user for controlling the movement of the at least one ultrasound transducer and / or a detected position or movement of a body part of the user (e.g., a hand, an arm, a head), and / or a detected gaze direction of the user, and / or a detected position or movement of a medical instrument used by the user (e.g., a scalpel, a clamp, etc.). The input data can be received both wirelessly (e.g., via radio or radio frequency waves or optical waves) and wired (e.g., via a cable or an optical fiber). Communication can occur according to a standardized communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, WLAN IEEE 802.11, ZigBee, etc.).

[0125] The user input can be captured, for example, by an external or internal human-machine interface such as a joystick, a touchscreen, a computer mouse, or a microphone. The position of the user's body part or movement, the user's gaze direction, as well as the position or movement of the medical instrument used by the user can be captured, for example, by a tracking system inside or outside the device 1300.

[0126] Furthermore, the device 1300 comprises a processing circuit 1320, which is configured to determine, based on the input data 1301, a region to be irradiated by the at least one ultrasonic transducer. Analogous to the principles previously described for the processing circuit of the lying device, the input data can be evaluated, for example, using one or more static rules or by means of artificial intelligence (e.g., by means of a trained machine-learning model), and a region to be irradiated can be determined therefrom. The processing circuit 1320 is also configured to determine a target position for the at least one ultrasonic transducer based on the region to be irradiated. The target position can also be determined analogously to the principles previously described for the processing circuit of the lying device.

[0127] Furthermore, the processing circuit 1320 is configured to determine control data 1302 for a positioning system of the lying device based on the target position. The control data 1302 includes one or more commands to cause the positioning system to move the at least one ultrasonic transducer relative to a lying surface of the lying device to the target position. The lying surface is configured, as described above, for accommodating the person in a lying position on a first side of the lying surface. The at least one ultrasonic transducer is arranged, as described above, on a second side of the lying surface, which is opposite the first side.

[0128] The interface circuit 1310 is further configured to transmit the control data 1302 to the reclining device (wirelessly or wired).

[0129] It should be noted that the processing circuit can determine multiple regions to be irradiated and, accordingly, multiple target regions over time in order to gradually move the at least one ultrasound transducer to the target position. Likewise, if there are multiple independently movable ultrasound transducers and multiple regions or target positions to be irradiated, a first portion of the ultrasound transducers can be moved in parallel to a first of the target positions, a second portion of the ultrasound transducers to a second of the target positions, etc., by appropriately generating the control data 1302 by the processing circuit 1320. Accordingly, parallel imaging of multiple body regions can be performed, for example.

[0130] The device 1300 enables the external control of the movement of at least one ultrasonic transducer of a human reclining device. Accordingly, the reclining device itself can be provided cost-effectively with reduced circuitry or logic. To further illustrate the generation of control data for positioning systems in reclining devices according to the present disclosure, a method 1400 for externally controlling the movement of at least one ultrasonic transducer of a human reclining device is described in more detail below with reference to Fig. 14.

[0131] The method 1400 comprises receiving 1402 input data indicating a user input from a user for controlling the movement of the at least one ultrasound transducer and / or a detected position or movement of a body part of the user and / or a detected viewing direction of the user and / or a detected position or movement of a medical instrument used by the user. Furthermore, the method 1400 comprises determining 1404 a region to be irradiated by the at least one ultrasound transducer based on the input data. Likewise, the method 1400 comprises determining 1406 a target position for the at least one ultrasound transducer based on the region to be irradiated. The method 1400 further comprises determining 1408 control data for a positioning system of the couch device based on the target position.The control data includes one or more commands to cause the positioning system to move the at least one ultrasonic transducer relative to a lying surface of the lying device to the target position. The lying surface is arranged on a first side of the lying surface for accommodating the person in a lying position. The at least one ultrasonic transducer is arranged on a second side of the lying surface, which is opposite the first side. The method 1400 includes transmitting 1410 the control data to the lying device.

[0132] Method 1400 enables the external control of the movement of at least one ultrasonic transducer of a human reclining device. Accordingly, the reclining device itself can be provided cost-effectively with reduced circuitry or logic.

