Haptic Feedback Catheter Handle for Operator Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
During medical procedures, operators face challenges in tracking multiple parameters from sensors embedded in catheters, leading to information overload on displays, which can complicate the procedure and reduce accuracy and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A system that provides operator-controlled mixed modality feedback using haptic feedback devices integrated into the catheter handle, allowing tactile feedback based on selected parameters, while deemphasizing or removing corresponding visual displays to focus attention on critical measurements, utilizing a processor to manage and present data from various sensors, including position, force, temperature, and external modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If multiple sensor parameters are displayed on the visual interface, then information completeness is improved, but visual clutter increases and operator focus is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the information presentation by separating visual display from tactile feedback. Different parameters are routed to different modalities: critical safety parameters receive tactile feedback through the haptic interface, while less critical parameters remain on the visual display. This segmentation allows the operator to maintain focus on the visual display without being overwhelmed by multiple simultaneous visual stimuli.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a tactile dimension to the information presentation system. By mapping selected parameters to haptic feedback through the stylet handle, the system transforms purely visual information into multi-sensory feedback. This dimensional addition allows operators to monitor multiple parameters simultaneously through touch while keeping the visual interface clean and focused.
2Productivity
If tactile feedback is added for selected parameters, then parameter tracking efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the existing stylet handle as a multi-functional interface. The handle already serves as the primary manipulation tool for the catheter, and the patent extends this functionality to include haptic feedback delivery. By reusing the existing handle structure for dual purposes (manipulation and feedback), the system avoids adding separate feedback devices that would increase complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a feedback mechanism that operates through an intermediary - the haptic interface connected to the stylet handle. This intermediary translates sensor data into tactile sensations without requiring direct visual attention. The intermediary layer processes and prioritizes information, delivering only critical parameter feedback through touch while maintaining system simplicity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatus (20), including a flexible insertion tube (28) having a distal end for insertion into a body cavity, a first sensor (44) in the distal end configured to acquire a first signal from the cavity during a medical procedure, and a second sensor (54) in the distal end configured to acquire a second signal from the cavity during the procedure. The apparatus also includes a display (50), and a processor (46) configured to present, on the display, first and second measurements corresponding to the first and second signals, and to accept an input selecting one of the presented measurements so as to generate a selected measurement. The apparatus additionally includes a handle (39) coupled to the tube's proximal end, and a haptic feedback device (82) attached to the handle configured to provide, under direction of the processor, a tactile feedback in response to the selected measurement while deemphasizing a presentation of the selected measurement.