Use of human input recognition to prevent contamination

• US 10,588,492 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2018
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medivators, Inc. (Steris PLC)
• Original Assignee: Medivators, Inc. (Steris PLC)
• Inventors: Sly, Ward, Lemmer, Stacy, Mistalski, Terry, Petersen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Md Saiful A
• Application Number:
  US16/115,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20190008366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00142 with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/121 provided with means for cleaning post-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/701 for flexible tubular instruments, e.g. endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/70 Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/70 Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/24 the user being prompted to utter a password or a predefined phrase
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

Embodiments of a system and method for processing and recognizing non-contact types of human input to prevent contamination are generally described herein. In example embodiments, human input is captured, recognized, and used to provide active input for control or data entry into a user interface. The human input may be provided in variety of forms detectable by recognition techniques such as speech recognition, gesture recognition, identification recognition, and facial recognition. In one example, the human input recognition techniques are used in connection with a device cleaning workflow used to obtain data and human input during cleaning procedures while minimizing cross-contamination between the contaminated device or person and other objects or persons. In another example, the human input recognition techniques are used in connection with a device tracking workflow used to obtain data and human input while tracking interactions with and locations of the contaminated or uncontaminated device.

Claims

1. A method for preventing contamination in an endoscope handling workflow with use of non-contact human-machine input, comprising electronic operations performed by an input-controllable electronic system, the electronic operations including:

capturing a non-contact human-machine input provided by a human in a contamination-sensitive environment, the contamination-sensitive environment involving an endoscope being tracked in the endoscope handling workflow;

identifying a stage of the endoscope handling workflow involving the endoscope, wherein the captured non-contact human-machine input corresponds to a selectable option for a handling activity performed on the endoscope during the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow;

determining a command of the input-controllable electronic system based on recognition of the non-contact human-machine input, wherein the command is available to be performed during the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow; and

performing the command in the input-controllable electronic system, the command causing the selectable option for the handling activity to be implemented with the input-controllable electronic system, wherein implementation of the selectable option causes a change to a status of the endoscope within the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow.

2. The method of claim 1, the electronic operations further including:

displaying, in response to determining the command, a first visual indication that corresponds to the command; and

displaying a second visual indication that corresponds to the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow;

wherein the first and the second visual indication are displayed to the human via a display device in the contamination-sensitive environment.

3. The method of claim 1, the electronic operations further including:

capturing a separate voice prompt from the human in the contamination-sensitive environment prior to the capturing of the non-contact human-machine input, wherein the voice prompt is captured via an audio input device, and wherein the voice prompt triggers the electronic system to begin the capturing of the non-contact human-machine input;

wherein the non-contact human-machine input provided by the human includes a voice command also captured with the audio input device.

4. The method of claim 1, the electronic operations further including:

outputting a system prompt to the human in the contamination-sensitive environment, wherein the system prompt is output via an output device;

wherein the non-contact human-machine input provided by the human includes a voice command; and

wherein the system prompt is used to obtain the voice command from the human.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the system prompt includes an audio indication that is output via a speaker, and wherein the audio indication requests the human to provide the voice command to an input device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the system prompt includes a visual indication that is output from a display, wherein the visual indication requests the human to provide the voice command, and wherein the visual indication that is output with the display includes at least one of:

information that indicates a status of capturing the non-contact human-machine input, or

information that indicates at least one command available to be received via the non-contact human-machine input in connection with the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow.

7. The method of claim 6, the electronic operations further including:

outputting from the display, in response to determining the command, an indication of the selectable option for the handling activity to be implemented in the input-controllable electronic system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the input-controllable electronic system is in communication with an automated cleaning machine, and wherein the selectable option for the handling activity relates to a machine-performed action conducted by the automated cleaning machine as part of cleaning activities performed on the endoscope in the endoscope handling workflow.

9. The method of claim 1, the electronic operations further including:

capturing a second non-contact human-machine input provided by the human in the contamination-sensitive environment, wherein the non-contact human-machine input is a first type of input provided from among;

audio input, gesture input, or machine-readable identifier input types, and wherein the second non-contact human-machine input is a second and different type of input provided from among;

audio input, gesture input, or machine-readable identifier input types;

determining a second command of the input-controllable electronic system from recognition on the second non-contact human-machine input; and

performing the second command in the input-controllable electronic system, the second command causing a second activity to be performed in the input-controllable electronic system within the endoscope handling workflow.

10. The method of claim 1, the electronic operations further including:

tracking data for the endoscope handling workflow in a database, the database maintaining a contamination status of the endoscope, and a state of cleaning actions performed on the endoscope in the endoscope handling workflow.

11. The method of claim 1, the electronic operations further including:

tracking the command performed in the endoscope handling workflow in a tracking data store, wherein the tracking of the command logs the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow, and wherein the tracking data store is accessible in connection with validation or auditing of performance of a plurality of commands in the endoscope handling workflow.

