US-12622570-B2 - Medical visualisation system and associated methods and systems

US12622570B2US 12622570 B2US12622570 B2US 12622570B2US-12622570-B2

Abstract

A system and method for handling auxiliary components, including a first auxiliary component and a second auxiliary component, of a medical system, wherein each auxiliary component is configured to be coupled to a respective main device part and includes a rechargeable battery configured to power electronic components of the auxiliary component and of the respective main device part, each auxiliary component further including an auxiliary memory and an auxiliary communication interface. The method includes receiving a first auxiliary component; receiving a second auxiliary component after receiving the first auxiliary component; transmitting data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component; charging the rechargeable battery of the second auxiliary component; and providing the first auxiliary component for retrieval after transmitting the data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component.

Inventors

Brian Nielsen

Assignees

AMBU A/S

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220301
Priority Date: 20210305

Claims (20)

1 . A handling system for handling auxiliary components, including a first auxiliary component and a second auxiliary component, of a medical system, each of the auxiliary components including an auxiliary memory, an auxiliary communication interface, and a rechargeable battery configured to power electronic components of the auxiliary component and of a main device component when coupled to the auxiliary component, the handling system comprising: a first system communication interface configured to couple with the auxiliary communication interface of the first auxiliary component; a second system communication interface configured to couple with the auxiliary communication interface of the second auxiliary component; and a system charging circuit configured to charge the rechargeable battery of the second auxiliary component, wherein the handling system is configured to, via the first system communication interface and the second system communication interface, cause transmittal of data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component.
2 . The handling system of claim 1 , wherein the handling system comprises a system processor configured to, via the second system communication interface, read or receive the data of the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component, and, via the first system communication interface, write or transmit the data to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component.
3 . The handling system of claim 1 , wherein each of the auxiliary components comprises a short range communication circuit, and wherein the handling system is configured, via the first system communication interface and the second system communication interface, to cause transmittal of the data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component by wireless communication between the short range communication circuit of the first auxiliary component and the short range communication circuit of the second auxiliary component.
4 . The handling system of claim 1 , wherein the system charging circuit includes a first system charging circuit configured to charge the rechargeable battery of the first auxiliary component and a second system charging circuit configured to charge the rechargeable battery of the second auxiliary component.
5 . The handling system of claim 1 , the handling system further comprising a plurality of component positions including a first component position configured to receive the first auxiliary component and a second component position configured to, concurrently, receive the second auxiliary component.
6 . The handling system of claim 1 , the handling system further comprising a first transmit button, wherein the handling system is configured to cause the transmittal of the data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component, in response to a user pressing the first transmit button.
7 . The handling system of claim 6 , the handling system further comprising a first transmit button and a second transmit button, wherein the handling system is configured to cause transmittal of data from the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component to the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component, in response to a user pressing the second transmit button.
8 . The handling system of claim 1 , the handling system further comprising one or more battery indicators configured to display a visual indication of an estimated battery capacity of the rechargeable battery of the first auxiliary component and/or the second auxiliary component.
9 . The handling system of claim 1 , wherein the handling system is connectable to an external memory, and wherein the handling system is configured to, via the second system communication interface, read or receive the data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component and store the data at the external memory.
10 . The handling system of claim 1 , wherein the handling system further comprises a disinfection area including a chamber configured to subject the second auxiliary component to ultraviolet radiation, heat, steam, gas and/or a disinfectant, and wherein the handling system is configured to, after causing transmittal of the data, position the second auxiliary component in the chamber and disinfect the second auxiliary component.
11 . The handling system of claim 1 , wherein the handling system is further configured to validate the data transferred to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component.
12 . The handling system of claim 1 , wherein the handling system is further configured to delete the data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component after transmittal of the data to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component.
13 . The handling system of claim 12 , wherein the handling system is further configured to validate the data transferred to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component before deleting the data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component.
