System for detecting objects or accessories on a medical table - Patents.com

Abstract

1. A system for detecting an object or accessory placed on or attached to, or moved on or removed from, a patient positioning device, the system comprising: a surgical patient positioning device that can be used as part of a surgical table; a load sensor array having at least one load sensor that outputs sensor values; a load determination unit that determines a load and / or center of gravity of the load based on the sensor values, the load including a load acting on the load sensor array or a load acting on the patient positioning device; and a detection unit that receives the load and / or center of gravity determined by the load determination unit and determines therefrom a weight and / or center of gravity of the object or accessory when the object or accessory is placed on or attached to, or moved on or removed from, the patient positioning device resulting in a change in the load and / or center of gravity determined by the load determination unit.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims priority to German patent application No. 102022108635.6, filed with the German Patent and Trademark Office on April 8, 2022. The disclosure of German patent application No. 102022108635.6 is incorporated into the disclosure of this application.

[0002] Technical Field The present disclosure relates to medical and surgical tables that can be augmented with accessories. In particular, it relates to a system that can detect and identify accessories and objects attached to or detached from the medical table.

[0003] Background of the Disclosure An operating table is used, for example, to position a patient during a medical or surgical procedure. To ensure optimal positioning of the patient and to perform the procedure reliably, the operating table can be extended with accessories. Accessories can be removably attached to the operating table for various purposes. For example, they can be used to position a particular part of the body, such as the head, legs, or arms. However, accessories can also have other functions, for example, an accessory can be an instrument stand or an infusion holder attached to the side rails of the operating table.

[0004] By using various interchangeable accessories, a single operating table can be reconfigured in different ways for different patients and medical procedures. However, this means that the size, shape, dimensions, weight, and strength of each operating table will change at different times. It is important to know which accessories are attached to the operating table and where these accessories are located on the operating table to prevent the operating table from tipping over or overloading individual structural components or the entire operating table. Only if the configuration of the operating table is known can the limits of the operating table be specified with certainty.

[0005] Once the operating table accessories are identified, information about the individual accessories can be displayed to a user of the operating table, for example on a display.

[0006] Hospitals often have a variety of accessories that can be connected to different operating tables. To ensure a smooth workflow and to be able to identify and address possible planning conflicts, it is important to know where each accessory can be found in the hospital and to which operating table it is attached.

[0007] Tracking and managing supplies within a hospital is often done manually or using bar codes, making it difficult to find lost supplies.

[0008] Certain surgeries require that the operating table be equipped with specific accessories to allow the desired procedure to be performed. It is desirable to simplify the preparation of the operating table for surgery and eliminate possible sources of error.

[0009] WO2018222564 discloses a patient positioning system having a platform for positioning the patient. The platform may comprise various removable attachments for supporting the patient from below, such as a leg attachment, a head attachment, a lower body attachment, a back attachment, etc. The attachments are installed at the head end or the foot end of the platform, for example using a pin or plug / socket connection. RFID technology can be used at the interface between the platform and the removable attachments. RFID labels and readers can facilitate identification and communication between the holder and the operating table. WO2018222564 does not disclose a system, as disclosed herein, that can detect changes in load and / or center of gravity caused by the attachment and determine the weight and / or center of gravity of the attachment based thereon. Furthermore, the combination of a proximity sensor with the measurement of the changes in weight and center of gravity when adding an attachment to the operating table is not taught. In WO2018222564, only attachments connected directly next to the RFID reader on the operating table can be recognized. Attachments in other positions cannot be detected. Furthermore, only attachments that extend the platform at the end of the table can be recognized. Detection of attachments attached to the side rails is not possible.

[0010] Summary of the Disclosure It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system that is advantageously designed to detect and specifically identify objects or accessories placed on or attached to a patient positioning device, or moved on or removed from the patient positioning device.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to determine the weight and / or center of gravity of an object or accessory.

[0012] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system useful for detecting and in particular identifying an accessory or object placed or attached to a patient positioning device, or moved or shifted on or removed from the patient positioning device. The system may comprise a surgical patient positioning device, a load sensor array having at least one load sensor, a load determination unit, and a detection unit.

[0013] The patient positioning device can be used as part of an operating table, for example to position a patient during a surgical procedure. Furthermore, the patient positioning device can be used to attach accessories. The patient positioning device can have a modular design and can include a primary positioning surface portion that can be extended by connecting various secondary positioning surface portions. The secondary positioning surface portion can be considered as an accessory. The primary positioning surface portion and the secondary positioning surface portion can have mechanical connection elements that can detachably connect the primary positioning surface portion and the secondary positioning surface portion. The secondary positioning surface can be, for example, a foot side portion, a foot side portion, or a head side portion. Furthermore, the secondary positioning surface portion can be, for example, an extension or an intermediate portion that is inserted between the primary positioning surface portion and the head side portion.

[0014] In some embodiments, the patient positioning device can be permanently connected to a column of the operating table. The operating table can be mobile. The base of the operating table can have wheels or casters that allow the operating table to move across a floor surface. Alternatively, the base can be permanently fixed to the floor.

[0015] In some embodiments, the patient positioning device may be designed to be removably connected to a mobile surgical patient transport device and to a column of an operating table. Prior to a surgical procedure, the patient positioning device can be mounted on the patient transport device. The patient can be transported to the operating table using the patient transport device. There, the patient positioning device can be attached to the operating table column and detached from the patient transport device. Much of the preparation for surgery can be performed while the patient positioning device is mounted on the patient transport device. For example, the patient positioning device can be assembled from individual segments and accessories, and the patient can be prepared for the surgical procedure. Only when preparation is complete can the patient positioning device be attached to the operating table column.

[0016] The load sensor array may comprise one or more load sensors. If only the load is determined, a single load sensor may be sufficient. Alternatively or additionally, if the center of gravity of the load is determined, the load sensor array may contain multiple load sensors, for example two, more than two, three, more than three, or four load sensors, or even additional load sensors. If a 6D force sensor is used, a single sensor may also be used to calculate the center of gravity. At least one load sensor may output a sensor value from which the load acting on the load sensor array, and even the load acting on the patient positioning device, may be determined. The load acting on the load sensor array may include, in particular, the amount of all external forces acting on the load sensor array, i.e., forces and moments.

[0017] The load sensors may be force sensors, such as load cells, each of which measures a force acting on the respective sensor. Each of the force sensors may output an electrical signal, such as a voltage, from which the measured force may be derived. Furthermore, each of the force sensors may output a specific magnitude of the force measured by them as a sensor value, for example in digital form.

[0018] It is also contemplated that the load sensor array determines a resultant force from sensor values ​​of multiple load sensors, where the resultant force results from individual forces acting on different force sensors.

[0019] Loads acting on the load sensor array include, for example, loads applied by components of an operating table located above the load sensor array, and loads applied by a patient supported on the patient positioner or other objects located on the patient positioner. In addition, a person may also apply load to the patient positioner, for example, by standing next to the operating table and supporting themselves on the patient positioner with their hands or another part of their body. Additionally, external forces generated in other ways may apply loads to the patient positioner. Such loads may also be measured by the load sensor array.

[0020] In some embodiments, the load sensor array may be located at different locations within the operating table. For example, the load sensor array may be integrated into the column or patient positioner of the operating table. Additionally, the load sensor array may be located at or adjacent to the interface that the column forms with the patient positioner or stand (or base). Thus, the load sensor array may be located, for example, between the patient positioner and the column. Alternatively, the load sensor array may be located, for example, between the column and the base.

[0021] In some embodiments, the load sensor array can be integrated into the patient transport device.

[0022] The load sensor array can be integrated into a surgical table or patient transport device such that the complete load flows or is transferred through the load sensor array, in particular, a load applied above the load sensor array can flow or be transferred through the load sensor array.

[0023] The load determination unit is coupled to the load sensor array and can receive sensor values ​​output by one or more load sensors. Based on the sensor values, the load determination unit can determine the load and / or the center of gravity of the load in a given coordinate system. In other words, the load determination unit determines only the load, or only the center of gravity of the load, or both the load and the center of gravity of the load. The load may include a load acting on the load sensor array or a load acting on the patient positioning device. In some embodiments, the load determined by the load determination unit may be a load acting on the load sensor array, or a load acting on the patient positioning device, or a total load of the operating table, or a total load of the patient transport device to which the patient positioning device is attached. The center of gravity of the load can be specified relative to a defined point on the patient positioning device or the operating table. Furthermore, the center of gravity of the load can also be specified in a coordinate system that may not be related to the patient positioning device or the operating table, but whose origin is fixed to an external point, for example a defined point in the operating room. This allows the absolute position of the center of gravity of the load to be specified.

[0024] The load acting on the load sensor array may also be referred to as a measured load. The measured load corresponds to the load generated by all people, objects, and forces on the operating table or patient transport device above the load sensor. The measured load corresponds to a load value measured by the load sensor array.

[0025] The load acting on the patient positioning device can be referred to as the payload and corresponds to the load applied by components not related to the patient positioning device or the operating table or the patient transport device, as well as by people and external forces acting on the patient positioning device. The components related to the patient positioning device can be components detected by the detection system, such as positioning surface parts or segments and / or other accessories. The influence of components related to the patient positioning device or the operating table or the patient transport device is not taken into account in the payload. Only the remaining components, i.e. components not related to the patient positioning device or the operating table or the patient transport device, contribute to the payload. These may be, for example, accessories not recognized by the detection system, or other objects placed on the patient positioning device. Furthermore, the patient lying on the patient positioning device contributes to the payload. The payload also includes any external forces acting on the patient positioning device, for example forces applied to the patient positioning device by people and / or objects outside the patient positioning device.

