BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention concerns an apparatus to implement a medical procedure on a number of patients respectively located on various resting places with a transport apparatus with whose help a component of the apparatus necessary to implement the medical procedure can be transported to the various resting places of the patients.  
         [0003]     The invention also concerns a method to implement a medical procedure on a number of patients respectively located at various resting places.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     Apparatuses and methods of the above general type are known in the field of intensive care medicine. An example is known as the thorax overview exposure, which numbers among the most frequent imaging examinations in the field of medical technology. The thorax overview exposure normally is implemented daily on each patient in the intensive care unit in order, for example, to determine whether water is accumulating in the lungs or whether a lung inflammation is developing. To implement the x-ray exposure, a film cassette serving as an x-ray detector is placed under the patient. An x-ray apparatus with an x-ray radiator is subsequently moved by medical personnel to the bed of the patient to be examined.  
         [0006]     A disadvantage of such known apparatuses and methods is that the x-ray apparatus weighing several hundred kg, must be moved by medical personnel by hand to the bed of the respective patient to be examined. Moreover, in spite of the high weight, the voltage generator capacity of such a mobile x-ray apparatus is limited. The limiting generator capacity leads to a limited radiation power, wherefore the quality of the x-ray exposures acquired with the mobile x-ray apparatus is normally poorer than the quality of the x-ray exposures acquired with a stationary x-ray apparatus. Moreover, that radiation load associated with the use of mobile x-ray apparatuses is high, because longer exposure times must be used to implement the x-ray exposure, due to the lower radiation power.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     An object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and an improved method of the above type to implement a medical procedure on a number of patients respectively located at various places.  
         [0008]     This object is achieved by an apparatus and a method in accordance with the invention wherein a component of the medical apparatus for implementing the medical procedure is moved along a pre-assembled transport track, extending to a number of patient locations, to the location of that patient on whom the medical procedure is to be implemented.  
         [0009]     The use of a pre-assembled transport track to move the component enables the component to be fashioned without consideration of its weight, allowing the medical procedure to be implemented in a shorter amount of time with better quality. The positioning of the component is also unproblematic since this is directed by the pre-assembled transport track.  
         [0010]     In a preferred embodiment, the transport track extends above the patient locations. This is of advantage since generally a lot o space is available above the locations, such as patient beds, so that voluminous components also can be moved without the apparatuses located in proximity to the patient location having to be moved aside from the path of the components.  
         [0011]     In a further preferred embodiment, the apparatus is equipped with a positioning device that allows it to align the component precisely to the location of the respective patient to be examined or to be treated. In particular in the implementation of imaging methods, this leads to a greater precision in the implementation composed to alignment by visual judgment, which regularly results in unusable exposures.  
         [0012]     The component preferably is moved along the transport track with the aid of a motor. This significantly reduces physical stress on the medical personnel.  
         [0013]     In a further preferred embodiment, the component is an x-ray radiator that can be moved above the patient locations, such as beds. The x-ray exposures are implemented respectively using mobile x-ray detectors that are brought to the location of the respective patient to be examined. By the transport of the x-ray radiator along a pre-assembled transport path, it is possible to fashion the x-ray radiator without consideration of its weight, so that the x-ray exposure can be implemented in a shorter amount of time with better quality and with lower radiation exposure for the patient.  
