Camera-Guided Patient Interface Height Adjustment for Eye Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Adjusting the height of a patient interface in ophthalmic imaging devices is a time-consuming and challenging process, particularly for operators with limited skill, leading to potential head movements during imaging, especially for older patients, which exacerbates motion artifacts in acquired images.
Innovation Solution
A control system that uses a camera to acquire images of the subject's head and processes them to generate control signals for adjusting the height and lateral position of a height-adjustable contact surface to a target position, using mappings based on age, distance, or seat height to ensure comfortable engagement and reduce motion artifacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual height adjustment is used, then the patient interface can be adjusted to suit individual subjects, but the process is time-consuming and challenging for operators with limited skill
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service height adjustment by automatically determining the optimal contact surface height based on captured images of the patient's head. The processor analyzes the images and autonomously positions the contact surface without requiring manual intervention or operator skill, allowing the system to adjust itself based on the patient's anatomical features.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical adjustment process with an automated image-processing system. Instead of operators physically adjusting the contact surface height, the system uses cameras to capture head images, processes these images computationally, and automatically determines the correct positioning, substituting mechanical manual operation with optical and computational methods.
2Ease of operation
If manual height adjustment is used, then the contact surface can be positioned for each subject, but operators with limited skill find it challenging to perform correctly
Solution Approach 1:
The system eliminates the need for operator skill by enabling self-service positioning. The processor automatically analyzes captured images and determines the optimal contact surface height based on the patient's head anatomy, removing the complexity of manual adjustment from the operator's task and making the system accessible to users with limited training.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of cameras and image processing algorithms that mediate between the operator and the contact surface positioning. This intermediary layer automatically interprets the patient's head position and anatomy from images, translating complex manual adjustment requirements into automated computational determination, thereby simplifying the overall process.
3Reliability
If the patient interface is not set to the correct height, then the subject may move during imaging, but manual adjustment requires repeated trials for each subject
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by capturing images of the patient's head before the imaging session and using these images to pre-determine the optimal contact surface height. This preliminary image capture and analysis occurs before the actual imaging begins, allowing the contact surface to be positioned correctly in advance, eliminating the need for repeated adjustments during the imaging process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by capturing images of the patient's head, analyzing these images to determine the optimal contact surface position, and then using this information to adjust the contact surface height. This feedback loop ensures that the contact surface is positioned based on actual patient anatomy captured in images, providing reliable head stability positioning without requiring repeated trial adjustments.
4Adaptability or versatility
If older patients are used, then they have limited range of motion for comfortable positioning, but this limits the adjustability of the patient interface
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service adaptability by automatically analyzing images of older patients' heads and determining the optimal contact surface height based on their specific anatomical features and comfort requirements. This eliminates the need for operators to manually adjust for varying ranges of motion, allowing the system to automatically adapt to older patients' limited mobility by positioning the contact surface at the height that best suits their anatomical structure and comfort needs.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system comprising at least one camera arranged to acquire one or more images of at least a portion of a head of a subject and a processor arranged to process the one or more images to generate a value of a first indicator which is indicative of a height at which the at least a portion of the head, to use at least one mapping to map the value of the first indicator to a value of a second indicator which is indicative of a target height and to generate a control signal for adjusting a height at which a height-adjustable contact surface of the ophthalmic imaging device is disposed to the target height at which the contact surface is to contact the head of the subject during imaging of the eye of the subject by the ophthalmic imaging device.