Apparatus in dental environment and method for controlling a device belonging to the same

An apparatus in a dental care environment, which apparatus includes at least one device adapted for use in dental care work in a dental care environment, said device selected from the group consisting of a dental unit, a patient chair, a dental x-ray device and a computer, and at least one user interface remote from the at least one device and adapted to send control commands to at least one of said devices used in connection with dental care work, wherein at least one of a fixed and a detachable means is arranged to said user interface to detachably connect the user interface to a person working in the dental care environment, to clothing of the person or to the dental unit, or said user interface is arranged as a fixed or a detachable part of clothing or a structure arranged to be dressed on a person or of some other structure to be dressed on the person, wherein the apparatus contains at least two devices which are arranged in functional connection with said user interface in such a way that each of the devices provides an identification signal of substantially equal intensity, and wherein the user interface contains means to recognize, which of the identification signals received from the devices is the strongest, and means for locking the user interface to control the device sending the strongest signal, or wherein the apparatus includes corresponding means based on a GPS-technique, for locating the location of the user interface with respect to at least two devices included in the apparatus.

A method for controlling at least one device selected from the group consisting of a dental unit, a patient chair, a dental x-ray device and a computer, said at least one device being disposed in an apparatus located in dental care environment and used in connection with dental care work, which apparatus includes at least one user interface remote from the at least one device and adapted to send control commands to at least one of said devices used in connection with dental care work, said method comprising:

• controlling said at least one device by using the user interface, said user interface:
• (1) being incorporated with a fixed or a detachable means forming a detachable connection of the user interface to a person working in the dental care environment or to clothing of a person, or
• (2) being arranged on a fixed or a detachable part of clothing or another structure arranged to be dressed on a person in such a way that said user interface is attached by said means for detachably connecting said user interface to a person working in the dental care environment, or to a person's clothing;
• the controlling including dressing said user interface on a person, and giving at least one control command by said user interface to at least one of said devices, wherein, prior to giving said at least one control command to said at least one device, a user of the user interface takes an instrument from an instrument table of the dental unit in hand, which operation the dental unit recognizes, and gives at least one control command from the user interface to said instrument.

A method for controlling at least one device selected from the group consisting of a dental unit, a patient chair, a dental x-ray device and a computer, said at least one device being disposed in an apparatus located in dental care environment and used in connection with dental care work, which apparatus includes at least one user interface remote from the at least one device and adapted to send control commands to at least one of said devices used in connection with dental care work, said method comprising:

• controlling said at least one device by using the user interface, said user interface:
• (1) being incorporated with a fixed or a detachable means forming a detachable connection of the user interface to a person working in the dental care environment or to clothing of a person, or
• (2) being arranged on a fixed or a detachable part of clothing or another structure arranged to be dressed on a person in such a way that said user interface is attached by said means for detachably connecting said user interface to a person working in the dental care environment, or to a person's clothing;
• the controlling including dressing said user interface on a person, and giving at least one control command by said user interface to at least one of said devices, wherein, prior to giving said at least one control command to said at least one device, a user of the user interface takes an instrument from an instrument table of the dental unit in hand, and while keeping the instrument in hand changes, in case needed, the operation mode of said user interface to a computer controlling mode by a control command giving means arranged in the user interface and gives at least one control command for controlling a computer from said user interface.