         [0014]     In a further preferred embodiment, x-ray detectors that can be connected to data lines are integrated into the locations for the patients. The x-ray detectors can be read out via these data lines. The necessity of raising the patient before the x-ray exposure in order to, for example, place a film cassette under the patient thus is omitted. It is also no longer necessary to remove the film cassette in the same manner after the x-ray exposure.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a first exemplary embodiment of an x-ray system in accordance with the invention with which x-ray exposures can be implemented on a number of bedridden patients.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a modified embodiment of the x-ray system of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  schematically illustrates a view from above of the system of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  schematically illustrates a view from above of an x-ray system in accordance with the invention with a modified design of the ceiling rail.  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  schematically illustrates a view from above of a further modified x-ray system in accordance with the invention that has a main rail from which a series of adjacent rails branch. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]     In  FIG. 1 , an x-ray system is shown with which x-ray images can be acquired of patients in respective patient beds  2 . In  FIG. 1 , n patient beds  2  are located in the room of an intensive care unit. A ceiling rail  4  along which a radiator mount  5  can be moved with the aid of a motor  6  is mounted on a ceiling  3  of this room. The radiator mount  5  can be moved with the aid of the motor  6  both in a forward direction  7  and in a backward direction  8 . An x-ray radiator  9  with a radiation-gating diaphragm  10  is attached to the radiator mount  5 . The traveling motion of the radiator mount  5  along the ceiling rail  4  and the back-and-forth movement of the radiator mount  5  can be controlled with a remote control  11 . Furthermore, it is also possible to adjust the diaphragm  10  and to trigger the irradiation by the x-ray radiator  9  with the remote control  11 .  
         [0021]     The x-ray images are acquired by a mobile x-ray detector  12  that can be inserted into the patient bed  2  of the patient to be examined, for example, a solid-state detector based on amorphous silicon. The mobile x-ray detector  12  can be equipped with an accumulator (rechargeable battery) power supply (not shown) as well as with components (likewise not shown) that serve for the pre-processing and buffering of the images and the acquisition of patient information data. In particular, data for identification of the patient to be examined can be stored in the mobile x-ray detector  12 .  
         [0022]     After the acquisition of the x-ray image, the mobile x-ray detector  12  is brought to a charging station in which an electrical contact between the mobile x-ray detector  12  and the charging station is established with a mechanical contacting device  12 . The mobile x-ray detector  12  subsequently can be charged. Any data stored in the mobile x-ray detector  12  also can be downloaded. For this purpose, the docking station  13  is connected via a data line  14  with an image-processing unit  15 .  
         [0023]     In addition to this, it is possible (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) to provide the mobile x-ray detector  12  and the image-processing unit  15  with communication units  16  that serve for wireless communication between the mobile x-ray detector  12  and the image-processing unit  15 . The communication units  16  can operate on the basis of Bluetooth technology or communicate by means of a WLAN. Both techniques are known to those skilled in the art and are as such not the subject matter of the present application.  
         [0024]     The image-processing unit  15  is connected with a display  17  on which the generated x-ray image can be shown. The image-processing unit  15  also is connected via system bus lines  18  to a control unit  19 . A generator  20  which supplies the x-ray radiator  9  with the necessary high voltage via supply cables  21  is also connected with the system bus lines  18 .  
         [0025]     A data line  22  to which position sensors  23  are connected in the region of the ceiling rail  4  is also attached to the system bus lines  18 .  
         [0026]     The x-ray system can be operated as follows:  
         [0027]     Using the motor  6 , the radiator mount  5  can be driven from its standby position  24  to each of the patient beds  2 . The motor  6  automatically stops when the desired position over the patient bed  2  with the patient to be examined is reached. The radiator mount  5  subsequently is adjusted with regard to height with the aid of the remote control  11  and is pivoted until it has achieved the position necessary for acquisition of the x-ray image.  
         [0028]     The mobile x-ray system  12  at the docking station  13 , having had its accumulators charged in the docking station  13 , is subsequently brought to the patient bed  2  of the patient to be examined and is placed under the patient.  
         [0029]     Each patient is unambiguously identified by the position sensors  23  over the patient beds  2 . Information regarding the patient and pre-adjustments (presets) for acquisition of x-ray images can be retrieved by the control unit  19  from a memory. The radiator mount  5 , the x-ray radiator  9  and in particular the depth diaphragms  10  are set corresponding to this information. The medical personnel needs this information only for checking, and can trigger the x-ray exposure when the mobile x-ray detector detects, with the aid of its communication unit  16  and the position sensor  23 , that it is at the correct patient bed  2  and that the x-ray exposure is enabled.  
         [0030]     After the implementation of the x-ray exposure, the digital x-ray image is sent to the image-processing unit  15  via the communication unit  16  and there revised with the aid of an image-processing program. The revised image is shown on the display  17  and can immediately be checked by the medical personnel, which is a significant advantage for patients in the intensive care unit.  
