USE OF A MOBILE ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A MEDICAL DEVICE AND A STERILE GOODS CYCLE MONITORING SYSTEM

Abstract

An energy conversion system for converting kinetic energy into electrical energy and for supplying electricity to at least one electric component of a medical device, which may be a transport and/or storage device for sterile goods, such as a cabinet carriage, a shelf carriage, a supply table or a removal carriage. The electrical energy is generated from movement of at least one part of the medical device and/or the entire medical device. The energy conversion system can be used to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy for making a medical device available. The medical device can include at least one electric component and a monitoring system a sterile goods cycle.

Claims

1. A medical transport and/or storage device comprising: an energy conversion system for converting a kinetic energy into an electrical energy for supplying the electrical energy to at least one electric component of the medical transport and/or storage device; and an energy storage unit configured to intermediately store the electrical energy and to transmit the electrical energy in response to at least one trigger point to a consumer, the electrical energy being generated from movement of the medical transport and/or storage device or at least one part of the medical transport and/or storage device.

2. The medical transport and/or storage device according to claim 1, wherein the medical transport and/or storage device is a cabinet carriage, shelf carriage, supply table or removal carriage.

3. The medical transport and/or storage device according to claim 1, further comprising: a generator arranged and/or mounted on at least one part or at least one roller of the medical storage and/or transport device, the generator configured to convert the kinetic energy into an electrical energy; and a controller configured to convert the electrical energy into a DC voltage and output the electrical energy, the energy storage unit configured to intermediately store the electrical energy output from the controller as DC voltage and output the electrical energy in response to said at least one trigger point to a consumer.

4. The medical transport and/or storage device according to claim 3, wherein the controller and/or the generator is/are provided and configured so as to generate and/or convert the electrical energy as late as after a starting torque.

5. The medical transport and/or storage device according to claim 3, wherein the controller is provided and configured to transmit the DC voltage to the energy storage unit only from a predefined voltage value onwards.

6. The medical transport and/or storage device according to claim 3, wherein the energy storage unit includes an accumulator and/or a capacitor.

7. The medical transport and/or storage device according to claim 1, wherein the energy conversion system is provided and adapted so that the at least one trigger point is set by movement of the medical transport and/or storage device and/or said at least of one part of the medical transport and/or storage device.

8. The medical transport and/or storage device according to claim 1, wherein the energy conversion system is provided and adapted so that the at least one electric component is provided and adapted for a collection and/or transmission of data and/or information.

9. The medical transport and/or storage device according to claim 8, wherein the energy conversion system is provided and adapted so that said collection and/or transmission of data and/or information is carried out at a predetermined interval. The medical transport and/or storage device according to claim 3, wherein the energy conversion system is provided and adapted so that the generator is in the form of a dynamo.

11. The medical transport and/or storage device according to claim 1, wherein the energy conversion system is configured and provided to communicate with at least one communicator so as to provide a tracking of the medical transport and/or storage device.

12. A monitoring system of a sterile goods cycle comprising: a medical transport and/or storage device for sterile goods, the medical transport and/or storage device including at least one electric component or an electronic readout/collection and data transfer unit, the medical transport and/or storage device configured to store sterile goods with/as a data carrier adapted to be read out/collected using the electronic readout/collection and data transfer unit; at least one computing unit/communicator to which data from the electronic readout/collection and data transfer unit is transmittable; an energy supply device for the at least one electric component or the readout/collection and data transfer unit, which has an energy conversion system for converting a kinetic energy into an electrical energy; a generator arranged or mounted on at least one movable part of the medical transport and/or storage device and being configured to convert a kinetic energy generated by the at least one movable part into an electrical energy, a controller configured to convert the electrical energy into a DC voltage; and an energy storage unit configured to intermediately store the electrical energy output by the controller or charge controller as DC voltage and to output the electrical energy in response to at least one trigger point to a consumer.

13. The monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the transport and/or storage device is a cabinet carriage, a shelf carriage, a supply table or a removal carriage.

14. A method for supplying a medical transport and/or storage device with electrical power, the medical transport and/or storage device comprising at least one electronic component and an energy conversion system, the medical transport and/or storage device configured to transport and store sterile goods, the method comprising the steps of: moving the medical transport and/or storage device or at least one part of the medical transport and/or storage device to generate a kinetic energy; converting the kinetic energy to an electrical energy with the energy conversion system; intermediately storing the electrical energy in an energy storage unit arranged in the medical storage and/or transport device; and transmitting the electrical energy in response to at least one trigger point to a consumer.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the transport and/or storage device is a cabinet carriage, a shelf carriage, a supply table or a removal carriage.

