Conversion adapter, medical system and communication method

Abstract

A conversion adapter according to an embodiment of the invention is connected between a control apparatus that controls a medical appliance and the medical appliance and operates as the virtual control apparatus and medical apparatus. Thus, the communication between the control apparatus and medical appliance having different protocols and communication speeds can be performed efficiently. The conversion adapter includes an appliance information managing section, a control section, a first buffer, a second buffer, an appliance-specific command interpreting section, a communication I/F, and a communication I/F.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a medical system according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing schematic configurations of a central control apparatus and medical appliances according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of communication data to be communicated between the central control apparatus and medical appliances;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing medical appliances belonging to the category of “electric knife”;

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the central control apparatus and medical appliances belonging to the category of “electric knife” according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 6 shows an example of the table of command definitions for communication data according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of functions under the category of “electric knife” according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the step flow of communication assignment according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow when communication data is received from a connected device according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the central control apparatus with no common command definitions according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conversion adapter according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing of setting a conversion adapter according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a timing chart showing an example of the flow in the communication among the central control apparatus, the conversion adapter and an electric knife manufactured by A; and

FIG. 14 is a schematic configuration diagram of a medical system according to a second embodiment.

Claims

1. A conversion adapter for connecting a control apparatus that controls a medical appliance and the medical appliance, the adapter comprising: a first communication unit for performing communication with the control apparatus based on a first protocol;a second communication unit for performing communication with the medical appliance based on a second protocol;a data extracting unit for extracting communication data from a data signal based on function information associating the data signal received through the first communication unit and the second communication unit and a function of the medical appliance;a first storage unit for storing the communication data received from the control apparatus based on the first protocol;a second storage unit for storing the communication data received from the medical appliance based on the second protocol; anda control unit for transmitting the communication data stored in the first storage unit to the medical appliance through the second communication unit, transmitting the communication data stored in the second storage unit to the control apparatus through the first communication unit and further transmitting a response signal to the medical appliance through the second communication unit when the communication data is received through the second communication unit.

2. The conversion adapter according to claim 1, wherein: the function information includes:common function information associating the data signal and a common function in the multiple medical appliances; andunique function information associating the data signal and a unique function to the medical appliance.

3. The conversion adapter according to claim 1, wherein; the control unit obtains the communication data from the control apparatus at a predetermined timing based on the first protocol and updates the communication data stored in the first storage unit.

4. A medical system including a conversion adapter for connecting a control apparatus that controls a medical appliance and the medical appliance, wherein the conversion adapter includes:a first communication unit for performing communication with the control apparatus based on a first protocol;a second communication unit for performing communication with the medical appliance based on a second protocol;a data extracting unit for extracting communication data from a data signal based on function information associating the data signal received through the first communication unit and the second communication unit and a function of the medical appliance;a first storage unit for storing the communication data received from the control apparatus based on the first protocol;a second storage unit for storing the communication data received from the medical appliance based on the second protocol; anda control unit for transmitting the communication data stored in the first storage unit to the medical appliance through the second communication unit, transmitting the communication data stored in the second storage unit to the control apparatus through the first communication unit and further transmitting a response signal to the medical appliance through the second communication unit when the communication data is received through the second communication unit.

5. A communication method in a conversion adapter for connecting a control apparatus that controls a medical appliance and the medical appliance, the method comprising: a response step of transmitting a response signal to the medical appliance through when communication data is received from the medical appliance;a communication data storage step of storing the communication data;a communication data transmission step of transmitting the stored communication data to the control apparatus;an appliance data storage step of storing appliance data when the appliance data is received from the control apparatus; andan appliance data transmission step of transmitting the stored appliance data to the medical appliance at a predetermined timing based on a second protocol.

6. The conversion adapter according to claim 1, wherein the medical appliance is an electric knife.

7. The conversion adapter according to claim 2, wherein the medical appliance is an electric knife.

8. The conversion adapter according to claim 3, wherein the medical appliance is an electric knife.

9. The medical system according to claim 4, wherein the medical appliance is an electric knife.

10. The communication method according to claim 5, wherein the medical appliance is an electric knife.

11. The conversion adapter according to claim 1, wherein the second protocol is RS-232C protocol.

12. The conversion adapter according to claim 2, wherein the second protocol is RS-232C protocol.

13. The conversion adapter according to claim 3, wherein the second protocol is RS-232C protocol.

14. The medical system according to claim 4, wherein the second protocol is RS-232C protocol.

15. The communication method according to claim 5, wherein the second protocol is RS-232C protocol.

16. The conversion adapter according to claim 6, wherein the second protocol is RS-232C protocol.

17. The conversion adapter according to claim 7, wherein the second protocol is RS-232C protocol.

18. The conversion adapter according to claim 8, wherein the second protocol is RS-232C protocol.

19. The medical system according to claim 9, wherein the second protocol is RS-232C protocol.

20. The communication method according to claim 10, wherein the second protocol is RS-232C protocol.