Auxiliary Component Memory for Medical Visualization Latency
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless medical visualization systems are not widely available as commercially viable products, especially for single-use applications in hospital settings, and face challenges with communication frequencies, latency, usability, and cost, particularly for devices like endoscopes that require low latency and high usability.
Innovation Solution
A medical visualization system comprising a medical visualization device with an image sensor and light emitter, coupled with an auxiliary component that includes a device processing unit and wireless communication module, allowing for wireless transmission of image data to a monitor device, and featuring a reusable auxiliary component that can be used with multiple disposable main device parts to enhance flexibility and usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If wireless communication is implemented in medical visualization devices, then data transmission capability is improved, but latency increases and reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the communication function into two parts: wireless transmission for setup data and configuration (auxiliary component to monitor device), and wired connection for real-time video data (main device part to monitor device). This segmentation allows critical real-time data to use reliable low-latency wired connection while benefiting from wireless convenience in setup, resolving the contradiction between data transmission capability and latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary component acts as an intermediary between the disposable main device part and the monitor device. It contains the wireless communication module and processing unit, enabling wireless setup and configuration without requiring the main device part to have wireless capabilities, thus achieving low-latency wired video transmission while improving data transmission convenience.
2Ease of operation
If wireless communication modules are integrated into single-use medical devices, then usability is improved, but cost increases and manufacturing complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the device into disposable main device part (image sensor, light emitter, coupling part) and reusable auxiliary component (processing unit, wireless communication module, memory). This segmentation allows the expensive wireless module to be reused across multiple devices, significantly reducing per-unit cost while maintaining full wireless functionality for ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary component is designed as a universal reusable unit that can couple with multiple different main device parts. The processing unit and wireless communication module serve multiple purposes: data processing, wireless communication, and system coordination, reducing overall system complexity and manufacturing cost while improving usability.
3Reliability
If communication frequencies are optimized for medical devices, then reliability is improved, but adaptability worsens due to frequency restrictions in hospital settings
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless communication module is extracted from the disposable main device part and placed in the reusable auxiliary component. This allows the communication frequency and protocol to be standardized in the auxiliary component, ensuring reliable hospital-approved frequencies while the main device part remains adaptable to different applications without communication constraints.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables efficient wireless transfer of video data with low latency, improves setup ease, and allows operators to use equipment in a familiar manner, reducing setup time and costs while maintaining high image quality and patient safety.
Implementation Method 1
The light emitter may be an LED, an optical fibre, or similar element known to provide illumination
Data Source
AI summary
A medical visualisation system including a medical visualisation device for performing a medical visualisation procedure and a monitor device. The medical visualisation system includes an auxiliary component including an auxiliary memory and an auxiliary communication interface. The auxiliary memory storing initial data and the auxiliary component being configured to transmit the initial data to the monitor device using the auxiliary communication interface, and wherein a monitor processing unit of the monitor device is configured to receive the initial data and adjust one or more parameters of the medical visualisation system based on the initial data.