Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G16—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS
  • G16H—HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
  • G16H40/00—ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices
  • G16H40/60—ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices for the operation of medical equipment or devices
  • G16H40/63—ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices for the operation of medical equipment or devices for local operation

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the technical field of pairing medical devices within a working environment.
• it relates to a method and, respectively, a system to be used to pair medical devices.
• Today's operating theatres have multiple medical devices installed in them, for example several fixed devices such as digital lightboxes or patient couches and several mobile devices such as movable navigation systems or surgical microscopes. All of these devices, in their modern embodiments, are information processing devices, i.e. they for example process patient image data in order to enhance their functionaiity. On the other hand, such devices also communicate with each other or with a central data processing or data supplying unit in order to provide supplementary functionality or synergetic effects.
• the mobile devices are often moved from one operating theatre to another, where they must be paired with each other and/or with fixed devices in the room in order to be able to communicate and for example share information (for example, information on the patient currently being treated, screenshots, recordings, etc.).
• pairing means that at least one medical device receives information about at least the presence of another medical device. Pairing can of course also involve sharing or transmitting more information, such as information about the nature and/or functionality of a device, its operational status (for example, whether it is switched on or off) and/or its current information content or the update version of such information, such as for example patient image information. In its broadest sense, the term “pairing” can even include or infer synchronisation processes between two devices for the purpose of data matching or data exchange.
• Pairing such medical devices is currently based on manual actions or semi-automatic systems.
• a mobile system is marked with a name tag, and for pairing purposes, a fixed device provides an option page on a screen which lists all the known mobile systems. A person then needs to correctly select, on the basis of its name tag, the mobile device currently being used, in order to initiate the pairing process.
• Other manual solutions for pairing include entering a pin code on each of the two devices, connecting the devices directly using a cable or manually switching both systems to a pairing mode simultaneously.
• a device pairing system using at least one sound to initiate the pairing procedure is disclosed in US 2006/0282649 A1.
• the use of such a sound to initiate pairing is still, however, characterised as manually initialising pairing.
• the correct sound has to be created in a reproducible manner, which can be somewhat involved, or the devices have to be adapted to "understand” a variety of sounds, which makes the process as a whole technically vague.
• the method for pairing medical devices in accordance with the present invention operates in a working environment containing at least two devices which share information via a network, wherein said method comprises the following steps: each of the devices to be paired uses a sensor to detect at least one environmental emission from the working environment, wherein such emissions can be allocated to the working environment;
• a data processor processes the sensor data of each device in order to create a device-specific emission map which mirrors the environmental emission situation in the working environment;
• the emission maps of at least two of the devices are compared by way of data processing
• the respective devices are paired.
• the pairing method of the present invention is a "passive" method, i.e. one which passively recognises environmental emissions in order to identify and allocate the environment in which the devices are present.
• Such environmental emissions are not expressly created for identification and/or allocating purposes or for the purpose of device pairing in general.
• the method of the invention thus dispenses with (actively) creating emissions for environment identification purposes and thus also dispenses with the associated expenditure of effort. Instead, the emissions which are already present in the working environment are used, such that actively creating emissions advantageously becomes superfluous and ali the problems associated with this are obviated.
• Another advantage is that the method of the present invention can be highly automated, even to the point where manual user interaction is no longer necessary.
• the term “environmental emission” means an emission or a mixture of various emissions which do not include emissions created for device pairing purposes. In other words, such emissions are emissions which are naturally and/or normally present in the working environment in question, or emissions created for other primary purposes.
• the working environment is a room, in particular an operating theatre.
• the working environment can comprise at least two rooms or at least two room parts which are interconnected in such a way that the same environmental emissions can be sensed or detected in both rooms or room parts.
• Such rooms or room parts can in particular be interconnected by a wall opening such as a window or door.
• Employing the method of the present invention in a room or series of rooms is particularly useful because many environmental emissions such as background noise, lighting, etc. will be identical or at least similar in every partial area within such an environment.
• the emission maps which mirror the environmental emission situation will thus be easy to compare and determine as being similar or not similar, such that devices in a room or series of rooms can be quickly and easily paired in accordance with the method of the present invention.
