Microscope system and method for controlling a surgical microscope

Abstract

A microscope system comprises a surgical microscope, an operating device configured to be operated by a user, and a processor configured to receive a command signal from the operating device in response to the user operation and to control the surgical microscope based on the command signal, wherein the operating device comprises a sensor unit configured to detect the user operation and to generate the command signal based on the detected user operation, wherein the sensor unit is further configured to be worn by the user.

Claims

1. A microscope system, comprising: a surgical microscope, an operating device configured to be operated by a user, and a processor configured to receive a command signal from the operating device in response to the user operation and to control the surgical microscope based on the command signal, wherein the operating device comprises a sensor unit configured to detect the user operation and to generate the command signal based on the detected user operation, wherein the sensor unit is further configured to be worn by the user.

2. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises at least one sensor selected from a group comprising a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a muscle activity sensor, a button, a pressure sensor, a magnetic field sensor, an electric field sensor, an induction sensor, and a microphone.

3. The microscope system according to claim 2, wherein the sensor unit comprises at least two sensors from the group, said two sensors being configured to interact with each other.

4. The microscope system according to claim 3, wherein one of the two sensors is configured to detect an activation of the sensor unit, and the other sensor is configured to generate the command signal based on the user input after detecting the activation of the sensor unit.

5. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is configured to be a stand-alone sensor unit.

6. The microscope system according to claim 1, comprising a further sensor unit configured to interact with said sensor unit to generate the command signal.

7. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises a feedback module configured to provide a feedback information on an operating state.

8. The microscope system according to claim 7, wherein said feedback information comprises at least one of an activation state of the sensor unit and an operating status of the surgical microscope.

9. The microscope system according to claim 7, wherein the feedback module is configured to provide said feedback in form of at least one of vibration, mechanical pressure, electrical pulse, sound, and light.

10. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit further comprises a control element configured to control the surgical microscope in a manner not related to the generation of said command signal.

11. The microscope system according to claim 10, wherein the control element is configured to detect a user identification.

12. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is further configured to detect a physical condition of the user.

13. The microscope system according to claim 1, comprising a user wearable device configured to be worn on a part of the body of the user, said user wearable device including the sensor unit.

14. A method for controlling a surgical microscope, the method comprising: detecting a user operation by means of a sensor unit which is worn by a user, generating a command signal based on the detected user operation, and controlling the surgical microscope based on the command signal.

15. A non-transitory storage medium having electronically readable control signals stored thereon, which cooperate with a programmable computer system such that a method for controlling a surgical microscope is performed, the method comprising: detecting a user operation by means of a sensor unit which is worn by a user, generating a command signal based on the detected user operation, and controlling the surgical microscope based on the command signal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0023] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments are described with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a microscope system according to an embodiment; and

[0025] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for controlling a surgical microscope included in the microscope system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a microscope system 100 comprising a surgical microscope 102 and a processor 104. The processor 104 may be included in a control device such as a computer which is physically separated from the surgical microscope 102. Alternatively, the processor 104 may be integrated with the surgical microscope 102.

[0027] The microscope system 100 further comprises an operating device 106 which is operated by a user 108 when performing surgery on a patient. For instance, the user 108 may operate the operating device 106 to control the surgical microscope 102 in terms of repositioning, focusing, zooming, etc. For this, the operating device 106 is configured to generate a command signal S in response to the user operation and to transmit the command signal S to the processor 104. Preferably, the transmission of the command signal S from the operating device 106 to the processor 104 is conducted by means of a wireless communication. Accordingly, the operating device 106 and the processor 104 may include corresponding wireless communication means 110 and 112, respectively.

[0028] The operating device 106 comprises at least one sensor unit which is configured to detect the user operation and to generate the command signal S based on the detected user operation. For the purpose of illustration, FIG. 1 shows a plurality of sensor units 114, 116, 118, 120, 122 which might be used alone or in combination for detecting the user operation and generating the command signal. In particular, it is sufficient to use only one of the sensor units 114 to 122. Nevertheless, circumstances are conceivable in which using more than one single sensor unit may have some benefits, in particular when the control of the surgical microscope 102 to be executed by the user 108 becomes relatively complex.

