MEDICAL OR DENTAL SANITIZING AND/OR MAINTENANCE DEVICE HAVING AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MODULE

Abstract

A medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance, having: an imaging device to capture images of the appliance, and a trained artificial intelligence module to recognize the appliance based on the images from the imaging device and to output data on the recognized appliance, so that the control unit controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the sanitizing and/or maintenance device based on the provided output data. Alternatively, or in addition, the trained artificial intelligence module determines the soiling of the appliance based on the images and outputs data on the soiling, so that the control unit controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the sanitizing and/or maintenance device based on the data on the soiling.

Claims

1. A medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance, comprising: an enclosure to accommodate the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained, a feeding device for feeding a sanitizing and/or maintaining agent into the enclosure to sanitize or maintain the medical or dental appliance, a control unit to control operation of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device, an imaging device which is configured and arranged to capture one or more images of the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained, and an artificial intelligence module which is: communicatively coupled to the control unit, and to the imaging device to receive the one or more images of the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained captured by the imaging device, trained to recognize the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained based on the received one or more images, and configured to output data on the recognized medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained, so that the control unit controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device based on the provided output data.

2. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 1, further comprising a database which, based on the output data, provides appliance data on the recognized medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained to the control unit.

3. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 2, wherein the database provides appliance data on technical characteristics of the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained.

4. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 2, wherein the database provides appliance data on the kind of sanitizing and/or maintenance which may be applied and/or which must not be applied to a medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained.

5. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 1, wherein based on the received one or more images the artificial intelligence module is further trained to provide data on the soiling of the medical or dental appliance.

6. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 1, wherein based on the received one or more images the artificial intelligence module is further trained to recognize a medical or dental appliance which is not configured to be sanitized and/or maintained by the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device.

7. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 1, wherein controlling the sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure by the control unit comprises at least one of: determination of a sanitizing and/or maintaining cycle; omission of a step of a predefined sanitizing and/or maintaining cycle; determination of a duration of the sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure; determination of an operating parameter of the sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure; determination of a duration of a step of the sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure; determination of a temperature in a sanitizing procedure; determination of a pressure in a sanitizing procedure; determination of a power input in a sanitizing procedure.

8. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 1, wherein controlling the sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure by the control unit comprises at least one of: determination of a sanitizing and/or maintaining agent; determination of a concentration of a sanitizing and/or maintaining agent; determination of an exposure time of a sanitizing and/or maintaining agent.

9. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 1, further comprising a display which, based on the output data provided by the artificial intelligence module and/or appliance data provided by the database, is configured to visually display information about the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained and/or on the sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure to be performed by the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device.

10. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 1, wherein the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device is configured to issue an error signal if two medical or dental appliances arranged to be sanitized and/or maintained in a shared sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure require a different sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure, based on the output data provided by the artificial intelligence module and/or on appliance data provided by the database on these two medical or dental appliances.

11. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 10, wherein the error signal comprises the visual indication of at least one medical or dental appliance which requires a different sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure.

12. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface which is communicatively coupled to the artificial intelligence module to train the artificial intelligence module.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising: providing medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance, having: an enclosure to accommodate the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained, a feeding device for feeding a sanitizing and/or maintaining agent into the enclosure to sanitize or maintain the medical or dental appliance, a control unit to control operation of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device, an imaging device which is configured and arranged to capture one or more images of the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained, and a trained artificial intelligence module which is communicatively coupled to the control unit, and to the imaging device to receive the one or more images of the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained captured by the imaging device, wherein the trained artificial intelligence module receives one or more images of a medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained captured by an imaging device of a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device, recognizes the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained based on the received one or more images, and outputs data on the recognized medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained, and wherein the control unit controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device based on the provided output data.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 13, wherein based on the output data, a database provides appliance data on the recognized medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained to the control unit.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute the method according to claim 13.