• the sensors on the devices can sense one or more of the following emissions:
• concentration of a substance in the air in particular a substance which cannot be detected by smell.
• the environmental emissions from the working environment can be detected over a predetermined period of time, so that the emission map created contains a larger quantity of information on the emissions and any changes in the emissions over time, if, for example, a sound or acoustic emission is determined to have started and/or stopped at the same time within a detection time interval, this may be regarded as a highly reliable indication that the respective sensors are situated in the same working environment, wherein "working environment" can mean the environment in which the devices operate and/or are operated by personnel. Detecting the environmental emissions from the working environment can be repeated at least once at predetermined intervals in order to confirm the pairing status and/or the presence of the devices in the same working environment. Such repetitions can also be used to establish whether one of the devices has been turned on or off during a certain period of time.
• similarity can generally be verified on the basis of at least a second emission or kind of emission which can be sensed, in order to confirm a similarity ascertained on the basis of a first emission or kind of emission.
• the same kind of emission can be used more than once, or different kinds of emission can be used, for confirmation purposes.
• a data processing unit to compare the emission maps, wherein said data processing unit is provided separately from the medical devices, such as for example by a separate computer workstation and/or a hospital server and/or a hospital unit server.
• the maps can be compared in a data processing unit which is provided separately and individually or in or on one of the medical devices to be paired.
• the present invention relates to a pairing system for medical devices to be paired within a working environment in which at least two medical devices operate or are operated, wherein the system comprises an information sharing network linking the devices and also comprises:
• a sensor on each of the devices to be paired the sensor being adapted to detect at least one environmental emission which emanates from the working environment and can be allocated to the working environment;
• an emission map data processor which is adapted to create, from the sensor data, a device-specific emission map which mirrors the environmental emission situation in the working environment;
• a comparing data processor which is adapted to compare the emission maps of the at least two devices; and a logic which is adapted to pair the respective devices if the compared maps show a predetermined ievel of similarity.
• the system thus incorporates the method of the present invention as defined above and therefore of course also exhibits the corresponding advantages.
• the system of the present invention likewise obviates the need to provide a corresponding initialising device.
• the emission map data processor and/or the comparing data processor can be provided:
• the emission map data processor and the comparing data processor are provided as a single data processor which performs both functions.
• an acoustic sensor unit such as a microphone
• an optical sensor unit such as a light sensor
• a temperature or humidity sensor unit a temperature or humidity sensor unit.
• These sensor units can be adapted to function simultaneously or in sequence.
• Figure 1 shows a schematic top view onto an operating theatre in which medical devices are provided, wherein the medical devices are adapted to be paired in accordance with the present invention and the data processing relating to the pairing procedure is carried out in a data processor associated with a hospital data server;
• FIG 2 shows a working environment in accordance with Figure 1 , but in which the data processor for pairing purposes is provided separately;
• FIG. 3 shows a working environment in accordance with the above figures, but in which the data processor for pairing purposes is incorporated into one of the medical devices.
• Figures 1 to 3 each show a schematic view of an operating theatre which has been given the reference numeral .
• the reference numeral 2 designates the wall of the operating theatre, which can be entered through a door 3.
• four medical devices are shown schematically, i.e. as hatched boxes, wherein the patient couch 4 and the wall-mounted digital lightbox 7 represent fixed devices which belong to and are fixedly attached in the room 1
• the navigation system 6 comprising a main body and a camera holder and the surgical microscope 5 are examples of mobile devices which can be moved into and out of the room 1.
• the patient couch 4 can also be included in the data network, for example in such a way that its movable top is automatically shifted into certain positions in order to move a patient to a desired location.
• the devices 4, 5, 6 and 7 are connected to each other directly or via a device which is external to the operating theatre 1 , namely a server 8.
• the server 8 can be a central hospital server or a server for a single hospital unit and can be used to provide any kind of data (for example general patient data, patient image data, etc.) and/or to input or output or process data, in particular in co-operation with the devices 4, 5, 6 and 7.
