Surgical UI Using Foot States and Head Gestures to Prevent Miscontrol
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical system control interfaces, such as footswitches with multiple control modalities, require users to remember complex layouts and operate barefoot, leading to unintentional function activation due to spontaneous head movements and lack of intuitive control.
Innovation Solution
A user interface combining a foot-operated function switch and a head tracker to simplify control, allowing users to select system functions through discrete foot states and head gestures, with a processor associating sequences to corresponding system functions, displayed via a head-mounted display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple control modalities are provided on the footswitch, then more system functions can be controlled, but the complexity of the control interface increases and users must remember complex layouts
Solution Approach 1:
A single footswitch pedal is designed to perform multiple functions through different pressing techniques (heel press, toe press, half press, full press). This universal design allows one component to replace what would traditionally require multiple separate buttons or pedals, reducing interface complexity while maintaining the ability to control multiple system functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The footswitch utilizes different pressing parameters (which part of the foot, how far pressed, duration) to differentiate between various control commands. By varying these parameters rather than adding more physical controls, the system achieves multi-functionality without increasing device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple control modalities are provided on the footswitch, then more system functions can be controlled, but users must operate barefoot to facilitate groping the footswitch
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces tactile mechanical exploration (groping for buttons with bare feet) with optical information delivery through the HMD display. Users can see the footswitch layout and active controls visually, eliminating the need to operate barefoot for tactile feedback while maintaining full control capability.
3Reliability
If head gestures are enabled by footswitch command, then unintentional control due to spontaneous head movements is avoided, but an additional control step is required
Solution Approach 1:
The footswitch press serves as a preliminary action that pre-approves or enables head gesture control. By requiring this initial deliberate foot action, the system ensures intentional activation before allowing head movements to control functions, preventing spontaneous activation while streamlining the overall control sequence.
Data Source
AI summary
A user interface for enabling and controlling functions of a surgical system, comprising: a foot-operated function switch configured to be switched to any one of multiple discrete states by the user's foot; a head tracker configured to track the user's head motions; and a processor coupled to the function switch and head tracker, and configured to: obtain an association between a plurality of sequences comprising at least one of the multiple discrete states, and a plurality of corresponding system functions of the surgical system, receive an indication of at least one of the discrete states from the function switch, identify a system function based on the indication and the association, receive a head motion from the head tracker, and apply the head motion to control the identified system function of the surgical system.