[0026] If the patient positioning device is mounted on a column of an operating table or a patient transport device, the total load of the operating table or patient transport device can also be determined. The total load of the operating table or patient transport device is the load resulting from the measured load and from the loads applied by components associated with the operating table or patient transport device and located below the load sensor array. The total load therefore takes into account the loads from components located below the load sensor array that cannot be measured by the load sensor array and therefore do not contribute to the measured load. The total load is therefore the load resulting from the entire operating table or patient transport device, the patient, components associated with the operating table or patient transport device, components not associated with the operating table or patient transport device, and other external forces.

[0027] The detection unit can be coupled to the load determination unit and can receive the quantities determined by the load determination unit, i.e. the load and / or the center of gravity of the load. When an object or accessory is placed or attached to the patient positioning device or moved or removed on the patient positioning device, the load and / or the determined center of gravity of the load determined by the load determination unit will change. Movement of the object or accessory on the patient support means that the object or accessory is already on the patient support and has moved, i.e. its position on the patient support has changed. The detection unit can be designed to determine the weight and / or center of gravity of the corresponding object or accessory from the change in the load and / or center of gravity. The center of gravity determined by the detection unit can be the center of gravity of the object or accessory when the object or accessory is located on or attached to the patient positioning device. If the object or accessory moves or shifts on the patient positioning device, the detection unit can determine the center of gravity of the object or accessory before and / or after the movement or shift. In particular, the measured load, the effective load, and / or the total load can remain constant when the object or accessory moves or shifts on the patient positioning device. Thus, when an object or accessory is removed from the patient positioning device, the center of gravity determined by the detection unit is the center of gravity that the object or accessory had before it was removed from the patient positioning device.

[0028] The detection unit allows objects or accessories attached to the patient positioning device to be added to, moved on or removed from the object, as well as to determine their weight and center of gravity. Such information can be used to determine which accessories are compatible with the patient positioning device, i.e. in which configuration the patient positioning device is currently in. This can be done automatically, and there is no need to manually enter the configuration into the input unit in order to properly inform the system. Only if the configuration of the patient positioning device is known, can the limits of the operating table or patient transport device be reliably specified in order to prevent tipping over of the operating table or patient transport device, or overloading of individual structural parts or overloading of the entire operating table or patient transport device.

[0029] Additionally, information regarding the recognized configuration of the patient positioning device may be provided to the user, for example the configuration may be shown to the user on the display, and additionally information regarding individual accessories may be shown on the display.

[0030] Furthermore, information regarding which objects and accessories are attached to the patient positioning devices and which have been removed can be stored in the central database. In a hospital, this makes it easier to track and manage accessories, especially when objects and accessories are used on multiple operating tables. The central database provides information regarding where each object and accessory is located. In particular, the central database indicates which objects and accessories are attached to the various patient positioning devices and operating tables, as well as which objects and accessories are not in use and are stored, for example in a storage room.

[0031] Data regarding the use of individual objects and accessories can also be stored in a central database at the hospital. For example, it can document when and / or during which surgery each object and accessory was used. Such documentation can help ensure proper maintenance of the objects and accessories. It can also determine whether certain objects and accessories should be purchased because these objects and accessories are not available in sufficient quantities.

[0032] Furthermore, the central database facilitates the planning of surgeries. For example, with the help of the central database, existing objects and accessories can be reserved for a planned surgery, thus ensuring that the necessary objects and accessories are available for the planned surgery. Furthermore, such a reservation system can also detect whether certain objects and accessories are not available in sufficient quantities to perform the desired surgery.

[0033] Furthermore, a register or catalogue can be created in which the respective configuration of the operating table is recorded for each type of operation, i.e. which objects and accessories are required for a particular operation. For example, the operating table may be configured differently for an operation on the patient's arm than for an operation on the buttocks. Furthermore, the register may also contain the specifications of the individual surgeons who will perform the procedure. Each surgeon may have individual wishes regarding the configuration of the operating table. For example, the operating table may be set up differently for left-handed and right-handed surgeons.

[0034] The system described herein can assist the user in assembling a desired operating table configuration. For example, the system can access a register and use the detection unit to determine which objects or accessories have been added or removed from the patient positioning device. For example, the user tasked with assembling the operating table in a desired configuration can be informed on the display as to which objects and / or accessories still need to be attached or removed from the patient positioning device. Furthermore, the user can also be alerted if objects and accessories are attached to the operating table in the wrong place. Once the operating table is equipped with all the necessary objects and accessories, the user can be informed that the operating table is ready for the intended operation.

[0035] The load determination unit and / or the detection unit can be integrated into the operating table or the patient carrier or can be located outside the operating table or the patient carrier, for example the load determination unit and / or the detection unit can be integrated into a computing unit located outside the operating table or the patient carrier and connected to the operating table or the patient carrier, for example wirelessly or via a fixed cable.

[0036] As mentioned above, the patient positioning device has a primary positioning surface portion that has a modular design and can be expanded by connecting various secondary positioning surface portions or other accessories. Each secondary positioning surface portion can be a middle portion or an end portion. The middle portion can have an interface on two sides for connecting to the primary positioning surface portion, another secondary positioning surface portion, or another accessory. The interface can be provided with a connection element for a detachable mechanical connection to the primary positioning surface portion or another accessory. The end portion can have a connection element only on one side for a detachable mechanical connection to the primary positioning surface portion or another accessory, in particular the middle portion. The patient positioning device can have a head end and a foot end. In some embodiments, the head end and the foot end can be variable depending on the type and location of the extensions and can be automatically determined accordingly when the extensions are added to different sides of the primary positioning surface portion. For example, based on where the head rest and leg rest portions are added and detected.

[0037] The mechanical connection element can form a strong, resilient connection between the positioning surface portion and the accessory.

[0038] In some embodiments, the connection elements can be embodied as male or female plug-in assemblies, where a male assembly attached to one positioning surface portion can be plugged into a complementary receiving opening of a female assembly on another positioning surface portion or accessory. The male assembly can be, for example, a pin, stud, or plug assembly, and the female assembly can have a complementary configuration, for example, a socket assembly, a recessed space, or an empty interior space. Alternatively, hook, clamp, or locking connections can be used.

[0039] A locking element, particularly located on the male assembly, can be moved between a released position and a locked position to secure the mechanical connection between the two segments against unintentional separation.

[0040] In some embodiments, for a connection between two positioning surface portions or accessories, exactly two male assemblies and exactly two complementary female assemblies can be provided, with the two male assemblies attached to one positioning surface portion / accessory and the two female assemblies disposed on the other positioning surface portion / accessory. A different number of male and female assemblies for establishing a connection between two positioning surface portions or accessories is also contemplated.

[0041] The accessories that can be attached to the patient positioning device by the above-mentioned connecting elements constitute a group of accessories. Another group of accessories can be removably connected to one of the side rails, also called slide rails, that can be attached to both sides of the patient positioning device. The side rails can also be attached to the head end and the leg end. For example, the head plate and / or the leg plate can also be equipped with side / slide rails at their ends.

[0042] Another group of accessories can be attached to the patient positioning device using adapters, which can be connected to connecting elements or slide rails.

[0043] Furthermore, there is a group of accessories that are not permanently connected to the patient positioning device and can only be placed or stored on the patient positioning device, for example, gel cushions on which the patient's head or other body parts can rest.

[0044] Attachments used to position the body, e.g. the back, head, arms, feet or legs, have already been described. Attachments can also be used for a variety of other purposes. Below are some examples of attachments: -Anesthesia hanger for holding surgical drapes, - a tube holder for fixing the ventilation tube, - lateral protection walls for fixing the patient during transport on the patient positioning device; - infusion holder, - a flushing set for collecting and draining liquids, - Catheter rack for storing catheters during surgery, - an instrument table for storing instruments during surgery; -Tray for dirty utensils, - waste tray for collecting surgical waste, - Push handle for moving the operating table, - a device for controlling the flow of a liquid, and -An adjustable arm or hand support that can be attached to a side rail for positioning the arm or hand during surgery.

[0045] The systems described herein can detect when an object other than an accessory is placed or placed on the patient positioning device. There are a variety of different objects that the system can detect. Some examples of objects are listed below: - A urine collection bag and corresponding scale, infusion fluids and saline solutions, which can be suspended from infusion holders in particular; - infusion pumps, - a surgical drape that can be hung on an anesthesia hanger or other support; - Assistive devices, such as lung assist devices; - in particular instruments which can be stored on an instrument stand, - dirty instruments which can be placed in a tray for dirty instruments, - X-ray cassettes that can be tucked under the patient and patient positioning devices on some operating tables, and -Radiation shielding curtains.

[0046] In some embodiments, the load determination unit may determine the load and / or center of gravity of the load before and after the object or accessory is placed on or attached to, or moved on or removed from, the patient positioning device. The detection unit may compare the load and / or center of gravity of the load determined by the load determination unit before and after the object or accessory is placed on or attached to, or moved on or removed from, the patient positioning device. By comparing both conditions, the detection unit can determine the weight and / or center of gravity of the object or accessory.

