Remote Ultrasound Probe Force Feedback and Camera Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
During remotely controlled ultrasound examinations, physicians face challenges in confirming the position of the ultrasound probe on the patient's body surface due to limited camera angles and lack of direct operating experience.
Innovation Solution
A medical system comprising a patient side device with a mechanical arm, probe holder, and sensors, and a physician side device with a force feedback manual controller. The system uses sensing data to adjust the mechanical arm and provide simulated force feedback, allowing the physician to operate the probe as if they were directly on the patient's body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the physician relies on the patient side camera to confirm the position of the ultrasound probe, then the physician can monitor the probe position remotely, but the physician needs to check back and forth between multiple display devices which reduces operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the camera imaging function with the ultrasound imaging function into a unified display interface. The patient side camera images are overlaid or integrated with the ultrasound images on the same display device, allowing the physician to simultaneously observe both the probe position and the ultrasound data without switching between separate display devices. This integration directly resolves the contradiction by maintaining position confirmation accuracy while eliminating the need to check back and forth between devices, thereby improving operational efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If the physician operates the force feedback manual controller to adjust the ultrasound probe, then the physician can control the probe position remotely, but the physician lacks the operating experience of pressing on the patient body surface directly
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces force feedback mechanism that provides tactile resistance to the physician's manual controller operations. When the physician moves the manual controller to adjust the probe position, the force feedback device generates corresponding resistance forces that simulate the sensation of pressing against the patient's body surface. This feedback loop allows the physician to remotely control the probe while experiencing authentic tactile sensations, thereby maintaining both remote control capability and operating experience authenticity.
3Loss of information
If the patient side camera provides real-time images from a specific angle, then the physician can see the probe position, but the limited camera angle does not provide sufficient spatial context for accurate position confirmation
Solution Approach 1:
The system adds a new dimension of information by integrating ultrasound imaging data with the camera images. While the camera provides visual information from a specific angle, the ultrasound images provide cross-sectional anatomical information from a different dimensional perspective. By displaying both types of information together on the same interface, the system compensates for the limited spatial context of the camera alone, enabling accurate probe position confirmation through multi-dimensional information fusion rather than relying on a single camera angle.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical system and a medical method thereof. The medical method includes following steps: the sensing data acquisition sub-module obtains sensing data between the mechanical arm and a patient body surface through the sensor; the mechanical arm adjustment sub-module uses the sensing data to adjust the mechanical arm; and the simulated force feedback calculation sub-module uses the sensing data to obtain a force feedback value, and the simulated force feedback calculation sub-module uses the force feedback value to trigger the force feedback manual controller.