Safety system for use in medical tables
A system for determining and displaying restrictions on the operation of an operating table, comprising a patient support surface ( 600 ) for fastening on an operating table column of an operating table, a display unit ( 607 ) for displaying information about restrictions on the operation of the operating table, and an evaluation unit ( 606 ) which determines restrictions on the operation of the operating table based on at least the identification and/or configuration of the patient support surface ( 600 ) and displays the restrictions on the display unit ( 607 ) before the patient is placed on the patient support surface ( 600 ).
1 . A system for determining and displaying restrictions on operation of an operating table, the system comprising:
a patient support surface comprising:
a main support surface section configured for connection to an operating table column of the operating table, and
one or more removable secondary support surface sections configured for connection to the main support surface section;
an evaluation unit configured to:
detect which type or types of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections are connected to the main support surface section,
detect an order of connection of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections relative to the main support surface section and relative to each of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections connected to the main support surface section,
based on the detected order of connection of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections, determine a configuration of the patient support surface,
based on the determined configuration of the patient support surface, determine one or more patient weight specific operating restrictions on operation of the operating table that apply according to a weight of a patient to be supported on the determined configuration of the patient support surface, and
display the determined one or more patient weight specific operating restrictions on a display.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more removable secondary support surface sections are configured to transmit signals to the main support surface section, and the detection of which type or types of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections are connected to the main support surface section, and the determination of the order of connection of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections relative to the main support surface section and relative to each of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections connected to the main support surface section, are based on the signals transmitted to the main support surface section.
3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the signals transmitted from the one or more removable secondary support surface sections to the main support surface section comprise electrical signals transmitted via a support surface interface between the one or more removable secondary support surface sections and the main support surface section.
4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more removable secondary support surface sections comprises an intermediate secondary support surface section and an end secondary support surface section, the intermediate secondary support surface section being connected on a first side to the main support surface section and on a second side to the end secondary support surface section, and the electrical signals are transmitted from the end secondary support surface section to the intermediate secondary support surface section to the main support surface section.
5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the evaluation unit receives the electrical signals from the main support surface section,
the detection of which type or types of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections are connected to the main support surface section comprises processing the electrical signals to identify the end secondary support surface section, and
the determination of the order of connection of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections relative to the main support surface section and relative to each of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections connected to the main support surface section comprises processing the electrical signals to identify the order of connection of the intermediate secondary support surface section and the end secondary support surface section.
6 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the intermediate support surface section comprises a control unit configured to transmit the electrical signals to the main support surface section.
7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the patient weight specific operating restrictions comprise a restriction on movement of at least a portion of the patient support surface that applies when the weight of the patient to be supported on the patient support surface meets or exceeds a threshold weight.
8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the movement of the patient support surface comprises:
movement of the patient support surface as a whole; or
separate movement of one or more of the secondary support surface sections.
9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the patient weight specific operating restrictions comprise:
a first patient weight specific operating restriction that applies when the weight of the patient to be supported on the patient support surface falls within a first patient weight range; and
a second patient weight specific operating restriction that applies when the weight of the patient to be supported on the patient support surface falls within a second patient weight range,
the first patient weight specific operating restriction being different than the second patient weight specific operating restriction, and
the first patient weight range being different than the second patient weight range.
10 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the patient weight specific operating restrictions further comprise one or more additional patient weight specific operating restrictions that apply when the weight of the patient to be supported on the patient support surface falls within a respective additional patient weight range,
the one or more additional patient weight specific operating restrictions being different from each other and different from the first and second patient weight specific operating restrictions, and
each respective additional patient weight range being different than each other and different from the first and second patient weight ranges.
11 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an input unit configured to receive user input of the patient weight to be supported on the patient support surface; or
an interface configured to receive electronic information of the patient weight from outside the system.
12 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the determination of the one or more patient weight specific operating restrictions comprises the evaluation unit receiving and taking into consideration the user input of the patient weight or the electronic information of the patient weight.