16. A medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance, comprising: an enclosure to accommodate the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained, a feeding device for feeding a sanitizing and/or maintaining agent into the enclosure to sanitize or maintain the medical or dental appliance, a control unit to control operation of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device, an imaging device which is configured and arranged to capture one or more images of the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained, and an artificial intelligence module which is: communicatively coupled to the control unit, and to the imaging device to receive the one or more images of the medical or dental appliance captured by the imaging device, trained to determine the soiling of the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained based on the received one or more images, and configured to output data on the soiling of medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained, so that the control unit controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device based on the provided output data on the soiling.

17. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 16, further comprising a database which, based on the output data, provides sanitizing and/or maintenance information to the control unit.

18. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device according to claim 17, characterized in that the database provides sanitizing and/or maintenance information about the kind of sanitizing and/or maintenance which may be applied and/or which must not be applied to a medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained.

19. A computer-implemented method, comprising providing a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance, comprising: an enclosure to accommodate the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained, a feeding device for feeding a sanitizing and/or maintaining agent into the enclosure to sanitize or maintain the medical or dental appliance, a control unit to control operation of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device, an imaging device which is configured and arranged to capture one or more images of the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained, and an artificial intelligence module which is communicatively coupled to the control unit, and to the imaging device to receive the one or more images of the medical or dental appliance captured by the imaging device, wherein the trained artificial intelligence module receives one or more images of a medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained captured by an imaging device of a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device, determines the soiling of the medical or dental appliance to be sanitized and/or maintained based on the received one or more images, and outputs data on the soiling, and wherein the control unit controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device based on the provided output data on the soiling.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute the method according to claim 19.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance having an artificial intelligence module that is trained to output data, so that the control unit controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device based on the provided output data.

[0063] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance having an artificial intelligence module that is trained to output data, so that the control unit controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device based on the provided output data.

[0064] FIG. 3 shows steps of a computer-implemented method for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance using a trained artificial intelligence module, so that a control unit of a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure.

[0065] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance according to FIG. 1 or 2 in the form of a sterilizer or autoclave.

[0066] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance according to FIG. 1 or 2 in the form of a thermal cleaning and disinfecting device or thermal washer disinfector.

[0067] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance according to FIG. 1 or 2 in the form of an ultrasonic cleaning device.

[0068] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance according to FIG. 1 or 2 in the form of a maintenance device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0069] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a schematic diagram of a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance 7. The medical or dental appliance 7 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a contra-angle handpiece, which is to be understood as a symbolic placeholder for any medical or dental appliance that needs sanitizing and/or maintenance. The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 comprises an outer housing or shell 11 which holds amongst others an enclosure 2 to accommodate the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained, at least parts of a feeding device 3 for feeding a sanitizing and/or maintaining agent into the enclosure 2 to sanitize or maintain the medical or dental appliance, and a control unit 4 to control operation of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1.

[0070] The enclosure 2 to accommodate the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained may comprise a cylindric chamber, e.g., if the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 comprises a sterilizer or autoclave (see FIG. 4), or an substantially cuboidal tank, e.g., if the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 is a TWD (see FIG. 5), an ultrasonic cleaning device (see FIG. 5) or a maintenance device (see FIG. 7). Preferably, the enclosure 2 has an opening through which a portion of the feeding device 3 extends and/or a sanitizing and/or maintaining agent is fed into the interior of the enclosure 2.

[0071] The control unit 4 is configured to control the operation of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1, in particular one or more sanitizing and/or maintaining procedures or cycles of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device. The control unit 4 also communicatively connects and controls an indicator device, e.g., an LED and/or a display 9, of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1. Further, the control unit 4 communicatively connects to a user interface 10, so that a user can control or operate the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 or various operations as described in this document. The communicative connections of the control unit 4 are shown by dashed lines in FIG. 1.

[0072] The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 further comprises an imaging device 5 which is configured and arranged to capture one or more images of the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained. Preferably, the imaging device 5 comprises a digital camera. The imaging device 5 is communicatively connected to an artificial intelligence module 6, preferably also to the control unit 4 and/or a database 8, see FIG. 1.

