# US 10,244,968 B2 · Method and system for tracking a person in a medical room

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- Number: US 10,244,968 B2
- Document ID: US10244968B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/537,472
- Filed: 2015-12-15
- Published: 2018-01-04
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-30
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Renaud Heitz; Daniel Gannat; Regis Vaillant; Vincent Jonas Bismuth; Bruno Vigan; Romain Moulin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10244968B2

## CPC

- A61B 5/1113: {Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home}
- A61B 5/0046: {Arrangements of imaging apparatus in a room, e.g. room provided with shielding or for improved access to apparatus}
- A61B 6/10: Safety means specially adapted therefor
- A61B 6/547: {involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device}
- A61B 6/102: {Protection against mechanical damage, e.g. anti-collision devices}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A method for tracking the position of a person in an environment, such as a medical room, relative to a medical device is presented. The method comprises identifying the position of a medical device in the environment, providing a mobile device in the vicinity of a person in the environment, the mobile device configured to follow movement of the person in the environment, and identifying the position of the mobile device in the environment by using at least one stationary device. Further, the method comprises using a processor to process data relating to the position of the mobile device in the environment to obtain an expected position of the person in the environment, data relating to the position of the medical device in the environment, and data relating the expected position of the person in the environment to obtain an expected relative position of the person with respect to the medical device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Method for tracking the position of a person in an environment relative to a medical device, comprising:
providing a medical device in the environment;
providing at least one stationary device in the environment, wherein the stationary resides in a fixed position in the environment;
providing a first mobile device associates with a caregiver in the environment, and a second mobile device associated with a patient in the environment, the first and second mobile devices configured to follow any movement of the caregiver and patient in the environment;
identifying the position of the medical device in the environment;
identifying the position of the first and the second mobile devices in the environment using the at least one stationary device; and
using a processor to process data relating to the position of the first and the second mobile devices in the environment to obtain an expected position of the caregiver and the patient in the environment, data relating to the position of the medical device in the environment, and data relating to the expected position of the caregiver and the patient in the environment to obtain an expected relative position of the caregiver and the patient respectively relative to the medical device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising attaching the mobile device to the at least one of the caregiver and patient.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
identifying the position and orientation of the medical device in the environment;
identifying the position and orientation of the first and the second mobile devices in the environment; and
using a processor to process data relating to the position and orientation of the mobile device in the environment to obtain an expected position and orientation of the caregiver and the patient in the environment, data relating to the position and orientation of the medical device, and data relating the expected position and orientation of the caregiver and the patient in the environment to obtain an expected relative position and orientation of the caregiver and the patient with respect to the medical device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
using a processor to create a patient model; and
processing data relating to the position of the second mobile device in the environment in combination with the patient model to obtain the expected position of the patient in the environment.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising using a processor to process data relating to the position of the medical device in the environment and data relating the expected position of the caregiver and the patient in the environment to obtain an expected relative position of the person with respect to the medical device in real time.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the obtained expected relative position of the caregiver and the patient with respect to the medical device to generate an instruction for the medical device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, further comprising positioning the medical device with respect to the caregiver and the patient using the obtained expected relative position of the caregiver and the patient with respect to the medical device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
determining a threshold value relating to a maximum distance between the medical device and at least one of the caregiver and the patient;
comparing the distance between the medical device and the caregiver and the patient with the threshold value relating to a maximum distance between the medical device and the caregiver and the patient, respectively; and
generating a control signal to operate the medical device if the distance between at least one of the caregiver and the patient and the medical device is equal or below the threshold value.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
providing the first and the second mobile devices with an identity;
linking the identity of the mobile devices with the caregiver and the patient, respectively;
creating a database comprising data relating to both the identity of the mobile devices and the caregiver and the patient;
establishing communication between the mobile devices and the at least one stationary device to thereby generate a communication signal;
using the communication signal to determine the identity of the mobile devices and the caregiver and the patient, respectively;
using the medical device; and
updating the database by entering data relating to the use of the medical device in the database.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, further comprising:
generating an instruction for the medical device;
consulting the database to review the instruction for the medical device in view of the content of the database; and
review of the instruction, prior to sending of the instruction to the medical device.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the obtained expected relative position of the caregiver and the patient with respect to the medical device to generate an instruction relating the use of the environment.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the environment is a medical room.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the patient is lying on a table.

### Claim 14

Amended System for tracking the position of a person with respect to a medical device in an environment, the system comprising:
a medical device usable in the environment;
at least one stationary device positioned in a fixed location in the environment and configured to identify the position of a mobile device;
first and second mobile devices configured to at least (i) be identified by the stationary device to allow an identification of the position of the mobile device in the environment, (ii) be positioned in the vicinity of a caregiver and the patient, and (iii) follow any movement of the caregiver and the patient in the environment; and
a computer processor connected to the stationary device and the medical device and configured to process data relating to the position of the mobile device in the environment to obtain an expected position of the caregiver and the patient in the environment, the computer processor further configured to process data relating to the position of the medical device in the environment and relating the expected position of the caregiver and the patient in the environment to obtain an expected relative position of the caregiver and the patient respectively relative to the medical device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system according to claim 14, wherein the environment is a medical room.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system according to claim 14, wherein the patient is positioned on a table.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.