Automated Surgical Checklist System for Dynamic Procedure Guidance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surgical procedures rely on manual and static checklists, which are prone to human error, uneven application, and hinder communication, leading to potential complications and inefficiencies in the operating room.

Innovation Solution

A multi-dimensional surgical safety countermeasure system that uses automated checklists and dynamically adjusts the operating room's lighting and display information based on the stage of the medical procedure, incorporating clinical data from various sources to ensure accurate and timely information dissemination to surgical staff.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual and static checklists are used, then simplicity and ease of operation are maintained, but reliability and consistency of surgical safety are compromised due to human error

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurgical safetyVSAvoidchecklist system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically updates checklist items based on clinical data from multiple sources without requiring manual intervention. The processor autonomously retrieves clinical information, determines procedural stages, and modifies checklist content, allowing the system to serve itself rather than relying on human operators to manually update each checklist item.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of checklist management with an automated electronic system. Instead of physically distributing and manually updating paper checklists, the system uses electronic processors to automatically generate, update, and distribute checklist information to surgical staff, eliminating the mechanical limitations of manual systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Loss of information

If manual checklists are used, then device complexity is low, but loss of information occurs due to gaps in readily available clinical information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclinical informationVSAvoidinformation system
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system serves multiple functions within a single integrated platform: it retrieves clinical data from various sources, processes information to determine procedural stages, dynamically updates checklist items, and communicates with surgical staff. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into one universal information management platform.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The processor acts as an intermediary between clinical data sources and surgical staff. It retrieves raw clinical information from multiple systems, processes and interprets this data to determine procedural stages, and translates this into actionable checklist updates for the surgical team, bridging the gap between disparate information sources and end users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If automated checklists with dynamic updates are implemented, then reliability and information completeness improve, but device complexity and implementation cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurgical safetyVSAvoidsystem implementation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into modular functional components: clinical data retrieval modules that interface with different data sources, a processing module that determines procedural stages, a checklist generation module that creates and updates items, and a communication module that distributes information to staff. This segmentation allows each component to be developed, tested, and implemented independently, reducing overall implementation complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2838044B1Multi-dimensional surgical safety countermeasure system
Publication Date: 2019.04.24 KARL STORZ ENDOSCOPY AMERICA INC
  • EP2838044B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2838044B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2838044B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A multi-dimensional surgical safety countermeasure system and method for using automated checklists to provide information to surgical staff in a surgical procedure. The system and method involve using checklists and receiving commands through the prompts of the checklists to update the information displayed on the display to guide the performance of a medical procedure.