[0133] Further details and aspects of method 1400 are described in more detail above. Method 1400 may therefore additionally include one or more of the aspects described above. As already explained several times above, the support devices according to the present disclosure can be used for various ultrasound applications. In particular, the support devices according to the present disclosure can be used for ultrasound imaging and (therapeutic) ultrasound treatment.

[0134] Two exemplary methods for ultrasound imaging and (therapeutic) ultrasound treatment using a lying device according to the present disclosure are described in more detail below with reference to Fig. 15 and Fig. 16.

[0135] Fig. 15 shows a method 1500 for ultrasound imaging. The method 1500 comprises irradiating 1502 a human, an animal, or an object that is recorded on the lying surface of a lying device or a system according to the present disclosure using one or more of the at least one ultrasound transducers of the lying device. The method 1500 further comprises measuring 1504 (e.g., reflected or transmitted) ultrasound waves using one or more of the at least one ultrasound transducers of the lying device. In addition, the method 1500 comprises generating an image 1506 of at least a portion of the human, the animal, or the object based on the measured ultrasound waves. The image can be generated using the measured data using known methods or approaches (e.g., reflection ultrasound imaging or transmission ultrasound imaging).

[0136] For ultrasound imaging, the frequency of the emitted and measured ultrasound waves can be, for example, between 2 and 20 MHz. However, it should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned frequency range. In principle, any suitable frequency or frequency range can be selected.

[0137] The lying device according to the present disclosure enables the irradiation with ultrasonic waves as well as the measurement of (e.g., reflected or transmitted) ultrasonic waves from below the lying surface. The treatment of the human or animal on the lying surface by a practitioner (e.g., examination by a physician or surgical intervention by a surgeon) does not need to be interrupted for ultrasound imaging. Likewise, according to the above embodiments, standardized and precisely reproducible data acquisition is possible, e.g., for monitoring progress.

[0138] Further details and aspects of method 1500 are described in more detail above. Method 1500 may therefore additionally include one or more of the aspects described above.

[0139] Fig. 16 shows a method 1600 for (therapeutic) ultrasound treatment. The method 1600 comprises irradiating 1602 a human or animal, who is accommodated on the lying surface of a lying device or system according to the present disclosure, with (therapeutic) ultrasound waves using one or more of the at least one ultrasound transducer of the lying device.

[0140] For example, the frequency of the emitted ultrasonic waves for therapeutic ultrasound treatment can be 200 kHz, 800 kHz, 1 MHz, or 3 MHz—depending on the desired penetration depth of the ultrasound. However, it should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned frequencies. In principle, any suitable frequency or frequency range can be selected.

[0141] The bed device allows for the irradiation of (therapeutic) ultrasound waves from below the bed surface. This means that the treatment of the person or animal lying on the bed by a practitioner (e.g., a surgical procedure by a surgeon) does not need to be interrupted for the ultrasound application.

[0142] Further details and aspects of method 1600 are described in more detail above. Method 1600 may therefore additionally include one or more of the aspects described above.

[0143] According to exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure also relates to all combinations of the ultrasound diagnostic methods (e.g., ultrasound imaging) and ultrasound therapy methods (e.g., therapeutic ultrasound treatment) described herein in the form of a theranostic method. As the above explanations have shown, the advantages of the support devices according to the present disclosure, as well as the methods utilizing the support devices, are diverse.

[0144] For example, the ultrasound transducers no longer need to be manually guided by a user. Ultrasound data acquisition is thus, for the first time, independent of the user, allowing for standardization and precisely reproducible data acquisition, for example, for follow-up monitoring.

[0145] This allows for a clear surgical site and continuous data acquisition without the need to connect ultrasound probes from above using gel for data acquisition and without having to interrupt the procedure for data acquisition. Imaging is performed from below and / or the side.

[0146] With an additional unit from above, tomographic data acquisition is possible for the first time, especially from the entire human body.