         [0031]     The x-ray radiator  9  is subsequently moved to the next patient bed  2  and the mobile x-ray detector  12  is placed under the next patient.  
         [0032]     After all patients have been examined, the mobile x-ray detector  12  is brought back to the docking station  13  in order to charge the accumulator thereof. Moreover, the mobile x-ray detector  12  is synchronized with the image-processing unit  15  and prepared for the next x-ray exposures.  
         [0033]     In a modified embodiment, the images of all patients of the intensive care unit are cached in the mobile x-ray detector  12 . In this embodiment, the x-ray images are sent to the image-processing unit  15  only when the x-ray acquisitions have been implemented on all patients.  
         [0034]     The x-ray system specified herein offers a series of advantages:  
         [0035]     Because the association of the acquired x-ray images with a specific patient bed  2  is monitored by the x-ray system  1 , the x-ray exposure can be unambiguously associated with a patient. Confusion of x-ray exposures as often occurs in known systems is therefore nearly impossible.  
         [0036]     Since the x-ray radiator  9  is attached to the ceiling rail  4  via the radiator tripod  5 , the x-ray radiator  9  can thus be designed such that sufficient radiation capacity is available for x-ray images of high quality. The x-ray radiator  9  hanging from the ceiling can be moved into the respective working position over the patient beds  2  without this movement impeding other medical apparatuses such as infusion racks, respiration apparatuses or patient monitors.  
         [0037]     In  FIG. 2 , a further modified x-ray system  1  is shown in which the patient bed  2  is equipped with a stationary x-ray detector  25 . The stationary x-ray detectors  25  are connected via data lines  26  with the image-processing unit  15 .  
         [0038]     In this embodiment of the x-ray system  1 , only the x-ray radiator  9  needs to be moved into the respective working position. Transport of the mobile x-ray detector  12  is omitted. The patients therefore do not need to be raised in order to place the x-ray detector in the patient bed  2 . The stress due to the raising of the patients is thereby omitted.  
         [0039]     In a further modified embodiment, a mobile x-ray detector is used, but in this embodiment the data communication between mobile detector and the image processing system  15  is accomplished with cables. For this, a connection socket that is connected with the image-processing unit  15  via a fixed, laid cable is provided next to each patient bed  2 .  
         [0040]     An advantage of this embodiment is that the energy required by the mobile detector can also be supplied via the cable connection, and an accumulator with low storage capacity is sufficient for the mobile detector.  
         [0041]     In addition, various embodiments of the ceiling rail  4  are also possible.  FIG. 3  shows a view of the x-ray system  4  from above. In  FIG. 3 , a ceiling rail  4  crossing a number of patient beds  2  and extending in a straight line is clearly visible.  
         [0042]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 4  the detector rail  4  likewise crosses a number of patient beds but runs along a circular path.  
         [0043]     The ceiling rail in  FIG. 5  has a main rail  27  that is, for example, arranged in a corridor. Adjacent rails  28  branch from the main rail  27 , the adjacent rails  28  respectively leading to the patient beds  2  disposed in separate rooms and connected with the main rail  27  via switches  29 .  
         [0044]     The concept described herein is not limited to x-ray apparatuses. Other medical apparatuses can be mounted on a ceiling rail and be moved across the patient beds  2  to the respective patients to be examined or treated. In addition to x-ray apparatuses, other radiation sources or detectors for imaging methods can be considered. Therapy apparatuses also can be moved in this way to the respective patient to be treated.  
         [0045]     It should also be noted that guidance and transport of the apparatuses via a rail laid on the floor can be employed.  
         [0046]     Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventor to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of his contribution to the art.
In a method and an apparatus for conducting a medical procedure on a number of patients respectively disposed at a number of different locations, a component of a medical device for implementing the medical procedure is moved along a pre-assembled track that extends to each of the locations. When the component is moved to the intended location by means of the track, the medical procedure is implemented at that location with the component retained on the track.