Hospital visit accompanying integrated wheelchair robot integrating multi-modal diagnosis

Abstract

The application provides an integrated wheelchair robot for hospital visit and accompanying, which belongs to the technical field of intelligent medical robots. The device takes a medical wheelchair as a carrier, and integrates a main control unit, a multi-modal diagnosis module, an identity certificate identification module, a man-machine dialogue interaction module, a flexible mechanical hand nursing module, an autonomous navigation and transfer module, a cloud medical docking module and a power supply module. The multi-modal diagnosis module realizes non-invasive initial diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine; the identity recognition module completes automatic verification of face, ID card, health card and medical card; and the man-machine dialogue module realizes intelligent inquiry. The application can complete the whole process of automatic service of patients from initial diagnosis, department diagnosis, examination transfer, hospital registration, inpatient accompanying to hospital settlement, and solves the problems of complicated medical process, difficulty of patients with difficulty in movement, and single function of traditional medical equipment, and has high intelligent degree and high clinical application and promotion value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent medical robot technology, and in particular to an integrated wheelchair robot for in-hospital care that integrates multimodal diagnostics. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous advancement of smart healthcare construction, hospital medical services are gradually developing towards intelligence and automation. Currently, the process of seeking medical treatment in domestic hospitals involves many steps and is scattered. From initial consultation upon admission, specialized examinations, hospitalization, inpatient care, to discharge settlement, patients need to travel back and forth between multiple areas such as outpatient buildings, laboratories, radiology departments, inpatient wards, and cashiers. For elderly patients, those with limited mobility, postoperative patients, and frail individuals, completing the entire medical process independently is extremely difficult, not only increasing the physical and mental burden on patients but also significantly increasing the pressure on their families.

[0003] Existing medical robots have relatively limited functions and can be mainly divided into several categories: The first category is simple intra-hospital transport robots, which only have the function of mobile transport and lack the ability to detect or diagnose diseases; the second category is consultation robots, which can only perform voice consultations and simple diagnoses and cannot complete vital sign collection or physical nursing operations; the third category is ward nursing robots, which can only provide local daily care and do not have the functions of intra-hospital cross-regional transport or handling medical procedures. These types of equipment are independent of each other and cannot form a closed-loop service.

[0004] Meanwhile, there is currently a lack of mobile devices that integrate medical infrared thermal imaging detection, traditional Chinese medicine four diagnostic methods, and brain consciousness state analysis into a single system. There is also a lack of comprehensive equipment that combines facial recognition, multi-type medical card recognition, human-computer dialogue interaction, and flexible mechanical support functions. In the traditional treatment model, medical staff must complete a large amount of repetitive work such as initial screening, triage, registration, and guidance, resulting in high labor costs and low work efficiency.

[0005] In summary, existing technologies lack integrated equipment capable of simultaneously achieving non-invasive comprehensive initial diagnosis, automatic identity verification, autonomous intra-hospital transport, patient relocation care, full-service medical procedures processing, and full-process hospital accompaniment. This fails to fundamentally address issues such as patients having to travel long distances for medical treatment, difficulties in caring for special patients, and low hospital service efficiency. Therefore, this invention proposes a novel wheelchair-type medical service robot. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides an integrated multimodal diagnostic in-hospital care wheelchair robot to solve or alleviate one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and at least provides a beneficial option.

[0007] The technical solution of this invention is implemented as follows: an integrated multimodal diagnostic in-hospital care wheelchair robot, including a wheelchair robot body, a main control unit, a multimodal diagnostic module, an identity credential recognition module, a human-computer dialogue interaction module, a flexible robotic arm nursing module, an autonomous navigation and transfer module, a cloud medical docking module, and a power supply module; The wheelchair robot body is a whole-machine load-bearing structure, using a medical silent chassis and wheel set, which is suitable for the indoor passage environment of the hospital; The main control unit is electrically connected to the multimodal diagnostic module, identity credential recognition module, human-computer dialogue interaction module, flexible robotic arm nursing module, autonomous navigation and transfer module, and cloud medical docking module, respectively, for data processing and equipment control; The multimodal diagnostic module includes a medical infrared thermal imager unit, a traditional Chinese medicine four diagnostic instrument unit, and a head-mounted consciousness analyzer unit, which are used to collect the patient's body surface thermal data, traditional Chinese medicine vital signs data, electroencephalogram and consciousness state data to complete a non-invasive comprehensive initial diagnosis; The identity credential recognition module includes a face recognition unit, an ID card recognition unit, a resident health check-up card recognition unit, and a hospital visit card recognition unit, which are used to complete patient identity verification and health record retrieval; The human-computer dialogue interaction module includes a voice acquisition unit, a voice playback unit, and a touch display unit, which are used to realize voice and touch interaction between doctors and patients and to collect subjective information about the patient's condition. The flexible robotic arm nursing module is installed on both sides of the wheelchair robot body to realize the lifting, placement and transfer of patients between the wheelchair and the hospital bed, as well as the covering, tidying and care of bedding; The autonomous navigation and transfer module includes a lidar, obstacle avoidance sensor, indoor positioning unit, path planning unit, and elevator linkage unit, which are used to plan the driving route and realize autonomous transfer, fixed-point stopping and cross-floor delivery within the hospital. The cloud-based medical connection module connects wirelessly to the hospital's HIS system, LIS system, examination appointment system, inpatient registration system, and discharge settlement system to automatically handle various medical procedures. The power supply module provides continuous power support for the entire machine.

