Healthcare Camera Privacy Zones for Remote View Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing video monitoring systems in medical facilities fail to adequately protect patient privacy by allowing unauthorized access to patient identity and medical information, and far-end camera controls can inadvertently reveal sensitive information.

Innovation Solution

Implementing systems and methods that define privacy zones within video streams to obfuscate patient identity information and limit camera perspective changes based on these zones, using image processing and user inputs to ensure privacy is maintained.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If far-end camera controls are used to allow remote operation of the camera, then the ease of operation is improved, but patient privacy is compromised as unauthorized users can change the camera perspective to view sensitive areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremote camera controlVSAvoidpatient privacy violation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-defines privacy zones and establishes constraints on camera movement before remote operation begins. The far-end controller is configured with predefined boundaries that limit the camera's pan, tilt, and zoom ranges to prevent viewing of sensitive areas. This preliminary configuration allows remote operation while inherently protecting patient privacy through pre-established geometric constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the camera perspective is restricted to maintain privacy zones, then patient privacy is improved, but the adaptability of the camera system deteriorates as the camera cannot be freely adjusted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient privacy protectionVSAvoidcamera perspective adjustment

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different quality requirements to different spatial regions. Privacy zones are identified and marked with specific properties (exclusion from view), while non-privacy areas maintain full camera accessibility. This local differentiation allows the camera to be highly adaptable in public areas while maintaining strict privacy protection in sensitive zones through spatially-varying control rules.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If video streams are transmitted to far-end users for monitoring, then the productivity of remote monitoring is improved, but patient privacy is compromised as sensitive information may be exposed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremote monitoring efficiencyVSAvoidpatient identity information exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and removes sensitive information (patient identity and medical data) from the video stream before transmission to far-end users. Privacy zones containing such information are identified through image processing, and the corresponding video regions are excluded or obfuscated in the transmitted stream. This allows productive remote monitoring while preventing exposure of protected health information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS12615432B2Privacy controls for cameras in healthcare environments

Publication Date: 2026.04.28 STRYKER CORP

AI summary

Disclosed are methods and systems that can maintain patient privacy in a video stream of a medical facility by obfuscating all patient identity information such that the patient's identity and medical information is protected. In addition, the system and methods disclosed herein can limit the change in the perspective of the camera based on a defined privacy zone in the medical facility such that the privacy zone is not in the field of view of the camera.