16. A medical device for transporting and storing sterile goods, the medical device comprising: at least one electric component or an electronic readout/collection and data transfer unit, wherein sterile goods are stored in or on the medical device with a data carrier adapted to be read out/collected using the at least one electric component or the electronic readout/collection and data transfer unit; an energy supply device for the electric component or the electronic readout/collection and data transfer unit, the energy supply device comprising an energy conversion system, the energy conversion system comprising: a generator arranged or mounted on at least one movable part of the medical device and configured to convert a kinetic energy generated by movement of the at least one movable part into an electrical energy; a controller configured to convert the electrical energy into DC voltage; and an energy storage unit configured to receive the electrical energy from the controller, intermediately store said electrical energy from the controller, and transmit said electrical energy from the controller in response to at least one trigger point to a consumer.

17. The medical device according to claim 16, wherein the medical device is a cabinet carriage, a shelf carriage, a supply table or a removal carriage.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a view of an exemplary shelf carriage for use of the energy conversion system;

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the structure of the energy conversion system of the present disclosure;

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a sterile goods cycle as a basis for the assumed movement times of a movable device in particular according to the present disclosure.

[0045] The Figures are merely schematic and serve for the comprehension of the disclosure. Like elements are designated with like reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In the following, an embodiment of the present disclosure is described on the basis of the related Figures.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a view of a shelf carriage for use of an energy conversion system, hereinafter referred to as medical device 1. The left picture of FIG. 1 shows an empty/non-filled medical, preferably movable device 1, and the right picture of FIG. 1 shows a medical device 1 loaded with sterile containers 7. This medical device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is equipped with four rollers, hereinafter referred to as parts 2 of the medical device 1, wherein at least two rollers/parts 2 are preferably provided with a parking brake. The medical device 1 is movable/pushable and exhibits a segment 8 for three sterile containers 7 up to a maximum height of 280 mm and two segments 8 for six sterile containers 7 up to a maximum height of 165 mm. The external dimensions in this case are 1030×630×1250 mm, but are merely exemplary. Basically, also soft packages can be included in the carriage, in particular when shelf carriages having a closed bottom are concerned.

[0048] FIG. 1 illustrates the complete module of the energy conversion system 9 being arranged/mounted on a part 2 of the medical, preferably movable, device 1. The generator 3 is provided to be in contact with the movable part 2 so as to convert the kinetic energy into electrical energy. The other components such as the controller 4, the energy storage unit 5 and the consumer 6 of the energy conversion system 9 can also be provided directly on the movable part 2 of the medical device 1 or can alternatively be provided elsewhere on the medical device 1. In both cases, an electric connection to the generator is provided. FIG. 1 further schematically illustrates an electric component 13 mounted on the medical device 1. Of preference, the electric component 13 is mounted (for collecting/transmitting the data) on the medical device 1. On the sterile containers 7/the soft packaging (content of the carriage) themselves a label, preferably RFID, which can be detected by the electric component 13, is arranged.

[0049] Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows a communicator 10 to which data and/or information collected by the consumer 6, preferably the electric consumer 6, are transmitted. Further, also plural communicators 10 are provided which are provided and adapted for tracking the medical, preferably movable device 1. In this way, it is possible to monitor the sterilization cycle (described in detail in FIG. 3). Hence, the monitoring system 12 includes at least one communicator 10, at least one electric component 13 and the energy conversion system 9.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a structure of the preferably modular energy conversion system 9 of the present disclosure that is used, according to the disclosure, in a medical movable device 1. FIG. 2 illustrates a generator 3, a controller 4, an energy storage unit 5 and a consumer 6. The generator 3, which is mounted preferably as a hub dynamo on at least one part 2 in the form of a roller shown in FIG. 1 of the medical device 1, is provided and configured to convert the kinetic energy generated on the part 2 of the medical device 1 into electrical energy, wherein the kinetic energy in the exemplary case is generated by pushing/moving the medical device 1.

[0051] The kinetic energy converted into electrical energy by the generator 3 is converted, as induced AC voltage, into DC voltage by the controller/charge controller/rectifier 4 and is finally supplied to the energy storage unit 5. It is especially preferred when the controller 4 is provided and configured to appropriately control the voltage such that a voltage without, or at least with low, variations is supplied to the energy storage unit 5, for example by supply from a defined voltage only. The energy intermediately stored/buffered by means of the DC voltage is finally transmitted on demand, preferably depending on at least one trigger point to the consumer 6. The consumer or consumers 6 is/are electric components 13 provided in the medical device 1 which are provided and configured to read out the content of a sterile container 7 and, resp., the content of the whole medical device 1, for example, and to transmit this information.

[0052] In the present embodiment, it is provided that the energy conversion system 9 as shown in FIG. 2 has to be arranged on at least one of the movable components 2 of the medical device 1 according to FIG. 1 as a complete module comprising the generator 3, the controller 4 and the energy storage unit 5. Accordingly, the components of generator 3, controller 4 and energy storage unit 5 of FIG. 2 can be arranged/mounted as a module on at least one part 2 of the medical device 1, or the module can be arranged/mounted on the medical device 1, when it is already combined with a part 2 of the medical device 1. In other words, ideally the complete module is designed so that it is simply arranged to existing carriages by replacing the rollers or adapting them directly to the carriage bottom, for example (see also FIG. 1). In particular, the energy conversion system 9 is designed in the form of an exchangeable roller having a defined interface to the medical device 1 and being appropriately used.

