US 5,671,738 AGranted

Medical environment interface

AssigneeRegam Medical Systems International AB

InventorBenny Thornberg

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Abstract

The present invention provides a method and an apparatus to facilitate feeding of electric signals, achieved in a defined area of medical electric environment, to and from auxiliary equipment, specifically a so called Personal Computer (PC), without the necessity that such auxiliary equipment fulfill the requirements necessary for use within the area of medical electric environment. The apparatus includes an isolation device having its own power supply which is approved for the medical electric environment according to the International Standard IEC 601-1, an electronic buffering device connected to a CCD sensor and multiwire cables between the auxiliary equipment and the isolation device and the buffering device and the isolation device, respectively, facilitating parallel signal communication, whereby the isolation device includes a number of electromagnetic and/or optoelectric interfaces corresponding to the number of wires connecting the CCD sensor and the auxiliary equipment positioned in an area of non-medical electric environment.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for floating an encapsuled X-ray sensing device, used in a room for dental or medical care, from auxiliary electric equipment, not approved for use within a medical electric environment, for creating an image which is displayed by a display device of said auxiliary electric equipment, said image visualizing data from a CCD sensor in the encapsulated X-ray sensing device, comprising the steps of:

defining a first area of medical electric environment having therein a CCD sensor, and defining a second area of non-medical electric environment having therein auxiliary electric equipment not approved for use within said first area of medical electric environment, said second area of non-medical electric environment being spaced from said first area of medical electric environment at least by a distance which makes it impossible for a first person within said first area of medical electric environment to simultaneously touch said auxiliary electric equipment of said second area of non-medical electric environment and a second person subject to medical or dental care within said first area of medical electric environment,
providing an isolation means enclosed in a separate box for electrically floating said CCD sensor, said isolation means being powered from standard mains by a transformer which together with additional electronic components forms a separate protected power supply which is approved for said first area of medical electric environment,
providing a first cable for connection of said CCD sensor to said auxiliary electric equipment, a buffering device being connected to said first cable between said CCD sensor and said isolation means,
providing a second cable for connection of said isolation means to said auxiliary electric equipment,
providing protected supply voltages from said power supply to said buffering device and said CCD sensor, and
providing non-ohmic contact interfacings within said isolation means between said first cable and said second cable utilizing electromagnetic and/or optoelectric components for transmission of electrical signals carried by said first cable and said second cable, respectively.

3 more elements

An apparatus for separating auxiliary electric equipment from an encapsulated X-ray sensing device containing a CCD sensor used in a room for dental or medical care forming a first area of medical environment for creating an X-ray image which is displayed by a display device belonging to said auxiliary electric equipment, specifically a Personal Computer or the like, not approved for use within said first area of medical electric environment, comprising,

a CCD sensor positioned in a first area of medical electric environment isolation means enclosed in a separate box for isolating said CCD sensor from auxiliary electric equipment positioned in a second area of non-medical electric environment, said isolation means having a power supply which is approved for a medical electric environment,
a first cable and a second cable, said first cable having a first end connected to an electronic buffering device, said electronic buffering device being connected to said CCD sensor,
a second end of said first cable being connected to a first side of said isolation means, a second side of said isolation means being connected to a first end of said second cable and a second end of said second cable being connected to said auxiliary electric equipment for transferring electrical signals from said CCD sensor to said auxiliary electric equipment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.