System for tracking operating tables and accessories

Abstract

A system is proposed for locating equipment in a surgical facility The system comprises at least one operating table or operating table transporter, wherein the operating table transporter is adapted to carry and transport at least a patient support surface of an operating table. The operating table or operating table transporter comprises a communication module configured to communicate wirelessly with a central tracking unit and to receive wireless signals from a plurality of auxiliary devices. The communication module is configured to: receive identity information identifying a sending auxiliary device from each wireless signal, determine from each wireless signal, distance data comprising information indicative of the distance between the sending auxiliary device and the patient support arrangement, and communicate distance data, and identifying information for each received wireless signal, to said central tracking unit. The central tracking unit can generate a virtual map of the surgical facility and locate the operating table or operating table transporter and any auxiliary devices in the map using the distance data and identifying information received from said patent support arrangement.

Description

[0001] SYSTEM FOR TRACKING OPERATING TABLES AND ACCESSORIES

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure concerns the tracking of equipment within a surgical facility. It has particular relevance to the tracking of mobile operating tables, transporters and accessories connectable to these as well as other equipment within a surgical facility.

[0004] Background

[0005] Surgical wards hold numerous different kinds of equipment for use before, during and after surgery. These include mobile operating tables, operating table transporters and a variety of other fixed or mobile equipment including, but not limited to, ventilators, monitors and imaging devices. In addition, multiple attachments or accessories for operating tables may also be present. These enable operating tables to be configured in many different ways according to surgical or patient needs. For example, a hospital with 10 operating tables may have 200 or more interchangeable accessories which can be optionally attached to the tables depending on the needs of the upcoming surgery. Some accessories may be available only in limited numbers in a surgical department or facility. Keeping track of this equipment is important to ensure that the facility and personnel are used efficiently. When a table accessory or other equipment becomes lost in a surgical ward, searching for it can be very costly, especially if a scheduled procedure cannot start until it is found. This need to search for objects can occur multiple times daily in a surgical ward and is a contributor to lost time and low efficiency. The ability to reliably locate equipment has the additional benefit of facilitating planning by ensuring that all equipment for a procedure is in the required room prior to a scheduled procedure. This is particularly useful when certain equipment is available in only limited numbers and must be shared between procedures.

[0006] To address this, some hospitals are starting to install beacons on movable items and to use signal based indoor positioning systems to determine the position of those beacons and the items they are attached to in the surgical ward area. These systems require the use of multiple fixed access points which are placed strategically throughout the area being monitored at known locations. In order achieve real time tracking results, the relative locations of the beacons must be continuously reported to a central system in order to achieve continuous location tracking. In order to achieve this, either the beacon (on the tracked item), or the fixed access points must have a continuous communication interface to the central system. This communication interface can be wired or wireless. If the interface is a wired one, then a connection must be networked between each fixed access point and the central system (Mobile beacons cannot be wired, for obvious reasons). This carries with it significant installation costs and the risk that it may interfere with existing systems. If the interface is wireless, then there must be enough power available to the access point or beacon to support continuous wireless communication with the central system. The beacons or base stations that communicate with the central system must then be either electrically hard-wired, connected to wall socket which may not always be available in the best location, or have a battery that is recharged or replaced often, which requires constant maintenance. In either case, the known systems require substantial building infrastructure, forward planning on installation, and constant maintenance to ensure correct operation. These electrical requirements are not easily integrated with existing systems, in particular in older and existing buildings which were not designed to support and continuously power beacons spaced around the surgical department.

[0007] Summary

[0008] It is thus an object of the present disclosure to propose a system for locating equipment in a surgical ward that overcomes the problems of prior art systems, is flexible and can be readily deployed alongside existing systems

[0009] These and further objects are achieved according to a system for locating equipment in a surgical facility and a patient support arrangement as defined in the appended claims.

[0010] According to one aspect, a system is proposed that comprises at least one operating table, or at least one operating table transporter, wherein the operating table transporter is adapted to transport and transfer at least a patient support surface of an operating table, the operating table or operating table transporter comprising a communication module configured to communicate wirelessly with a central tracking unit and to receive wireless signals from a plurality of auxiliary devices. The communication module is further configured to: i. receive identity information identifying a sending auxiliary device from each wireless signal, ii. determine from each wireless signal, distance data comprising information indicative of the distance between the sending auxiliary device and the operating table or operating table transporter, and iii. communicate distance data, and identifying information for each received wireless signal, to the central tracking unit.

