Medical Imaging Voice Interaction System for Patient Anxiety Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients undergoing medical imaging examinations often experience uncertainty and discomfort due to lack of communication with operators, leading to potential health issues and poor image quality, especially in complex imaging methods like MRI and CT scans, where operators must leave the room to avoid radiation and noise.
Innovation Solution
A voice interaction system with microphones and loudspeakers that uses speech recognition to analyze patient queries and provide verbal responses, acting as a virtual interlocutor to address patient concerns and maintain the target examination state, thereby reducing anxiety and improving image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the operator leaves the patient unattended during examination to avoid radiation and noise exposure, then the operator's safety is improved, but the patient's anxiety increases and communication quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intercom system with microphone and speaker as an intermediary communication channel between the operator and patient. The microphone captures patient speech, the control unit processes and transmits it to the operator's communication device, and the speaker outputs operator responses to the patient, enabling safe remote communication during radiation exposure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical presence requirement (operator needing to be physically near the patient) with an electronic communication system. The intercom system substitutes direct human-to-human acoustic communication with electronically mediated communication, allowing the operator to remain remotely protected while maintaining communication capability
2Loss of information
If the operator remains in close proximity to the patient during examination, then communication quality is improved, but the operator's exposure to radiation and noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The intercom system serves as a mediator that enables high-quality communication without requiring physical proximity. The microphone captures patient speech clearly, the control unit transmits it to the operator's device, and the speaker reproduces operator responses, maintaining communication quality while eliminating the need for close physical contact
Solution Approach 2:
The system substitutes the mechanical requirement of physical proximity for communication with an electronic communication infrastructure. The intercom system with microphone, speaker, and control unit replaces the need for the operator to be physically present near the patient, eliminating radiation and noise exposure while maintaining communication capability
3Manufacturing precision
If the examination time is extended for complex imaging procedures, then image quality is improved, but the patient's discomfort and anxiety increase
Solution Approach 1:
The intercom system enables continuous communication throughout the extended examination period. The microphone continuously monitors for patient speech, and the speaker continuously provides operator responses, maintaining uninterrupted communication support during prolonged imaging procedures to reduce patient anxiety and discomfort
Solution Approach 2:
The intercom system provides continuous feedback communication between operator and patient. The microphone captures patient concerns and questions in real-time, the control unit processes this feedback, and the speaker delivers appropriate operator responses, creating a closed-loop communication system that addresses patient needs during extended examinations
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for operating a medical image acquisition device, image acquisition device, computer program and electronically readable data carrier. Method for operating a medical image acquisition device (1) in the context of an examination of a patient positioned with a patient positioning device (3), characterized in that the image acquisition device (1) has a speech interaction system with at least one microphone (6) for recording sounds from the patient and at least one loudspeaker (7) facing the patient, wherein - sounds originating from the patient are recorded by means of the microphone (6) and evaluated by a speech recognition unit (8) of the speech interaction system to determine patient information describing the patient's condition and/or the content of spoken words, - depending on the patient information, a speech output is given to the patient via the loudspeaker (7).