[0008] Further preferred: The medical infrared thermal imager unit of the multimodal diagnostic module is based on the principle of infrared radiation thermometry, which collects infrared thermal radiation signals from the human body surface and generates a visualized temperature thermogram, identifies abnormally high and low temperature areas on the human body surface, and realizes non-invasive screening of systemic physiological signs.

[0009] Further preferred: The TCM four diagnostic instrument unit of the multimodal diagnostic module integrates an image acquisition component for observation, a voiceprint acquisition component for auscultation, an interactive component for questioning, and a pulse sensing component for palpation. Based on the principles of TCM four diagnostic methods (observation, auscultation, questioning, and palpation), it collects data on the patient's complexion, tongue coating, voice, and pulse to complete the preliminary diagnosis of TCM constitution and symptoms.

[0010] A further preferred embodiment: The head-mounted consciousness analyzer unit of the multimodal diagnostic module is worn on the patient's head to collect electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, analyze the patient's level of consciousness, mental activity, cognitive state, and basic state of the nervous system, and assist in assessing the patient's self-care ability and condition.

[0011] Further preferred: In the identity credential recognition module, the face recognition unit uses an AI face comparison algorithm to complete real-name authentication; the ID card, resident health check card, and medical card recognition unit uses both radio frequency identification and optical recognition modes to read the identity information, health check data, and historical medical records in the card.

[0012] Further preferred: The human-computer dialogue interaction module has a built-in medical semantic recognition algorithm, which can proactively inquire about the patient's symptoms, duration of illness, and past medical history. Combined with the objective data collected by the multimodal diagnosis module, it can comprehensively generate preliminary diagnostic results and departmental triage suggestions.

[0013] Further preferred: The flexible robotic arm nursing module adopts a multi-degree-of-freedom servo drive structure and medical flexible protective material, which can adaptively adjust the lifting force, height and angle according to the patient's weight and body shape, smoothly complete the patient transfer, and perform the operations of covering and tidying up the bedding.

[0014] Further preferred: The autonomous navigation and transfer module has a pre-stored 3D electronic map of the entire hospital area and has functions such as real-time obstacle avoidance, pedestrian avoidance, automatic elevator calling, cross-floor driving, and precise fixed-point stopping.

[0015] Further optimized: The cloud-based medical connection module can automatically complete the entire process of registration and triage, admission information registration, bed allocation, examination appointment, hospitalization status synchronization, discharge fee settlement, and medical record archiving.

[0016] In addition, the present invention also provides a working method for an integrated multimodal diagnostic in-hospital care wheelchair robot, comprising the following steps: S1. When the patient sits in the wheelchair robot, the device starts up, and the identity verification module completes facial recognition and card information recognition, verifies the identity, and retrieves the patient's health records and medical records. S2. Guide the patient to wear the head-mounted consciousness analyzer unit of the multimodal diagnostic module, and sequentially start the medical infrared thermal imager unit and the traditional Chinese medicine four diagnostic instrument unit of the multimodal diagnostic module to complete the data collection of consciousness state, physical signs, and traditional Chinese medicine signs and upload them to the main control unit. S3, the human-computer dialogue interaction module interacts with the patient via voice and collects subjective information about the patient's condition; the main control unit combines all the data to generate a preliminary diagnosis and triage plan. S4, the autonomous navigation and transfer module plans the route according to the triage plan and transfers the patient to the corresponding outpatient department; it also automatically picks up and drops off the patient to the various examination departments to complete the tests according to the doctor's orders; S5. If hospitalization is required, the cloud-based medical connection module automatically handles the admission registration and bed allocation procedures, and the wheelchair robot itself transports the patient to the target ward. S6, the flexible robotic arm nursing module lifts the patient from the wheelchair to the hospital bed, completes the body position adjustment and blanket care; during hospitalization, the wheelchair robot body accompanies the patient throughout the entire process, regularly monitors the patient's condition and records nursing data; S7. Upon receiving the discharge instruction, the cloud-based medical docking module automatically completes the discharge settlement and medical record archiving, while the flexible robotic arm nursing module assists the patient in sitting in the wheelchair robot body, completing the entire service process.

