Control system for a medical installation and medical installation
Inventors
Müller, Matthias • Pfeiffer, Thomas • Atzinger, Franz • Karl, Harald • Schliermann, Claus-Günter • Dirauf, Franz
Assignees
Publication Number
US-12364447-B2
Publication Date
2025-07-22
Expiration Date
2043-04-27
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Abstract
A control system for a medical installation, wherein the control system is configured to control a motorized movement of an installation component. The control system includes a control path and a protection path. The control path is configured to control the motorized movement. The protection path is independent of the control path and configured to monitor the control path with regard to compliance with a safety criterion for the motorized movement. The protection path includes at least one freely programmable microcontroller.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a control system for a medical installation designed to control a motorized movement of an installation component. The control system includes a control path that performs functional movement control and a protection path, independent of the control path, which monitors whether the control path complies with at least one safety criterion for the motorized movement. The protection path incorporates at least one freely programmable microcontroller that can implement flexible and application-specific safety functions beyond simple discrete logic operations, enabling comprehensive and modular safety monitoring.
The problem addressed arises from the risk of collisions during motorized movements of components in medical installations, which can cause injury or damage. Conventional safety measures, such as dead man's release or tactile collision facilities, rely on user supervision or detect collisions only after they occur, which limits autonomy and requires constant visual monitoring. Existing programmable safety logics tend to be restricted to industrial applications, are hardware-bound, lack flexibility in interfaces, and become complex and costly for sophisticated safety requirements in medical contexts.
The invention aims to provide a flexible, cost-effective, and easily integrable solution for implementing complex safety concepts in medical installations. By employing a freely programmable microcontroller within an independent protection path integrated on the same printed circuit board as control modules, the system enables customizable, application-specific safety monitoring and control in compliance with first-failure safety criteria. This approach reduces hardware complexity and development/authorization costs while allowing autonomous or semi-autonomous motorized movements with enhanced safety.
Claims Coverage
The patent discloses multiple independent claims focused on the architecture and components of a control system for medical installations, outlining inventive features related to the integration of programmable microcontrollers, safety monitoring, and control module structures.
Integration of an independent protection path with a freely programmable microcontroller
The control system includes a protection path independent of the control path that monitors compliance with motorized movement safety criteria and incorporates at least one freely programmable microcontroller.
Programmable safety logic linking digital and analog inputs to outputs
The microcontroller has multiple digital and analog signal inputs and outputs, where at least one input is linked to at least one output through programmable safety logic implementing application-specific safety functions.
Control path comprising central, motor control, and interface modules
The control path includes a central control module generating control signals, a motor control module executing these signals, and an interface module acquiring surroundings, movement parameters, or user input and transmitting signals to other control modules.
Sensor module providing surroundings and movement parameters to interface module
A sensor module supplies surroundings and movement parameters from respective sensors to the interface module for control processing.
Protection path microcontroller arranged as standalone on same PCB as interface module
The freely programmable microcontroller is configured as a standalone function block situated on the same printed circuit board as the control path's interface module.
Communication between protection path microcontroller and control path
The protection path microcontroller communicates bidirectionally with the control path via at least one signal input or output, allowing coordinated control and safety actions.
Software modules within the microcontroller implementing safety functions and tests
The microcontroller includes an application-specific software module with multiple safety functions for specific safety criteria and a generic software module enabling access and performing safety test methods for signal inputs, outputs, and safety functions.
Provision of redundant sensors for protection path safety monitoring
The protection path incorporates at least one redundant surroundings sensor or additional movement sensor that supplies parameters to the microcontroller to enhance safety monitoring reliability.
Redundant acquisition of user input by protection path microcontroller
At least one signal input of the protection path microcontroller is connected redundantly to the medical installation's input unit to acquire user input parallel to the control path.
Definition of safety criteria monitored by protection path
The safety criteria for monitoring include minimum distance, maximum speed, maximum acceleration, maximum torque, maximum force, and position boundary along a movement direction.
Medical installation incorporating the described control system
A medical installation includes the control system controlling motorized movements of installation components as per the invention.
Specific embodiments of the medical installation
The medical installation can be a radiography installation with an X-ray tube stand and patient bench or a mobile medical X-ray imaging installation.
The independent claims broadly cover a modular control system architecture for medical installations, emphasizing an independent protection path with a freely programmable microcontroller for flexible, programmable safety monitoring and control, integrated sensor and control modules, redundant sensing, software-based safety functions and tests, and applications to various medical installation types.
Stated Advantages
The protection path improves responsiveness of the control system due to faster reaction times compared to manual user reactions, reducing residual risks associated with motorized movement.
Integration of the protection path microcontroller on the same printed circuit board as the interface module enables space-saving, simple, and cost-effective hardware design.
The freely programmable nature of the protection path microcontroller allows adaptation to application-specific safety functions without hardware changes, enabling flexibility across different medical installations.
Use of a generic, standardized circuit macro reduces development and authorization costs compared to industrial programmable safety logics, providing significant cost advantages.
Provision for redundant sensors enhances independence and reliability of safety monitoring, increasing operational safety of medical installations.
The modular control-protection architecture facilitates implementation of certification-compliant first-failure safety concepts in medical devices.
Documented Applications
Control of motorized movements in medical installations involving movable components such as X-ray tube stands, patient benches, or X-ray detector stands.
Radiography installations comprising movable X-ray tube stands and patient benches performing conventional fluoroscopic X-ray imaging.
Mobile medical X-ray imaging installations capable of flexible translatory movement within or across medical facility rooms.
Medical imaging, intervention, or treatment installations requiring autonomous or semi-autonomous positioning and movement of components.
Implementation of first-failure safety monitoring and protective control functions in motorized medical equipment.
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