Voice controlled surgical suite

• US 6,591,239 B1
• Filed: 12/09/1999
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC), American Sterilizer Company (Steris Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Steris Inc (Steris Corporation)
• Inventors: Logue, Leslie M., McCall, David F., Sanders, Ward L., Holtz, Brian E., Sendak, Matthew V., Belinski, Steve, Hinson, Julie R., Zelina, Francis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITS, TALIVALDIS IVARS
• Application Number:
  US09/458,175
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/270, 340/3.5
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00203 with speech control or speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/35 Supports therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/10 Parts, details or accessories surgical drape sheets A61B46/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A voice controlled surgical suite is provided for controlling a plurality of surgical apparatus by a single human. The system includes a voice recognition device adapted to recognize a plurality of predetermined speech commands from a single human and to generate a corresponding set of command output signals. A surgical table is operatively connected with the voice recognition device and is responsive to a first set of the command output signals to initiate selected surgical table movements. A surgical lighthead is similarly connected with the voice recognition system and is responsive to a second set of the command output signals to initiate selected surgical lighthead operations. In addition, surgical camera and task light devices are included in the system and are responsive to fourth and third sets of command output signals, respectively, generated by the voice recognition device to initiate selected surgical camera and surgical task light operations. The surgical apparatus has manual controls to provide redundancy, and to override voice control signals as needed.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a plurality of surgical apparatus comprising:

a control pendant manually operable to generate pendant command output signals;

a speech recognition device adapted to recognize a plurality of predetermined speech commands from a human operator and responsive to said set of predetermined speech commands to generate a set of speech command output signals;

a surgical table operatively connected with said speech recognition device and to said control pendant, the surgical table being responsive to both said pendant command output signals and to a first set of said speech command output signals to initiate selected surgical table movements;

a surgical lighthead operatively connected with said speech recognition device and responsive to a second set of said speech command output signals to initiate selected surgical lighthead operations; and

,

a surgical task light operatively connected with said speech recognition device and responsive to a third set of said speech command output signals to initiate selected surgical task light operations, wherein the surgical task light is supported by an associated mechanical member for movement into selected positions relative to said surgical table.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein:

said speech recognition device is responsive to said set of predetermined speech commands from said human to generated at least one of;

i) said first set of speech command output signals including a table raise signal, a table lower signal a Trendelenberg tilt signal, a reverse Trendelenberg tilt signal, a lateral tilt left signal, and a lateral tilt right signal, and ii) said second set of speech command output signals including a lighthead on signal and a lighthead off signal;

said surgical table is responsive to said table raise and lower signals to initiate table raise and lower motions, to said Trendelenberg and reverse Trendelenberg tilt signals to initiate table Trendelenberg motions, and to said lateral tilt left and right signals to initiate table lateral tilt motions; and

,

said surgical lighthead is responsive to said lighthead on and off signals to initiate and extinguish surgical lighthead operations, respectively.

3. The system according to claim 1 further including:

a surgical camera operatively connected with said speech recognition device and responsive to a third set of said speech command output signals to initiate selected surgical camera operations.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein:

said speech recognition device is responsive to said set of predetermined speech commands from said human operator to generate;

i) said first set of said speech command output signals including a camera zoom in signal, a camera zoom out signal, a camera rotate clockwise signal, and a camera rotate counter clockwise signal; and

,

said surgical camera is responsive to said camera zoom in and out signals to initiate camera zoom motion and to said camera rotate clockwise and counter clockwise signals to initiate camera rotation motion.

5. The system according to claim 3 wherein:

said speech recognition device is responsive to said set of predetermined speech commands from said human operator to generate at least one of;

i) said first set of said speech command output signals including a table raise signal, a table lower signal, a Trendelenberg tilt signal, a reverse Trendelenberg tilt signal, a lateral tilt left signal, and a lateral tilt right signal, ii) said second set of speech command output signals including a lighthead on signal and a lighthead off signal, iii) said third set of speech command output signals including a surgical task light on signal and a surgical task light off signal, and iv) said fourth set of speech command output signals including a surgical camera zoom in signal, a surgical camera zoom out signal, a surgical camera rotate clockwise signal, and a surgical camera rotate counterclockwise signal;

said surgical table is responsive to said table raise and lower signals to initiate table elevate motions, to said table Trendelenberg and reverse Trendelenberg tilt signals to initiate table Trendelenberg motions, and to said lateral tilt left and right signals to initiate table lateral tilt motions;

said surgical lighthead is responsive to said surgical lighthead on and off signals to initiate and extinguish surgical lighthead operations, respectively;

said surgical camera is responsive to said surgical camera zoom in and out signals to initiate surgical camera zoom operations, and to said surgical camera rotate clockwise and counterclockwise signals to initiate surgical camera rotate motions; and

,

said surgical task light is responsive to said surgical task light on and off signals to initiate and extinguish surgical task light operations, respectively.