[0047] In some embodiments, the system may include a first storage unit in which weight information for a given object and / or accessory is stored. The detection unit may access the first storage unit and compare the weight of the object or accessory determined thereby with the weight information stored in the first storage unit. By comparing the weights, the detection unit may determine which at least one object or accessory may have been placed or attached to the operating table, or moved on or removed from it. If two or more accessories or objects have the same or similar weights, the detection unit may not be able to distinguish between these accessories and objects if only weights are used to detect the accessories and objects. In that case, all accessories or objects stored in the first storage unit as having the same or similar weights are potential candidates for detection by the detection unit.

[0048] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the patient positioning device, and in particular at least a portion of the environment of the patient positioning device, can be virtually divided into a number of regions. For example, the patient positioning device and its immediate surroundings can be divided into one or two side regions, a leg region, and a head region, as well as other regions as needed. A second storage unit of the system can store region information indicating the region in which a specified object and / or accessory is located. For example, a head plate can be associated with the head region and an arm support can be associated with the side region. Since the detection unit knows the center of gravity of the object or accessory to be added or removed, the detection unit can compare the center of gravity to the range information and use the comparison to determine which one or more objects or accessories may have been placed or attached to the patient positioning device or moved on or removed from the patient positioning device.

[0049] By comparing the centroid with the data stored in the second storage unit, the detection of the sought object or accessory can be further improved. For example, if two or more possible candidates are identified when comparing the weight determined by the detection unit with the weight information stored in the first storage unit, one or more of these candidates may be eliminated by comparing the centroid with the data stored in the second storage unit, since these objects or accessories are not associated with the area detected by the detection unit.

[0050] When the system has both a first and a second storage unit, the two storage units may be embodied as a common storage unit.

[0051] In some embodiments, at least some of the objects and / or accessories may each have a proximity tag, also called a proximity sensor. The proximity tag emits a respective identification code. The identification code of each proximity tag may be unique, so that the identification code can be used to accurately identify each object and / or accessory. Furthermore, the system may have a reading unit that receives the identification code emitted by the proximity tag. This allows the detection unit to accurately determine which object or accessory is in the vicinity of the patient positioning device based on the identification code received from the reading unit. In addition to the weight and / or center of gravity of the load determined by the detection unit, the received identification code can be used as further criteria to determine which object or accessory has been attached to or removed from the patient positioning device. The reading unit may be integrated into the patient positioning device or the operating table or the patient transport device. In some embodiments, the reader may detect proximity tags from objects and accessories that are not in the vicinity of the reader. For example, the reading unit may be able to identify proximity tags located at a distance of at least 0.5 m or at least 1 m from the reading unit.

[0052] In some embodiments, rather than having all objects and accessories equipped with their respective proximity tags, only a portion of the objects and accessories may be equipped with them. None of the objects may have proximity tags. It is further contemplated that all accessories may be equipped with proximity tags.

[0053] There are many known technologies that can be used for proximity tags. For example, proximity tags and reading units can be designed in one of the following technologies: - passive RFID (radio-frequency identification) proximity tags on objects and / or accessories and an active RFID scanner integrated into the operating table as a reading unit; - active (battery-operated) ultrasonic proximity tags on objects and / or accessories and an ultrasonic microphone integrated into the operating table as a reading unit; - active (battery-operated) Wi-Fi proximity tags on objects and / or accessories and a Wi-Fi receiver integrated into the operating table as a reading unit; - an active (battery-operated) infrared transmitter on the object and / or accessory and an infrared receiver integrated into the operating table as a reading unit, -Active (battery-powered) Bluetooth low energy proximity tags on objects and / or accessories and a Bluetooth scanner module integrated into the operating table as a reading unit.

[0054] In the system described herein, the transmission of the identification code from the proximity tag to the reading unit is preferably based on the Bluetooth standard.

[0055] Proximity tags frequently emit a periodic signal that can be read by a reader. The fact that the reader receives the signal indicates that an object or accessory is at least within range of the signal.

[0056] Additionally, the actual strength of the observed signal can be used to estimate the distance between the patient positioning device and the proximity tag. In some embodiments, the detection unit can determine whether a corresponding object or accessory is located in the vicinity of the patient positioning device based on the signal strength at which the reading unit receives the identification code.

[0057] Furthermore, a signal strength threshold can be specified: if the signal strength received by the reading unit exceeds the threshold, the detection unit can determine that a corresponding object or accessory is in the vicinity of the patient positioning device.

[0058] In some embodiments, various conditions or criteria are used to determine whether an object or accessory has been placed on, attached to, moved on or removed from the patient positioning device. According to a first condition, the detection unit determines that the corresponding object or accessory is in the vicinity of the patient positioning device, for example based on the reading unit receiving an identification code of the corresponding proximity tag. According to a second condition, the weight of the corresponding object or accessory determined by the detection unit must be within a predefined range around the weight information stored in the first storage unit for this object or accessory. The specified range can be selected to compensate for measurement inaccuracies. According to a third condition, the center of gravity of the corresponding object or accessory determined by the detection unit should be within a range provided for this object or accessory and stored in the second storage unit.

[0059] The first to third conditions can be combined in any way. For example, the detection unit can be designed to use only two of the three conditions, i.e., either the first and second conditions, or the first and third conditions, or the second and third conditions. However, the detection unit can also be designed to employ all three conditions. Only when the selected conditions are met can it be detected that an object or accessory has been placed on, attached to, moved over, or removed from the patient positioning device.

[0060] A further fourth condition may be to check for movement of the object or accessory. An object or accessory may be added or removed from the patient positioning device only if the object or accessory is moving or has recently moved. In some embodiments, at least some of the objects and / or accessories may each have a motion detector that detects movement of the respective object or accessory. Information regarding the movement state of the object or accessory may be transmitted to the detection unit, which may then use this information to detect the object or accessory.

[0061] In some embodiments, the motion sensors can transmit information regarding the motion state of the respective object or accessory to the proximity tag, which can then be received by the reading unit and forwarded to the detection unit.

[0062] In some embodiments, the motion detector and / or detection unit may have a memory capability to store the movement of each object or accessory over a predefined period of time. This is advantageous because instead of considering only one point in time, a specified period of time can be examined to determine whether the object or accessory has moved. The specified period of time can be selected to allow reliable detection of the object or accessory. The specified period of time can be a few seconds, for example 5 or 10 seconds, or any other suitable period of time.

[0063] In some embodiments, if the detection unit receives from the reading unit an identification code of the object or accessory and additionally information that the object or accessory has moved or recently moved, the detection unit can determine that the corresponding object or accessory has been placed on or attached to the patient positioning device, or moved on or removed from it, and the load determination unit also determines that the load and / or the center of gravity of the load has changed.

[0064] The above system may be improved by one or more conditions that must be met for the detection unit to determine that an object or accessory has been placed or attached to the operating table, or moved on or removed therefrom. In some embodiments, a condition may be added that the weight of the corresponding object or accessory determined by the detection unit is within a predefined range around the weight information stored in the first storage unit for this object or accessory.

[0065] In some embodiments, in addition to or instead of the aforementioned conditions, a condition can be set that the center of gravity of the corresponding object or accessory determined by the detection unit is within an area provided for this object or accessory and stored in the second memory unit.

[0066] When not needed, the operating table, as well as the patient transport apparatus and associated patient positioning apparatus or parts thereof, may be switched from an active mode to a ready mode, also called a standby mode, in order to save energy. In some embodiments, the load and / or the determined center of gravity of the load may be stored by the load determination unit before switching to the standby mode. Immediately after returning from the standby mode to the active mode, the load determination unit may re-determine the load and / or the center of gravity of the load. The detection unit may compare the load and / or the center of gravity of the load determined before and after operation in the standby mode. Based on the comparison (if only the load or only the center of gravity of the load are compared) or the comparison (if both the load and the center of gravity of the load are compared), the detection unit may determine whether an object or accessory has been placed or attached to, moved on or removed from the patient positioning apparatus while the operating table or patient transport apparatus is being used in the standby mode.

[0067] In some embodiments, the patient positioning device may include a touch and / or motion sensor array capable of detecting contact and / or movement with the patient positioning device. The touch and / or motion sensor array may also be designed to detect touch and / or movement of not only the patient positioning device but also the entire operating table or patient transport device. If contact and / or movement with the patient positioning device or operating table or patient transport device is detected during standby mode, the touch and / or motion sensor array may return the patient positioning device or operating table or patient transport device to active mode. The touch and / or motion sensor array may include, for example, capacitance sensors and / or accelerometers. Load sensors may also be used to detect contact and / or movement of the patient positioning device. The touch and / or motion sensor array may communicate with the load sensors. If a force is detected on one or more load sensors during standby mode, this may be communicated to the touch and / or motion sensor array to initiate a return to active mode.

[0068] If at least some of the objects and / or accessories also have motion detectors with memory capabilities to store the movements of the respective object or accessory for a specified period in addition to the current movements, movements that were completed some time ago can also be reported to the detection unit. This is advantageous when returning from standby mode to active mode, since the detection unit is also informed of object or accessory movements that were already completed before the standby mode was exited and that may have triggered the operating table or patient transport device.

[0069] In some embodiments, at least some of the objects and / or accessories may further include an accelerometer. When the object and / or accessory is attached to the patient positioning device, e.g., a side rail, the accelerometer measures the shock, i.e., the acceleration. Furthermore, if the accelerometer is integrated into another component of the patient positioning device or the operating table, this accelerometer should also measure any vibrations caused by the attachment of the object and / or accessory. Relevant information can be sent from the accelerometer of the object and / or accessory as well as the accelerometer of the patient positioning device or the operating table to the detection unit. The detection unit can evaluate this information and determine that the object and / or accessory may be attached to the patient positioning device if both accelerometers detect a corresponding acceleration, especially simultaneously.

