METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR HEALTHCARE APPLICATION INTERACTION USING GESTURE-BASED INTERACTION ENHANCED WITH PRESSURE SENSITIVITY

• US 20080114614A1
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mahesh, Prakash, Morita, Mark, Kariathungal, Murali Kumaran, Roehm, Stephen P.
• Application Number:
  US11/560,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114614A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for clinical workflow using gesture recognition. Certain embodiments provide a method for gesture-based interaction in a clinical environment. The method includes detecting a gesture made on a sensor surface. The method also includes determining a pressure applied to make the gesture. The method further includes mapping the gesture and the pressure to a healthcare application function. The pressure modifies the healthcare application function corresponding to the gesture. Certain embodiments provide a gesture detection system including a sensor surface configured to detect a gesture made. The system further includes a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure applied when making the gesture on the sensor surface. The system also includes a processor configured to identify the gesture and translate the gesture to a healthcare application function. The pressure modifies the healthcare application function corresponding to the gesture.

Claims

1. A method for gesture-based interaction in a clinical environment, said method comprising:

detecting a gesture made on a sensor surface;

determining a pressure applied to make said gesture; and

mapping said gesture and said pressure to a corresponding healthcare application function, said pressure modifying said healthcare application function corresponding to said gesture.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said gesture includes a gesture component and at least one of a size component and a position component modifying said gesture component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said gesture corresponds to a sequence of healthcare application functions for execution at a remote system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said pressure comprises at least one of a pressure applied to an instrument used to make said gesture and a pressure applied to said sensor surface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said sensor surface comprises a touch screen display.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising using said gesture to perform at least one of data acquisition, data retrieval, order entry, dictation, data analysis, image review, image annotation, display modification and image modification.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a response from a remote system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a default translation between said gesture and said healthcare application function.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising customizing a translation between said gesture and said healthcare application function for at least one of a user and a group of users.

10. A computer-readable medium having a set of instructions for execution on a computer, said set of instructions comprising:

a sensor routine for detecting a gesture and a pressure used to make said gesture and identifying said detected gesture; and

a translation routine for translating said identified gesture to a corresponding healthcare application function, said pressure used to modify said healthcare application function corresponding to said gesture.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said gesture further includes a characteristic associated with said gesture.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said translation routine modifies said healthcare application function corresponding to said gesture based on said characteristic associated with said gesture.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said characteristic includes at least one of a position and a size of said gesture.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said gesture corresponds to a sequence of healthcare application functions.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said pressure comprises at least one of a pressure applied to an instrument used to make said gesture and a pressure applied to said sensor surface.

16. A gesture detection system, said system comprising:

a sensor surface configured to detect a gesture made on said sensor surface;

a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure applied when making said gesture on said sensor surface; and

a processor configured to identify said gesture and translate said gesture to a corresponding healthcare application function, wherein said pressure modifies said healthcare application function corresponding to said gesture.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said pressure comprises at least one of a pressure exerted on said sensor surface and a pressure exerted on an instrument used to make said gesture on said sensor surface.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said gesture further includes a characteristic associated with said gesture, said characteristic modifying said healthcare application function corresponding to said gesture.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said characteristic includes at least one of a position and a size of said gesture.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said gesture corresponds to a sequence of healthcare application functions.