Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6394353
-
Patent Number
6,394,353
-
Date Filed
Thursday, May 14, 199826 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 28, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 235 435
- 235 440
- 235 444
- 235 453
- 235 441
- 235 46201
- 235 449
- 235 46215
- 235 46213
- 378 162
- 378 165
- 378 174
- 378 182
- 378 207
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International Classifications
- G06F1700
- G06F1900
- G06K710
-
Abstract
In a medical device with a control arrangement for at least one device component, a code reader is employed to the control arrangement for reading a component-specific code allocated to the (at least one) device component. A configuration or reconfiguration of the control arrangement ensues on the basis of this code, when necessary. It is thus possible to exchange and/or to expand device components in a simple fashion without having to exchange the control arrangement or modify it in an expensive manner.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a medical device having at least one device component with a control arrangement for controlling the device component.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Medical devices typically include a number of device components which can be for example, a mounting plate, a radiation receiver, a radiation transmitter, a radiation diaphragm, an operating unit, etc. A control arrangement is further provided which operates one or more of these components for conducting a medical examination or treatment of an examination subject. To this end, the device components are connected mechanically and/or electrically with the control arrangement and possibly with each other. Particularly in complex medical devices, such a control arrangement frequently employs a computer which receives and evaluates signals from the components and/or transmits signals thereto. By means of a specific control program, the control signals required by each device component are forwarded to the device component, or the signal emanating from a device component is evaluated in the desired manner. Thus the control arrangement is provided in the medical device with connections to its device components. Should the medical device subsequently be reconfigured with a new or another device component, then the control arrangement must be correspondingly modified, which can ensue through a modification of the control parameters of the controlling sequence, of the control program, and/or by completely exchanging of the “old” control arrangement with a modified control arrangement. This kind of exchange of a device components usually very expensive, sometimes positively so.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention to provide a way of reconfiguring a medical device of the aforementioned type such that an exchange and/or a modification of a device component is possible and less costly.
The above object is achieved in accordance with the principles of the present invention in a medical device wherein the control arrangement includes a code reader allocated to at least one device component controlled by the control arrangement, the code reader reading a component-specific code allocated to the device component. If and when a reconfiguration of the control arrangement becomes necessary, the reconfiguration can be undertaken on the basis of the code read by the code reader.
By providing a means for reading a component-specific code allocated to the device component, a device-specific configuration of the control arrangement can ensue in a simple and cost-effective manner. An exchange or a modification of a device component is thus possible, costs less, and is less cost-intensive relative to conventional procedures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a schematic block diagram of a medical device according to the invention.
FIG. 2
illustrates a device for reading a mechanical code in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 3
illustrates a device for reading an electrical code in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 4
illustrates a device for reading an electro-optical code in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 5
illustrates a device for reading an acoustical code in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 6
illustrates a device for reading a magnetic code in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 7
illustrates a device component with a device transporter in accordance with the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the medical device depicted in a basic fashion in
FIG. 1
, each device component has a code reader connected thereto for reading a component-specific code allocated to the device component. For example, a code reader
2
is allocated to a mounting device
1
; a code reader
4
is allocated to a radiation receiver
3
; a code reader
6
is allocated to a mounting plate
5
; a code reader
8
is allocated to a radiation transmitter
7
; a code reader
10
is allocated to a radiation diaphragm (gate)
9
. The signals of the code readers
2
,
4
,
6
,
8
and
10
are fed to a control unit
11
which transmits corresponding control signals to, or receives status or parameter signals from one or more of the device components
1
,
3
,
5
,
7
,
9
for operation of the medical device with respect to the treatment and/or diagnosis of an examination subject. On the basis of the code specific to each component
1
,
3
,
5
,
7
,
9
, a configuration of the control unit
11
ensues, e.g. with respect to the modification of its control program, which is especially advantageous if a device component is exchanged, modified, and/or expanded. The code readers
2
,
4
,
6
,
8
,
10
can be configured to read any of a mechanical, electrical, electro-optical, acoustical and/or magnetic code, as depicted in
FIGS. 2
to
6
. It is particularly advantageous to utilize device transponders allocated to the respective device components
1
,
3
,
5
,
7
,
9
, as depicted in
FIG. 7
, for example.
FIG. 2
depicts in basic fashion a device for reading a mechanical code, wherein coded pins
12
arranged at a part of the medical device can engage in recesses
13
arranged at another part of the medical device.
An arrangement for reading an electrical code is depicted in
FIG. 3
, for example. Contact points
14
arranged at one part of the medical device are supplied with different voltages and are interrogated as codings by contact wipers
15
arranged at another part of the medical device, for example.
FIG. 4
shows an arrangement for reading an electro-optical code, in which a light barrier
16
can be used which is arranged at one part of the medical device and is designed for reading a bar code
17
arranged at another part of the medical device.
The coding can also ensue acoustically, as depicted in
FIG. 5
, using a speaker
18
for transmitting acoustical signals, arranged at one part of the medical device, and a microphone
19
for receiving the acoustical signals arranged at another part of the medical device.
The acoustical signals are generated and evaluated in any known manner and thus acoustical signal generating and evaluating units are explicitly depicted.
Using magnets
20
and Hall generators
21
, coding can likewise ensue by varying the power of the magnetic field emanating from the magnets
20
. Such an exemplary embodiment is depicted in FIG.
6
. The magnets
20
are arranged at one part of the medical device, and the Hall generator
21
at another part.
As depicted in
FIG. 7
, a part of the medical device exemplified the unit
22
can be configured for activating and reading out a transponder
23
arranged at another part of the medical device, by means of which a coding can likewise ensue.
Within the context of the invention, the medical device can be configured for treatment or diagnosis of an examination subject by means of physical properties. The application of the invention is especially advantageous in an X-ray diagnostic or therapeutic device, particularly in an X-ray device, in a magnetic resonance device, in a device working with acoustical waves, or with a device working with magnetic or electrical properties.
Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those skilled in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come with the scope of my contribution to the art.
Claims
- 1. A medical device comprising:a configurable control unit; a plurality of medical device components collectively operable to perform a medical diagnostic procedure, including at least one medical device component which dictates a configuration of said configurable control unit; said configurable control unit being connected to said medical device components to control said medical diagnostic procedure, said configurable control unit controlling said medical procedure differently dependent on a presence of said at least one medical device component; and a code reader in communication with said at least one medical device component and with said control unit, for reading a component-specific code uniquely allocated to said at least one medical device component which identifies said at least one medical device component, and which supplies said code to said control unit, said control unit, upon receipt of said code, being reconfigured to control said medical diagnostic procedure differently dependent on said presence of said at least one medical device component.
- 2. A medical device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said code reader comprises a code reader for reading a code selected from the group consisting of a mechanical code, an electrical code, an electro-optical code, an acoustical code, and a magnetic code.
- 3. A medical device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a device-specific transponder allocated to said device component, and wherein said code reader comprises means for interrogating said device-specific transponder.
- 4. A medical device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of medical device components are collectively operable to perform a radiological examination, as said medical diagnostic procedure.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
197 23 627 |
Jun 1997 |
DE |
|
US Referenced Citations (13)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
31 47 956 |
Jan 1984 |
DE |
36 09 527 |
May 1987 |
DE |
2 110 564 |
Jun 1983 |
GB |