[0070] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided for detecting an object or accessory placed on, attached to, moved on, or removed from a patient positioning device. The patient positioning device may be a surgical patient positioning device that may be used as part of a surgical table. A load sensor array may be provided having at least one load sensor that outputs sensor values. A load and / or center of gravity of the load may be determined based on the sensor values, the load including a load acting on the load sensor array or a load acting on the patient positioning device. When an object or accessory is placed on, attached to, moved on, or removed from a patient support, resulting in a change in the determined load and / or center of gravity of the load, the weight and / or center of gravity of the object or accessory may be determined therefrom.

[0071] The method according to the second aspect may have any and all of the features described in this disclosure in relation to the system according to the first aspect.

[0072] The present disclosure also includes circuitry and / or electronic instructions for controlling the surgical table, as well as a remote control, a display, and a user interface for use with the surgical table.

[0073] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0074] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a surgical table with a patient positioned on a patient positioning device of the surgical table in accordance with the present disclosure; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a system according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a surgical table according to the present disclosure showing measured, effective and total loads; [Figure 4A] 1A-1D are schematic diagrams of various embodiments of a surgical table according to the present disclosure having load sensor arrays in various positions; [Figure 4B] 1A-1D are schematic diagrams of various embodiments of a surgical table according to the present disclosure having load sensor arrays in various positions; [Figure 4C] 1A-1D are schematic diagrams of various embodiments of a surgical table according to the present disclosure having load sensor arrays in various positions; [Figure 5A] 1A-1D are schematic diagrams of various embodiments of a surgical table according to the present disclosure having force sensors arranged in parallel and mirror symmetry; [Figure 5B] 1A-1D are schematic diagrams of various embodiments of a surgical table according to the present disclosure having force sensors arranged in parallel and mirror symmetry; [Figure 5C] 1A-1D are schematic diagrams of various embodiments of a surgical table according to the present disclosure having force sensors arranged in parallel and mirror symmetry; [Figure 5D] 1A-1D are schematic diagrams of various embodiments of a surgical table according to the present disclosure having force sensors arranged in parallel and mirror symmetry; [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing forces acting on a force sensor. [Figure 6B] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing forces acting on a force sensor. [Figure 7A] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the reduction of lateral force by symmetrical arrangement of force sensors. [Figure 7B] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the reduction of lateral force by symmetrical arrangement of force sensors. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating determination of the gravity vector for a tilted patient positioning device. [Figure 9A] 1 is a schematic diagram of a patient positioning device according to the present disclosure with an object placed thereon and an accessory attached; FIG. [Figure 9B] 1 is a schematic diagram of a patient positioning device according to the present disclosure with an object placed thereon and an accessory attached; FIG. [Figure 9C] 1 is a schematic diagram of a patient positioning device according to the present disclosure with an object placed thereon and an accessory attached; FIG. [Figure 9D] 1 is a schematic diagram of a patient positioning device according to the present disclosure with an object placed thereon and an accessory attached; FIG. [Figure 9E] 1 is a schematic diagram of a patient positioning device according to the present disclosure with an object placed thereon and an accessory attached; FIG. [Figure 9F] 1 is a schematic diagram of a patient positioning device according to the present disclosure with an object placed thereon and an accessory attached; FIG. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of a patient positioning device according to the present disclosure, with the patient positioning device and its periphery divided into various regions; [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic diagram of two operating rooms and one storage room, as well as objects and accessories that emit identification codes via radio. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an operating room with an operating table and objects and accessories not connected to or placed on the operating table. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the operating room of FIG. 12 after accessories have been attached to the operating table. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0075] Detailed Description of the Drawings In the following description, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the drawings, which are not necessarily to scale and are intended to illustrate respective features only diagrammatically.

[0076] It should be noted that the features and components described below can be combined with each other, regardless of whether they are described in the context of a single embodiment, and the combination of features in each embodiment is merely illustrative of the basic structure and functionality of the claimed device.

[0077] In the drawings, the same reference numbers are used wherever possible to refer to the same or similar elements.

[0078] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a mobile operating table 10 that can be used to position a patient 12 and transport the patient during a surgical procedure. From bottom to top, the mobile operating table 10 comprises a base 14 for resting the operating table 10 on a surface, a vertically disposed operating table column 16 with the base 14, and a patient positioning device 18 fastened to the upper end of the operating table column 16. The patient positioning device 18 can be permanently connected to the operating table column 16 or, alternatively, can be removably attached to the operating table column 16.

[0079] The patient positioner 18 is modular and functions to position the patient 12. The patient positioner 18 includes a primary positioning surface portion 20 that is connected to the table column 16 and can be expanded as desired by coupling various secondary positioning surface portions. The patient positioner 18 can be embodied as a surgical table or a top plate of the operating table 10. In FIG. 1, the primary positioning surface portion 20 includes a foot portion 22, a shoulder portion 24, and a head portion 26 coupled thereto as secondary positioning surface portions.

[0080] The patient positioner 18 of the operating table 10 can be adjusted to an appropriate height and tilted or inclined depending on the type of surgical procedure being performed.

[0081] The table column 16 is height adjustable and has an internal mechanism for adjusting the height of the patient positioner 18 of the table 10. The mechanism is located within a housing 28 which protects the components from contamination.

[0082] The base 14 has two different length sections 30, 32. Section 30 is a short section associated with the foot end of the foot section 22, i.e., the end of the patient positioner 18 where the feet of the patient 12 being treated are located. Section 32 is a long section associated with the head section 26 of the patient positioner 18.

[0083] Additionally, the base 14 may have wheels or rollers that allow the operating table 10 to move across a floor surface. Alternatively, the base 14 may be permanently fixed to the ground.

[0084] Side rails 34 are attached to either side of the patient positioner 18. Accessories can be removably attached to the side rails 34.

[0085] For better illustration, a Cartesian coordinate system XYZ is shown in Figure 1. The X and Y axes are horizontal axes and the Z axis is vertical. The X axis extends along adjacent positioning surface portions 22, 24, 26.

[0086] 2 shows a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a system 100 according to the present disclosure. The system 100 is a system according to a first aspect of the present disclosure and can be operated by employing a method according to a second aspect.

[0087] In addition to the operating table 10 as shown in Fig. 1, the system 100 has a load sensor array 102, a load determination unit 104, a safety unit 106, a monitoring and calibration unit 108, a data storage 110, and other components 112 of the operating table system 100. Furthermore, the safety unit 106 contains a tip-over prevention unit 113, an overload protection unit 114, a detection unit 115, a storage unit 116, and a storage unit 117. The storage units 116 and 117 can also be embodied as a common storage unit. Furthermore, the system 100 includes a reading unit 118 and a touch and / or motion sensor array 119.

[0088] The load sensor array 102 contains one or more load sensors and is designed to measure at least one quantity from which a load acting on the load sensor array 102 can be determined. In this case, the load sensors are force sensors, each measuring a force acting on a respective sensor. The sensor or force values ​​measured by the individual force sensors are output by the load sensor array 102 as a signal 120 in digital format. Additionally, the load sensor array 102 contains the electronic components necessary to operate the force sensors.

[0089] The load determination unit 104 receives a signal 120 having measured sensor values ​​and / or force values ​​and determines therefrom the load and / or the center of gravity of the load. The load determination unit 104 may determine as the load a measured load, an effective load and / or a total load.

[0090] To be able to properly process and analyze the values ​​of the applied forces, the load determination unit 104 requires some data concerning the shape and mass or weight of the operating table 10 and the accessories. These data are stored in a data memory 110 and made available to the load determination unit 104 by a signal 122. In particular, from these data it is possible to obtain information about the mass and center of gravity of the individual components of the operating table 10 and the accessories. The data storage 110 can be expanded via a connection module of the operating table 10.

[0091] The load determination unit 104 generates as an output signal a signal 124 containing information about the determined load and / or the center of gravity of the load. This information is transmitted to both the safety unit 106 and the monitoring and calibration unit 108.

[0092] In the safety unit 106, all available data is analyzed, including load, center of gravity, and position data of the operating table 10 and accessories detected on the operating table 10. The safety unit 106 determines whether the operating table 10 is safe or if it is in a dangerous situation. The safety unit 106 generates a safety signal 126 indicating whether the operating table 10 is in a safety limit state.

[0093] The algorithm reacts appropriately depending on the severity of the detected situation. For example, the operating table 10 can only issue a warning or stop moving. The warning can be issued by the operating table 10 via an acoustic or optical signal or in text form via a remote control device. Measures can vary from slowing down the speed of movement to stopping movement or blocking some functions and may continue until the operating table 10 reaches a safe state again.

[0094] The safety feature may be deactivated by the user at any time and movement of the operating table 10 may continue at the user's own risk.

[0095] The tip-over prevention unit 113 and the overload protection unit 114 are subunits of the safety unit 106. The tip-over prevention unit 113 generates a tip-over safety signal 128 based on the total load and / or the center of gravity of the total load, which indicates whether the operating table 10 is at risk of tipping over. The overload protection unit 114 generates an overload protection signal 130 based on the active load and / or the center of gravity of the active load, which indicates whether the operating table 10 and / or at least one component of the operating table 10 is at risk of overload. Alternatively, the overload protection unit 114 may use a measured load or a total load and / or the center of gravity of any of these loads to generate the overload protection signal 130. The tip-over safety signal 128 and the overload protection signal 130 are both safety signals of the safety unit 106.

