Coding system for the identification of tools
AssigneeRichard Wolf GmbH
InventorsUwe Hill, Eberhard Korner, Steffen Konig
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Abstract
The invention relates to a coding system for the identification of tools in medical apparatus as well as to a corresponding method, with which successive code elements (16; 20) are attached on an outer side of a tool, and a stationary read means is arranged on a stationary part of an apparatus in the vicinity of the tool for detecting the successive code elements (16; 20) on movement of the tool (2) relative to the stationary part.
Claims13
A coding system for the identification of tools (2) in medical apparatus, with which successive code elements (16;
- 20;
- 24) are brought on an outer side of a tool (2), and a stationary read means (14) is arranged on a stationary part of an apparatus in the vicinity of the tool for detecting the successive code elements (16;
- 20;
- 24) on movement of the tool (2) relative to the stationary part.
2 A coding system according to claim 1, with which the tool (2) is a rotating tool, the code elements (16;
- 20) are arranged in succession in the circumferential direction and may be detected by the read means (14) on rotation of the tool (2) relative to the stationary part.
A coding system according to one of the preceding claims, with which the code elements (16;
- 24) comprise a multitude of strip-like elements parallel to one another, which in the circumferential direction and/or longitudinal direction of the tool (2) are formed with different distances to one another and/or different widths on the surface of the tool (2) for its identification.
A coding system according to one of the preceding claims, with which the code elements (20) comprise a multitude of strip-like or circular segment shaped elements (20) which are formed with different distances to one another and/or with different widths, and are arranged along a circular line in a plane transverse to the rotation axis (R) of the tool (2) on the tool (2).
A coding system according to one of the preceding claims, with which the code elements (16;
- 20;
- 24) are formed as webs (17;
- 21;
- 25).
A coding system according to one of the preceding claims, with which the code elements (16;
- 20;
- 24) are formed on a sleeve (12;
- 23) or disk (18) which is connected to the tool (2) in a rotationally fixed manner.
A coding system according to one of the preceding claims, with which the tool
- comprises a stationary housing part (4;
- 8) and a moveable part (2) arranged therein, wherein the code elements (16;
- 20;
- 24) are arranged in the inside of the housing part (4;8).
A coding system according to one of the preceding claims, with which the code elements (16;
- 20;
- 24) are designed influencing a magnetic field or are optically detectable.
A method for the identification of tools (2) in medical apparatus, with which successive code elements (16;
- 20;
- 24) are arranged on a tool (2) which indicate information concerning the tool (2), and for reading out the information, the tool (2) is moved relative to a stationary part of an apparatus, wherein the code elements (16;
- 20;
- 24) pass a stationarily formed read means (14) which detects the code elements (16;
- 20;
- 24) for reading out the information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.