Voice Command Pairing via Acoustic Verification Sound

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing voice-controlled digital operating rooms face safety issues due to the risk of surgeons inadvertently controlling surgical control units in nearby rooms, leading to potential injury to patients and surgical teams, or damage to equipment, as a result of the lack of precise command verification.

Innovation Solution

A system that uses a unique verification sound generated by a sound generator coupled to each controller, which must be detected by a microphone on the command device to ensure that commands are executed only when the device is in close proximity to the correct operating room, preventing accidental control of nearby surgical control units.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If wireless voice-control headsets and wireless input devices are used to provide surgeon mobility and touch-free control, then ease of operation and sterility maintenance are improved, but the risk of inadvertent control of surgical control units in nearby rooms increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurgeon mobility and touch-free controlVSAvoidcontrol accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses audible confirmation feedback where the surgical control unit generates a unique verification sound in response to receiving a command. The command device's microphone detects this sound and verifies it matches the expected verification pattern before executing the command. This feedback loop ensures that only commands intended for the specific control unit are executed, preventing inadvertent control of nearby units while maintaining wireless voice-control functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The verification sound acts as an intermediary element between the command device and the surgical control unit. Instead of directly executing commands received from wireless devices, the system introduces this acoustic verification step as a mediator that confirms the command's intended target. The unique verification sound pattern serves as an intermediate verification layer that prevents direct execution of potentially erroneous commands.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If wireless input devices transmit commands remotely to surgical control units, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of commanding the wrong control unit increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremote command capabilityVSAvoidcommand targeting accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Each surgical control unit is assigned a unique verification sound pattern that is locally generated and recognized only by its paired command device. This local quality differentiation ensures that even though wireless transmission allows remote operation, the command targeting remains precise because the verification sound is unique to each control unit's location and identity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Device complexity

If voice commands are processed without verification to maintain system simplicity, then device complexity is reduced, but safety and reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem structureVSAvoidpatient injury and equipment damage risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification by generating and detecting the unique verification sound before executing any command. This preliminary action ensures that the command is intended for the correct control unit before any operational changes are made, preventing harmful outcomes while adding minimal complexity to the system structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

This solution effectively prevents accidental control of surgical control units by utilizing sound verification to ensure that commands are only executed when the command device is correctly paired with the intended controller, thereby enhancing safety by reducing the risk of unintended operation and equipment damage.

Implementation Method 1

a sound generator coupled to the controller... producing the sound... The command device incorporating a microphone transmits a signal to the controller in response to the sound

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSound detection: Sound

Data Source

PatentUS9264801B2System and method for pairing a command device incorporating a microphone to a remotely controlled medical system

Publication Date: 2016.02.16 STORZ ENDOSKOP PROD GMBH

AI summary

The system includes a remotely controlled medical system having a controller in communication with a command device incorporating a microphone. The system further includes a medical device operable by the controller and a sound generator coupled to the controller. The command device incorporating a microphone is paired to the controller for operating the medical device by detecting the sound. The command device incorporating a microphone transmits a signal in response to the sound to the controller to verify the pairing of the command device incorporating a microphone to the controller such that the controller will only operate the medical device in response to a command issued near the sound generator.