[0096] If the base 14 does not have wheels or casters, but is instead permanently mounted to the floor, the anti-tip unit 113 may be deactivated or not implemented in the safety unit 106.

[0097] The detection unit 115 receives the load and / or center of gravity of the load determined by the load determination unit 104. When an object or accessory is placed on, attached to, moved on, or removed from the patient positioning device 18, the load and / or center of gravity of the load determined by the load determination unit 104 changes. Based on this change, the detection unit 115 can determine the weight and / or center of gravity of the object or accessory.

[0098] Adding or removing objects or accessories to the patient positioning device 18 changes the configuration of the patient positioning device 18. If the configuration changes, the load limits of the operating table 10 can be adjusted. The fall prevention unit 113 and the overload protection unit 114 can incorporate the changed configuration into their assessment of the fall or overload risk.

[0099] As the system 100 is intended to reliably detect critical situations, it also comprises a monitoring and calibration unit 108. This software module checks the plausibility of the measurements and detects if the system is malfunctioning or if the system 100 needs to be calibrated or tared. The monitoring and calibration unit 108 generates corresponding output signals 132, 134 that are sent to the load determination unit 104 or to the components 112 of the operating table 10.

[0100] Each component 112 of the operating table 10 continuously generates position data, data for adjusting the individual components, and information regarding accessories recognized by the operating table 10. This data is made available to the system 100 by a signal 136.

[0101] The reading unit 118 and the touch and / or movement sensor array 119 are integrated in the operating table 10. The reading unit 118 is capable of receiving radio signals emitted in particular by proximity tags attached to objects or accessories. The reading unit 118 is capable of making the received data 118 available to the detection unit 115 by means of a signal 138.

[0102] The touch and / or motion sensor array 119 can detect whether the patient positioning device 18 is touched or moved. If contact with or movement of the patient positioning device 18 is detected, the touch and / or motion sensor array 119 can send a signal 139 to the detection unit 115.

[0103] Figure 3 illustrates generally various loads that the load determination unit 104 may determine based on data provided by the load sensor unit 102. In Figure 3, the measured load, the effective load, and the total load are identified by the reference numerals 140, 142, and 144, respectively. For each of these loads, the load determination unit 104 may determine the position of the center of gravity of the corresponding load.

[0104] The measured load is the load acting on the load sensor array 102. The measured load corresponds to the load generated by all people, objects and forces on the operating table 10 above the load sensors. The measured load corresponds to a load value measured by the load sensor array 102.

[0105] The payload corresponds to the loads applied by components not related to the patient positioning device 18 or the operating table 10, applied by people and external forces, as well as acting on the operating table or the patient positioning device 18. The influence of components related to the patient positioning device 18 and identified accessories is not taken into account in the payload. Only the remaining components of the patient positioning device 18, i.e. components not related to the patient positioning device 18, contribute to the payload. These may be, for example, accessories not recognized by the operating table 10. Furthermore, the patient positioned on the patient positioning device 18 contributes to the payload. All forces acting externally on the patient positioning device 18, for example applied to the patient positioning device 18 by people and / or objects outside the operating table 10, also contribute to the payload. The payload is essentially a measured load that is not influenced by known objects such as tabletop parts, detected accessories, etc.

[0106] The total load is the load resulting from the measured loads and the load resulting from the loads applied by components associated with the operating table 10 and located below the load sensor array 102. Thus, the total load takes into account the loads from components located below the load sensor array 102 that cannot be measured by the load sensor array 102 and therefore do not contribute to the measured load. Thus, the total load is the load due to the entire operating table 10, the patient, components associated with the operating table 10, components not associated with the operating table 10, and other external forces.

[0107] 4A-4C show schematic diagrams of a surgical table 10 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the operating table 10, the load sensor array 102 having a plurality of load sensors is arranged between at least two parts of the operating table 10. In particular, the at least two parts may be substantially immobile relative to one another. In this embodiment, the at least two parts do not move substantially relative to one another, i.e. they remain in substantially the same position relative to one another when the operating table 10, in particular the patient positioning device 18, is adjusted during operation, e.g. during tilting and / or tilting and / or extension of the patient positioning device 18. This applies both to the distance between the at least two parts and to the angle that the at least two parts form with respect to one another.

[0108] The load sensor array 102 is preferably integrated into the operating table 10 such that the entire load above the load sensors flows or is transferred through the load sensor array 102 .

[0109] The load sensor array 102 can be positioned in a variety of locations within the operating table 10. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4A, the load sensor array 102 is located between the base 14 and the table column 16, while in Figure 4B the load sensor array 102 is integrated into the table column 16. In Figure 4C the load sensor array 102 is located adjacent to the interface between the patient positioner 18 and the table column 16.

[0110] Figure 5A shows a surgical table 10 with a load sensor array 102 arranged between the patient positioning device 18 and the surgical table column 16. The load sensor array 102 contains four identical force sensors 1a, 1b, 2a and 2b arranged parallel and mirror-symmetrically to each other. Two different variations of the mounting of the force sensors 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b are shown in Figures 5B and 5C. Each of Figures 5B and 5C shows a plan view of the load sensor array 102 along the line AA shown in Figure 5A.

[0111] For the purpose of aligning the force sensors 1a, 1b, 2a, 2c, mutually perpendicular first and second axes 210, 212 are designated. The first axis 210 extends parallel to a main axis of the patient positioner 18, while the second axis 212 extends perpendicular to this main axis but parallel to the patient positioner 18.

[0112] Each of the force sensors 1a, 1b, 2a, 2c has a major axis aligned parallel to the first axis 210 in FIG. 5B. In FIG. 5C, the major axes of the force sensors 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b are aligned parallel to the second axis 212. Furthermore, the force sensors 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b are arranged in pairs with mirror symmetry with respect to the axes 210, 212. Each of the pairs (1a, 1b), (1a, 2a), (1b, 2b), and (2a, 2b) forms a mirror symmetric force sensor pair. In some embodiments, the force sensors 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b are arranged in a 2×2 grid as shown. In some embodiments, the grid arrangement has at least two force sensors 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b on each side. In some embodiments, the force sensors 1 a , 1 b , 2 a , 2 b all lie in a single common plane that intersects both the first axis 210 and the second axis 212 .

[0113] The force sensors may also be arranged differently within the sensor array 102 than in Figures 5B and 5C. Some exemplary alternative arrangements of the force sensors within the sensor array 102 are shown in Figure 5D.

[0114] Using the example sensor array 102 shown in Figure 5B or Figure 5C, the measured load can be calculated by adding all of the forces measured by sensors 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b. The corresponding center of gravity can be calculated using the torque compensation equations shown below and the forces shown in Figures 6A and 6B. Figure 6A shows a cross-section along the x-axis and Figure 6B shows a cross-section along the y-axis. The torque balance equation can be applied in both directions and the x and y components of the center of gravity can be determined.

[0115]

number

[0116]

number

[0117]

number

[0118] In formulas (1) to (3), F 負荷 is the force of the weight exerted by the patient. 1a , F 1b , F 2a , F 2b are the forces measured by sensors 1a, 1b, 2a, and 2b. The parameters a and b are the distances of the sensors in the x and y directions, respectively. CG and Y CG are the x and y coordinates, respectively, of the center of gravity of the load applied by the patient.

[0119] The effective loads and total loads and their corresponding center of gravity values ​​can be calculated by adding or subtracting corresponding components of the operating table 10 and their center of gravity values ​​stored in the data memory 110.

[0120] The arrangement of sensors 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b proposed in Fig. 5B and Fig. 5C protects the system against lateral forces F r The symmetrical arrangement makes it robust against lateral forces F r are cancelled out as shown in Figures 7A and 7B.

[0121] The cancellation of lateral forces also enables the described system to reliably measure forces and the center of gravity when the patient support apparatus 18 is in an inclined position. 負荷 Figure 1 shows how the force F can be split into two components. One component is located transverse to the force sensor and cancels out due to the effects mentioned above. The second component F 測定extends perpendicular to the force sensor or the major surface of the patient support apparatus 18 and is reliably measured. If the tilt angle α of the patient support apparatus 18 is known, the actual load on the sensor and its center of gravity can be calculated.

[0122] The following describes how the detection unit 115 calculates the weight and center of gravity of an object or accessory placed or attached to, or moved on or removed from, the patient support apparatus 18. First, the load determination unit 104 uses equations (1)-(3) to determine the load acting on the patient support apparatus 18 and its center of gravity. These data are stored in the form of a log of the load acting on the patient support apparatus 18 over a period of time, e.g., over a period t p The load determination unit 104 then again determines the load acting on the patient support apparatus 18 and its center of gravity at time t.

[0123] The detection unit 115 can calculate the weight and the x and y coordinates of the center of gravity of the object or accessory using the following equations (4)-(6):

[0124]

number

[0125]

number

[0126]

number

[0127] In equations (4) to (6), the following variables are used:

[0128]

number

[0129]

number

[0130] 9A-9F show a schematic view from above of the patient positioning device 18 with first a patient, then an object, and finally an accessory attached. The load sensor array 102 continuously measures the forces acting on the force sensors, and the load determination unit 104 determines the load acting on the patient positioning device 18 and the center of gravity of the load from the force values. The detection unit 115 continuously monitors the current load acting on the patient positioning device 18 for significant changes, tracking the load and center of gravity values ​​before and after the load change. The detection unit 115 can observe when items are added or removed from the patient positioning device 18, and can also determine the weight of those items and the location where they were added or removed.