[0017] The embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages due to the adoption of the above technical solutions: 1. Highly integrated functions, one-stop service. This invention integrates three types of diagnostic equipment—Western medicine infrared screening, traditional Chinese medicine four diagnostic methods, and brain consciousness analysis—with facial recognition, multi-card recognition, human-computer interaction, flexible mechanical care, autonomous navigation, and hospital system integration functions into a wheelchair carrier. One device covers the entire process of initial diagnosis, verification, transfer, nursing, paperwork processing, companionship, and discharge, overturning the traditional single-function status quo of equipment.

[0018] The integrated approach of traditional Chinese and Western medicine provides non-invasive initial diagnosis and comprehensive screening. Employing a multimodal testing method, it achieves both objective quantitative detection of Western medicine's physical signs and level of consciousness, and identification of traditional Chinese medicine's constitution, pulse, and complexion. This results in a broader scope of initial screening, higher triage accuracy, and effectively reduces the initial screening workload for outpatient medical staff.

[0019] The entire process is automated, eliminating the need for patients and their families to travel to different windows and departments. The equipment is deeply integrated with the hospital's various business systems, automatically completing all procedures such as registration, appointment, and settlement. Patients and their families do not need to go back and forth between different windows and departments, greatly simplifying the medical process, and is especially suitable for special patients with mobility difficulties.

[0020] Flexible robotic nursing care ensures safety and comfort. Utilizing a flexible lifting robotic arm with adaptive adjustment of force and angle, the lifting and moving process is smooth and collision-free. It can perform basic daily care such as bedside and wheelchair transfers and covering patients with blankets, replacing manual caregivers and alleviating the shortage of nursing staff in hospitals.

[0021] Autonomous navigation within the hospital ensures safe and efficient passage. Equipped with a full-area map, LiDAR, and various sensors, it enables automatic obstacle avoidance, elevator linkage, and cross-floor transfer. It operates stably and with high safety, adapting to the complex indoor passage environment of a hospital.

[0022] With wide applicability and strong scalability, the equipment is easy to operate and highly automated. It can be applied to general hospitals, specialized hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, integrated medical and elderly care institutions, community health centers, and other places, meeting the needs of smart hospital construction and possessing good market prospects and social value.

[0023] The above overview is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the present invention from one perspective; Figure 2 This is a structural diagram from another perspective of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a system structure diagram of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the method of the present invention.

[0026] Reference numerals: 1. Wheelchair robot body; 2. Main control unit; 3. Multimodal diagnostic module; 4. Identity credential recognition module; 5. Human-machine dialogue interaction module; 6. Flexible robotic arm care module; 7. Autonomous navigation and transfer module; 8. Cloud medical docking module; 9. Power supply module. Detailed Implementation

[0027] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered to be exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0028] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Example 1: Initial outpatient visit and interdepartmental examination transfer scenario After entering the hospital's outpatient area, the patient takes a seat in the wheelchair robot's seating area, and the entire machine automatically powers on and starts up. First, the identity verification module works, the facial recognition unit collects facial images for comparison and verification, and at the same time, the medical card / resident health card recognition unit reads the information in the card, and the main control unit retrieves the patient's past health records and historical medical records.

[0030] Then, staff or voice prompts the patient to wear the head-mounted consciousness analyzer unit, and the device begins to collect brainwave signals to assess the patient's consciousness and mental state; immediately afterward, the medical infrared thermal imaging unit is activated to perform an infrared scan of the patient's whole body, generate a body surface temperature map, and identify areas of inflammation, abnormal blood and qi, etc.; the traditional Chinese medicine four diagnostic instrument unit simultaneously collects images of the patient's face, tongue coating, voiceprint information, and pulse data to complete the collection of traditional Chinese medicine signs.

[0031] After data collection is complete, the human-computer dialogue interaction module proactively inquires about the patient's physical discomfort location, onset time, and past medical history via voice, while the touch screen simultaneously displays the consultation content. The main control unit integrates consciousness data, infrared thermal data, traditional Chinese medicine four diagnostic methods data, and the patient's subjective description, and generates a preliminary diagnostic conclusion through a built-in algorithm, determining the corresponding department for consultation.