14 . A method for handling auxiliary components, including a first auxiliary component and a second auxiliary component, of a medical system, each of the auxiliary components comprising an auxiliary memory, an auxiliary communication interface, and a rechargeable battery configured to power the auxiliary component and a main device component coupled to the auxillary component, the method comprising: coupling the first auxiliary component to the first system communication interface of the handling system of claim 1 , coupling the second auxiliary component to the second system communication interface of the handling system of claim 1 , transmitting the data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component, and charging the rechargeable battery of the second auxiliary component.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein coupling the second auxiliary component is performed after coupling the first auxiliary component.
16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising, after coupling the first auxiliary component, charging the rechargeable battery of the first auxiliary component and providing the first auxiliary component for retrieval after transmitting the data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component.
17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising storing the data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component at an external memory.
18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising, after transmitting the data to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component, validating the data of the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component and deleting the data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component.
19 . A medical system comprising: the handling system of claim 1 ; the main component; and the auxiliary components, wherein the auxiliary components comprise the first auxiliary component and the second auxiliary component.
20 . The medical system of claim 19 , wherein the handling system is further configured to validate the data transferred to the auxiliary memory of the first auxiliary component and, after said validating, to delete the data from the auxiliary memory of the second auxiliary component.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a National Phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2022/055135, filed Mar. 1, 2022, which claims the benefit of and priority from Danish Patent Application No. PA 2021 70100, filed Mar. 5, 2021. The foregoing applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. The present disclosure relates to a medical visualisation system and elements thereof. Particularly a medical visualisation system comprising a plurality of auxiliary components for medical visualisation devices, and a method and system for handling the auxiliary components. BACKGROUND Wireless medical devices that utilize wireless communication from a medical device to a processing device is known in the art. However, these technical solutions are not widespread as commercially available products, and particularly they are not widespread when it comes to single use products. There exists a vast spectrum of technical solutions providing a wireless communication link, but few fulfil the needs for medical devices at hospital settings. For instance, not all communication frequencies may be used at hospitals and for medical devices, and in particular visualisation devices, such as endoscopes, very low latency is an important parameter. Moreover, usability and cost are driving factors defining suitable technical solutions. SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to a visualisation device, such as an endoscope, and a visualisation system, such as an endoscope system. Particularly, but not exclusively the visualisation device may be a disposable camera endoscope. Alternatively, the visualisation device may be a video laryngoscope. The visualisation system may further comprise a monitor device for being connected to the visualisation device, e.g. the monitor device may be configured to receive image data from the visualisation device. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a solution which at least improve the solutions of the prior art. Particularly, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a medical visualisation system and components thereof to enhance flexibility and usability of the system. For example, the present disclosure provides solutions for enabling wireless transmission of video data from a medical visualisation device, such as an endoscope or a laryngoscope, to a monitor device or other suitable equipment. Accordingly, a medical visualisation system and elements thereof are disclosed. The medical visualisation system may comprise one or more or all of the elements disclosed in the following. A medical visualisation device is disclosed. The medical visualisation system may comprise the medical visualisation device. The medical visualisation device may completely or partly be a single-use product. The medical visualisation device may be an endoscope. For example, the medical visualisation device may comprise a handle and an insertion tube extending from the handle to a distal tube portion. The handle may comprise a control button adapted to receive an input in a first input direction and/or in a second input direction. The touch input in the first input direction may cause a bendable section of the insertion tube to bend in a first bending direction. The touch input in the second input direction may cause the bendable section to bend in a second bending direction. Other examples of the medical visualisation device may be a laryngoscope or an endotracheal tube with integrated camera. The medical visualisation device comprises an image sensor adapted to generate image data indicative of a view from the medical visualisation device and a light emitter adapted to provide illumination of the view. The view may be a view from the distal tube portion of the insertion tube. The light emitter may be an LED, an optical fibre, or similar element known to provide illumination. The medical visualisation device further comprises a device processing unit adapted to receive the image data from the image sensor and optionally encode the image data to provide encoded image data based on the image data. The device processing unit may comprise an image signal processor (ISP), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and/or other suitable processing unit elements. The device processing unit may comprise memory, such as buffer memory. The medical visualisation device comprises a device communication interface. For example, the medical visualisation device may comprise a device wireless communication module adapted to communicate with a monitor wireless communication module of a monitor device, such as the monitor device also disclosed herein. The device wireless communication module may be connected to the device processing unit. The device wireless communication module is adapted to receive the image data and/or the encoded image data from the device processing unit and transmit the image data