[0131] FIG. 9A shows the patient positioning device 18 with no external forces acting on it. 9B, a patient is positioned on the patient positioner 18. The load determination unit 104 determines the load applied by the patient and acting on the patient positioner 18 and its center of gravity 250.

[0132] 9C, an object 252 is placed on the head end of the patient positioner 18. This changes both the load acting on the patient positioner 18 and its center of gravity. The load determination unit 104 determines the new load exerted by the patient and object 252, as well as its center of gravity 254, which has shifted from the previous center of gravity 250.

[0133] The detection unit 115 compares the load acting on the patient positioner 18 and its center of gravity before and after placement of the object 252. These comparisons enable the patient positioner 18 to determine both the weight of the object 252 and the center of gravity 256 of the object 252 after it is placed on the patient positioner 18.

[0134] 9E, an attachment 258 is attached to a side rail of the patient positioner 18. The load on the patient positioner 18 changes accordingly, shifting the center of gravity of the load from the previous position 254 to the current center of gravity of the load 260.

[0135] The detection unit 115 determines both the weight of the attachment 258 and its center of gravity 262 by comparing the load's centers of gravity 254 and 260, i.e., the centers of gravity of the load before and after attachment of the attachment 258 to the patient positioning device 18, and comparing the associated loads. The center of gravity 262 of the attachment 258 is shown in FIG. 9F.

[0136] The storage unit 116 of the system 100 shown in Figure 2 stores weight information for various predefined accessories. An example of such a database is shown in Table 1 below.

[0137] [Table 1]

[0138] The detection unit 115 accesses the storage unit 116 and compares the weight of the accessory 258 determined thereby with weight information stored in the storage unit 116. This makes it possible to create a list of accessories that may have been added to the patient positioning device 18.

[0139] If the weight of the attachment 258 added to the side rail is 5.3 kg, then Table 1 shows that attachment A and attachment D also weigh 5.3 kg. Therefore, attachment 258 could possibly be attachment A or D. Furthermore, attachments B and C can be excluded as possible candidates for attachment 258 due to their weight. However, it cannot be excluded that attachment 258 is an object unknown to the database. In that case, the similarity of the measured weights would simply be a match.

[0140] In some cases, the location where the accessory is attached can also provide information about what item is attached. For example, a properly used siderail accessory is unlikely to have its center of gravity in the center of the patient support assembly 18, and an accessory designed for use with the patient's legs is more likely to be mounted at the leg end of the operating table.

[0141] Figure 10 shows the patient positioner 18 with the object 252 placed thereon as in Figure 9F, with the attachment 258 additionally attached to the side rail. Also shown in Figure 10 is the center of gravity 262 of the attachment 258 as calculated by the detection unit 115. Additionally, the immediate surroundings and portions of the patient positioner 18 are virtually divided into regions 270, 272, 274, 276. Regions 270 and 272 are located on the lateral sides of the patient positioner, while regions 274 and 276 are located in the head and foot regions, respectively.

[0142] The region information is stored in the memory unit 117 of the system 100 shown in FIG. 2 and indicates in which of the regions 270, 272, 274, 276 a given accessory is typically located. For example, accessories that are attached to a side rail are typically found in the side regions 270, 272. The detection unit 115 has access to the storage unit 117. Because the detection unit 115 knows the center of gravity 262 of the accessory 258, the detection unit 115 knows that the accessory 258 is located in the region 270. The detection unit 115 can extract from the storage unit 117 candidates that are located in the region 270 and that may be the attachment part 258. Together with the data on the weight of the accessory 258 stored in the storage unit 116, it may be possible to reduce the possible candidates for the accessory 258 to only a few accessories or even to just one accessory.

[0143] In some embodiments, proximity tags are attached to the accessories and even to some objects. The proximity tags emit respective identification codes that can be used to identify the respective accessories or objects. The reading unit 118 shown in FIG. 2 can receive the radio signals emitted by the proximity tags and transmit the received identification codes to the detection unit 115. This allows the detection unit 115 to determine which accessories and objects are located in the vicinity of the patient positioning device 18 based on the identification codes received from the reading unit 118. Furthermore, this information can be used for other applications.

[0144] 11 shows two adjacent operating rooms 300, 302 with respective operating tables 306 or 308, and one storage room 304. Located in operating room 300 are accessories 310, 312 and an object 314. Additionally, located in storage room 304 are accessories 316, 318, and located in operating room 302 are accessories 320, 322 and an object 324. All accessories and objects have respective proximity tags that emit wireless signals.

[0145] The accessories 310, 312 and the object 314 are located near the operating table 306, which means that the operating table 306 can receive their wireless signals and identify them. Depending on the data transmission technology, the operating table 308 can also detect the presence of the accessories 310, 312 and the object 314. From the signal strength, the operating table 308 can determine that these items are too far away and therefore are not being used with the operating table 308. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the operating tables 306, 308 and / or the reading unit 118 can detect proximity tags that are at a distance from the reading unit 118. For example, proximity tags that are located at a distance of at least 0.5 m or at least 1 m or more from the reading unit 118 can be detected.

[0146] If both operating tables 306, 308 were located in the same room, the operating tables 306, 308 or another system could compare the signal strength measured by each of the operating tables 306, 308 to determine which operating table the respective accessory or object should be associated with.

[0147] A signal strength threshold can also be specified. If the signal strength received by the reading unit 118 of the operating table 306 is greater than the threshold, the detection unit can determine that a corresponding accessory or object is located in the vicinity of the operating table 306.

[0148] The objects and accessories may also have a motion detector that checks whether the respective object or accessory is moving. The motion detector may transmit information about the motion status of the respective object or accessory to the proximity tag, which transmits this information to the reading unit 118 of the operating table 306. Furthermore, the motion detector may have a memory function that stores the movement of the respective object or accessory over a predefined period of time. This information is also transmitted to the operating table 306.

[0149] 9 and 10, an embodiment of the present disclosure was described in which a change in the load acting on the patient positioning apparatus 18 and its center of gravity may be observed, thus detecting when a new accessory or object is attached or placed on the patient positioning apparatus 18. Similarly, an accessory or object may also be determined to have been removed from the patient positioning apparatus 18 because the load acting on the patient positioning apparatus 18 is reduced and the center of gravity of the load shifts accordingly. Additionally, the weight of the accessory or object and the location where the accessory or object was attached or removed from the patient positioning apparatus 18 may be calculated. Additionally, the database may be used to create a list of known accessories and / or objects that are plausibly likely to be the accessory or object sought by matching the weight and / or mounting area in the database with the weight and / or center of gravity of the object.

[0150] In connection with Figure 11, another aspect of the disclosure was described in which a proximity tag transmits a wireless signal having an identification code that can be received by a reader unit 118 associated with the operating table. This allows the operating table to detect accessories and objects that are in its vicinity and thus may be properly attached or placed on the operating table, or that may have been moved on or removed from it. It can also be determined whether any of the accessories and objects are being moved or have recently been moved.

[0151] The above two aspects of the present disclosure may also be combined to further improve detection and identification of desired accessories and objects. Some examples are described below.

[0152] 12 shows an operating room 400 having an operating table 402, accessories 404, 406 and an object 408. The load determination unit 104 of the operating table 402 determines the current weight and center of gravity 410 of the total load currently on the operating table 402. Additionally, the operating table 402 detects the accessories 404, 406 and the object 408 in its vicinity by radio signals emitted by proximity tags.

[0153] Figure 13 shows the operating room 400 from Figure 12, whereas the attachment 406 is attached to a side rail of the operating table 402. The detection unit 115 performs the following steps.

[0154] The detection unit 115 detects that the accessory 406 is moving or has recently moved because the motion detector of the accessory 406 detects the movement and the proximity tag reports this information to the operating table 402.

[0155] - The detection unit 115 also detects that the load and its center of gravity of the patient positioning device 18 have changed. Using the load T0 and its center of gravity COG(T0) determined before the load change and the load T1 and its center of gravity COG(T1) determined after the load change, the detection unit determines that a new object or accessory has been added to the patient positioning device 18. The detection unit 115 also uses this information to determine the weight of the new object or accessory and the center of gravity position COG(A) at which the object or accessory is attached to the patient positioning device 18.

[0156] By comparing the measured weight with the weight information stored in the memory unit 116, the detection unit 115 can also identify the accessory attached to the patient positioning device 18 as the accessory 406 because the weight of the new accessory matches the expected weight of the accessory 406.

[0157] In this way, the detection unit 115 can continue to monitor added and removed objects while the operating table 402 is being configured for its next use. There should be sufficient time between the addition or removal of objects or accessories to allow the detection unit 115 to distinguish between individual objects and accessories.

[0158] The operating table 402 also includes a touch and / or motion sensor array 119, shown in FIG. 2, which can detect an interaction with the operating table 402 even when the operating table 402 is in standby mode. When an interaction is detected, the touch and / or motion sensor array 119 can activate the devices necessary to perform at least the operations described herein. The detection unit 115 can store the current weight and center of gravity of the load on the patient positioning device 18 before going into standby mode and immediately compare it with the new weight and center of gravity of the load on the patient positioning device 18 when the operating table 402 wakes up again and returns to active mode. When an object is placed on the operating table 402, the operating table 402 can thus wake up, detect the change, and perform the operations described above.