13 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein the evaluation unit receives and takes into consideration the user input of the patient weight or the electronic information of the patient weight before the patient is supported on the patient support surface, and the patient weight specific operating restrictions comprise a restriction on movement of at least a portion of the patient support surface that applies based on the user input of the patient weight or the electronic information of the patient weight.
14 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of the display or the input unit comprises a remote control or a display screen that is physically separate from the patient support surface.
15 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the patient weight specific restrictions on the operation of the operating table comprise one or more of:
restrictions on use of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections connected to the main support surface section,
restrictions on the configuration of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections,
restrictions on selection of axes around which movement of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections is possible,
restrictions on a range within which the one or more removable secondary support surface sections can be moved around an axis,
restrictions on a speed at which the one or more removable secondary support surface sections can be moved around an axis,
restrictions on a maximum weight of the patient for the determined configuration of the patient support surface,
restrictions on longitudinal displacement of the patient support surface,
restrictions on Trendelenburg tilting of the patient support surface,
restrictions on lateral tilting of the patient support surface,
restrictions on height adjustment of the patient support surface,
restrictions on extension of the rollers of the operating table,
restrictions on motorized transport of the operating table, and/or
restrictions on lateral displacement of the patient support surface.
16 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the display comprises a remote control, a display screen on a wall, or a display screen on a ceiling arm, and
wherein the patient weight specific restrictions on the operation of the operating table comprise restrictions on longitudinal displacement of the patient support surface, and/or restrictions on Trendelenburg tilting of the patient support surface.
17 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more removable secondary support surface sections comprises two or more removable secondary support surface sections that are connected to each other, and one of the two or more removable secondary support surface sections is connected to the main support surface section.
18 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the determination of the one or more patient weight specific operating restrictions and displaying the determined one or more patient weight specific operating restrictions occurs when the operating table and/or the patient support surface are in a rest state in which the operating table and/or the patient support surface are not moving and when no signal or command to move the operating table and/or the patient support surface is pending.
19 . An operating table, comprising:
the system according to claim 1 ; and
an operating table column, the patient support surface of the system being connected to the operating table column.
20 . The operating table according to claim 19 , comprising:
a load sensor arrangement comprising multiple load sensors configured to measure at least one variable from which a load acting on the load sensor arrangement can be determined,
the load sensor arrangement being arranged between at least two parts of the operating table that are essentially immobile relative to one another.
21 . A method for determining and displaying restrictions on operation of an operating table comprising the system of claim 1 , the method comprising:
detecting which type or types of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections are connected to the main support surface section;
detecting the order of connection of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections relative to the main support surface section and relative to each of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections connected to the main support surface section;
based on the detected order of connection of the one or more removable secondary support surface sections, determining the configuration of the patient support surface;
based on the determined configuration of the patient support surface, determining the one or more patient weight specific operating restrictions on operation of the operating table that apply according to the weight of the patient to be supported on the determined configuration of the patient support surface; and
displaying the determined one or more patient weight specific operating restrictions on the display before the patient is placed on the patient support surface.
22 . A system for determining and displaying restrictions on operation of an operating table, the system comprising:
a patient support surface configured for connection to an operating table column of an operating table, the patient support surface comprising:
a main support surface section having an interface configured for coupling to the operating table column, the main support surface section having at least one light source and at least one detector element, and
one or more secondary support surface sections which are detachably connectable to the main support surface section, each of the one or more secondary support surface sections having one or more light guides and a marking element which changes light in a manner unique to the respective secondary support surface section, the one or more secondary support surface sections being configured to transmit signals to the main support surface section when connected to the main support surface section, the signals comprising light generated by the at least one light source and guided by means of the light guides to the marking elements of the one or more secondary support surface sections connected to the main support surface section and from the marking elements to the at least one detector element;
a display unit; and
an evaluation unit configured to:
determine, based on the signals transmitted to the main support surface section, which type or types of secondary support surface sections are connected to the main support surface sections,
determine the restrictions on operation of the operating table based on at least identification of the one or more secondary support surface sections or a configuration of the patient support surface determined from the signals, and
display the restrictions on the display unit before the patient is placed on the patient support surface.