[0011] By providing an operating table or operating table transporter with the ability to communicate with a central tracking unit and also receive signals from multiple auxiliary devices, the operating table or operating table transporter essentially serves as a base station. This provides a system that is flexible and also easy to deploy, as operating tables can provide the necessary power to maintain a continuous connection and are always present in a surgical facility. This includes mobile operating tables which typically have sizable rechargeable batteries that are already charged and maintained by the hospitals for use in surgeries. This in turn allows the auxiliary devices to transmit signals only intermittently and / or at a relatively low power, and thus be relatively small, inexpensive, battery-powered devices. Operating table transporters may also be present in a surgical facility, and provide the advantage of being moved frequently, as they serve to transport at least a patient support surface of an operating table to and from a fixed stand or column in an operating room. They may also be provided with high capacity rechargeable batteries and thus can be active as a base station whether they are actively transporting part of an operating table or not. In essence the above defined system provides steadily powered hubs for sending and / or receiving wireless signals in surgical departments (to locate tables and / or medical equipment) that were not designed to support such hubs and must be retrofitted.

[0012] By the term “distance data” is meant any data or information, unprocessed or processed, that allows the distance to be determined. This may comprise information on the received signal strength, in particular wherein the system is configured to determine a distance between the at least one operating table or operating table transporter and an auxiliary device, such as at least one of a fixed location beacon and medical equipment based on the received signal strength. In other embodiments, the distance data may comprise information on time-of-flight between the at least one operating table or operating table transporter and at least one of a fixed location beacon and medical equipment. In still further embodiments, distance data comprises a specific measure of distance or calculated distance.

[0013] Preferably, the central tracking unit is configured to generate a virtual map of the surgical facility and to locate the at least one operating table or operating table transporter and any auxiliary devices in the map in response to distance data and identifying information received from the operating table. The central tracking unit further preferably comprises a user interface for displaying the location of the operating table, operating table transporter and / or auxiliary units to an end user.

[0014] The auxiliary devices advantageously comprise medical equipment that is configured to transmit identity information periodically, and also fixed location beacons configured to transmit identity information periodically, the fixed location beacons being arranged at fixed locations in the surgical facility. The system is then configured to determine a location of the operating table or operating table transporter using signals received from one or more fixed location beacons, and determine a distance between a medical equipment and the operating table or operating table transporter using signals received from an equipment beacon coupled to the medical equipment. In some embodiments, the medical equipment may be equipped with beacons configured to transmit identity information periodically or intermittently.

[0015] Preferably, the medical equipment comprises accessories adapted to be attached to an operating table, the accessories preferably comprising at least one of a leg plate, an extension plate for supporting part of a patient, and an arm support, the accessories preferably being spaced from and not presently attached to the operating table or operating table transporter. The

[0016] In accordance with a further aspect, there is proposed a system for locating medical equipment in a surgical facility, the system comprising a central tracking unit and at least one operating table; wherein the operating table comprises a communication module, the communication module being configured to communicate wirelessly with the central tracking unit, and to receive wireless signals from fixed location beacons and from medical equipment to be located and which is not in contact with the operating table, the communication module being further configured to:

[0017] (i) receive identity information wirelessly from fixed location beacons, and

[0018] (ii) receive identity information wirelessly from the medical equipment; wherein the system is configured to:

[0019] (iii) determine a location of the operating table using wireless signals from one or more fixed location beacons, in particular determining the location of the operating table based on signal strength of wireless signals from one or more fixed location beacons received at the operating table; and

[0020] (iv) determine a distance between the medical equipment and the operating table using wireless signals from the medical equipment, in particular determine the distance between the medical equipment and the operating table based on a signal strength of a wireless signal received from the medical equipment at the operating table. In accordance with a further aspect, there is proposed a system for locating medical equipment in a surgical facility, the system comprising a central tracking unit and at least one operating table transporter, the operating table transporter being adapted to carry and transport at least a patient support surface of an operating table operating table; wherein the operating table transporter comprises a communication module, the communication module being configured to communicate wirelessly with the central tracking unit, and to receive wireless signals from fixed location beacons and from medical equipment to be located and which is not in contact with the operating table, the communication module being further configured to:

[0021] (i) receive identity information wirelessly from fixed location beacons, and

[0022] (ii) receive identity information wirelessly from the medical equipment; wherein the system is configured to:

[0023] (iii) determine a location of the operating table transporter using wireless signals from one or more fixed location beacons, in particular determining the location of the operating table transporter based on signal strength of wireless signals from one or more fixed location beacons received at the operating table transporter ; and

[0024] (iv) determine a distance between the medical equipment and the operating table transporter using wireless signals from the medical equipment, in particular determine the distance between the medical equipment and the operating table transporter based on a signal strength of the wireless signal received from the medical equipment at the operating table transporter

[0025] Further advantageous embodiments are set out in the appended claims.

[0026] Brief description of the drawings

[0027] Exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0028] Fig. 1a schematically illustrates a side view of an exemplary operating table;

[0029] Fig. 1 b schematically illustrates an operating table seen from above;

[0030] Fig. 2a schematically illustrates a side view of an operating table transporter; Fig. 2b schematically illustrates an operating table transporter carrying an operating table top;

[0031] Fig. 3 shows a stylised representation of a surgical facility;

[0032] Fig. 4 illustrates the surgical facility of Fig.3 with the system according to the present disclosure; and

[0033] Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of the system architecture of a locating system according to the present disclosure.

[0034] Detailed description

[0035] In the following description, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, but are merely intended to illustrate the respective features.

[0036] It should be noted that the features and components described below may be combined with each other, regardless of whether they have been described in connection with a single embodiment. The combination of features in the respective embodiments serves only to illustrate the basic construction and operation of the claimed device.

[0037] In the figures, identical or similar elements are given identical reference signs where appropriate.

[0038] Fig. 1a schematically illustrates a side view of an operating table 10 which can be used for supporting and positioning a patient during a surgical procedure. Fig. 1 b shows the same operating table 10 from above. The operating table 10 comprises a stand 40 for supporting the table on the floor or other surface. The stand may be equipped with wheels (not shown), which can be driven with a non-shown drive mechanism, so rendering the table 10 mobile. A vertically extending column 30 is mounted on the stand 40, and a patient support surface 20 is attached to an upper end of the column 30. The column 30 may be extended and retracted to adjust the height of the patient support surface 20. The connection between the column and patient support surface 20 may also permit the patient support surface to rotate or tilt relative to the column. The operating table 10 can be equipped with its own power source in the form of a rechargeable battery. The patient support surface 20 can be made up of several parts, some of which are connected via movable joints, allowing a desired configuration of the table for specific surgical procedures or for certain patients. In the example table illustrated in Figs. 1a and 1 b, the patient support surface 20 includes a main surface section 24 mounted on the table column 30 to which further surface elements or accessories can be attached, often interchangeably. In the illustrated example, these further elements include two leg plates 22, an extension plate 26 and a head plate 28. It will be understood that for any given procedure different table elements or accessories may be required. The patient support surface 20 may further be provided with rails 21 or similar structures on either lateral edge to which additional accessories may be attached. A surgical department will usually have a number of table elements and accessories that are not in use or attached to a table at any given time, and which must be stored, located, and retrieved when needed again.

[0039] Figs. 2a and 2b illustrate an operating table transporter 15. The operating table transporter 15 is a structure adapted to carry at least a patient support surface 20 of an operating table 10. Fig. 2a shows an operating table transporter 15 alone, while Fig. 2b shows an operating table transporter carrying a patient support surface 20, which in the illustrated example, comprises a main surface section 24 and an extension plate 26. Other patient support surface accessories are also shown. The operating table transporter 15 has casters and wheels and may be provided with drive means (not shown) for controlling the motion of wheels. The operating table transporter 15 can be equipped with its own power source in the form of a rechargeable battery. The operating table transporter 15 allows a patient support surface 20 to be assembled away from an operating room before a scheduled procedure, and then moved into the operating room and onto a pedestal or column when needed. It is also allows a patient to be prepared for surgery on a patient support surface and then to be moved to an operating room where the patient support surface is transferred onto a stationary or mobile column 30 or stand 40.