[0159] The memory capability of the motion detectors attached to the objects and / or accessories also allows them to report to the operating table 402 not only ongoing movements, but also movements that have already been completed some time ago. This is useful when waking up the operating table 402, since the operating table 402 is also informed about object or accessory movements that have already been completed before the operating table 402 returned to active mode and that may have woken up the operating table 402.

[0160] Exemplary embodiments and variations consistent with this disclosure are described in the following list of items and options: Item 1: A system (100) for detecting an object or accessory placed on, attached to, moved over, or removed from a patient positioning device (18), comprising: a surgical patient positioning device (18) that can be used as part of a surgical table (10); a load sensor array (102) having at least one load sensor (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b) that outputs a sensor value; a load determination unit (104) for determining a load and / or a center of gravity of the load based on the sensor values, the load including a load acting on the load sensor array (102) or a load acting on the patient positioning device (18); a detection unit (115) for receiving the load and / or center of gravity of the load determined by the load determination unit (104) and determining therefrom the weight and / or center of gravity of the object or accessory when the object or accessory is placed on, fastened to, moved on, or removed from the patient positioning device (18) and the load and / or center of gravity of the load determined by the load determination unit (104) changes as a result; A system (100) comprising:

[0161] Item 2: the load determination unit (104) is designed such that before an object or accessory is placed on or attached to, or moved over or removed from, the load determination unit (104) determines the load and / or center of gravity of the load, and after an object or accessory is placed on or attached to, or moved over or removed from, the patient positioning device (18), the load determination unit (104) again determines the load and / or center of gravity of the load, and the detection unit (115) is designed to determine the weight and / or center of gravity of the object or accessory by the detection unit (115) comparing the load and / or center of gravity of the load determined before and after the object or accessory is placed or attached to, moved over or removed from, the patient positioning device (18); 2. The system (100) according to item 1.

[0162] Item 3: A first storage unit (116) in which weight information of a given object and / or accessory is stored; and the detection unit (115) comparing the weight of the object or accessory determined thereby to the weight information and using the comparison to determine which at least one object or accessory may have been placed or attached to, moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18); 3. The system (100) according to item 1 or 2.

[0163] Item 4: At least a portion of the patient positioning device (18), in particular at least a portion of the circumference of the patient positioning device (18), is virtually divided into a plurality of regions, in particular at least one side region, one leg region, and one head region at a minimum, and region information indicating in which region a given object and / or accessory is to be placed is stored in a second storage unit (117); and the detection unit (115) comparing the centroids of the objects or accessories determined thereby with the area information and using the comparison to determine which at least one object or accessory may have been placed or attached to, moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18); A system drive (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0164] Item 5: A first storage unit (116) in which weight information of a predetermined object and / or accessory is stored; the load determination unit (102) is designed such that the load determination unit (102) determines the load before the object or accessory is placed on or attached to, or moved on or removed from, the patient positioning device (18), and the load determination unit (102) determines the load again after the object or accessory is placed on or attached to, or moved on or removed from, the patient positioning device (18); the detection unit (115) is designed to determine the weight of the object or accessory in that the detection unit (115) compares the load determined before and after the object or accessory is placed on or attached to or moved over or removed from the patient positioning device (18), in particular in that the detection unit (115) compares the center of gravity of the load determined by the load determination unit (104) before and after the object or accessory is placed on or attached to or moved over or removed from the patient positioning device (18); and the detection unit (115) comparing the weight of the object or accessory determined thereby to the weight information stored in the first storage unit (116) and using the comparison to determine which at least one object or accessory may have been placed on, attached to, or removed from the patient positioning device (18); 2. The system (100) according to item 1.

[0165] Item 6: the load determination unit (104) is designed such that before an object or accessory is placed on or attached to, moved on, or removed from the patient positioning device (18), the load determination unit (104) determines the center of gravity of the load, and after the object or accessory is placed on or attached to, moved on, or removed from the patient positioning device (18), the load determination unit (104) again determines the center of gravity of the load; and the detection unit (115) is designed to determine the position of the object or accessory by comparing the center of gravity of the load determined before and after the object or accessory is placed or attached to, moved over or removed from, the patient positioning device (18); A system drive (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0166] Item 7: At least some of the objects and / or accessories each have a proximity tag that emits a respective identification code; The system (100) comprises a reading unit (118) for receiving an identification code emitted by a proximity tag; and the detection unit (115) determines which object or accessory is located in the vicinity of the patient positioning device (18) based on the identification code received from the reading unit; A system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0167] Item 8: The system (100) described in Item 7, wherein the detection unit (115) determines whether a corresponding object or accessory is located in the vicinity of the patient positioning device (18) based on the signal strength at which the reading unit (118) receives the identification code.

[0168] Item 9: The system (100) described in Item 8, wherein a signal strength threshold is predetermined, and if the signal strength received by the reading unit (118) exceeds the threshold, the detection unit (115) determines that a corresponding object or accessory is located in the vicinity of the patient positioning device (18).

[0169] Item 10: A system (100) described in any one of items 7 to 9, wherein the transmission of the identification code from the proximity tag to the reading unit (118) is based on the Bluetooth standard.

[0170] Item 11: A system (100) according to any one of items 7 to 10, wherein if the detection unit (115) determines that an object or accessory is located in the vicinity of the patient positioning device (18) and the detection unit (115) further determines that the weight of the corresponding object or accessory determined thereby is within a predetermined range around the weight information of the object or accessory stored in the first memory unit (116) and / or the center of gravity of the corresponding object or accessory determined thereby is within a range provided for the object or accessory and stored in the second memory unit (117), the detection unit (115) determines that the corresponding object or accessory has been placed or attached to, or moved on or removed from, the patient positioning device (18).

[0171] Item 12: A system (100) described in any one of items 7 to 11, wherein the reading unit (118) is capable of identifying proximity tags, objects, and / or accessories that are not in the immediate vicinity of the reading unit (118), and wherein the reading unit (118) is particularly capable of identifying proximity tags, objects, and / or accessories that are located at a distance of at least 0.5 meters or at least 1 meter from the reading unit (118).

[0172] Item 13: A system (100) described in any one of the preceding items, wherein at least some of the objects and / or accessories each have a motion detector for detecting movement of the respective object or accessory, and information regarding the movement state of the object or accessory is transmitted to the detection unit (118).

[0173] Item 14: The system described in item 13, wherein the motion detector and / or detection unit (115) has a memory function to store the movement of each object or accessory over a predetermined period of time.

[0174] Item 15: A system (100) as described in Items 13 or 14, wherein if the detection unit (115) receives from the reading unit an identification code of the object or accessory and additionally information that the corresponding object or accessory has moved or recently moved, the detection unit (115) determines that the corresponding object or accessory has been placed on or attached to the patient positioning device (18), or moved on or removed from it, and the load determination unit (102) also determines that the load and / or the center of gravity of the load has changed.

[0175] Item 16: A system (100) described in any one of items 7 to 15, wherein when the detection unit (115) determines that the weight of the object or accessory determined thereby is within a predetermined range around the weight information of the object or accessory stored in the first memory unit (116), the detection unit (115) determines that the corresponding object or accessory has been placed on or attached to the patient positioning device (18), or moved on or removed from it.

[0176] Item 17: A system (100) described in any one of items 7 to 16, wherein if the detection unit (115) determines that the center of gravity of the corresponding object or accessory determined thereby is within a range provided for this object or accessory and stored in the second memory unit (117), the detection unit (115) determines that the corresponding object or accessory has been placed or attached on the patient positioning device (18), or moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18).

[0177] Item 18: At least a portion of the system (100) is capable of operating in an active mode or a standby mode; the load and / or the center of gravity of the load determined by the load determination unit (102) is stored before switching to the standby mode, a load determination unit (102) determining the load and / or the center of gravity of the load immediately after returning to the active mode; A detection unit (115) compares the load and / or the center of gravity of the load before switching to the standby mode with the load and / or the center of gravity of the load after returning to the active mode; and the detection unit (115) using the one or more comparisons to determine whether an object or accessory has been placed on or attached to, moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18) while at least a portion of the system (100) is operating in a standby mode; A system drive (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0178] Item 19: The system (100) described in Item 18, comprising a touch and / or motion sensor array (119) configured to detect contact with and / or movement of the patient positioning device (18) and to return the patient positioning device (18) to an active mode if contact with and / or movement of the patient positioning device (18) is detected during standby mode.

[0179] Item 20: A system (100) according to any one of the preceding items, wherein if at least a portion of the objects and / or accessories each have a first accelerometer and the patient positioning device (18) or the operating table (10) has a second accelerometer, and the first and second accelerometers sense acceleration simultaneously, the detection unit determines that the objects and / or accessories may have been placed or attached on, moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18).

[0180] Item 21: The system (100) of any one of the preceding items, wherein the object or accessory is removably connectable to the side rail (34) of the patient positioning device (18).

[0181] Item 22: A system (100) described in any one of the preceding items, wherein the patient positioning device (18) is connected to the column (16) of the operating table (10) and / or can be detachably connected to the column of the operating table and to a surgical patient transport device.

[0182] Item 23: The system (100) described in Item 22, wherein the load sensor array (102) is integrated into the patient transport device.

[0183] Item 24: The system (100) according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the accessories can be accessories from the following accessory group: anesthesia hanger for receiving a surgical drape, a tube holder for fixing a ventilation tube, side protective walls for fixing the patient during transport on the patient positioning device, an infusion holder, a flushing set for collecting and draining liquids, a catheter tray for storing catheters during surgery, an instrument table for storing instruments during surgery, a tray for soiled instruments, a waste tray for receiving surgical waste, and a push handle for moving the operating table, or accessories of a different design.

