Robotic Patient Head Actuation for Realistic Pain Cues
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial human patient simulator systems lack realism, particularly in conveying facial expressions and pain cues, which is crucial for medical trainees to develop effective assessment and treatment skills, potentially leading to poor safety habits due to inadequate simulation.
Innovation Solution
A robotic patient system with a computer-controlled synthetic head assembly and actuators that can express pain and other pathologies, using pre-recorded or real-time data from patients or operators to simulate realistic facial expressions and responses, enabling more immersive and realistic training scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If commercial human patient simulator systems are used for medical training, then trainees can practice clinical skills safely without harming real patients, but the simulators lack realism in conveying facial expressions and pain cues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses motion capture technology to record and copy the facial expressions, head movements, and body language of real actors portraying patients. These captured movements are then transferred to the simulator robot, enabling it to reproduce realistic non-verbal cues such as pain expressions, gaze patterns, and mouth movements without requiring actual patients
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces static mechanical facial features with dynamically controllable actuators and display elements. The system uses software-controlled mechanisms to generate realistic facial expressions and movements, substituting rigid mechanical structures with flexible, programmable systems that can convey emotional and physiological states
2Device complexity
If static faces and immobile body portions are used in patient simulators, then the system is simpler to manufacture and operate, but it cannot convey visual signals of pain or realistic non-verbal cues to medical trainees
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms static simulator components into dynamic elements that can move and change expression. The robotic head assembly, facial features, and body portions are equipped with actuators that enable realistic movements including blinking, eyebrow raising, mouth opening, and head tilting, allowing the simulator to convey pain and emotional states through non-verbal cues
Solution Approach 2:
The system captures and reproduces authentic human non-verbal behaviors through motion capture technology. Real actors' expressions and movements are recorded and copied onto the simulator, ensuring that pain cues, gaze patterns, and other non-verbal signals accurately reflect real patient responses
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of the invention include a robotic patient system including a computer system including a processor and a coupled sensor, and a control system configured to receive control data. The robotic patient system also includes a synthetic patient robot including a feature detector and action selector configured to actuate the robot based at least in part on the control data. Some further embodiments of the invention include a computer-implemented method of providing a robotic synthetic patient by providing a synthetic patient robot, configuring a control system to receive control data, extracting and converting a feature from the control data, and converting to an actuator command to move the robotic patient system. Some embodiments include a robot including a computer system including a processor, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and a control system configured to be coupled to a source of control data to control the robot substantially autonomously.