Medical Device Speech Synthesis for Consistent Patient Guidance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices face challenges in effectively communicating with patients during examinations or treatments due to the need for real-time speech transmission, which is often dependent on the operator's intelligibility and can be disrupted by the device's environment, such as in MRI scanners.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a speech synthesis system that generates natural language acoustic output, allowing for consistent and familiar voice communication with patients, even when operators change or are distracted, using a speech-to-speech conversion system that can be integrated or remotely connected, and a large language model for context-specific responses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If direct real-time speech transmission is used to communicate with the patient, then communication capability is provided, but the intelligibility depends on the speaker and can be disrupted by the device environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a speech synthesis system that generates synthetic speech from text input, creating a consistent virtual speaker that does not depend on the actual operator's voice quality or speaking ability. The system copies only the necessary information content while eliminating variability in speaker performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of direct human speech transmission with an electronic speech synthesis system. This substitution eliminates the limitations of human speakers (intelligibility variations, environmental disruptions) while maintaining the communication function through synthesized acoustic output.
2Adaptability or versatility
If operator speech is transmitted directly to the patient, then communication is enabled, but consistency of voice quality is lost when operators change
Solution Approach 1:
The speech synthesis system creates a consistent virtual voice identity that remains unchanged regardless of which operator is present. The system copies the essential communication function while maintaining stable voice characteristics through synthetic generation rather than relying on individual operator voices.
3Reliability
If speech synthesis system is integrated into the medical device, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The speech synthesis system is designed to be a self-contained module that can perform multiple communication functions (generating various instructions, reassurances, and information) through a single text-to-speech conversion mechanism, reducing the need for multiple separate communication systems.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a medical device with a speech synthesis system and a method for performing a treatment or examination using the medical device. In one step of the method, a patient is positioned relative to the medical device for an examination or treatment. A voice instruction is output by the medical device using the speech synthesis system, and an examination step or treatment step is performed on the patient using the medical device.