Operating lamp assembly comprising an automatically orientable camera

1 . A method for operating an operating lamp assembly, the operating lamp assembly comprising at least one operating lamp, at least one camera, a drive to bring about an orientation of the at least one camera, an inclination sensor and a controller, wherein the method comprises:

illuminating an operating field by means of the at least one operating lamp; and

acquiring an image of the operating field by means of the camera;

the controller performing the following steps:

determining, by means of the inclination sensor, a target orientation of the image; and

activating the drive of the camera to orient the camera according to the target orientation of the image.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the image is displayed on a monitor.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said controller determines the target orientation of the image based on the absolute orientation of the at least one operating lamp or a carrier system carrying the at least one operating lamp, as determined by the inclination sensor, with respect to the vertical direction specified by gravity.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the drive rotates the camera about at least one axis.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one axis is colinear to an optical main axis of the camera.

6 . The method of claim 1 , whereby, in the target orientation, the image of the camera is orientated such that an upper edge of the image of the camera is orientated so as to be in parallel with the horizontal.

7 . A method for operating an operating lamp assembly, the operating lamp assembly comprising at least one operating lamp, at least one camera and a controller, wherein the method comprises:

illuminating an operating field by means of the at least one operating lamp; and

acquiring an image of the operating field by means of the camera;

the controller performing the following steps:

determining, by an object detection means configured to detect one or more objects in the image, the orientation of the camera;

determining, on the basis of said object detection means, a target orientation for the image of the camera, and

digitally orientating the image to match the target orientation.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the image is displayed on a monitor.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the digital orientation of the image is performed by means of an arithmetic unit being part of the controller.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the digital orientation of the image is achieved by rotating the image in the image plane or about an axis which is perpendicular to the image plane.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein, in the target orientation, the image of the camera is orientated such that an upper edge of the image of the camera is orientated so as to be in parallel with the horizontal.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more objects are exactly one object, the exactly one object being a symbol defining a direction, wherein the controller automatically orientates the image according to said direction.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein, when the image of the camera is in the target orientation, the direction of the symbol corresponds to a direction from an upper edge to a lower edge of the image.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein, when the image of the camera is in the target orientation, the direction of the symbol corresponds to the vertical of the image.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the symbol is deposited on a patient, beside an operating field, or arranged on a medical instrument.

16 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the object is a person, whereas the target orientation is determined based on the viewing direction and/or the gesture of the person.

17 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the object is at least one medical instrument, whereas the target orientation of the image is determined based on the orientation and/or the assembly of the at least one medical instrument.

18 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the object is an OP situation, whereas the target orientation of the image is determined based on people involved and their arrangement around a patient.