Surgical Console Mode Control Using Head Presence and Eye Gaze
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional computer-assisted surgical systems lack effective methods for selecting and controlling the operating mode of user control systems based on the presence and gaze direction of a surgeon, leading to potential unintentional and uncontrolled movements of teleoperated surgical instruments.
Innovation Solution
An operating mode control system that utilizes head presence data from a head sensor and eye tracking data from an eye sensor to determine whether a surgeon's head is within the vicinity of a viewer console and their eyes are gazing through an eyepiece, switching between active and suspended operating modes accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system only allows control when the user's head is located within the vicinity of the viewer console, then unintentional and uncontrolled movement of teleoperated surgical instruments is prevented, but the system lacks the ability to distinguish between intentional and unintentional control actions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an eye-tracking sensor as an intermediary mechanism between the user's head position detection and the control system activation. The eye-tracking functionality serves as a mediator that provides additional information about the user's intent, allowing the system to distinguish between intentional and unintentional control actions while maintaining safety protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring eye position and using this information to dynamically adjust operating modes. The eye-tracking data provides real-time feedback about user attention and intent, enabling the control system to respond appropriately by switching between restricted and permissive modes based on detected gaze direction toward the eyepiece.
2Reliability
If the system uses head presence detection to control operating modes, then basic safety is improved, but the system cannot accurately determine user intent to interact with the surgical system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical head presence detection system with an optical eye-tracking system. By using optical sensors to detect eye position and gaze direction, the system gains access to more nuanced information about user intent without relying solely on coarse mechanical presence detection, thereby reducing information loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the detection parameter from simple head presence (binary state) to eye gaze direction (angular measurement). This parameter change enables more precise determination of user intent by measuring the angle and position of eye gaze relative to the eyepiece, providing richer information about whether the user intends to interact with the surgical system.
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary system may access head presence data and eye tracking data. The head presence data indicates a presence or an absence of a head of a user within a vicinity of a viewer console. The eye tracking data indicates whether an eye of a user is gazing at a display device. If the head presence data indicates that the head of the user is present and the eye tracking data indicates that the eye of the user is gazing at the display device, the system directs the user control system to operate in a first operating mode. If the head presence data indicates that the head of the user is present and the eye tracking data indicates that the eye of the user is not gazing at the display device, the system directs the user control system to operate in a second operating mode different from the first operating mode.