Haptic Feedback System for Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatment planning applications for radiation therapy lack feedback mechanisms that assist users in accurately selecting and manipulating treatment parameters, such as beam delivery angles and collimator configurations, which can lead to inaccuracies due to the absence of tactile or visual cues during the planning process.
Innovation Solution
A haptic device and processing unit system that provides mechanical or visual feedback to users based on tissue information, allowing for variable resistance or vibration to guide the user during treatment planning, and a wearable device with a screen that overlays medical information onto the patient's anatomy for enhanced visualization and interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a treatment planning application with cursor selection is used, then the user can select treatment parameters, but there is no feedback mechanism to assist accurate selection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements haptic feedback devices that provide tactile resistance or vibration to the user's hand when the cursor approaches or selects specific treatment parameters or anatomical structures. This feedback mechanism enhances measurement precision by giving the user sensory cues about their selection accuracy without complicating the basic cursor-selection operation.
2Loss of information
If traditional treatment planning interface is used, then the system is simple to operate, but lacks tactile or visual cues during planning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a haptic feedback device as an intermediary between the user and the treatment planning software. This mediator provides tactile cues that convey information about tissue types, treatment parameter boundaries, and selection status, reducing information loss without requiring fundamental changes to the planning interface or workflow.
3Manufacturing precision
If haptic feedback is added to treatment planning, then precision and accuracy are enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex visual or cognitive processing with simple haptic mechanical feedback. Instead of requiring the user to interpret multiple visual parameters or remember guidelines, the system uses tactile resistance and vibration to intuitively guide parameter selection, enhancing precision while keeping the added complexity minimal and focused on the haptic mechanism alone.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for use in a medical process, includes: a haptic device configured to provide mechanical feedback to a user; and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the haptic device, wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain tissue information, and provide a signal to operate the haptic device based on the tissue information for assisting the user in performing treatment planning. An apparatus for use in a medical process, includes: a feedback device configured to provide visual feedback to a user; and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the feedback device; wherein the visual feedback comprises a displayed object, wherein a position of the displayed object is variable in response to operation of a user control, and wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain tissue information, and to change a behavior of the user control based on the tissue information.