[0073] The artificial intelligence module 6 is communicatively coupled to the control unit 4, and to the imaging device 5 to receive the one or more images of the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained captured by the imaging device 5. The artificial intelligence module 6 is trained to recognize the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained based on the received one or more images, and configured to output data on the recognized medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained. The output data on the recognized medical or dental appliance 7 are transmitted to the control unit directly and/or via the database 8, so that the control unit 4 controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 based on the provided data on the recognize the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained.

[0074] Alternatively, or in addition, the artificial intelligence module 6 is trained to determine the soiling of the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained based on the received one or more images, and configured to output data on the soiling of medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained. The output data on the recognized medical or dental appliance 7 are transmitted to the control unit directly and/or via the database 8, so that the control unit 4 controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 based on the provided output data on the soiling.

[0075] Based on the output data on the recognized medical or dental appliance 7, the database 8 is configured to provide appliance data on the recognized medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained to the control unit 4. Alternatively, or in addition, the database 8 is configured to provide sanitizing and/or maintenance information to the control unit 4. In particular, the appliance data on the recognized medical or dental appliance 7 and/or the sanitizing and/or maintenance information provided by the database 8 may be used-either alone or together with the output data of the artificial intelligence module 6to control a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 by the control unit 4.

[0076] In FIG. 1 the artificial intelligence module 6 and the database 8 are arranged in the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1, in particular in the interior of outer housing 11. The artificial intelligence module 6 and the database 8 are discrete components of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1, in particular separate of control unit 4. The artificial intelligence module 6, the database 8 and the control unit 4 connect with one another by wired or wireless communication appliances.

[0077] According to FIG. 2, the artificial intelligence module 6 is disposed outside and/or remote of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1, in particular of outer housing 11. Preferably, the artificial intelligence module 6 is arranged in the Cloud and communicatively connected to the imaging device 5 and the control unit 4, preferably also to the database 8, via the Internet (see arrows 13). Further, the database 8 is part of or comprised by control unit 4.

[0078] Alternative arrangements of the artificial intelligence module 6 and the database 8 are also conceivable. Any of the three possible arrangementsseparate of control unit 4 and in the interior of outer housing 11; comprised by the control unit 4 and in the interior of outer housing 11; outside the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1may apply to at least one of the artificial intelligence module 6 and database 8. Further, any combination of one the three arrangements of the artificial intelligence module 6 with one of one the three arrangements of the database 8 can be established. In particular the arrangement of at least one of the artificial intelligence module 6 and database 8 remote from the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1, preferably in the Cloud, is advantageous, since a plurality of medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance devices 1 can thus easily connect to the artificial intelligence module 6 and/or database 8. In particular, when the trained artificial intelligence module 6 continues to be trained after being implemented in a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1, a higher number of and variety of data is supplied to the artificial intelligence module 6.

[0079] The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 further comprises a display 9. The display 9 is configured to visually display various information as described in the foregoing, e.g., based on the output data provided by the artificial intelligence module 6 and/or appliance data provided by the database 8, information about the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained, and/or on the sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure to be performed by the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1, and/or information about the soiling, and/or an error signal if two medical or dental appliances arranged to be sanitized and/or maintained in a shared sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure require a different sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure.

[0080] The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 comprises a user interface 10 which, amongst others, is communicatively coupled to the artificial intelligence module 6 to train the artificial intelligence module 6, in particular if training after implementation of the artificial intelligence module 6 in a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 is continued. The user can thus teach the artificial intelligence module 6 a new medical or dental appliance 7 or soiling.

[0081] FIG. 3 shows steps of a computer-implemented method 200 for sanitizing and/or maintaining a medical or dental appliance 7 using a trained artificial intelligence module 6, so that a control unit 4 of a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure: in step 201 the imaging device 5 captures one or more images of a medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained. The one or more images are transmitted to the trained artificial intelligence module 6, which receives these one or more images in step 202. In step 203 the trained artificial intelligence module 6 recognizes the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained based on the received one or more images, and outputs in step 204 data on the recognized medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained. These output data are received by the database 8 which provides, in step 205, based on these received data, appliance data on the recognized medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained to the control unit 4. Finally, in step 206, the control unit 4 controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 referring to the appliance data which are based on the output data by the artificial intelligence module 6.

