MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY DEVICE WITH WIRELESSLY CONNECTED FOOT SWITCH

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (1) comprising a medical technology device (10) controllable via a foot switch (20), and a foot switch (20), wherein the foot switch (20) comprises a transmitter and the medical technology device (10) comprises a receiver for the wireless transmission of unambiguously assignable signals for the control from the foot switch (20) to the medical technology device (10), and wherein the receiver of the medical technology device (10) is designed to measure the signal strength of signals from the foot switch (20), and the medical technology device (10) is designed to emit a warning if the measured signal strength or the signal-to-noise ratio lies below a predefined threshold value.

Claims

1. A system (1) comprising a medical technology device (10) controllable via a foot switch (20), and a foot switch (20), wherein the foot switch (20) comprises a transmitter and the medical technology device (10) comprises a receiver for the wireless transmission of unambiguously assignable signals for the control from the foot switch (20) to the medical technology device (10), characterized in that the receiver of the medical technology device (10) is designed to measure the signal strength of signals from the foot switch (20), and the medical technology device (10) is designed to emit a warning if the measured signal strength or the signal-to-noise ratio lies below a predefined threshold value.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the transmitter of the foot switch (20) and the receiver of the medical technology device (10) are in each case part of a transceiver (15, 20) in each case comprising a transmitter and a receiver for two-way communication between the foot switch (20) and the medical technology device (10).

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the transceiver (21) of the foot switch (20) is designed to measure the signal strength of signals from the medical technology device (10), and the foot switch (20) is designed to emit a warning if the measured signal strength or the signal-to-noise ratio lies below a predefined threshold value.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the transceiver (21, 15) of the foot switch (20) and/or of the medical technology device (10) is designed to transmit a signal in response to a ping signal received from the transceiver (15, 21) of the medical technology device (10) or of the foot switch (20), on the basis of which the receiver of the medical technology device (10) or of the foot switch (20) can determine the signal strength.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the foot switch (20) and/or the medical technology device (10) is designed to regularly transmit signals independently from a required control of the medical technology device, on the basis of which the receiver of the medical technology device (10) or of the foot switch (20) can determine the signal strength and/or the signal-to noise ratio.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the foot switch (20) and/or the medical technology device (10) has visual and/or audible warning elements (14, 22) to emit a warning.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the foot switch (20) and/or the medical technology device (10) has a visual indicator (13) to display the signal strength.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the foot switch (20) comprises an energy store, preferably a battery, for wireless operation.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the foot switch (20) and the medical technology device (10) are designed for communication according to a Bluetooth standard.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the medical technology device (10) which is to be controlled is an HF generator, in particular for endoscopy, an ultrasonic generator and/or a laser system.

Description

[0024] The invention will now be further described by way of example on the basis of an advantageous embodiment with reference to the attached drawing, In the drawing:

[0025] FIG. 1: shows a first exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a system 1 according to the invention comprising a medical technology device 10 and a foot switch 20 which are wirelessly interconnected.

[0027] The medical technology device 10 is an HF generator to the terminals 11 of which an electroscalpel (not shown) can be connected, for example for minimally invasive surgery also. The settings for the HF generator can be read from, but can also defined on, the touch-sensitive display 12.

[0028] A bar display 13 and a tone generator as the audible warning element 14 are provided along with the display 12. Internally within the medical technology device 10, a transceiver 15 with a similarly internal antenna 16 is provided. The transceiver comprises a transmitter and a receiver and is designed to transmit and receive signals according to a Bluetooth standard.

[0029] The foot switch 20 is battery-operated and similarly has a transceiver 21 which is designed to transmit and receive signals according to the same Bluetooth standard as the transceiver 15 of the medical technology device 10.

[0030] Furthermore, the foot switch 20 also has a tone generator as an audible warning element 22.

[0031] Both the transceiver 15 of the medical technology device 10 and the transceiver 21 of the foot switch 20 are designed to communicate with one another. Signals are transmitted, in particular, via the actuations of the foot switch 20 between these two transceivers 15, 21 so that the medical technology device 10 is controlled according to the setting of the foot switch 20.

[0032] Both transceivers 15, 21 are further designed to determine the signal strength and the signal-to-noise ratio of the signals exchanged between them. The signal strength determined by the transceiver 15 of the medical technology device is displayed directly via the bar display 13.

[0033] In addition, both the transceiver 15 of the medical technology device 10 and the transceiver 21 of the foot switch 20 compare the determined signal strength and the determined signal-to-noise ratio in each case with predefined threshold values. If a threshold value is understepped, this indicates an interrupted or poor connection between the two transceivers 15, 21, whereupon an audible warning is emitted via the respective tone generator 14, 22. In addition, the bar display 13 of the medical technology device 10 can be illuminated and/or can flash in a color differing from the usual color.

[0034] In order to ensure that the transceiver 21 of the foot switch can regularly perform the relevant determination and checking of the signal strength or the signal-to-noise ratio, the transceiver 15 of the medical technology device 10 transmits signals at regular intervals to the foot switch 20, said signals being received and processed accordingly by the transceiver 21 of the foot switch 20.

[0035] These signals regularly transmitted by the transceiver 15 of the medical technology device 10 are ping signals which, along with the checking of the signal strength or the signal-to-noise ratio by the foot switch 20, simultaneously represent a prompt to the transceiver 21 of the foot switch 20 to similarly transmit a signal, irrespective of whether an actuation of the foot switch, which would alternatively trigger a signal, takes place or not. In this way, the transceiver 15 of the medical technology device 10 can also regularly check the signal strength and the signal-to-noise ratio, and, as described, can emit a warning as soon as one of the two values drops below a respectively predefined threshold value.

[0036] The above-mentioned signals can similarly be, in particular, ping signals provided in the Bluetooth standard that is used.