OPERATING TABLE, SYSTEM OF THE OPERATING TABLE AND AN EVALUATION UNIT AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SYSTEM

Abstract

An operating table comprises a tabletop having a lying surface, and a plurality of sensors respectively configured to detect presence of a part of a patient's body on the tabletop above the respective sensor, wherein the sensors are configured to detect different physical characteristics of the part of the patient's body in order to determine the posture of the part of the patient's body or of the patient's body.

Claims

1. An operating table comprising a tabletop having a lying surface, and a plurality of sensors configured to detect presence of a part of a patient's body on the tabletop above the respective sensor, wherein the sensors are configured to detect different physical characteristics of the part of the patient's body.

2. The operating table of claim 1, wherein the physical characteristics comprise a weight of at least a relevant part of the patient's body and a conductivity of the patient's body, and one kind of the sensors comprises a pressure sensor and another kind of the sensors comprises a capacitive proximity sensor.

3. The operating table of claim 2, wherein the sensors comprise a flexible material.

4. The operating table of claim 3, wherein the pressure sensor comprise a pressure-sensitive conductive sheet.

5. The operating table of claim 3, wherein the capacitive proximity sensor comprises a textile-based capacitive sensor.

6. The operating table of claim 2, wherein the operating table comprises at least one pad provided on the tabletop, and the sensors are integrated in the at least one pad.

7. The operating table of claim 6, wherein the operating table comprises several pads, and the sensors are integrated in more than one of the several pads.

8. The operating table of claim 6, wherein the sensors are arranged at predefined locations in a sensor array.

9. The operating table of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensor comprise a pressure-sensitive conductive sheet.

10. The operating table of claim 9, wherein the capacitive proximity sensor comprises a textile-based capacitive sensor.

11. The operating table of claim 8, wherein the capacitive proximity sensor comprises a textile-based capacitive sensor.

12. A system comprising an operating table including a tabletop having a lying surface, and a plurality of sensors configured to detect presence of a part of a patient's body on the tabletop above the respective sensor, and an evaluation unit, wherein the sensors are configured to detect different physical characteristics of the part of the patient's body, wherein the sensors are configured to respectively provide a presence signal when the presence of the part of the patient's body is detected by the respective sensor, and wherein the evaluation unit is configured to evaluate the presence signal of the sensors at the predefined locations.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine a posture of the part of the patient's body and/or of the patient's body from the predefined locations of the sensors providing the presence signal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the physical characteristics comprise a weight of at least a relevant part of the patient's body and a conductivity of the patient's body, and one kind of the sensors comprises a pressure sensor and another kind of the sensors comprises a capacitive proximity sensor, and wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine a pressure exerted by the part of the patient's body at the predefined locations.

15. A method for operating a system, the system including an operating table having a tabletop and a plurality of sensors configured to detect presence of a part of a patient's body on the tabletop, the sensors arranged at predefined locations in a sensor array, and an evaluation unit, the method including the steps: providing, with the sensors, a presence signal when the presence of the part of the patient's body is detected by a respective sensor, detecting, with the sensors, a plurality of different physical characteristics of a part of a patient's body supported on the tabletop, evaluating, with the evaluation unit, the presence signal of the respective sensors at the predefined locations, determining, with the evaluation unit, the pressure exerted by the part of the patient's body at the predefined locations, and determining, with the evaluation unit, the posture of the patient's body from the presence signals of the sensors at the predefined locations.

16. The method of claim 15, further including the step: determining and signaling a potential risk of falling from the tabletop for the patient from the posture of the patient's body.

17. The method of claim 16, further including the steps: determining a center of gravity of the patient's body by the evaluation unit; and signaling a potential risk for tilting of the operating table.

18. The method of claim 17, further including the step: storing a time-dependent posture of the patient's body.

19. The method of claim 18, further including the steps: determining potential decubitus risk from the time-dependent posture of the patient's body and pressure values of a pressure sensor; and signaling the potential decubitus risk.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a system according to the present disclosure comprising an operating table and an evaluation unit; and

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a method for operating the system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a system 1 comprising an operating table 2 and an evaluation unit 3. The operating table 2 comprises a tabletop 4 having a lying surface 5. The tabletop 4 comprises four tabletop sections 6, 7, 8, 9. In particular, the operating table 2 comprises a head plate 6, a back plate 7, a seat plate 8 and a leg plate 9. The tabletop sections 6, 7, 8, 9 are movable with respect to one another.

[0030] Further, the operating table 2 comprises a plurality of sensors 10, 11. The sensors 10 and the sensors 11 are different kinds of sensors and detect respectively different physical characteristics of a part of a patient's body. In FIG. 1, the quantity of the respective sensors 10, 11 and the location of the sensors 10, 11 are merely depicted in principle, wherein, for reasons of clarity and comprehensibility, not all of the depicted sensors 10, 11 are denoted with a reference sign. In fact, the quantity and the location of the sensors 10, 11 is determined such that, by the sensors 10, 11, presence of a part of a patient's body on the tabletop 4 above the respective sensor 10, 11 is detected. In alternative embodiments, the quantity and the locations of the sensors 10, 11 are different from the depicted illustration.