• the devices 4, 5, 6 and 7 can be connected to the server 8 in any suitable way for such communication purposes, and in this respect, the lines 24, 25, 26 and 27 which connect the devices 4, 5, 6 and 7 to the connector lines 11 and 12, which in turn connect to the server 8, can (but need not) be physical communication lines. They can also represent a wireless connection between the devices 4, 5, 6 and 7 and the server 8, which can include WiFi connections or Bluetooth connections or any other suitable wireless (radio-based) connections.
• the devices 4, 5, 6 and 7 are connected in such a manner that they can in principle be paired with each other in order to provide supplementary functionality.
• the term "pairing" is not limited to the mutual connection of two devices but can include the mutual connection of more than two or all suitable devices within the working environment.
• all four of the devices 4, 5, 6 and 7 can be paired via the network represented by the lines 24, 25, 26, 27, 11 , 12 and the server 8.
• the present invention provides a system which, in the case of the embodiments in Figures 1 to 3, includes acoustic sensors, namely microphones 14, 15, 16 and 17 which are attached to the devices 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively.
• acoustic sensors namely microphones 14, 15, 16 and 17 which are attached to the devices 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively.
• the microphones are in their pairing mode, which can be set manually or activated automatically, for example when the power supply is connected to the device, the microphones are in a receiving state (on) and sense the acoustic situation in the room 1.
• Said acoustic situation will comprise any background noise from apparatus in the room and/or any sounds or noises made by personnel working and/or talking in the room.
• the microphones 14, 15, 16 and 17 each detect the acoustic emissions in the room 1 over a certain period of time which can last for one or more seconds (for example, between 15 and 30 seconds). Longer or shorter intervals are however also possible, depending on how distinctive the sound (emission) situation is.
• each device can also contain more than one microphone, and the microphones can also record the sound at the device's location continuously.
• a device-specific, acoustic emission map which can therefore also be referred to as an "acoustic fingerprint"
• This fingerprint can be defined by combining the sound frequency and/or amplitude with the time at which the frequency and/or amplitude changes, or in any other suitable way, such as for example on the basis of the time at which certain sounds start and/or stop.
• a data processor 10 receives the signals from the microphones 14, 15, 16 and 17.
• the location of said data processor 10 represents the respective difference between the embodiments in each of Figures 1 , 2 and 3.
• the data processor 10 - which includes both an emission map data processor and a comparing data processor - is located within or is the data processor of the server 8 and receives and sends signals via the signal lines 28a and 28b (shown as broken lines) to the signal paths or connecting lines 1 and 12.
• the processor 10 is located in the room as a separate unit.
• a processor 10 is shown which is located in and associated with the navigation system 6 and which is connected to all the other devices via the lines 26a, 26, 12, via the server 8 and via the line 11.
• the processor 10 can be a separate processor provided together with the navigation system 6, or the processor of the navigation system 6 can also be used to process the pairing signal.
• the processor 10 receives the signals from the microphones 14, 5, 16 and 17. It can use the kind of signals described above, in which the microphones have been on for only a certain time, or it can also use signals from microphones which are constantly on. In the latter case, it can also take the constant signals and extract limited time intervals from them.
• the processor 10 then creates an acoustic emission map (fingerprint) for each of the devices, thereby acting as an emission map processor.
• the processor 10 couid then act as a comparing data processor by comparing the fingerprints of the devices 4, 5, 6 and 7 and detecting whether the signals show a sufficient level of similarity (i.e. for example above a certain threshold).
• the processor could then act as a logic which, if the level of similarity is sufficient, outputs a pairing command to the devices 4, 5, 6 and 7, so that the pairing procedure can be performed.
• an automatic pairing procedure can be carried out by the system and method of the present invention.
• the pairing procedure is of course not initiated if the fingerprints do not match or do not show a sufficient level of similarity.
• the method steps described above can be repeated after a predetermined period of time in order to confirm that the devices are still functioning and/or in the same room, such that pairing should be maintained (or discontinued).
• the acoustic sensors shown in Figures 1 to 3, i.e. the microphones can of course be replaced with other sensors as mentioned above, or various types of sensors can be used simultaneously or in sequence in order to provide information and/or redundancy.

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Cited By (132)

Citations (5)

• 2012
  • 2012-03-26 WO PCT/EP2012/055305 patent/WO2013143573A1/fr not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (5)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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