Automatic Patient Interaction in MRI via Speech Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
During magnetic resonance examinations, patients often wish to communicate with medical staff but lack the courage to express themselves, and staff interruptions can lead to errors and reduced image quality due to the need for active participation in communication.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for automatic interaction with patients using speech input and processing units within the magnetic resonance apparatus, detecting and processing acoustic utterances to determine communications and correlate them with examination parameters, providing outputs to manage patient concerns without interrupting medical staff.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the user actively monitors and responds to patient communication via intercom, then patient concerns are addressed, but the user is distracted from current tasks and errors occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic monitoring and analysis of patient communication without requiring active user participation. The speech processing unit independently detects, analyzes, and responds to patient utterances, allowing the system to serve itself in monitoring patient status while the user continues their tasks uninterrupted.
Solution Approach 2:
The speech processing unit acts as an intermediary between the patient and the user. It receives patient communication, processes it to determine communication content, and only involves the user when necessary by providing processed information through the user interface, thus filtering and managing the interaction flow.
2Ease of operation
If the user interrupts their activity to communicate with the patient, then patient concerns are addressed, but errors occur in setting imaging parameters and preparing subsequent examinations
Solution Approach 1:
The speech processing unit independently handles the complex task of analyzing patient communication and determining appropriate responses, freeing the user from needing to actively monitor and respond to patient concerns during task execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to the user about patient communication status and content through the user interface, allowing the user to remain aware of patient concerns without actively engaging in the monitoring process, thus maintaining focus on precision tasks.
3Productivity
If automatic speech processing is implemented, then user interruptions are reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The speech processing unit serves as an intermediary component that handles the complexity of speech analysis independently. It processes acoustic utterances, determines communication content, and interfaces with the existing user interface, containing the complexity within a dedicated module rather than distributing it throughout the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The speech processing unit is integrated into the existing magnetic resonance apparatus and works alongside existing communication interfaces (intercom, user interface). It adds automatic speech processing capabilities while maintaining compatibility with and enhancement of existing system functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is for automatic interaction with a patient during a magnetic resonance examination with a magnetic resonance apparatus. In an embodiment, the method includes detecting an acoustic utterance of the patient; processing the acoustic utterance of the patient via a speech processor, the processing of the acoustic utterance including at least determining the communication as a function of the acoustic utterance and checking the communication for a correlation with a parameter of the magnetic resonance examination; determining the output as a function of the communication of the patient and the parameter of the magnetic resonance examination and providing the output. A magnetic resonance apparatus of an embodiment includes at least a processor to carry out an embodiment of the method. The method can further be stored on a computer program product or medium for execution by a processor.