[0053] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a sterile goods cycle 11 as a basis for the assumed movement times of the medical device 1 according to the present disclosure. The sterile goods cycle in FIG. 3 includes the following working/process steps which are passed by the instruments/sterile goods in a medical device 1 and are adequately monitored by the monitoring system 12. The sterile goods cycle 11 includes the following eight steps: [0054] supply, [0055] use, [0056] pre-purification/disassembly/removal, [0057] decontamination, [0058] check, care and functional test, [0059] packaging/labeling, [0060] sterilization/documented release, and [0061] storage.

[0062] In this case, merely during the steps of storage and decontamination the medical device 1 is not moved so that in said two phases energy generation/conversion is not possible.

[0063] In the following, with respect to FIG. 3, assumptions concerning achievable amounts of energy are illustrated which are generated within a sterile goods treatment cycle 11. The movement of the medical device 1/carriage within the sterile goods cycle 11 forms the basis of generating energy.

[0064] The sterile goods cycle 11 is basically composed of the afore-mentioned eight individual steps. Accordingly, the essential movement of the medical device 1/carriage takes place between the storage and the decontamination. This means that during supply, use, pre-purification/disassembly/removal, check/care/functional test, packaging/labeling and sterilization/documented release the medical device 1 is in motion. The transport times, by way of example in two German hospitals, are known from the “Analysis of process and costs of alternative packaging options of sterile goods in hospitals—a case study in two German hospitals” by Krohn et al. These are:

[0065] transport from operating theater to ZSVA: 6:39 minutes

[0066] distance from ZSVA to airlock: 3:03 minutes

[0067] distance from airlock to operating theater: 3:58 minutes

[0068] Hence, it has to be assumed that the medical device 1 (the carriage) is pushed/is in motion over a complete sterile goods cycle 11 for at least 75% of this time. This corresponds to about 10 minutes.

[0069] By P=η*ω*M a possible capacity to be generated can be determined using an efficiency η of the generator 3, the angular speed w of the part 2 of the medical device 1 (the roller) and the torque M applied to the movable part 2 (the roller).

[0070] On the assumption that the carriage/medical device 1 is moved at 3 km/h, an angular speed of the part 2 of the medical device 1 of ω=1.76*2*η[1/s] is resulting with a roller diameter or, resp., diameter of the part 2 of the medical device 1 of 150 mm, which is common for a large shelf carriage. The torque is finally determined from the effective radius in the generator 3 and the resistance. The resistance is a question of interpretation. Therefore, in this context, an approximation is made on the basis of ergonomic issues.

[0071] According to DIN standard 33411, women can pull a maximum of 110 N and push a maximum of 140 N. Therefrom, according to DIN standard 33411, physical strength of the human being part 5 >Maximum static action forces<Table 11, it follows that the following practice-oriented forces are achieved during pulling: [0072] 95% of all men pull about 190 N, [0073] 50% pull about 275 N, [0074] 5% pull about 400 N, and [0075] 95% of all women pull about 110 N, [0076] 50% pull about 180 N, [0077] 5% pull about 260 N.

[0078] For pushing at a handle at a height of 1.35 m with safe stand, the following values are resulting: [0079] 95% of all men push about 310 N, [0080] 50% push about 510 N, [0081] 5% push about 770 N, and [0082] 95% of all women push about 140 N, [0083] 50% push about 250 N, [0084] 5% push about 400 N.

[0085] For damage-free and convenient handling of the loads, 15% of the maximum force should not be exceeded. Therefrom a minimum force of 16.5 N is resulting which can be easily applied. This force can be divided into the rolling resistance of the medical device 1/carriage (the starting torque is left out of consideration, as the generator 3 (dynamo) is to be connected only at a later point in time) and the force available for driving the generator 3. Here it is assumed that 8 N are available.

[0086] With an assumed efficient diameter of the generator 3 of r=50 mm and an efficiency of the generator 3 and control of η=0.5, the following capacity is resulting:

[00001]$P=\eta *\omega \times M=0.5*1.75*2*\pi *1/s*8N*50\mathrm{mm}*1m/1000\mathrm{mm}=2.2W$

[0087] Based on the fact that the consumer is switched for one second each time, with one watt power consumption 1320 operations are resulting, with five watts power consumption 264 operations are resulting which are possible with this amount of energy.

[0088] Thus, the energy conversion system 9 is capable, based on the afore-made assumptions, of working completely self-sustaining and of supplying all electric components which are provided on/in the medical device 1 with power/energy.

[0089] Ideally, the complete energy conversion system 9/module is designed and configured so that it can be arranged on at least one medical device (carriages), for example by replacing the parts 2 (rollers) of the medical device 1 or adapting the same directly to the bottom of the medical device 1 (carriage bottom).