[0040] Turning now to Fig. 3 there is shown a stylised schematic plan of a surgical facility 50. In the illustrated example, the surgical facility 50 is provided with a number of operating rooms, in the present case eight operating rooms designated 501 to 508 are shown. The illustrated surgical facility also includes a corridor 52 that may be a sterile corridor, and an area 54 used for recovery. Although not illustrated, the surgical facility 50 may include the areas, such as, but not limited to, areas for induction, operating table preparation, equipment storage and cleaning. A number of operating tables 10 are located in the surgical facility. Some of the operating tables 10 may be operating table transporters 15, as indicated by the reference numeral 10 / 15. In this example, an operating table 10 or operating table transporter 15 is located in operating rooms 501 , 503, 504, 505, 506 and 508, while a number are located in area 54. A number of accessories are also visible in the surgical facility, more specifically, an extension plate 26 in operating room 501 , a leg plate 22 in operating room 507 and a head plate 28 in area 54 at the end of corridor 52. Additionally, in operating room 508, there is shown an object 55 denoting a further piece of mobile equipment that does not attach to an operating table, such as, for example, an imaging system, a ventilator, cauterizing system or C-arm. When a surgery is scheduled, it is important that all necessary equipment can be quickly located and brought to the operating room or to an area where a patient support surface 20 is to be constructed on an operating table transporter 15. In an operating room, this includes the operating table 10, all required attachments and any additional equipment that will be needed during a procedure. For example, when surgery is to be performed in operating room 502 that requires an operating table equipped with an extension plate 22, the specific leg plates 26 and a head plate 28, staff must track down a table 10, the extension plate 22, leg plates 26 and the head plate. As illustrated in Fig. 3, these items may all be in different locations. Depending on the complexity of the table configuration and the number of accessories 22, 24, 26 present in the surgical facility, the task of locating all necessary elements can become very onerous.

[0041] In accordance with the present disclosure, this problem is addressed by the system described below with reference to Figs. 4 and 5.

[0042] Turning now to Fig. 4 there is shown a schematic plan of the surgical facility 50 equipped with a system for locating equipment. Each of the accessories 22, 26, 28 and 55 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as well as any other accessory or attachment that may be connected to an operating table 10 or operating table transporter 15, including mobile equipment that does not attach to an operating table or operating table transporter (e.g. imaging system, a ventilator, cauterizing system, C- arm) is provided with a low power transmitter or beacon 60 that) broadcasts identification information over a relatively short distance, preferably between 1 and 10 m, still preferably between 1 and 6 m, as denoted by concentric circles emanating from each beacon 60. The beacons 60 may transmit periodically or intermittently. In some embodiments, the beacons 60 may be battery powered. Other beacons 60 may use remotely or wirelessly transmitted power, e.g. via a coil. The information is preferably unique to the accessory. The transmitters or beacons 60 may be integrated in the accessory or provided as an attachable tag or similar. In Fig. 4, for clarity, each accessory is labelled with the reference number for the corresponding accessory and the beacon. Thus the head plate 28 is labelled 60 / 28 in Fig. 4.

[0043] Additional low power position beacons 70 are located at fixed positions in the surgical facility 50, for example on a wall or ceiling. A fixed position beacon 70 may also be attached to stationary equipment, if present, provided that its location is known. The position beacons 70 also transmit identification information. Due to their fixed position, however, the signals from each positon beacon can be used to identify a specific location. The position beacons 70 may be identical to the beacons 60 or different from these. More specifically, the position beacons 70 may be battery powered or they may be connected to a main power source. The beacons 60 and position beacons 70 may operate using Bluetooth radio technology, but other short range transmission technologies are feasible, including, but not limited to Zigbee wireless technology, wireless LAN or WiFi (IEEE 802.11), RFID, ultrasound, infrared or a combination of these. When using RFID, the beacons 60 and position beacons 70 may be transponders that are either battery powered or capable of harvesting energy from a reader coil. In the latter case, the beacons 60 and position beacons 70 will transmit signals only when a reader coil is close enough to energise the transponder. Other wireless technology beacons 60, 70 may also benefit from energy harvesting.