12. The method of claim 1, the electronic operations further including:

identifying the human, wherein the command is performed in the input-controllable electronic system in response to identifying the human, and wherein the identifying of the human is performed based on at least one of;

facial recognition of a face of the human, iris or retinal identification of an eye of the human, or voice recognition of a voice sample captured from the human; and

performing the command in response to a determination that the human, as identified, is a user authorized to perform the command.

13. An input-controllable electronic system, comprising:

an input device to capture non-contact input provided from a human in a contamination-sensitive environment, the contamination-sensitive environment involving an endoscope being tracked in an endoscope handling workflow;

an output device to output information, to the human, in the contamination-sensitive environment, in connection with the endoscope handling workflow; and

processing circuitry to execute instructions to;

obtain the non-contact input provided by the human;

identify a stage of the endoscope handling workflow for operations with the endoscope, wherein the non-contact input corresponds to a selectable option for a handling activity performed on the endoscope during the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow;

determine a command of the input-controllable electronic system from recognition on the non-contact input, the command available to be performed during the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow; and

perform the command in the input-controllable electronic system, the command causing the selectable option for the handling activity to be implemented with the input-controllable electronic system, wherein implementation of the selectable option causes a change to a status of the endoscope within the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow.

14. The input-controllable electronic system of claim 13, the processing circuitry to execute further instructions to:

displaying a visual indication that corresponds to the command or the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow;

wherein the output device includes a display, and wherein the visual indication is displayed to the human via the display.

15. The input-controllable electronic system of claim 13, the processing circuitry to execute further instructions to:

obtain a separate voice prompt from the human in the contamination-sensitive environment prior to the capturing of the non-contact input, wherein the voice prompt is obtained via an audio input device, and wherein the voice prompt triggers the electronic system to begin capturing of the non-contact input;

wherein the non-contact input provided by the human includes a voice command that is also obtained via the audio input device.

16. The input-controllable electronic system of claim 13, the processing circuitry to execute further instructions to:

transmit the command to an automated cleaning machine;

wherein the input-controllable electronic system is in communication with the automated cleaning machine, and wherein the selectable option for the handling activity relates to a machine-performed action conducted by the automated cleaning machine as part of cleaning activities performed on the endoscope in the endoscope handling workflow.

17. The input-controllable electronic system of claim 13, the processing circuitry to execute further instructions to:

track data for the endoscope handling workflow in a database, the database maintaining a contamination status of the endoscope, and a state of cleaning actions performed on the endoscope in the endoscope handling workflow.

18. The input-controllable electronic system of claim 13, the processing circuitry to execute further instructions to:

track the command performed in the endoscope handling workflow in a tracking data store, wherein the tracking of the command logs the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow, and wherein the tracking data store is accessible in connection with validation or auditing of performance of a plurality of commands in the endoscope handling workflow.

19. The input-controllable electronic system of claim 13, further comprising:

an identifier reader, wherein the identifier reader is configured to obtain an identifier from one or both of a barcode or radio frequency identifier (RFID), wherein the barcode or RFID provides an identification of the human or of the endoscope, and wherein the command is performed in the input-controllable electronic system in response to the identifier.

20. At least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium, comprising a plurality of instructions adapted for preventing contamination in an endoscope handling workflow with use of non-contact input, wherein the instructions, responsive to being executed with processor circuitry of an input-controllable electronic system, cause the processor circuitry to perform operations that:

obtain a non-contact input provided by a human in a contamination-sensitive environment, the contamination-sensitive environment involving an endoscope being tracked in the endoscope handling workflow;

identify a stage of the endoscope handling workflow involving the endoscope, wherein the non-contact input corresponds to a selectable option for a handling activity performed on the endoscope during the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow;

determine a command of the input-controllable electronic system based on recognition of the non-contact input, wherein the command is performable during the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow; and

perform the command in the input-controllable electronic system, the command causing the selectable option for the handling activity to be implemented with the input-controllable electronic system, wherein implementation of the selectable option causes a change to a status of the endoscope within the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow.

21. The machine readable storage medium of claim 20, the instructions further to cause operations that:

output a system prompt to the human in the contamination-sensitive environment, wherein the system prompt is output via an output device;

wherein the non-contact input provided by the human includes a voice command;

wherein the system prompt is used to obtain the voice command from the human; and

wherein the system prompt is a visual or audio indication, wherein the visual or audio indication indicates at least one of;

information that indicates a status of capturing the non-contact input, or

information that indicates at least one command available to be received via the non-contact input in connection with the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow.

22. The machine readable storage medium of claim 20, the instructions further to cause operations that:

tracking data for the endoscope handling workflow in a database, the database maintaining a contamination status of the endoscope, and a state of cleaning actions performed on the endoscope in the endoscope handling workflow.

23. The machine readable storage medium of claim 20, the instructions further to cause operations that:

tracking the command performed in the endoscope handling workflow in a tracking data store, wherein the tracking of the command logs the identified stage of the endoscope handling workflow, and wherein the tracking data store is accessible in connection with validation or auditing of performance of a plurality of commands in the endoscope handling workflow.