[0029] According to the example shown in FIG. 1, different types of sensors may be provided, for instance a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a button. Each of the sensor units 114 to 122 may comprise one or more of these sensor types. In FIG. 1, the different sensor types are referred to by different suffices “a”, “b” and “c”, wherein “a” designates a gyroscope sensor type, “b” an accelerometer sensor type, and “c” a button sensor type. Accordingly, reference signs 114a and 114b shall e.g. illustrate that the sensor unit 114 may be formed by a gyroscope and an accelerometer, respectively. The same applies to the other sensor units 116 to 122.

[0030] Each of the sensor units 114 to 122 is configured to be worn by the user 108. For instance, the sensor unit 114 is included in a user wearable device 124 which is configured to be worn on a wrist of the user 108. Thus, the user wearable device 124 may be formed by a wrist band.

[0031] Correspondingly, the sensor unit 116 is included in a user wearable device 126 to be worn on an upper arm of the user 108. Thus, the user wearable device 126 may be formed by a bracelet. The sensor unit 118 is included in a user wearable device 128 which is to be worn on an ankle of the user 108. Accordingly, the user wearable device 128 may be formed by a foot strap. The sensor device 120 is included in a user wearable device 130 to be worn on a knee of the user 108. Accordingly, the user wearable device 130 may be formed by a knee strap. Finally, the sensor unit 122 is included in a user wearable device 132 to be worn on the head of the user 108. Thus, the user wearable device 132 may be formed by a headband.

[0032] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the sensor unit 114 may comprise a gyroscope 114a and/or an accelerometer 114b. Likewise, the sensor unit 116 may comprise a button 116c, the sensor unit 118 may comprise a gyroscope 118a, an accelerometer 118b and/or a button 118c. The sensor unit 120 may comprise a button 120c. The sensor unit 122 may comprise a gyroscope 122a and/or an accelerometer 122b.

[0033] The sensors shown in FIG. 1 are to be understood merely as examples. Other sensor types may be used, e.g. muscle activity sensors, pressure sensors, magnetic fields sensors, electric field sensors, induction sensors, and microphones.

[0034] As illustrated in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, different sensor types may be combined in order to increase the accuracy with which the user operation is detected. For instance, the accuracy of detecting a hand movement may be increased in case that the sensor unit 114 uses both the gyroscope 114a and the accelerometer 114b. Likewise, one of the afore-mentioned sensors may be configured to detect an activation of the sensor unit 114, whereas the other sensor may generate the command signal S after the activation of the sensor unit 114 has been detected.

[0035] The sensor units 114 to 122 shown in FIG. 1 are configured to be stand-alone sensor units. However, each of the sensor units 114 to 122 may be configured to interact with a corresponding counterpart device.

[0036] Further, each of the sensor units 114 to 122 may comprise a feedback module providing a feedback information based on which the user 108 is enabled to detect a specific operating state of the surgical microscope 102. For instance, such a feedback module may inform the user 108 that an attempt to initiate the corresponding sensor unit failed.

[0037] Further, the sensor units 114 to 122 may be configured to measure a physical condition of the user 108, e.g. fatigue, stress, tremor, and stability.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram illustrating an example of a method for controlling the surgical microscope 102. For the example shown in FIG. 2, it is assumed that a hand movement of the user 108 is detected by the gyroscope 114a included in the wrist band 124.

[0039] In step S1, the user 108 moves his hand in order to control the surgical microscope 102 in a specific way, e.g. for focusing onto a target area of a patient to be examined.

[0040] In step S2, the gyroscope 114a detects the hand movement performed by the user 108 and generates the command signal S based on the detected hand movement.

[0041] In step S3, the gyroscope 114a transmits the command signal S to the processor 104 via wireless communication using the communication means 110 and 112.