[0184] Item 25: The system (100) of any one of the preceding items, wherein the object can be an object from the following group of objects: urine collection bag, scale for urine collection bag, infusion fluid, saline solution, infusion pump, surgical drape, assist device, lung assist device, instrument, X-ray image cassette, and radiation shielding curtain, or an object of a different configuration.

[0185] Item 26: A surgical patient positioning device (18) that can be used as part of the operating table (10); a touch and / or motion sensor array (119) configured to detect contact with and / or movement of the patient positioning device (18), and returning the patient positioning device (18) to an active mode when contact with and / or movement of the patient positioning device (18) is detected during the standby mode; A system (100) comprising:

[0186] Item 27: A method for detecting an object or accessory placed on, attached to, moved over, or removed from a patient positioning device (18), comprising: a surgical patient positioning device (18) that can be used as part of a surgical table (10); A load sensor array (102) is provided having at least one load sensor (1 a, 1 b, 2 a, 2 b) that outputs a sensor value; A load and / or a center of gravity of the load is determined based on the sensor values, the load including a load acting on the load sensor array (102) or a load acting on the patient positioning device (18); and When an object or accessory is placed on, fastened to, moved on, or removed from the patient positioning device (18), the determined load and / or center of gravity of the load changes as a result, from which the weight and / or center of gravity of the object or accessory is determined; method.

Claims

1. 1. A system (100) for detecting an object or accessory placed on, attached to, moved over, or removed from a patient positioning device (18), comprising: a surgical patient positioning device (18) that can be used as part of a surgical table (10); a load sensor array (102) having at least one load sensor (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b) that outputs a sensor value; a load determination unit (104) for determining a load and / or a center of gravity of the load based on the sensor values, the load including a load acting on the load sensor array (102) or a load acting on the patient positioning device (18); a detection unit (115) for receiving the load and / or the center of gravity of the load determined by the load determination unit (104) and for determining therefrom a weight and / or center of gravity of the object or accessory when an object or accessory is placed on, fastened to, moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18) and the load and / or the center of gravity of the load determined by the load determination unit (104) changes as a result; A system (100) comprising:

2. the load determination unit (104) is designed such that before an object or accessory is placed on or attached to, or moved over or removed from, the load determination unit (104) determines the load and / or the center of gravity of the load, and after the object or accessory is placed on or attached to, or moved over or removed from, the load determination unit (104) again determines the load and / or the center of gravity of the load, and the detection unit (115) is designed to determine the weight and / or the center of gravity of the object or accessory by comparing the load and / or the center of gravity of the load determined before and after the object or accessory is placed or attached to, moved on or removed from, the patient positioning device (18), The system (100) of claim 1.

3. a first storage unit (116) in which weight information of a given object and / or accessory is stored; and the detection unit (115) comparing the weight of the object or accessory determined thereby with the weight information and using the comparison to determine which at least one object or accessory may have been placed or attached to, moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18); The system (100) of claim 1 or 2.

4. At least a part of the patient positioning device (18), in particular at least a part of the periphery of the patient positioning device (18), is virtually divided into a plurality of regions, in particular at least one side region, one leg region and one head region at a minimum, and region information indicating in which region a given object and / or accessory is to be placed is stored in a second storage unit (117); and the detection unit (115) comparing the centroids of the objects or accessories determined thereby with the area information and using the comparison to determine which at least one object or accessory may have been placed or attached to, moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18); A system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

5. a first storage unit (116) in which weight information of a given object and / or accessory is stored; the load determination unit (102) is designed such that the load determination unit (102) determines the load before an object or accessory is placed on or attached to, or moved on or removed from, the patient positioning device (18), and the load determination unit (102) determines the load again after the object or accessory has been placed on or attached to, or moved on or removed from, the patient positioning device (18); the detection unit (115) is designed to determine the weight of the object or accessory, in that it compares the load determined before and after the object or accessory is placed on or attached to or moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18), in particular in that it compares the center of gravity of the load determined by the load determination unit (104) before and after the object or accessory is placed on or attached to or moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18); and the detection unit (115) comparing the weight of the object or accessory determined thereby with weight information stored in the first storage unit (116) and using the comparison to determine which at least one object or accessory may have been placed on or attached to, moved over or removed from the patient positioning device (18); The system (100) of claim 1.

6. the load determination unit (104) is designed such that before an object or accessory is placed on or attached to, moved over, or removed from the patient positioning device (18), the load determination unit (104) determines the center of gravity of the load, and after the object or accessory is placed on or attached to, moved over, or removed from the patient positioning device (18), the load determination unit (104) again determines the center of gravity of the load; and the detection unit (115) is designed to determine the position of the object or accessory by comparing the center of gravity of the load determined before and after the object or accessory is placed or attached to, moved over or removed from, the patient positioning device (18); A system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. at least some of the objects and / or accessories each have a proximity tag that emits a respective identification code; the system (100) comprises a reading unit (118) for receiving the identification code emitted by the proximity tag; and the detection unit (115) determines, based on the identification code received from the reading unit, which object or accessory is located in the vicinity of the patient positioning device (18), in particular if the identification code is received from a proximity tag that is at a distance from the reading unit (118); A system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. 8. The system (100) of claim 7, wherein the detection unit (115) determines whether the corresponding object or accessory is located in the vicinity of the patient positioning device (18) based on a signal strength at which the reading unit (118) receives the identification code.

9. 9. The system (100) of claim 8, wherein a threshold value of the signal strength is predetermined, and if the signal strength received by the reading unit (118) exceeds the threshold value, the detection unit (115) determines that the corresponding object or accessory is located in the vicinity of the patient positioning device (18).

10. The system (100) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the transmission of the identification code from the proximity tag to the reading unit (118) is based on the Bluetooth standard.

11. The system (100) of any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the detection unit (115) determines that the corresponding object or accessory has been placed or attached to, moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18) if the detection unit (115) determines that an object or accessory is located in the vicinity of the patient positioning device (18) and the detection unit (115) further determines that the weight of the corresponding object or accessory determined thereby is within a predetermined range around weight information of the object or accessory stored in the first storage unit (116) and / or the center of gravity of the corresponding object or accessory determined thereby is within a range provided for the object or accessory and stored in the second storage unit (117).

12. A system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of at least some of the objects and / or accessories has a motion detector for detecting movement of the respective object or accessory, and information regarding the movement state of the object or accessory is transmitted to the detection unit (118).

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the motion detector and / or the detection unit (115) has a memory capability to store the movements of the respective object or accessory over a predefined period of time.

14. The system (100) of claim 12 or 13, wherein if the detection unit (115) receives from the reading unit the identification code of an object or accessory and additionally information that the corresponding object or accessory has moved or recently moved, the detection unit (115) determines that the corresponding object or accessory has been placed or attached to, or moved on or removed from, the patient positioning device (18) and the load determination unit (102) also determines that the load and / or the center of gravity of the load has changed.

15. The system (100) of any one of claims 7 to 14, wherein when the detection unit (115) determines that the weight of an object or accessory determined thereby is within a predetermined range around the weight information of the object or accessory stored in the first storage unit (116), the detection unit (115) determines that the corresponding object or accessory has been placed or attached to, moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18).

16. The system (100) of any one of claims 7 to 15, wherein if the detection unit (115) determines that the center of gravity of the corresponding object or accessory determined thereby is within a range provided for this object or accessory and stored in the second storage unit (117), the detection unit (115) determines that the corresponding object or accessory has been placed or attached on the patient positioning device (18), or moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18).

17. At least a portion of the system (100) is capable of operating in an active mode or a standby mode; the load and / or the center of gravity of the load determined by the load determination unit (102) are stored before switching to the standby mode, the load determination unit (102) determines the load and / or the center of gravity of the load immediately after returning to the active mode; the detection unit (115) compares the load and / or the center of gravity of the load before switching to the standby mode with the load and / or the center of gravity of the load after returning to the active mode; and the detection unit (115) using the one or more comparisons to determine whether an object or accessory has been placed on or attached to, moved on or removed from the patient positioning device (18) while the at least a portion of the system (100) is operating in a standby mode. A system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

18. 20. The system (100) of claim 17, comprising a touch and / or motion sensor array (119) configured to detect contact with and / or movement of the patient positioning device (18) and to return the patient positioning device (18) to the active mode if contact with and / or movement of the patient positioning device (18) is detected during the standby mode.

19. 10. The system (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the object or accessory is removably connectable to a siderail (34) of the patient positioning device (18).

20. 10. The system (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the patient positioning device (18) is connected to a column (16) of a surgical table (10) and / or is detachably connectable to the column of the surgical table and to a surgical patient transport device.

21. The system (100) of claim 20, wherein the load sensor array (102) is integrated into the patient transport device.

22. 1. A method for detecting an object or accessory placed on, attached to, moved over, or removed from a patient positioning device (18), comprising: the patient positioning device (18) being a surgical patient positioning device (18) that can be used as part of a surgical table (10); A load sensor array (102) is provided having at least one load sensor (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b) that outputs a sensor value; A load and / or a center of gravity of the load is determined based on the sensor values, the load including a load acting on the load sensor array (102) or a load acting on the patient positioning device (18); and when an object or accessory is placed on, fastened to, moved over, or removed from the patient positioning device (18), the determined load and / or the center of gravity of the load changes as a result, and a weight and / or center of gravity of the object or accessory is determined therefrom; method.

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