Use of human input recognition to prevent contamination

• US 9,681,794 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medivators, Inc. (Steris PLC)
• Original Assignee: Medivators, Inc. (Steris PLC)
• Inventors: Lemmer, Stacy, Mistalski, Terry, Sly, Ward, Petersen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Md Saiful A
• Application Number:
  US15/143,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20160235280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 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 computing device, comprising:

at least one output device, the at least one output device including a display screen to provide graphical output for a user interface;

at least one input device, the at least one input device including an input sensor to detect non-contact human input from a human user;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, the at least one memory providing a plurality of instructions, wherein the instructions are operable with the at least one processor, to;

output a prompt in the user interface via the display screen, wherein the prompt corresponds to a stage of a medical device handling workflow, wherein the medical device handling workflow includes a plurality of stages, and wherein the prompt is outputted to obtain the non-contact human input from the human user;

capture the non-contact human input with the input sensor, wherein the non-contact human input is captured at the stage of the medical device handling workflow, wherein the non-contact human input is detected with the input sensor in response to the prompt;

correlate the captured non-contact human input to a command in the user interface, wherein the command corresponds to an activity in the medical device handling workflow; and

perform the command in the user interface, wherein the command causes the activity to be performed in the medical device handling workflow.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further operable with the at least one processor to:

perform input recognition of the non-contact human input provided by the human user and captured from the input sensor at the stage of the medical device handling workflow;

wherein the non-contact human input is processed with at least one input recognition technique to identify the command in the user interface from among a plurality of commands in the user interface; and

wherein the input recognition technique includes one or more of;

speech recognition, gesture recognition, facial recognition, or identifier recognition.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the input recognition technique includes gesture recognition of a gesture provided with the non-contact human input, and wherein the gesture involves the human user holding a certain position for a period of time to provide a confirmation or selection of an input choice in the user interface corresponding to the command.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the input sensor is an infrared or ultrasonic sensor adapted to detect human input based on proximity of the human user to the infrared or ultrasonic sensor.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device further includes a second input sensor, wherein human input provided in proximity to the input sensor is used to indicate a pass status of the activity in the medical device handling workflow, and wherein human input provided in proximity to the second input sensor is used to indicate a fail status of the activity in the medical device handling workflow.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device includes a machine readable identifier reader, wherein the machine readable identifier reader is adapted to read a barcode identifier, a radio frequency identifier (RFID), or a near field communication (NFC) identifier for use in the medical device handling workflow.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device further includes a speaker, and a microphone, wherein the non-contact human input includes verbal input provided from the human user, and wherein the instructions are further operable with the processor to output an audible prompt for the verbal input to the human user with the speaker, and to capture the verbal input from the human user with the microphone in response to the audible prompt.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the non-contact human input is provided by the human user to provide a response value to an input prompt that is generated and outputted in the user interface, wherein the input prompt is configured to receive one of at least two data values in response to the input prompt, and wherein the at least two data values correlate to respective statuses of a cleaning activity for a contaminated medical device in the medical device handling workflow.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein multiple activities performed in connection with the contaminated medical device occur in connection with steps of the medical device handling workflow for cleaning and reprocessing the contaminated medical device for subsequent use, and wherein the contaminated medical device is a multiple-use endoscope, and wherein responses to input prompts for the respective activities are tracked in a database for a status of the multiple-use endoscope.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions which when executed by a computing system causes the computing system to perform operations that:

output a prompt with a display of the computing system, wherein the prompt corresponds to a stage of a medical device handling workflow for a medical device, wherein the medical device handling workflow includes a plurality of stages, and wherein the prompt is outputted to a human user to obtain non-contact human input from the human user;

capture the non-contact human input detected with an input sensor of the computing system, wherein the non-contact human input is captured at the stage of the medical device handling workflow, wherein the non-contact human input is detected with the input sensor in response to the prompt;

correlate the captured non-contact human input to a command to perform in the computing system, wherein the command corresponds to an activity in the medical device handling workflow; and

perform the command in the computing system, wherein the command causes the activity to be performed in the medical device handling workflow.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further:

perform input recognition of the non-contact human input provided by the human user and captured from the input sensor at the stage of the medical device handling workflow;

wherein the non-contact human input is processed with at least one input recognition technique to identify the command in the computing system from among a plurality of commands; and

wherein the input recognition includes one or more of;

speech recognition, gesture recognition, facial recognition, or identifier recognition.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the input recognition includes gesture recognition of a gesture provided from the human user with the non-contact human input, and wherein the gesture involves the human user holding a certain position for a period of time to provide a confirmation or selection of an input choice provided in the computing system.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the input sensor is an infrared or ultrasonic sensor adapted to detect human input based on proximity of the human user to the infrared or ultrasonic sensor.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the computing system includes the display and the input sensor, wherein the input recognition includes recognition of a gesture performed above the input sensor, and wherein the activity to be performed is associated with an output of the prompt on the display of the computing system.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the non-contact human input is provided by the human user to provide a response value to an input prompt that is generated and outputted on the display, wherein the input prompt is configured to receive one of at least two data values in response to the input prompt, and wherein the at least two data values correlate to respective statuses of a cleaning activity for a contaminated medical device in the medical device handling workflow.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein multiple activities performed in connection with the contaminated medical device occur in connection with steps of the medical device handling workflow for cleaning and reprocessing the contaminated medical device for subsequent use, and wherein the medical device is a multiple-use endoscope.

17. A method for preventing contamination with use of non-contact human input, comprising electronic operations performed by hardware of a computing system, the electronic operations including:

outputting a prompt, with the computing system, to a human user from the computing system, wherein the prompt corresponds to a stage of a medical device handling workflow for a medical device, wherein the medical device handling workflow includes a plurality of stages, and wherein the prompt is outputted to the human user to obtain non-contact human input from the human user;

capturing the non-contact human input detected with an electronic sensor, wherein the non-contact human input is captured at the stage of the medical device handling workflow, wherein the non-contact human input is detected with the electronic sensor in response to the prompt;

correlating the non-contact human input to a command to perform in the computing system, wherein the command corresponds to an activity in the medical device handling workflow; and

performing the command in the computing system, wherein the command causes the activity to be performed in the medical device handling workflow.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

performing input recognition in response to the capturing of the non-contact human input, wherein the input recognition includes one or more of;

speech recognition, gesture recognition, facial recognition, or identifier recognition.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the input recognition includes gesture recognition of a gesture provided from the human user with the non-contact human input, and wherein the gesture involves the human user holding a certain position for a period of time to provide a confirmation or selection of an input choice provided in the computing system.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the computing system includes a display device and the electronic sensor, wherein the input recognition comprises recognition of a gesture performed above the electronic sensor, and wherein the activity to be performed is associated with an output of the prompt on the display device of the computing system.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the non-contact human input is provided by the human user to provide a response value to an input prompt that is generated and outputted on the display device.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the prompt from the computing system is used to instruct the human user to provide a data value with the non-contact human input, and wherein the data value is specific to a status of a cleaning activity for the medical device.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

communicating, with an electronic tracking database, to track a contamination status of the medical device in a contamination-sensitive environment;

capturing additional non-contact human input in the contamination-sensitive environment with the electronic sensor at respective stages of the plurality of stages of the medical device handling workflow; and

performing input recognition upon data produced from the capturing of the additional non-contact human input during each of the respective stages of the plurality of stages of the medical device handling workflow, the additional non-contact human input providing additional data related to the medical device for use in the medical device handling workflow.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the medical device is an endoscope, and wherein the medical device handling workflow is an endoscope cleaning workflow used for cleaning and reprocessing of the endoscope to remove contamination of the endoscope.