[0044] Each operating table 10 and / or operating table transporter 15, additionally comprises a communication module 100 (see Fig. 5). The communication module 100 receives signals from all equipment beacons 60 and position beacons 70 in range. The communication module 100 further receives information indicative of the distance between a sending beacon 60, 70, and the operating table 10 from the received signal. Distances may be determined based on the signal strength of each received signal. Alternatively, distances may be determined based on signal time-of-flight information. The communication module 100 then wirelessly and continuously transmits information for each received signal comprising identity information and information indicative of the sending distance to a central tracking unit 200. The central tracking unit 200 preferably has knowledge of the layout of the surgical facility 50 and the location of all position beacons 70. It processes the information indicative of the sending distance received from the communication module of the operating table 10 or operating table transporter 15 to determine an approximate distance of the table from the known positions of beacons 70 and, together with similar information received from other operating tables 10 and / or operating table transporter 15, determines the approximate location of each operating table 10 and / or operating table transporter 15 using triangulation or a similar algorithm. The central tracking unit 200 then uses the approximate determined location of at least one operating table 10 or operating table transporter 15 to determine an approximate location of each identified accessory or other equipment that is provided with a beacon 60 based on their distances from the one or more operating tables 10 and / or operating table transporter 15 having known locations. Over time the central tracking 200 unit builds up a and revises virtual map of the facility 50 with the location of operating tables and operating table transporter 15, if present, accessories and other objects as the operating tables 10 and / or operating table transporters 15 move through the facility and within range of the beacons 60, 70.

[0045] In the surgical facility illustrated in Fig. 4, each operating room 501 - 508 is equipped with a position beacon 70 that is located in a fixed and known position, for example on the ceiling. Position beacons 70 are also disposed in the corridor 52 and external area 54 in a manner to obtain complete coverage of the surgical facility 50. In other words, the position beacons 70 are preferably arranged in such a way that at least one position beacon 70, and preferably a plurality of position beacons, will be in range of a communication module 100 of an operating table 10 or operating table transporter 15 at all times. For example, the operating table Z 10 located in operating room 506 is very close to the position beacon 70 located in that room. It is also approximately equidistant from the location beacons 70 arranged in operating rooms 505, 502 and 507. The signal strength of the signals received from these four beacons 70 is sufficient to enable the central tracking unit 200 to determine the approximate location of operating table Z in the facility 50. Using this method, at any given moment, there can be a known approximate location for each table in the surgical facility. Similarly, the approximate location of all operating table transporters 15, if present, can be known. Using these known, at least temporarily fixed locations, these tables 10 and / or operating table transporters 15 can now be considered as base stations. The temporarily fixed locations of the operating tables 10 and / or operating table transporters 15 can then be used to determine the approximate location of other moveable objects in the hospital, such as the extension plate 26 located in operating room 501 , the leg plate 22 located in operating room 206, and the mobile equipment 55 located in operating room 508. For instance, using the signal strength received by operating table X from the beacon 60 on the extension plate 26 in operating room 501 , it could be estimated that this accessory is approximately 2 meters from table X, 5 meters from table Y, and 6 meters from table Z. Using this information, the central tracking unit 200 is able to estimate the location of the extension plate 26 to be in the far-right corner of operating room 501 . This information would be very helpful to someone in the hospital who is looking for the extension plate 26, but has no idea which room to start looking in. The same process could be used for object 55 / 60 and accessory 60 / 28. The operating tables 10 and / or operating table transporters 15 thus serve as a distributed network of base stations, whose location can be updated regularly and which collect location information for mobile accessories in the form of identification and data indicative of distance or from which distance can be derived, such as signal strength or time-of-flight data. In some embodiments, a position beacon 70 may be attached or integrated with a fixed column operating table 10. This table would then serve as a permanently fixed base station, which can communicate its own identifier as location information in place of identification and signal strength information from position beacons 70. However, it is envisaged that the majority if not all operating tables are mobile so that, over time, information about all areas of a surgical facility can be built up.