[0147] The technology of the present disclosure is applicable not only for ultrasound diagnostics, but also for ultrasound therapy or a combination of ultrasound diagnostics and ultrasound therapy.

[0148] The technology of the present disclosure provides interfaces for intelligently controlling ultrasound data acquisition to the location from which data is currently needed.

[0149] The technology of the present disclosure can be used, for example, in the following areas: a) Diagnostic ultrasound imaging up to ultrasound tomography b) Ultrasound therapy c) Integration into operating tables, treatment couches, emergency couches, nursing beds in intensive care units d) Intraoperative imaging navigation e) Decentralized data acquisition for ultrasound diagnostics and follow-up monitoring, e.g. in rural regions without the need for medical personnel The aspects and features described in connection with a specific one of the previous examples can also be combined with one or more of the further examples in order to replace an identical or similar feature of this further example or to additionally introduce the feature into the further example.

[0150] Examples may further be or relate to a (computer) program with program code for executing one or more of the above methods when the program is executed on a computer, a processor, or other programmable hardware component. Steps, operations, or processes of various of the methods described above may therefore also be executed by programmed computers, processors, or other programmable hardware components. Examples may also cover program storage devices, e.g., digital data storage media, that are machine-, processor-, or computer-readable and encode or contain machine-executable, processor-executable, or computer-executable programs and instructions. The program storage devices may, for example,Digital storage, magnetic storage media such as magnetic disks and magnetic tapes, hard disk drives, or optically readable digital data storage media may include or be computers, processors, control units, field-programmable logic arrays ((F)PLAs = (Field) Programmable Logic Arrays), field-programmable gate arrays ((F)PGA = (Field) Programmable Gate Arrays), graphics processor units (GPU = Graphics Processor Unit), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC = application-specific integrated circuit), integrated circuits (IC = Integrated Circuit), or system-on-a-chip (SoC) programmed to perform the steps of the methods described above.

[0151] It is further understood that the disclosure of multiple steps, processes, operations, or functions disclosed in the specification or claims should not be construed as necessarily being in the described order, unless explicitly stated in the individual case or technically required. Therefore, the foregoing description does not limit the performance of multiple steps or functions to any particular order. Furthermore, in further examples, a single step, function, process, or operation may include and / or be broken down into multiple sub-steps, functions, processes, or operations.

[0152] If some aspects in the preceding sections were described in connection with a device or system, these aspects are also to be understood as a description of the corresponding method. For example, a block, a device, or a functional aspect of the device or system can correspond to a feature, such as a method step, of the corresponding method. Accordingly, aspects described in connection with a method are also to be understood as a description of a corresponding block, a corresponding element, a property, or a functional feature of a corresponding device or system.

[0153] The following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, each claim being understood to stand on its own as a separate example. It should also be noted that although a dependent claim in the claims refers to a particular combination with one or more other claims, other examples may include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of any other dependent or independent claim. Such combinations are hereby explicitly contemplated unless it is specifically stated that a particular combination is not intended. Furthermore, features of a claim for any other independent claim are also intended to be included, even if that claim is not directly defined as dependent on that other independent claim.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A lying device (100) for a human, an animal, or an object, comprising: a lying surface (110) configured to accommodate the human, the animal, or the object in a lying position on a first side of the lying surface (110); at least one ultrasonic transducer (120) arranged on a second side of the lying surface (110), the second side being opposite the first side, and the at least one ultrasonic transducer (120) configured to emit ultrasonic waves through the lying surface (110) in the direction of the first side and / or to measure ultrasonic waves reflected or transmitted on the first side in the direction of the second side;and a mattress filled with an acoustic coupling medium for acoustically coupling the at least one ultrasonic transducer (120) and the lying surface (110), wherein the acoustic coupling medium covers the lying surface (110) on the second side, wherein a part of a casing of the mattress forms the lying surface (110), and wherein the at least one ultrasonic transducer (120) is arranged in the acoustic coupling medium within the mattress.; 2. The lying device (100) according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning system (340) configured to move the at least one ultrasonic transducer (120) relative to the lying surface (110) based on control data.

