Imaging multi-modality touch pad interface systems, methods, articles of manufacture, and apparatus

• US 8,421,761 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Natanzon, Alexander, Venon, Medhi, Dekel, Shai, Janicki, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Van
• Application Number:
  US12/547,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20110050587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

Certain examples provide systems, apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods for medical device interface overlay. In an example, an article of manufacture includes an overlay for a clinical device touchscreen interface. The overlay includes a background surface formed to contact a touchscreen interface. The overlay also includes a plurality of touch areas formed in the background surface of the overlay device. Each of the plurality of touch areas is to provide a tactile boundary for a corresponding touchscreen interface function. The plurality of touch areas includes at least one of a plurality of openings and a plurality of recessed areas including a material thickness less than the material thickness of the background surface. The plurality of openings and the plurality of recessed areas allow user contact and interaction with the user interface underneath the overlay.

Claims

1. A medical touchscreen interface overlay device comprising:

a background surface contacting a touchscreen interface, wherein the background surface does not generate a response from the interface when contacted by a user,

a plurality of touch areas formed in the background surface of the overlay device, the plurality of touch areas having a lesser thickness than the background surface, each of the plurality of touch areas to provide a tactile boundary for a corresponding touchscreen interface function and each of the plurality of touch areas formed in a shape representative of the corresponding touchscreen interface function; and

an indicator to indicate to the touchscreen interface which overlay device has been placed on the touchscreen interface,

wherein the overlay device is at least temporarily affixed to the touchscreen interface to facilitate user interaction with the touchscreen interface, wherein the overlay device is associated with an application running on a remote terminal, and wherein configuration of the application on the remote terminal corresponds to the indicator of the overlay device being at least temporarily affixed to the touchscreen interface.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of touch areas comprise at least one of a plurality of openings and a plurality of recessed areas comprising a material thickness less than the material thickness of the background surface, wherein the plurality of openings and the plurality of recessed areas allow user contact and interaction with the user interface underlying the overlay.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of touch areas comprises at least one of a keystroke areas and a control strip.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of supports to support the overlay device on top of the touchscreen interface.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of supports is arranged in a configuration to indicate an overlay device identity to the touchscreen interface.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of touch areas correspond to touchscreen interface functions including one or more of directional control, image review, scrolling, zooming, panning, workflow progression, and sliding to at least one of increase and decrease a corresponding parameter value.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of touch areas comprise openings in the background surface to expose touch control shapes of the underlying touchscreen interface and wherein the background surface further comprises tactile bumps to facilitate blind location of touch area shapes in the overlay device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of touch areas comprise a combination of openings and at least one of meshes or thin films.

9. The device of claim 1, where the plurality of touch areas comprise at least one recessed area and at least one raised area.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises an adhesive strip affixed to a touchscreen interface.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a radio frequency identifier to indicate an overlay device identity to the touchscreen interface.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the touchscreen interface comprises a mobile device touchscreen interface, the mobile device controlling operation of a remote diagnostic imaging workstation, the overlay device associated with an interface program on the mobile device to control the remote diagnostic imaging workstation via a connection between the mobile device and the diagnostic imaging workstation.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the overlay device comprises a single-use, disposable overlay device.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the overlay device comprises a reusable, sterilizable overlay device.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the overlay device is one of a set of template overlay devices used in conjunction with a computer program to facilitate configuration of the touchscreen interface layout to match a selected overlay device.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the overlay device comprises a universal overlay template provided in conjunction with a tool set to allow a user to customize the overlay template to perform a set of touchscreen interface functions.

17. An article of manufacture comprising:

an overlay for a clinical device touchscreen interface, said overlay comprising;

a background surface formed to contact a touchscreen interface;

an indicator to indicate to the touchscreen interface which overlay device has been placed on the touchscreen interface; and

a plurality of touch areas formed in the background surface of the overlay device, each of the plurality of touch areas to provide a tactile boundary for a corresponding touchscreen interface function, wherein the plurality of touch areas comprise at least one of a plurality of openings and a plurality of recessed areas comprising a material thickness less than the material thickness of the background surface, wherein the plurality of openings and the plurality of recessed areas allow user contact and interaction with the touchscreen interface underneath the overlay,

wherein the overlay is associated with an application running on the clinical device, and wherein configuration of the application on the clinical device corresponds to the overlay device being at least temporarily affixed to the touchscreen interface of the clinical device.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the plurality of touch areas comprise openings in the background surface to expose touch control shapes of the underlying touchscreen interface and wherein the background surface further comprises tactile bumps to facilitate blind location of touch area shapes in the overlay device.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the plurality of touch areas comprise a combination of openings and at least one of meshes or thin films.

20. A touchscreen overlay apparatus comprising:

an adhesive strip overlay for a clinical device touchscreen interface, said overlay comprising;

a background surface with adhesive backing formed to contact a touchscreen interface;

an indicator to indicate to the touchscreen interface which overlay device has been placed on the touchscreen interface; and

a plurality of touch areas formed in the background surface of the overlay device, the plurality of touch areas comprising at least one recessed area and at least one raised area to facilitate selection of functionality available on the clinical device touchscreen interface,

wherein the overlay is associated with an application running on the clinical device, and wherein configuration of the application on the clinical device corresponds to the overlay being at least temporarily affixed to the touchscreen interface of the clinical device.