[0046] When the distance information transmitted by the communication modules 100 of operating tables 10 and / or operating table transporters 15 to the central tracking unit 200 is in the form of a signal strength, this may take different forms. For example, it may comprise information indicative of the absolute value of received signal levels, in which case the central tracking unit 200 will use pre-stored information on the emitted signal strength of each beacon 60, 70 to determine an approximate distance, if necessary taking into account any likely attenuation due to walls or fixed equipment. In other embodiments, the communication modules 100 of each operating table 10 or operating table transporter 15 may extract from the received signal information indicative of the emitted signal strength, i.e. the signal strength emitted at the respective beacon 60, 70, and based on that value and the received signal strength provide information indicative of the attenuation of the received signal. This may be in the form of a percentage or proportion of the emitted signal, for example, 20%, 50% or 80% or the emitted signal or an arbitrary value indicative of this attenuation, for example 2, 5.8, etc. In some cases, the communication module may determine an approximate distance of a beacon 60, 70 from the operating table based on the signal level received from that beacon and possibly information about the emitted signal strength that is contained in the signal. The communication module 100 would then transmit that approximate distance information to the central tracking unit 200.

[0047] In some embodiments, when the distance information received by the communication modules 100 of operating tables 10 and / or operating table transporters 15 are in the form of time of flight data, the communication modules 100 may process the data to obtain a calculated value of distance and transmit this distance value to the central tracking unit 200. Actual distances can be calculated or estimated by the communication module 100 at the table, by the central tracking unit 200, or in principal elsewhere.

[0048] Fig. 5 is a schematic depiction of the system architecture of the locating system according to the present disclosure. Depicted are fixed and mobile beacons, 70, 60, a communication module 100 of an operating table 10 or operating table transporter 15 and the central tracking unit 200. The fixed and mobile beacons 70, 60 each transmit signals (continuously or intermittently) containing a unique identifier as indicated by the dashed circles. The communication module 100 of an operating table located in range of these beacons 70, 60, receives the signal(s) with a receiver 110 configured to receive low power wireless signals. As discussed above, the beacons 60, 70 and receiver 110 may use Bluetooth radio technology, Zigbee wireless technology, WiFi (IEEE 802.11), RFID, ultrasound, infrared, a combination of these or any other short range communication technology. In the case of RFID technology the receiver 110 includes a reader coil. The receiver 110 passes the received signals to a processor 120, which determines the signal strength of the received signal, or alternatively extracts the time-of-flight information, and sends this, together with the identity of the sending beacon 60, 70, to a transceiver 130. The transceiver 130 packages the information indicative of the distance between a sending beacon 60, 70 and the operating table 10 together with the identity of the sending beacon and transmits this wirelessly to the central tacking unit 200.

[0049] The central tracking unit 200 comprises a transceiver 210, for communicating with the communication units 100 of operating tables 10 or operating table transporters 15, a processor 220, a memory 230 for storing information on the layout of the surgical facility, the location of the position beacons and information on the currently determined information on the location of operating tables 10 and / or operating table transporters 15 and accessories as identified by associated beacons 60. The same memory or a separate memory also includes instructions for the processor. The central tracking unit 200 further includes a user interface 240, such as a display, touch screen, and / or a keyboard, to allow a user to request the location of a specific item. The central tracking unit 200 may also allow access via remote user stations, such as computers, tablets, mobile phones or even a control panel located on an operating tables 10 itself or on a remote device connected to the table 10, such as a hand pendant. In this way a user is able to access the virtual map or location information from any location within the surgical facility. Communication between the communication module 100 of an operating table 10 or operating table transporter 15 and the transceiver 210 is preferably via wireless LAN . However, depending on the location of the central tracking unit 200 and the size of the surgical facility, the central tracking unit 200 may receive signals either directly at a transceiver 210, or via one or more signal repeaters (not shown) that are located in the surgical facility and are coupled by wire or wirelessly to the central tracking unit.

[0050] Each operating table 10 or operating table transporter 15 preferably transmits information from the beacons 60, 70 continuously so that the central tracking unit 200 is able to update the location information of operating tables, accessories or other identified objects in real time. This is possible because the operating tables 10 and operating table transporter 15 are equipped with high capacity batteries and are regularly recharged as a matter of course.