[0082] Alternatively, or in addition, in step 203 the trained artificial intelligence module 6 determines the soiling of the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained based on the received one or more images, and outputs in step 204 data on the soiling of the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained. These output data are received by the database 8, which provides in step 205, based on these received data, sanitizing and/or maintenance information to the control unit 4. Finally, in step 206, the control unit 4 controls a sanitizing and/or maintaining procedure of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 referring to the sanitizing and/or maintenance information which are based on the output data by the artificial intelligence module 6.

[0083] FIGS. 4-7 show concrete embodiments of a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 described in the forgoing, in particular in FIGS. 1 and 2. Accordingly (although possibly not explicitly depicted in the FIGS. 4-7), each of the devices shown in FIGS. 4-7, comprises at least the enclosure 2 to accommodate the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained, the feeding device 3 for feeding a sanitizing and/or maintaining agent into the enclosure 2, the control unit 4 to control operation of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1, the imaging device 5 which is configured and arranged to capture one or more images of the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained, and the artificial intelligence module 6 which is trained to recognize the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained and/or the soiling of the medical or dental appliance 7 to be sanitized and/or maintained based on the received one or more images. Depending on the type of the medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1, the embodiments of FIGS. 4-7 may additionally comprise one or more of the components 8-11.

[0084] Further, each of FIGS. 4-7 shows a plurality of imaging devices or cameras 5: while it may be possible that a medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 has more than one imaging device 5, usually each medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1 comprises only one (a single) imaging device 5. Accordingly, each imaging device 5 shown in one of the FIGS. 4-7 shows a possible position of an imaging device 5 in relation to the respective medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance device 1.

[0085] The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance devices 1 in FIG. 4 is a sterilizer or autoclave 20, in particular a steam autoclave. As shown, autoclave 20 has an imaging device 5, which may be positioned inside the enclosure or chamber 2, on a door 12 to close the chamber 2, outside of the autoclave 20, e.g., disposed on the outer housing 11, or remote from the outer housing 11.

[0086] The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance devices 1 in FIG. 5 is a thermal washer disinfector (TWD) 21. As shown, TWD 21 has an imaging device 5, which may be positioned inside the enclosure or chamber 2, on a door 12 to close the chamber 2, outside of the TWD 21, e.g., disposed on the outer housing 11, or remote from the outer housing 11.

[0087] The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance devices 1 in FIG. 6 is an ultrasonic cleaning device 22. As shown, ultrasonic cleaning device 22 has an imaging device 5, which may be positioned outside, e.g., disposed on the outer housing 11, or remote from the outer housing 11.

[0088] The medical or dental sanitizing and/or maintenance devices 1 in FIG. 7 is a maintenance device 23. As shown, the maintenance device 23 has an imaging device 5, which may be positioned inside the enclosure or chamber 2 or outside of the maintenance device 23, e.g., disposed on the outer housing 11, or remote from the outer housing 11.

[0089] As an example, autoclave 20 and maintenance device 23 each have a trained artificial intelligence module 6 arranged inside the outer housing 11, while the trained artificial intelligence module 6 of TWD 21 and ultrasonic cleaning device 22 is a remote module which is arranged in the Cloud, as shown in FIG. 2. Of course, according to other embodiments not shown, the trained artificial intelligence module 6 of autoclave 20 and maintenance device 23 can be remote, arranged in the Cloud, while the trained artificial intelligence module 6 of TWD 21 and ultrasonic cleaning device 22 can be arranged in the respective outer housing 11.

[0090] The embodiments described and shown, in particular, serve to depict the invention. The characteristics, disclosed in an embodiment, are therefore not limited to that embodiment, but can rather be combined individually or together with one or more characteristics of one of the other embodiments.