[0031] The physical characteristics comprise a weight of the part of the patient' body and a conductivity of the patient's body. One kind of the sensors 10 comprises a pressure sensor and another kind of the sensors 11 comprises a capacitive proximity sensor. In alternative embodiments, other sensors than the capacitive proximity sensors and the pressure sensors are used, e.g., a camera instead of the capacitive proximity sensor.

[0032] The sensors 10, 11 are made of a flexible material. In particular, the pressure sensor is made of a pressure-sensitive conductive sheet and the capacitive proximity sensor comprises a textile-based capacitive sensor. In alternative embodiments, the sensors are not made of a flexible material or do not comprise a flexible material so that they are made of or comprise a rigid material. Further alternatively, other pressure-sensitive materials or other materials providing the function of a capacitive proximity sensor are used.

[0033] The operating table 2 comprises several pads 12, 13, 14, 15 each being provided on one of the tabletop sections 6, 7, 8, 9. The pads 12, 13, 14, 15 form the lying surface 5 of the tabletop 4. The sensors 10, 11 are integrated in the pads 12, 13, 14, 15 of the head plate 12, the back plate 13, the seat plate 14, and the leg plate 15. In alternative embodiments, only one pad is provided for one or several of the tabletop sections 6, 7, 8, 9. Hence, the sensors 10, 11 are merely integrated in one pad. Further alternatively, the sensors 10, 11 are integrated in more than one but in not all of the pads 12, 13, 14, 15 or they are not integrated but are provided on or below the pads 12, 13, 14, 15.

[0034] The sensors 10, 11 are arranged at predefined locations in a sensor array 16. In this embodiment, the sensor array 16 covers the entire surface of the pads 12, 13, 14, 15 of the head plate 6, back plate 7, the seat plate 8, and the leg plate 9. In alternative embodiments, the sensor array 16 merely covers portions of the respective pads 12, 13, 14, 15 or it does not cover all of the pads 12, 13, 14, 15.

[0035] The sensors 10, 11 are connected to the evaluation unit 3. For reasons of clarity and comprehensibility, only the sensors 10, 11 of the head plate 6 are depicted as being connected to the evaluation unit 3. Actually, all of the sensors 10, 11, are connected to the evaluation unit 3. The evaluation unit 3 evaluates the presence signals of the sensors 10, 11 at the predefined locations. In particular, the evaluation unit 3 determines a posture of the part of the patient's body from the predefined locations of the sensors 10, 11 providing the presence signal. Alternatively, the evaluation unit 3 determines a posture of the entire patient's body from the predefined locations of the sensors 10, 11 providing the presence signal. Furthermore, it is possible to differentiate between the patient's body and any item lying on the tabletop 4.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a method for operating the system. In use, the evaluation unit 3 determines the posture of the patient's body by the evaluation unit from the presence signals of the sensors at the predefined locations.

[0037] In step S1, the posture of the patient's body is determined from the posture of the body parts of the patient's body. The posture of the body parts of the patient's body is respectively determined by identifying the body part due to its shape and location detected by the sensors 10, 11 at the predefined locations with respect to the shape and location of other body parts detected by the sensors 10, 11.

[0038] In an optional step S2, by the determination of the location and a motion of the several body parts, i.e. the posture of the patient's body, by the sensors 10, 11, a potential risk of falling from the tabletop for the patient can be determined from the posture of the patient's body by the evaluation unit 3 and be signaled. This signaling is, e.g., performed by an audible signal.

[0039] In a further optional step S3, based on the signals of the pressure sensors, a center of gravity of the patient's body can be determined by the evaluation unit 3. In case that the location of the center of gravity of the patient's body exerts a location threshold, a potential risk for tilting of the operating table is signaled, e.g., by an audible signal.

[0040] Furthermore, in an optional step S4, a data of time-dependent postures of the patient's body is stored. These stored data can be used for documenting the patient's posture during a surgical intervention. Hence, e.g., a prospective intervention after the surgical intervention for avoiding or diminishing decubitus can be performed. Also, optionally, other interventions concerning circulatory or for avoiding joint pain can be performed.

[0041] From the results of the time-dependent posture of the patient's body and the pressure values of the pressure sensors, in an optional step S5, a potential decubitus risk can be determined during the surgical intervention. The risk can be signaled by, e.g., an audible signal so that the posture of the patient can be changed or other measures, e.g., providing a specific cushion, can be performed. Furthermore, it is possible to give other systems access to that data.

[0042] Although this disclosure refers to specific embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the subject matter set forth in the accompanying claims. While the present disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawing and the foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. From reading the present disclosure, other modifications will be apparent to a person skilled in the art. Such modifications may involve other features, which are already known in the art and may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality.