RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is the United States national phase entry of International Application No. PCT/EP2017/057311, filed Mar. 28, 2017, which claims the benefit of priority of German Application No. 10 2016 105 789.4, filed Mar. 30, 2016. The contents of International Application No. PCT/EP2017/057311 and German Application No. 10 2016 105 789.4 are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

FIELD

The invention relates to a sensor detector system and concerns in particular a sensor detector system for a medical, in particular surgical motor system or a medical, in particular surgical electrical drive.

BACKGROUND

A well-known sensor detector system for a surgical motor system is a single-channel, non-redundant detector system using, for example, a Hall sensor for electrical systems, which is also used, among other things, in a known motor cable with manual control. Until now, such electrical systems have used mechanical return springs that return an actuating device such as a lever or a slider to its initial position after having been actuated by a user. If a wrong signal is unintentionally output from a sensor of the detector system, a safety-relevant malfunction may occur. If, for example, the sensor suddenly fails, for example due to a stuck-at-fault error or adhesion error of the sensor (an error in which, for example, a sensor gate is “stuck” at a certain value at an input or output), an application part or tool can get activated or start without a user actuating the actuating device. This can surprise the user who is in or near a surgical site with the application part and/or tool, for example. A disadvantage of the non-redundant detector system is that an electronic failure is not safeguarded.

SUMMARY

The invention is therefore based on the object of improving a sensor detector system for a medical or surgical motor system or a medical or surgical electrical drive in such a way that a plausibility check of the signals is made possible and the safety of the system is increased.

The invention is based on the general idea of providing multi-channel and thus redundant signals and/or detector systems in hand-held controls. The use of at least two sensors, which are controlled independently of each other but parallel (simultaneously), ensures that in the event of failure of at least one sensor, an error or defect is detected and the hand-held control can be deactivated by an external control unit, to which the hand-held control is usually connected. According to the underlying general idea, the output signals or output signal values of the at least two sensors can be programmed the same or different, the sensors can preferably be controlled by means of a magnetic field or magnetically and in this case by means of a magnet for all sensors, by means of several magnets for respective sensor groups or by means of individual magnets for each respective sensor. In addition, the magnet(s) and/or the sensor(s) may be encapsulated, e.g. potted, for achieving water and/or vapor tightness. Furthermore, the sensor(s) may be fixedly arranged in a device and the magnet(s) may move toward the sensor(s), e.g. in the form of a circular arc in the case of a hinge device, for example, or linear. However, there is no limitation in regards to a motion path and/or direction of motion; in principle, movements in any directions and/or on any motion paths are conceivable. Finally, several and at least two independent sensors may be integrated in a module with several or at least two independent, integrated sensor ranges.

The use of a redundant sensor detector system for hand- and/or foot-operated controls provides increased safety against unwanted and unintentional starting of an application part or tool and thus prevents the starting of appropriate devices and thus injuries to sensitive tissue when the tool is in the surgical site.

Specifically, a sensor detector system for a medical motor system comprises a multi-channel redundantly-configured detection device which is accommodated in a hand-held control device that is adapted to control the medical motor system and which is arranged to detect the actuation of an actuating device of the hand-held control device, wherein the multi-channel redundant detection device is designed to allow the plausibility of its output signals to be checked.

The multi-channel redundant detection device preferably comprises at least two detection receiving devices and at least one detection transmitting device.

The at least two detection receiving devices are preferably of the same type.

The at least one detection transmitting device preferably comprises exactly one detection transmitting device which is assigned to all of the at least two detection receiving devices and is arranged to charge these with a detection transmitting quantity which is basically the same.

Alternatively, an associated detection transmitting device is preferably provided for each of the at least two detection receiving devices and is arranged to charge a corresponding one of the at least two detection receiving devices with a respective detection transmitting quantity.

At least two Hall sensors are preferably arranged as the at least two detection receiving devices and at least one magnet is arranged as the at least one detection transmitting device.

Alternatively, at least two light sensors are preferably arranged as the at least two detection receiving devices and at least one light source is arranged as the at least one detection transmitting device.

Alternatively, it is preferred that the at least two detection receiving devices are different detection receiving devices.

In the latter case, it is preferred that two detection receiving devices and two detection transmitting devices are arranged, one of the two detection receiving devices being a Hall sensor and the other of the two detection receiving devices being a light sensor, and one of the two detection transmitting devices being a magnet associated with the Hall sensor and the other of the two detection transmitting devices being a light source associated with the light sensor.

Preferably, the at least two detection receiving devices, each with mutually independent detection ranges, are accommodated in a common housing assembly.

Preferably, the at least two detection receiving devices and/or the at least one detection transmitting device are encapsulated in a vapor-proof and/or watertight manner.

Preferably, the at least two detection receiving devices are stationarily positioned and the at least one detection transmitting device is movably positioned and can be moved toward and away from the at least two detection receiving devices by actuating the actuating device on a predetermined trajectory.

Preferably, the at least two detection receiving devices are programmed to output the same output signal or are alternatively programmed to output different output signals.

Advantageously, a hand-held control device for a medical motor system comprises a detector system configured as described above.

In other words, the object is achieved by a detector system for a medical motor system, comprising a multi-channel redundantly-configured detection device which is accommodated in a hand-held control device that is adapted to control the medical motor system and which is positioned to detect the actuation of an actuating device of the hand-held control device, whereinthe actuation device is configured as a lever or slider;the multi-channel redundant detection device comprises at least two detection receiving devices and exactly one detection transmitting device;the exactly one detection transmitting device is associated with all of said at least two detection receiving devices and arranged to charge these with a detection transmitting quantity which is basically the same; andthe multi-channel redundant detection device is designed to allow the plausibility of its output signals to be checked.

Preferably, the detector system is further developed such that the at least two detection receiving devices are positioned so as to be offset in the direction of a lever path or slider path of the exactly one detection transmitting device.

Preferably, the detector system is further developed such that the at least two detection receiving devices comprise Hall sensors or light sensors and the exactly one detection transmitting device comprises a magnet or a light source.

Preferably, the detector system is further developed such that the at least two detection receiving devices are similar detection receiving devices.

Preferably, the detector system is further developed such that an associated detection transmitting device is provided for each of the at least two detection receiving devices and is arranged to charge a corresponding one of the at least two detection receiving devices with a respective detection transmitting quantity.

Preferably, the detector system is further developed such that the at least two detection receiving devices are different detection receiving devices.

Preferably, the detector system is further developed such that the at least two detection receiving devices, each with mutually independent detection ranges, are accommodated in a common housing assembly.

Preferably, the detector system is further developed such that the at least two detection receiving devices and/or the exactly one detection transmitting device are encapsulated in a vapor-proof and/or watertight manner.

Preferably, the detector system is further developed such that the at least two detection receiving devices are stationarily positioned and the exactly one detection transmitting device is movably positioned and can be moved toward the at least two detection receiving devices by actuating the actuating device on a predetermined trajectory.

Preferably, the detector system is further developed such that the at least two detection receiving devices are programmed to output the same output signal or are programmed to output different output signals.

Furthermore, the object is achieved by a hand-held control device for a medical motor system, comprising a detector system as defined above.

