Gesture Control Mode for Medical Procedure Error Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical systems using gesture input for controlling procedures face errors due to inadvertent or unwanted gestures, which can lead to unintended actions with high consequences for patients, as they lack effective error mitigation techniques.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a gesture control mode that requires an indicator gesture to initiate, limits the rate of change or adjustment range for gesture inputs, and ensures only intended user inputs are recognized, using sensors like camera-based or presence-sensitive sensors to detect hand motions and configurations, and employing error mitigation techniques such as timeout periods and unexpected object detection to prevent erroneous actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If gesture input is used to control medical procedures, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to inadvertent gestures
Solution Approach 1:
The system requires a preliminary indicator gesture to activate gesture control mode before any procedural control gestures can be executed. This preliminary action ensures that the system is intentionally activated by the user, preventing inadvertent gestures from triggering medical procedures while maintaining ease of operation through natural hand motions.
2Productivity
If gesture control mode is activated for procedure control, then productivity is improved, but object-generated harmful factors increase due to potential erroneous actions
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements preliminary anti-action by requiring confirmation gestures or specific gesture sequences before executing critical medical procedures. This counter-measure prevents erroneous actions by ensuring that the user's intent is clearly confirmed, while still allowing efficient procedure control through predefined gesture commands that improve productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback by monitoring gesture inputs and providing visual or auditory confirmation before executing medical procedures. This feedback mechanism allows the system to detect and correct potential erroneous actions while maintaining efficient procedure control, balancing productivity with safety by ensuring user intent is verified.
3Reliability
If rate of change is limited for gesture inputs, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different rate-of-change limits to different gesture types and procedural contexts. Critical procedures have stricter limits for reliability, while less critical adjustments allow faster response for ease of operation. This localized quality approach maintains reliability where needed without unnecessarily complicating overall system operation.
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 significantly reduces errors in medical procedures by ensuring only intended gestures are recognized and acted upon, thereby minimizing the risk of unintended actions and improving user safety and procedure accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
One or more sensors, e.g., camera-based sensors or presence-sensitive sensors, may be configured to detect hand motions or hand configurations presented by the user as gesture input
Implementation Method 2
One or more sensors, e.g., camera-based sensors or presence-sensitive sensors, may be configured to detect hand motions or hand configurations presented by the user as gesture input
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and techniques for mitigating error from gesture input are disclosed. A system may receive an indication of a first gesture input, determine that the first gesture input is an indicator gesture input, and, responsive to the determination that the first gesture input is the indicator gesture input, enter a gesture control mode during which the system is configured to control one or more actions related to a medical procedure. Only during the gesture control mode, the system may receive an indication of a second gesture input associated with the medical procedure and, responsive to receiving the indication of the second gesture input, control, based on the second gesture input, at least a portion of the medical procedure. Additionally, or alternatively, the system may employ other error mitigation techniques for gesture input related to medical procedures.