6. The system according to claim 3 further including:

a first remote control module connected to said surgical lighthead and manually operable to initiate said selected surgical lighthead operations;

a second remote control module connected to said surgical camera and manually operable to initiate said selected surgical camera operations; and

,

a third remote control module connected to said surgical task light and manually operable to initiate said selected surgical task light operations.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein:

said speech recognition device is responsive to said set of predetermined speech commands from said single human to generate said third set of said speech command output signals including a task light on signal and a task light off signal; and

,

said surgical task light is responsive to said task light on and off signals to initiate and extinguish operation of said surgical task light.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein:

said surgical table is adapted to respond exclusively to said pendant command output signals when both said pendant command output signals and said first set of said speech command output signals are present.

9. The system according to claim 1 further including:

a first remote control module connected to said surgical lighthead and manually operable to initiate said selected surgical lighthead operations.

10. The system according to claim 1 further including:

a surgical camera operatively connected with said speech recognition device and responsive to a fourth set of said speech command output signals to initiate selected surgical camera operations; and

,

a remote control module connected to said surgical camera and manually operable to initiate said selected surgical camera operations.

11. The system according to claim 1 further including;

a remote control module connected to said surgical task light and manually operable to initiate said selected surgical task light operations.

12. A method for voice controlling a plurality of surgical apparatus comprising:

providing a speech recognition device responsive to a set of predetermined voice commands from a human operator to generate a set of speech command output signals;

providing a control pendant manually operable to generate control pendant command output signals;

providing a surgical table operatively associated with said speech recognition device and responsive to;

i) a first set of said speech command output signals to initiate selected surgical table movements, and ii) said control pendant command output signals to initiate said selected table movements;

providing a surgical lighthead operatively associated with said speech recognition system and responsive to a second set of said speech command output signals to initiate selected surgical lighthead operations;

providing a surgical task light operatively associated with said speech recognition device and responsive to a third set of said speech command output signals to initiate selected surgical task light operations, wherein the surgical task light is supported by an associated mechanical member for movement into selected positions relative to said surgical table;

receiving a first voice command from said human operator into the speech recognition system; and

,

based on said first voice command, generating, in the speech recognition system, a one of said first set of said speech command output signals and) said second set of said speech command output signals, and said third set of output signals, the first set of speech command output signals together with said control pendant command output signals for initiating said selected table movements said second set of speech command output signals for initiating said selected surgical lighthead operations, and said third set of speech command output signals for initiating selected surgical task light operations.

13. The method according to claim 12 further including the steps of:

providing a surgical camera operatively associated with said speech recognition device and responsive to a fourth set of said command output signals to initiate selected surgical camera operations;

receiving a second voice command from said human operator into the speech recognition system; and

,

based on said second voice command, generating, in the speech recognition system, a one of;

i) said first set of said speech command output signals for initiating said selected surgical table movements, ii) said second set of said speech command output signals for initiating said selected surgical lighthead operations, and, iii) said fourth set of said speech command output signals for initiating said surgical camera operations.

14. The method according to claim 12 further including the steps of:

receiving a second voice command from said human operator into the speech recognition system; and

,

based on said second voice command, generating, in the speech recognition system, a one of;

i) said first set of said speech command output signals for initiating said selected surgical table movements, ii) said second set of said speech command output signals for initiating said selected surgical lighthead operations, and iii) said third set of said speech command output signals for initiating said selected surgical task light operations.

15. The method according to claim 12 further including the steps of:

providing a surgical camera operatively associated with said speech recognition device and responsive to a fourth set of said speech command output signals to initiate selected surgical camera operations;

receiving a second voice command from said human operator into the speech recognition system; and

,

based on said second voice command, generating, in the speech recognition system, a one of;

i) said first set of said speech command output signals for initiating said selected surgical table movements, ii) said second set of said speech command output signals or initiating said selected surgical lighthead operations, iii) said third set of said speech command output signals for initiating selected surgical task light operations, and iv) said fourth set of said speech command output signals for initiating said selected surgical camera operations.

16. The method according to claim 12 wherein:

the step of providing said surgical table includes providing a surgical table responsive exclusively to said control pendant command output signals to initiate said selected surgical table movements when both said speech command output signals and said control pendant command output signals are present.