[0051] List of reference numerals

[0052] 10: Operating table

[0053] 15: Operating table transporter

[0054] 20: Patient support surface

[0055] 21: Rails

[0056] 22: Leg plate

[0057] 24: Main surface section

[0058] 26: Extension plate

[0059] 28: Head plate

[0060] 29: Accessory

[0061] 30: Column

[0062] 40: Stand

[0063] 50: Surgical facility / ward

[0064] 501-508: Operating rooms

[0065] 55: Mobile equipment

[0066] 60: Beacon

[0067] 70: Position beacon

[0068] 100: Communication module

[0069] 110: Receiver

[0070] 120: Processor

[0071] 130 Transceiver

[0072] 200: Central tracking unit

[0073] 210: Transceiver

[0074] 220: Control unit

[0075] 230: Memory

[0076] 240: User interface / Display

Claims

Claims1. System for locating equipment in a surgical facility, the system comprising at least one operating table or at least one operating table transporter, wherein the operating table transporter is adapted to transport and transfer at least a patient support surface of an operating table, the operating table or operating table transporter comprising a communication module configured to communicate wirelessly with a central tracking unit and to receive wireless signals from a plurality of auxiliary devices, said communication module being further configured to: i. receive identity information identifying a sending auxiliary device from each wireless signal, ii. determine from each wireless signal, distance data comprising information indicative of the distance between the sending auxiliary device and the operating table or operating table transporter , and iii. communicate distance data, and identifying information for each received wireless signal, to said central tracking unit.

2. System as claimed in claim 1, wherein said central tracking unit is configured to generate a virtual map of the surgical facility and to locate said at least one operating table or operating table transporter and any auxiliary devices in said map using the distance data and identifying information received from said patent support arrangement.

3. System as claimed in claim 2, wherein said central tracking unit comprises storage means for storing said virtual map.

4. System as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the system comprises a user interface for displaying the location of at least one of an operating table, an operating table transporter 15, and an auxiliary device to an end user.

5. System as claimed in any previous claim, wherein said auxiliary devices comprise medical equipment configured to transmit identity information, in particular to transmit identity information intermittently,said auxiliary devices preferably further comprising fixed location beacons configured to transmit identity information periodically, said fixed location beacons being arranged at respective fixed locations in said surgical facility, said system being configured to determine a location of the operating table or operating table transporter using signals received from one or more fixed location beacons, and determine a distance between medical equipment and the operating table or operating table transporter 15 using signals received from said medical equipment.

6. A system as claimed in any previous claim, wherein said auxiliary devices comprise beacons attached to medical equipment and configured to transmit identity information, in particular to transmit identity information periodically or intermittently.

7. A system as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the medical equipment comprises accessories adapted to be attached to an operating table or operating table transporter 15, said accessories preferably comprising at least one of a leg plate, an extension plate for supporting part of a patient, and an arm support, said accessories preferably being spaced from and not presently attached to the operating table or operating table transporter 15.

8. System as claimed in any previous claim, wherein said operating table is a mobile operating table, in particular a mobile operating table comprising at least one of wheels and casters.

9. System as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the system is configured to determine the location of at least one of the operating table or operating table transporter 15 and the auxiliary device using distance triangulation.

10. System as claimed in any previous claim, wherein said wireless signals use at least one of infrared, Wifi, ultrasound, zigbee, RFID, and a short-range wireless technology.

11. System as claimed in any previous claim, wherein said wireless signals are Bluetooth wireless technology signals.

12. System as claimed in any previous claim, wherein for each received signal, said distance data comprises information on the received signal strength, in particularwherein the system is configured to determine a distance between the at least one operating table or operating table transporter and at least one of a fixed location beacon and medical equipment based on the received signal strength.

13. A system for locating medical equipment in a surgical facility, the system comprising a central tracking unit and at least one operating table; wherein the operating table comprises a communication module, the communication module being configured to communicate wirelessly with the central tracking unit, and to receive wireless signals from fixed location beacons and from medical equipment to be located and which is not in contact with the operating table, the communication module being further configured to:(i) receive identity information wirelessly from fixed location beacons, and(ii) receive identity information wirelessly from the medical equipment; wherein the system is configured to:(iii) determine a location of the operating table using wireless signals from one or more fixed location beacons, in particular determining the location of the operating table based on signal strength of wireless signals from one or more fixed location beacons received at the operating table; and(iv) determine a distance between the medical equipment and the operating table using wireless signals from the medical equipment, in particular determine the distance between the medical equipment and the operating table based on a signal strength of the wireless signal received from the medical equipment at the operating table.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is configured to determine a location of the medical equipment based on the location of the operating table and the distance between the medical equipment and the operating table.