[0042] In step S4, the processor generates a control signal C and transmits the control signal C to the surgical microscope.

[0043] In step S5, the surgical microscope 102 performs the operation intended by the user based on the control signal C. For example, the surgical microscope 102 actuates a drive mechanism for focusing an optical system onto the target area.

[0044] Although some aspects have been described in the context of an apparatus, it is clear that these aspects also represent a description of the corresponding method, where a block or device corresponds to a method step or a feature of a method step. Analogously, aspects described in the context of a method step also represent a description of a corresponding block or item or feature of a corresponding apparatus. Some or all of the method steps may be executed by (or using) a hardware apparatus, like for example, a processor, a microprocessor, a programmable computer or an electronic circuit. In some embodiments, some one or more of the most important method steps may be executed by such an apparatus.

[0045] Depending on certain implementation requirements, embodiments of the invention can be implemented in hardware or in software. The implementation can be performed using a non-transitory storage medium such as a digital storage medium, for example a floppy disc, a DVD, a Blu-Ray, a CD, a ROM, a PROM, and EPROM, an EEPROM or a FLASH memory, having electronically readable control signals stored thereon, which cooperate (or are capable of cooperating) with a programmable computer system such that the respective method is performed. Therefore, the digital storage medium may be computer readable.

[0046] Some embodiments according to the invention comprise a data carrier having electronically readable control signals, which are capable of cooperating with a programmable computer system, such that one of the methods described herein is performed.

[0047] Generally, embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a computer program product with a program code, the program code being operative for performing one of the methods when the computer program product runs on a computer. The program code may, for example, be stored on a machine-readable carrier.

[0048] Other embodiments comprise the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein, stored on a machine-readable carrier.

[0049] In other words, an embodiment of the present invention is, therefore, a computer program having a program code for performing one of the methods described herein, when the computer program runs on a computer.

[0050] A further embodiment of the present invention is, therefore, a storage medium (or a data carrier, or a computer-readable medium) comprising, stored thereon, the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein when it is performed by a processor. The data carrier, the digital storage medium or the recorded medium are typically tangible and/or non-transitionary. A further embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus as described herein comprising a processor and the storage medium.

[0051] A further embodiment of the invention is, therefore, a data stream or a sequence of signals representing the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein. The data stream or the sequence of signals may, for example, be configured to be transferred via a data communication connection, for example, via the internet.

[0052] A further embodiment comprises a processing means, for example, a computer or a programmable logic device, configured to, or adapted to, perform one of the methods described herein.

[0053] A further embodiment comprises a computer having installed thereon the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein.

[0054] A further embodiment according to the invention comprises an apparatus or a system configured to transfer (for example, electronically or optically) a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein to a receiver. The receiver may, for example, be a computer, a mobile device, a memory device, or the like. The apparatus or system may, for example, comprise a file server for transferring the computer program to the receiver.

[0055] In some embodiments, a programmable logic device (for example, a field programmable gate array) may be used to perform some or all of the functionalities of the methods described herein. In some embodiments, a field programmable gate array may cooperate with a microprocessor in order to perform one of the methods described herein. Generally, the methods are preferably performed by any hardware apparatus.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0056] 100 microscope system

[0057] 102 surgical microscope

[0058] 104 processor

[0059] 106 operating device

[0060] 108 user

[0061] 110, 112 wireless communication means

[0062] 114 sensor means

[0063] 114a gyroscope

[0064] 114b accelerometer

[0065] 116 sensor means

[0066] 116c button

[0067] 118 sensor means

[0068] 118a gyroscope

[0069] 118b accelerometer

[0070] 118c button

[0071] 120 sensor unit

[0072] 120c button

[0073] 122 sensor means

[0074] 122a gyroscope

[0075] 122b accelerometer

[0076] 124 wrist band

[0077] 126 bracelet

[0078] 128 foot strap

[0079] 130 knee strap

[0080] 132 headband

[0081] S command signal

[0082] C control signal