[0032] The autonomous navigation and transfer module retrieves a 3D map of the hospital, plans the optimal route, activates lidar and obstacle avoidance sensors to automatically avoid pedestrians and obstacles in the corridor, and automatically calls the elevator to complete the inter-floor transfer, precisely stopping the patient at the entrance of the target outpatient department. After the doctor sees the patient and issues examination orders, the cloud-based medical docking module automatically schedules laboratory tests, imaging, and other examinations. The robot transfers the patient to each examination department in the order of the appointments. After all examinations are completed, the patient is then sent back to the outpatient clinic for a follow-up visit.

[0033] Example 2: Admission registration, ward placement, and inpatient care scenarios Once the outpatient doctor diagnoses a patient and determines that hospitalization is necessary, the cloud-based medical connection module immediately connects to the hospital's inpatient management system, automatically entering the patient's identity information and diagnostic information, and completing the admission registration, bed allocation, and medical insurance information filing online, without requiring family members to go to a manual window to handle the entire process.

[0034] The robot plans its route according to the assigned ward location, autonomously transports the patient to the corresponding ward, and stops beside the bed. The flexible robotic arm nursing module is activated, the servo mechanism adjusts the posture and lifting force, the flexible structure conforms to the patient's body, and smoothly lifts the patient from the wheelchair to the bed, and assists in adjusting the patient's lying position; then the robotic arm completes nursing actions such as spreading out the bedding and covering the patient with a blanket.

[0035] During the patient's hospitalization, the robot remains in standby mode, periodically activating its multimodal diagnostic module to monitor the patient's body temperature and level of consciousness, with the data synchronized to the hospital's nursing system in real time. When the patient needs to go out for follow-up examinations or rehabilitation checkups, the autonomous navigation module plans the route and completes the transfer; upon returning to the ward, the robotic arm again sets the patient in bed, achieving 24-hour uninterrupted intelligent care.

[0036] Example 3: Discharge settlement and final service scenario Once the attending physician issues the discharge order, the order information is synchronized to the cloud-based medical service module. The module automatically connects to the hospital's settlement system to calculate the total hospitalization costs, medical insurance reimbursement amount, and individual out-of-pocket expenses, completing the payment online. At the same time, it automatically generates electronic invoices and organizes and archives inpatient medical records.

[0037] After all discharge procedures were completed, the robot moved to the bedside, its flexible robotic arm assisted the patient to get up and smoothly transfer them to a wheelchair, tidying up the patient's belongings. Finally, the robot transported the patient to the hospital exit area as needed, completing the entire medical care and companionship process.

[0038] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these should all be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A multimodal diagnostic integrated wheelchair robot for in-hospital patient accompaniment, characterized in that, It includes the wheelchair robot body (1), main control unit (2), multimodal diagnostic module (3), identity credential recognition module (4), human-machine dialogue interaction module (5), flexible robotic arm care module (6), autonomous navigation and transfer module (7), cloud medical docking module (8), and power supply module (9); The wheelchair robot body (1) is the whole machine load-bearing structure, adopts a medical silent chassis and wheel set, and is suitable for the indoor passage environment of the hospital; The main control unit (2) is electrically connected to the multimodal diagnostic module (3), identity credential recognition module (4), human-machine dialogue interaction module (5), flexible robotic arm nursing module (6), autonomous navigation transfer module (7), and cloud medical docking module (8) respectively, for data processing and equipment control; The multimodal diagnostic module (3) includes a medical infrared thermal imager unit, a traditional Chinese medicine four diagnostic instrument unit, and a head-mounted consciousness analyzer unit, which are used to collect the patient's body surface thermal data, traditional Chinese medicine physical signs data, EEG and consciousness status data, and complete a non-invasive comprehensive initial diagnosis. The identity credential recognition module (4) includes a face recognition unit, an ID card recognition unit, a resident health check-up card recognition unit, and a hospital visit card recognition unit, which are used to complete patient identity verification and health record retrieval; The human-computer dialogue interaction module (5) includes a voice acquisition unit, a voice playback unit, and a touch display unit, which are used to realize doctor-patient voice and touch interaction and collect patients' subjective condition information; The flexible robotic arm nursing module (6) is installed on both sides of the wheelchair robot body (1) to realize the patient's movement between the wheelchair and the hospital bed, as well as the bedding, tidying and nursing care; The autonomous navigation transfer module (7) includes a lidar, an obstacle avoidance sensor, an indoor positioning unit, a path planning unit, and an elevator linkage unit, which are used to plan the driving path and realize autonomous transfer, fixed-point stopping and cross-floor transportation within the hospital. The cloud-based medical connection module (8) connects to the hospital's HIS system, LIS system, examination appointment system, inpatient registration system, and discharge settlement system via wireless communication, and automatically handles various medical procedures on behalf of patients. The power supply module (9) provides continuous power support for the whole machine.

