INTERFACE FOR A MEDICAL DEVICE WITH AN ADAPTIVE ACTUATION SENSOR

Abstract

An interface for a medical device, in particular an extracorporeal blood treatment machine or a dialysis machine, includes a display for displaying display operating elements, base operating elements provided next to the display, and an optical actuation sensor. The optical actuation sensor detects a user interaction with, in particular a touching of, the display operating elements of the display and the base operating elements disposed in the same plane. The optical actuation sensor can be partially activated or deactivated.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. An interface for a medical device, the interface comprising: a display for displaying icons and having a plurality of actuation zones; operating buttons which are provided next to the display; and at least one optical actuation sensor which detects user interaction with the icons and the operating buttons, the least one optical actuation sensor configured for at least one of: adaptively switching different parts of the actuation zones on and off, and omitting a partial area of the display to ignore user interaction with the partial area of the display.

13. The interface according to claim 12, wherein the icons or the display and the operating buttons are adaptively wired separately or in groups by partial activation or deactivation of the at least one optical actuation sensor.

14. The interface according to claim 12, wherein the at least one optical actuation sensor is configured to be deactivated, when the display at least partially fails, in an area of the display or in a respective partial area thereof.

15. The interface according to claim 14, wherein the at least one optical actuation sensor comprises a sensor panel extending in parallel to the display and the operating buttons so that a detection surface spanned by the at least one optical actuation sensor superimposes the display and the operating buttons.

16. The interface according to claim 15, wherein a length of the sensor panel corresponds at least to an extension of the display and the operating buttons.

17. The interface according to claim 12, wherein the operating buttons allow input to the medical device to keep the medical device operable without the display at least such that a current therapy can be safely and preferably regularly completed.

18. The interface according to claim 17, wherein the operating buttons are two-dimensional markers on a case portion of the medical device.

19. The interface according to claim 12, further comprising capacitive proximity sensors arranged behind the operating buttons, the capacitive proximity sensors being operated or connected in parallel to the at least one optical actuation sensor.

20. The interface according to claim 12, further comprising a safety shield that extends over an area of the interface including the display.

21. The interface according to claim 12, further comprising at least one indicator device configured to provide a user with feedback via inputs made and/or reports of the medical device.

22. A medical device comprising the interface according to claim 12.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0037] In the following, the present invention shall be described by means of a preferred embodiment. This embodiment is only illustrative, however, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view onto an interface according to the invention as set forth in an embodiment of the invention.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the interface as set forth in the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] An interface 1 according to the present invention shown frontally in FIG. 1 is arranged on a case portion 2, in particular a front panel, of a dialysis machine. The interface 1 includes a display 3 which is provided to present treatment-specific information and input surfaces or display operating elements. In the vicinity of the (directly adjacent) display 3, base operating elements 4a, 4b, 4c (hereinafter referred to as buttons) are shown. In this embodiment, these are examples of first buttons 4a which are arranged below the display 3 and operate, e.g., basic functions such as switch on and off, acknowledge/enter, etc., second buttons 4b which are arranged on the right of the display 3 and serve as quick-function buttons for functions such as “bypass”, “disconnect patient”, “empty cartridge”, etc., as well as third buttons 4c which are arranged on the left of the display 3 and serve as mousepad. Said buttons 4a, 4b, 4c are markers printed or glued onto the housing portion 2 on which the interface 1 is arranged, said markers characterizing additional input surfaces for operating the dialysis machine.

[0041] Furthermore, a sensor panel 5 is arranged next to, in this embodiment above, the display 3. Said sensor panel 5 extends in parallel to an edge of the display 3 and has a length that corresponds at least to the length of the display 3 and the adjacent buttons 4c, 4b. That is to say, the sensor panel 5 extends so that both the display 3 and the display operating elements possibly indicated thereon as well as the buttons 4a, 4b, 4c are located on the side of the sensor panel 5 and can be detected by the same. Optical sensors, in particular infrared sensors and/or emitters, provided in one side of the sensor panel 5 are aligned in the direction of the display 3 and the buttons 4a, 4b, 4c and span a detection surface 6 that extends both over the display 3 in parallel thereto and over the buttons 4a, 4b, 4c. Thus, the sensor panel 5 can detect when a user passes through the detection surface 6 and at which position this takes place so as to touch one of the display operating elements of the display 3 or one of the buttons 4a, 4b, 4c and, thus, to operate the interface 3. Accordingly, by comparing the measuring data of the sensor panel 5 to the known or set positions of the display operating elements and buttons 4a, 4b, 4c a control of the dialysis machine can be performed.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the interface 1 and illustrates the structure thereof. As afore-described, the display 3 is arranged or embedded on a front side of the case portion 2. Beneath the display 3, the buttons 4a, 4b, 4c are glued or printed onto the case portion 2, but they are not visible in this view due to their two-dimensional configuration. Behind the buttons 4a, 4b, 4c, capacitive touch sensors 7 which serve as redundant sensors to detect touching or operations of the buttons by a user are arranged in the case portion 2. Further, above the display 3 and beneath the buttons 4a, 4b, 4c, indicator devices 8, in particular vibration elements and/or LEDs, are arranged on or embedded at the case portion 2. They may provide a user with haptic and/or optical feedback in the case of specific inputs or reports.

[0043] The case portion 2 that includes the interface 1 is completely covered by a safety shield 9, preferably made of Plexiglass. Said safety shield 9 prevents the display 3 and the buttons 4 from being stained, prevents the latter from being worn out or damaged by a user's touching, aggressive disinfectants, etc., and moreover protects them against application of excessive force. Such safety shield 9 is stable and, in addition, can be attached and cleaned easily and quickly, in particular because it completely covers the case portion 2.

[0044] As already described in the foregoing, the sensor panel 5 is further arranged above the display 3 on a front face of the safety shield 9 in such a way that a detection field 6 extending directly next to and in parallel to the safety shield 9 and extending both over the display 3 and over the buttons 4a, 4b, 4c is spanned by the optical sensors/emitters disposed in the sensor panel 5.

[0045] In other words, the Figures illustrate a possible configuration variant of the adaptive monitor concept. The display 3 and the operating elements 4a, 4b, 4c are realized in printed form on the monitor case 2 and as elements 7 behind the monitor case 2, for example elements marketed under the trademark CAPSENSE™. The safety shield, in particular a Plexiglass pane 9, is placed over the complete monitor front on which the sensor module 5 is installed. The latter places an optical sensor surface 6 which can detect elements as well as the movement and shape thereof, if they interrupt the sensor surface 6, over the monitor front. Haptic feedback can be made possible, e.g., via vibration elements (indicator devices) 8 behind the safety shield/Plexiglass plate 9.

[0046] During normal operation, in this way the complete monitor front can be operated via the optical sensor module 5. Auxiliary functionalities such as the mousepad 4c or the quick-function buttons 4b may be switched to be inactive and are ignored by the sensor surface 6. In the event of a defective display, the touch functionalities of the display surface 3 can be deactivated and those of the auxiliary keys 4a, 4b, 4c can be activated to be able to complete the treatment of the patient in a safe and largely comfortable manner. Accordingly, the sensor surface 6 would evaluate only contacts outside the display area 3. Should sensor module 5 fail, an operation by the auxiliary keys 4a, 4b, 4c is also still safeguarded, as now the functionalities can be activated. This means that the machine, similarly to a laptop, can still be transferred to a safe state via the mousepad 4c largely easily without having to initiate emergency measures. These touch surfaces 6 which can be wired adaptively and redundantly help develop a robust and innovative operating concept which is easy to clean and can be precisely operated even with gloves or by objects.