Voice-Controlled Surgical Robot With Command Confirmation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical methods rely heavily on physical interfaces for controlling surgical robots, which are less responsive to dynamic surgical situations and can lead to misunderstandings during natural language processing, increasing the risk of adverse events.
Innovation Solution
Implementing voice input to control surgical robots, allowing surgeons to provide spoken commands that are processed for compatibility and safety, enabling flexible control of multiple robotic arms and reducing the need for additional personnel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If physical interfaces are used to control surgical robots, then control precision is maintained, but responsiveness to rapid situations during surgery is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical mechanical interfaces (buttons, switches, levers) with a voice-based acoustic interface. The surgical robot responds to spoken commands through voice recognition technology, eliminating the need for manual manipulation of physical controls. This substitution enables surgeons to issue commands verbally, significantly improving responsiveness during rapid surgical situations while maintaining control precision through voice command recognition and confirmation protocols.
2Ease of operation
If natural language processing is used to interpret surgeon commands, then ease of operation is improved, but misunderstandings occur that can cause harm to patients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the surgical robot interprets voice commands and provides confirmation or clarification to the surgeon before executing actions. The system processes the spoken command, determines the intended action, and presents this interpretation back to the surgeon for verification. This feedback loop ensures that natural language processing maintains ease of operation while eliminating misunderstandings, as the surgeon can confirm or correct the robot's interpretation before any surgical action is performed.
3Reliability
If conventional communication methods are used among surgical team members, then coordination is maintained, but surgical errors and adverse events are not prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the surgical robot multi-functional by integrating voice command recognition, command interpretation, action execution, and safety confirmation capabilities into a single system. The robot serves both as the surgical tool and as the communication interface, eliminating the need for separate communication devices or protocols. This universal system improves patient safety through automated safety checks and confirmation protocols while managing complexity through integrated design rather than multiple separate systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for using speech input to control a surgical robot are disclosed. A surgical robot is disclosed that can be controlled by a surgeon using speech input in a conversational manner. The surgical robot is provided either general commands or specific instructions, assessing whether the instructions can be completed within the capabilities of the available hardware and resources, and seeking approval from the surgeon prior to executing the instructions. Alternatively, the embodiments disclosed allow the surgeon to perform an action that cannot be safely completed by the surgical robot.