2. The integrated multimodal diagnostic in-hospital care wheelchair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The medical infrared thermal imager unit of the multimodal diagnostic module (3) is based on the principle of infrared radiation temperature measurement. It collects infrared thermal radiation signals from the human body surface and generates a visual temperature thermal spectrum to identify abnormal high and low temperature areas on the human body surface, thereby achieving non-invasive screening of systemic physiological signs.

3. The integrated multimodal diagnostic in-hospital care wheelchair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multimodal diagnostic module (3) integrates the four diagnostic instruments of traditional Chinese medicine, including the image acquisition component for observation, the voiceprint acquisition component for auscultation, the interactive component for questioning, and the pulse sensing component for palpation. Based on the principles of the four diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine, it collects data on the patient's complexion, tongue coating, voice, and pulse to complete the preliminary diagnosis of the patient's constitution and symptoms.

4. The integrated multimodal diagnostic in-hospital care wheelchair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The head-mounted consciousness analyzer unit of the multimodal diagnostic module (3) is worn on the patient's head to collect electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, analyze the patient's level of consciousness clarity, mental activity, cognitive state and basic state of the nervous system, and assist in assessing the patient's self-care ability and condition.

5. The integrated multimodal diagnostic in-hospital care wheelchair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the identity credential recognition module (4), the face recognition unit uses an AI face comparison algorithm to complete real-name authentication; the ID card, resident health check card, and medical card recognition unit uses both radio frequency recognition and optical recognition modes to read the identity information, physical examination data and historical medical records in the card.

6. The integrated multimodal diagnostic in-hospital care wheelchair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The human-computer dialogue interaction module (5) has a built-in medical semantic recognition algorithm, which can actively ask patients about their symptoms, duration of illness, and past medical history. Combined with the objective data collected by the multimodal diagnosis module (3), it can comprehensively generate preliminary diagnosis results and departmental triage suggestions.

7. The integrated multimodal diagnostic in-hospital care wheelchair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible robotic nursing module (6) adopts a multi-degree-of-freedom servo drive structure and medical flexible protective material. It can adaptively adjust the lifting force, height and angle according to the patient's weight and body shape, smoothly complete the patient transfer, and perform the operation of covering and tidying up the bedding.

8. The integrated multimodal diagnostic in-hospital care wheelchair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The autonomous navigation transfer module (7) is pre-stored with a three-dimensional electronic map of the entire hospital area and has functions such as real-time obstacle avoidance, pedestrian flow avoidance, automatic elevator calling, cross-floor driving, and precise fixed-point stopping.

9. The integrated multimodal diagnostic in-hospital care wheelchair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cloud-based medical connection module (8) can automatically complete the entire process of registration and triage, admission information registration, bed allocation, examination item appointment, hospitalization status synchronization, discharge fee settlement, and medical record archiving.

10. A method for operating an integrated multimodal diagnostic in-hospital care wheelchair robot based on any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. The patient sits on the wheelchair robot body (1), the device is started, the identity certificate recognition module (4) completes face recognition and card information recognition, verifies the identity and retrieves the patient's health record and medical record; S2. Guide the patient to wear the head-mounted consciousness analyzer unit of the multimodal diagnostic module (3), and sequentially start the medical infrared thermal imager unit and the traditional Chinese medicine four diagnostic instrument unit of the multimodal diagnostic module (3) to complete the data collection of consciousness state, body surface signs and traditional Chinese medicine signs and upload them to the main control unit (2). S3, Human-computer dialogue interaction module (5) interacts with the patient via voice and collects subjective medical information; main control unit (2) combines all data to generate preliminary diagnosis results and triage plan; S4, Autonomous Navigation Transfer Module (7) plans the route according to the triage plan and transfers the patient to the corresponding outpatient department; automatically picks up and sends the patient to each examination department to complete the test according to the doctor's order; S5. If hospitalization is required, the cloud medical docking module (8) will automatically handle the admission registration and bed allocation procedures, and the wheelchair robot body (1) will transfer the patient to the target ward. S6, Flexible robotic arm nursing module (6) lifts the patient from the wheelchair to the bed and completes the body position adjustment and blanket care; During hospitalization, the wheelchair robot body (1) accompanies the patient throughout the process, monitors the patient's status at regular intervals and records nursing data; S7. After receiving the discharge instruction, the cloud medical docking module (8) automatically completes the discharge settlement and medical record archiving, and the flexible robotic arm nursing module (6) assists the patient to sit in the wheelchair robot body (1) to complete the full process service.

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