Optical Gesture Control for Medical Equipment Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical imaging and treatment systems require significant effort for precise adjustment and positioning of the examination/treatment area, often relying on cumbersome input methods like keyboards and mice, which are not intuitive or user-friendly.
Innovation Solution
A control system that utilizes an optical detection system to interpret gestural inputs and speech recognition, allowing for intuitive definition of volumetric examination/treatment areas, reducing the need for traditional input devices and enhancing user interaction with medical equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional input devices like keyboards and mice are used for positioning the examination area, then precise adjustment can be achieved, but the operation becomes cumbersome and not user-friendly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical input devices (keyboards, mice) with an optical detection system that captures hand gestures. The optical system detects the position and movement of the operator's hand in three-dimensional space, converting physical gestures into control signals for positioning the examination area. This substitution maintains positioning precision while dramatically improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an optical field as an intermediary between the operator and the medical equipment control system. The optical detection system serves as a mediator that translates natural hand gestures into precise positioning commands, eliminating the need for traditional mechanical input devices and creating a more intuitive interaction interface.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex input methods are used for defining examination areas, then precise control is achieved, but the time required for operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-consuming mechanical input operations with rapid optical gesture recognition. The optical detection system continuously tracks hand movements and translates them into examination area definitions in real-time, significantly reducing the time required to precisely define examination areas compared to traditional keyboard or mouse operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calibration and setup of the optical detection system before actual use. Once calibrated, the system is ready to immediately capture and process hand gestures for defining examination areas, eliminating setup time during actual operations and enabling rapid, precise area definition.
3Device complexity
If traditional control interfaces are used, then system complexity remains manageable, but user-friendliness and intuitiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The optical detection system acts as an intelligent intermediary that bridges the gap between simple natural gestures and complex control functions. While the underlying system complexity increases to handle optical processing and gesture recognition, the user experiences a simplified, more intuitive interface that feels natural and easy to operate.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical detection system serves multiple functions: it detects hand position, tracks movement trajectories, recognizes gesture types, and translates them into various control commands. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate input devices and interfaces into a single universal control mechanism, improving user-friendliness while managing system complexity through integration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables simple, reliable, and user-friendly determination of examination/treatment areas, improving operational efficiency by minimizing the use of traditional input devices and ensuring high recognition certainty through real-time image processing and data linkage with medical information systems.
Implementation Method 1
an optical detection system, which is provided to detect gestural inputs, i.e. physical gesture inputs such as hand motions, of a machine operator or user
Implementation Method 2
the optical detection system may have a transit-time measurement system, which makes it relatively simple and fast to generate three-dimensional data
Implementation Method 3
the optical detection system employs 2D cameras exclusively. In that case, triangulation measurements make stereo image evaluation possible; i.e. three-dimensional data may be ascertained from two-dimensional image data
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for medical equipment comprises an examination/treatment system, an optical detection system which is operably affixed to the examination/treatment system and configured to collect data corresponding to detected gestural inputs made by an operator in relation to a targeted examination/treatment area on a patient positioned on a patient examination apparatus, and an evaluation system configured to adjust operation parameters of the examination/treatment system as a function of the collected gestural input data communicated by the optical detection system.