Control system for a medical installation and medical installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12364447-B2
Application number	US-202318307942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2023
Priority date	Apr 29, 2022
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

A control system for a medical installation, wherein the control system is configured to control a motorized movement of an installation component. The control system includes a control path and a protection path. The control path is configured to control the motorized movement. The protection path is independent of the control path and configured to monitor the control path with regard to compliance with a safety criterion for the motorized movement. The protection path includes at least one freely programmable microcontroller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for a medical installation, the control system configured to control a motorized movement of an installation component, the control system comprising:
a control path configured to control the motorized movement; and
a protection path independent of the control path, wherein
the protection path is configured to monitor the control path with regard to compliance with a safety criterion for the motorized movement, and
the protection path includes at least one freely programmable microcontroller.

2. The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one freely programmable microcontroller comprises a plurality of digital and analog signal inputs and signal outputs, wherein at least one signal input is linked to at least one signal output via programmable safety logic.

3. The control system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the programmable safety logic comprises at least one application-specific safety function for each link for compliance with a safety criterion.

4. The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control path comprises:
a central control module configured to generate control signals for a drive unit of the medical installation;
a motor control module configured to control the drive unit according to the control signals; and
an interface module configured to
acquire at least one of a surroundings parameter, a movement parameter or a user input of the medical installation, and
generate and transmit a control signal based on the at least one of the surroundings parameter, the movement parameter or the user input of the medical installation, the control signal being for at least one of the central control module or the motor control module.

5. The control system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the control path further comprises a sensor module, wherein the sensor module includes at least one of at least one surroundings sensor or a movement sensor, the at least one surroundings sensor configured to obtain the surroundings parameter and transmit the surroundings parameter to the interface module, and the movement sensor configured to obtain the movement parameter and transmit the movement parameter to the interface module.

6. The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one freely programmable microcontroller is configured as a standalone function block on a same printed circuit board as an interface module of the control path.

7. The control system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the protection path is configured to communicate with the control path via at least one of at least one signal output or at least one signal input of the at least one freely programmable microcontroller.

8. The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one freely programmable microcontroller comprises:
an application-specific software module including a plurality of application-specific safety functions for compliance with at least one safety criterion in each case; and
a generic software module configured to at least one of enable access to the application-specific software module or perform application-specific safety test methods for at least one of individual signal inputs, signal outputs or application-specific safety functions.

9. The control system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the protection path comprises:
at least one of at least one redundant surroundings sensor or at least one further movement sensor, the at least one redundant surroundings sensor configured to obtain the surroundings parameter and transmit the surroundings parameter to the at least one freely programmable microcontroller, and the at least one further movement sensor configured to obtain the movement parameter and transmit the movement parameter to the at least one freely programmable microcontroller.

10. The control system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein at least one signal input of the at least one freely programmable microcontroller is connected to an input unit of the medical installation to acquire a user input redundantly to the control path.

11. The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the safety criterion is at least one of:
a minimum distance of at least one of the installation component or the medical installation,
a maximum speed of movement,
a maximum acceleration,
maximum torque,
maximum force, or
a position boundary along a direction of movement.

12. A medical installation comprising:
the control system as claimed in claim 1 , the control system configured to control the motorized movement of the installation component.

13. The medical installation as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the medical installation is a radiography installation including two movable installation components in the form of an X-ray tube stand and a patient bench.

14. The medical installation as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the medical installation is a mobile medical X-ray imaging installation.

15. The control system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the control path comprises:
a central control module configured to generate control signals for a drive unit of the medical installation;
a motor control module configured to control the drive unit according to the control signals; and
an interface module configured to
acquire at least one of a surroundings parameter, a movement parameter or a user input of the medical installation, and
generate and transmit a control signal based on the at least one of the surroundings parameter, the movement parameter or the user input of the medical installation, the control signal being for at least one of the central control module or the motor control module.

16. The control system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the at least one freely programmable microcontroller comprises:
an application-specific software module including a plurality of application-specific safety functions for compliance with at least one safety criterion in each case; and
a generic software module configured to at least one of enable access to the application-specific software module or perform application-specific safety test methods for at least one of individual signal inputs, signal outputs or application-specific safety functions.

17. The control system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the at least one freely programmable microcontroller comprises:
an application-specific software module including a plurality of application-specific safety functions for compliance with at least one safety criterion in each case; and
a generic software module configured to at least one of enable access to the application-specific software module or perform application-specific safety test methods for at least one of individual signal inputs, signal outputs or application-specific safety functions.

18. The control system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the protection path comprises:
at least one of at least one redundant surroundings sensor or at least one further movement sensor, the at least one redundant surroundings sensor configured to obtain the surroundings parameter and transmit the surroundings parameter to the at least one freely programmable microcontroller, and the at least one further movement sensor configured to obtain the movement parameter and transmit the movement parameter to the at least one freely programmable microcontroller.

19. The control system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the protection path comprises:
at least one of at least one redundant surroundings sensor or at least one further movement sensor, the at least one

Assignees

• Siemens Healthcare Gmbh
• Siemens Healthineers Ag

Inventors

• Müller Matthias
• Pfeiffer Thomas
• Atzinger Franz
• Karl Harald
• Schliermann Claus-Günter
• Dirauf Franz

Classifications

• A61B6/54

  Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis · CPC title

• A61B6/467

  characterised by special input means · CPC title

• A61B6/4476

  related to motor-assisted motion of the source unit · CPC title

• A61B6/0487

  Motor-assisted positioning · CPC title

• A61B6/102 Primary

  Protection against mechanical damage, e.g. anti-collision devices · CPC title