3. The lying device (100) according to claim 2, wherein the positioning system (340) is controllable based on the control data to move one or more of the at least one ultrasonic transducers (120) along one or more spatial directions relative to the lying surface (110) and / or to rotate one or more of the at least one ultrasonic transducers (120) relative to the lying surface (110) and / or to incline one or more of the at least one ultrasonic transducers (120) relative to the lying surface (110).

4. A lying device (100) according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the lying device (100) comprises an array of ultrasonic transducers (120), the array comprising a first section, a second section and a third section, the first section being substantially flat, the second section and the third section being arranged at opposite ends of the first section and being opposite the first section so that the ultrasonic transducers (120) arranged in the second section and third section face side areas of the human, animal or object, while the lying surface (110) accommodates the human, animal or object in the lying position.

5. The reclining device (100) according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the positioning system (340) comprises at least one measuring system (800) that is freely movable relative to the reclining surface (110), and wherein the at least one measuring system (800) comprises: one or more of the at least one ultrasonic transducer (120); at least one actuator (830) for moving the measuring system relative to the reclining surface (110); and a drive system for driving the at least one actuator based on the control data.

6. The reclining device (100) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising a communication circuit configured to receive the control data from an entity external to the reclining device (100).

7. The lying device (100) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising: an interface circuit configured to receive input data indicating a user input from a user for controlling the movement of the at least one ultrasonic transducer (120) and / or a detected position or movement of a body part of the user and / or a detected line of sight of the user and / or a detected position or movement of a medical instrument used by the user; and a processing circuit configured to: determine, based on the input data, a region to be irradiated by the at least one ultrasonic transducer (120); determine, based on the region to be irradiated, a target position for the at least one ultrasonic transducer (120); and determine the control data based on the target position.

8. The lying device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the lying device (100) comprises a plurality of ultrasonic transducers (120) arranged at fixed positions relative to the lying surface (110) in an array that at least partially covers the lying surface (110).

9. Lying device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a shape of the lying surface (110) is deformable to adapt to a body shape of the human or animal or a shape of the object.

10. The device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a processing circuit coupled to the at least one ultrasonic transducer (120) and configured to: control the emission of ultrasonic waves by the at least one ultrasonic transducer (120); and / or process the measurement data generated by the at least one ultrasonic transducer (120) based on the measured ultrasonic waves.

11. The lying device (100) of claim 10, wherein the lying device (100) comprises a plurality of ultrasonic transducers (120), wherein the processing circuit comprises a plurality of electronic channels for controlling the emission of the ultrasonic waves, wherein the lying device (100) further comprises a multiplexer circuit configured to selectively couple the electronic channels to a subset of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (120).

12. The reclining device (100) of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: select the subset of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (120) based on data indicating an area to be irradiated with the ultrasonic waves; and to control the multiplexer circuit to couple the electronic channels to the selected subset of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (120).

13. A lying device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the lying device (100) is an operating table, a medical treatment table, a hospital bed or a rescue stretcher.

14. A lying device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a removable cover for at least a portion of the lying surface (110), wherein the cover comprises at least one ultrasonic transducer (1160) configured to emit ultrasonic waves in the direction of the lying surface (110) and / or to measure reflected or transmitted ultrasonic waves from the direction of the lying surface (110).

15. The lying device (100) according to claim 14, wherein the cover comprises a contact portion for contacting the human, animal or object while the lying surface (110) receives the human, animal or object in the lying position, wherein the at least one ultrasonic transducer (1160) of the cover is arranged in an acoustic coupling medium for acoustically coupling the at least one ultrasonic transducer (1160) of the cover and the contact portion, wherein the acoustic coupling medium covers the contact portion.

16. The reclining device (100) according to claim 15, wherein a shape of the contact portion is deformable to adapt to a body shape of the human or animal or a shape of the object.

17. The lying device (100) according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the cover comprises a further positioning system (1170) configured to move the at least one ultrasonic transducer (1160) of the cover relative to the lying surface (110) based on further control data.

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