Method and apparatus for bidirectional IR data transmission between a medical treatment table and a remote control device

The method involves dividing data to be transmitted from a participant (10a-10d, 12a-12d) e.g. operation table, into data blocks, where the data blocks are sent one after another. A pause is maintained between the sending of the individual data blocks, where data from another participant e.g. control panel, is sent within the pause. The existence of an infrared signal at the present time is examined before the sending of the blocks, where the sending of the data blocks is waited until a predetermined waiting time elapses for the disappearance of the signal if the signal existence is examined. An independent claim is also included for a device for bidirectional infrared (IR) data transmission between a medical treatment table e.g. operation table, and a control panel.