15. The system of claims 13 or 14 wherein the system comprises a plurality of operating tables; wherein the system is configured to determine a location of the medical equipment based on the locations of two or more of the plurality of operating tables, and the respective distances of said medical equipment from said two or more of the plurality of operating tables, in particular determining the location of the medical equipment using triangulation.

16. The system of any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the system is configured to determine the location of the operating table by determining a distance of the operating table from two or more fixed location beacons, in particular wherein the fixed location beacons are spaced apart within the surgical facility.

17. The system of claims 13 to 16, wherein the operating table is a mobile operating table, in particular a mobile operating table having at least one of wheels or castors.

18. The system of claims 13 to 17, wherein said wireless signals comprise Bluetooth wireless technology signals.

19. The system of claims 13 to 18, wherein said wireless signals comprise at least one of infrared, Wifi, ultrasound, zigbee, RFID, and a short-range wireless signals.

20. The system of claims 13 to 19, wherein the central tracking unit is configured to create a map of the surgical facility including the locations of one or more operating tables and / or medical equipment.

21. The system of claims 13 to 20, wherein the surgical facility comprises a plurality of rooms, and wherein the central tracking unit is configured to communicate wirelessly with operating tables in a plurality of different rooms of the surgical facility, and to locate medical equipment in a plurality of different rooms of the surgical facility.

22. The system of claims 13 to 21, wherein the medical equipment comprises medical equipment which is attachable to the operating table, in particular at least one of head attachments, leg attachments, arm supports, and operating table surface extensions.

23. The system of claims 13 to 22, wherein the medical equipment comprises medical equipment which is not attachable to the operating table.

24. A system for locating medical equipment in a surgical facility, the system comprising a central tracking unit and at least one operating table transporter, the operating table transporter being adapted to transport and transfer at least a patient support surface of an operating table; wherein the operating table transporter comprises a communication module, thecommunication module being configured to communicate wirelessly with the central tracking unit, and to receive wireless signals from fixed location beacons and from medical equipment to be located and which is not in contact with the operating table transporter or any patient support surface it is then carrying, the communication module being further configured to:(i) receive identity information wirelessly from fixed location beacons, and(ii) receive identity information wirelessly from the medical equipment; wherein the system is configured to:(iii) determine a location of the operating table transporter using wireless signals from one or more fixed location beacons, in particular determining the location of the operating table transporter based on signal strength of wireless signals from one or more fixed location beacons received at the operating table transporter ; and(iv) determine a distance between the medical equipment and the operating table transporter using wireless signals from the medical equipment, in particular determine the distance between the medical equipment and the operating table transporter based on a signal strength of the wireless signal received from the medical equipment at the operating table transporter.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the system is configured to determine a location of the medical equipment based on the location of the operating table transporter and the distance between the medical equipment and the operating table transporter.

26. The system of claims 24 or 25 wherein the system comprises a plurality of operating table transporters; wherein the system is configured to determine a location of the medical equipment based on the locations of two or more of the plurality of operating table transporters, and the respective distances of said medical equipment from said two or more of the plurality of operating table transporters, in particular determining the location of the medical equipment using triangulation.

27. The system of any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the system is configured to determine the location of the operating table transporter by determining a distance of the operating table transporter from two or more fixed location beacons, in particular wherein the fixed location beacons are spaced apart within the surgical facility.

28. The system of claims 24 to 27, wherein said wireless signals comprise Bluetooth wireless technology signals.

29. The system of claims 24 to 28, wherein said wireless signals comprise at least one of infrared, Wifi, ultrasound, zigbee, RFID, and a short-range wireless signals.

30. The system of claims 24 to 29, wherein the central tracking unit is configured to create a map of the surgical facility including the locations of one or more operating table transporters and / or medical equipment.

31. The system of claims 24 to 30, wherein the surgical facility comprises a plurality of rooms, and wherein the central tracking unit is configured to communicate wirelessly with operating table transporters in a plurality of different rooms of the surgical facility, and to locate medical equipment in a plurality of different rooms of the surgical facility.

32. The system of claims 24 to 30, wherein the medical equipment comprises medical equipment which is attachable to a patient support surface carried on the operating table transporter, in particular at least one of head attachments, leg attachments, arm supports, and operating table extensions.

33. The system of claims 24 to 30, wherein the medical equipment comprises medical equipment which is not attachable to the operating table transporter or to a patient support surface.

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