Medical tele-robotic system

• US 20040019406A1
• Filed: 07/25/2002
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Laby, Keith Phillip, Southard, Jonathan, Wang, Yulun, Jordan, Charles S., Butner, Steven Edward
• Granted Patent: US 6,925,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0005 Manipulators having means for high-level communication with users, e.g. speech generator, face recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/022 using lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1602 characterised by the control system, structure, architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/163 learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1633 compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1692 Calibration of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.

Claims

1. A robot system, comprising:

a housing;

a platform attached to said housing;

a camera attached to said housing;

a monitor attached to said housing;

a broadband interface; and

,

a controller that is attached to said housing and coupled to said broadband interface.

2. The robot system of claim 1, further comprising an arm coupled to said housing.

3. The robot system of claim 2, wherein said arm includes a gripper.

4. The robot system of claim 1, further comprising a speaker coupled to said housing.

5. The robot system of claim 1, further comprising a microphone coupled to said housing.

6. The robot system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing.

7. The robot system of claim 1, further comprising a battery recharger station, a battery that is coupled to said housing and can be coupled to said battery recharger station, and a power management software routine wherein said holonomic platform moves said housing so that said battery is coupled to said battery recharger station.

8. The robot system of claim 1, wherein said holonomic platform includes a plurality of roller assemblies.

9. The robot system of claim 1, further comprising a mass storage device that is coupled to said controller and stores a video image.

10. The robot system of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a drawer that moves between an open position and a closed position.

11. A robot, comprising:

a housing that has a drawer that moves between an open position and a closed position;

a movement platform attached to said housing;

a camera attached to said housing; and

,

a controller that is attached to said housing and coupled to said movement platform.

12. The robot of claim 11, further comprising an arm coupled to said housing.

13. The robot of claim 12, wherein said arm includes a gripper.

14. The robot of claim 11, further comprising a speaker coupled to said housing.

15. The robot of claim 11, further comprising a microphone coupled to said housing.

16. The robot of claim 11, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing.

17. The robot of claim 11, further comprising a battery recharger station, a battery that is coupled to said housing and can be coupled to said battery recharger station, and a power management software routine wherein said holonomic platform moves said housing so that said battery is coupled to said battery recharger station.

18. The robot of claim 11, further comprising a monitor attached to said housing.

19. The robot of claim 11, further comprising a mass storage device that stores a video image.

20. The robot of claim 11, wherein said controller runs a routine to moves said drawer to the open position at a predetermined time.

21. A method for dispensing a drug to a patient, comprising:

moving a robot to the patient; and

,

moving a drawer of the robot to an open position, the drawer contains the drug.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the robot is remotely controlled.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the drawer opens at a predetermined time.

24. A method for monitoring a patient, comprising:

moving a robot to view a patient at different time intervals twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the robot periodically moves to a battery recharger station.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the robot is remotely controlled.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the robot provides an existing video image and a pre-existing video image to a remote station.

28. A remote controlled robotic system that is coupled to a broadband network, comprising:

a first remote control station coupled to the network;

a base station coupled to said remote control station through the broadband network; and

,

a robot wirelessly coupled to said base station.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising a second remote control station coupled to said base station, and said robot arbitrates control of said robot between said first and second control stations.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein said robot includes a robot camera and a robot monitor, said remote station includes a remote camera coupled to said robot monitor and a remote monitor coupled to said robot camera.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said robot includes a holonomic platform attached to a housing.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising an arm coupled to said housing.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said arm includes a gripper.

34. The system of claim 31, further comprising a speaker coupled to said housing.

35. The system of claim 31, further comprising a microphone coupled to said housing.

36. The system of claim 31, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing.

37. The system of claim 31, further comprising a battery recharger station, a battery that is coupled to said housing and can be coupled to said battery recharger station, and a power management software routine wherein said holonomic platform moves said housing so that said battery is coupled to said battery recharger station.

38. The system of claim 31, wherein said holonomic platform includes a plurality of roller assemblies.

39. The system of claim 31, further comprising a mass storage device that stores a video image.

40. The system of claim 31, wherein said housing includes a drawer that moves between an open position and a closed position.

41. A method for remotely operating a robot to monitor a patient, comprising:

transmitting a command to move a robot, through a broadband network from a remote control station to a base station;

transmitting wirelessly the command from the base station to the robot; and

,

moving the robot in response to the command.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising transmitting a video image from the robot to the remote control station.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising transmitting a video image from the remote control station to the robot.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising moving a drawer of the robot to an open position to dispense a drug.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein an existing video image and a pre-existing video image is transmitted to the remote control station from the robot.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the robot autonomously moves to a battery recharger station.

47. A remote controlled robotic system, comprising:

a first remote control station;

a second remote control station; and

,

a robot that contains a controller that arbitrates access control of said robot between said first and second remote control stations.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein said robot includes a robot camera and a robot monitor, said remote station includes a remote camera coupled to said robot monitor and a remote monitor coupled to said robot camera.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein said robot includes a holonomic platform attached to a housing.

50. The system of claim 49, further comprising an arm coupled to said housing.

51. The system of claim 49, wherein said arm includes a gripper.

52. The system of claim 49, further comprising a speaker coupled to said housing.

53. The system of claim 49, further comprising a microphone coupled to said housing.

54. The system of claim 49, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing.

55. The system of claim 49, further comprising a battery recharger station, a battery that is coupled to said housing and can be coupled to said battery recharger station, and a power management software routine wherein said holonomic platform moves said housing so that said battery is coupled to said battery recharger station.

56. The system of claim 49, wherein said holonomic platform includes a plurality of roller assemblies.

57. The system of claim 49, further comprising a mass storage device that stores a video image.

58. The system of claim 49, wherein said housing includes a drawer that moves between an open position and a closed position.

59. A method for remotely operating a robot to monitor a patient, comprising:

transmitting a first command to move a mobile robot from a first remote control station;

transmitting a second command to move the mobile robot from a second remote control station;

determining which command has priority; and

,

moving the mobile robot in response to the transmitted command with priority.

60. The method of claim 59, further comprising transmitting a video image from the mobile robot to the remote control station.

61. The method of claim 59, further comprising transmitting a video image from the remote control station to the mobile robot.

62. The method of claim 59, further comprising moving a drawer of the mobile robot to an open position to dispense a drug.

63. The method of claim 60, wherein an existing video image and a pre-existing video image is transmitted to the remote control station from the mobile robot.

64. The method of claim 59, wherein the robot autonomously moves to a battery recharger station.

65. A robot, comprising:

a housing;

a movement platform attached to said housing;

a camera attached to said housing;

a mass storage device that stores a pre-existing video image of a patient; and

,

a controller coupled to said movement platform.

66. The robot of claim 65, further comprising an arm coupled to said housing.

67. The robot of claim 66, wherein said arm includes a gripper.

68. The robot of claim 65, further comprising a speaker coupled to said housing.

69. The robot of claim 65, further comprising a microphone coupled to said housing.

70. The robot of claim 65, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing.

71. The robot of claim 65, further comprising a battery recharger station, a battery that is coupled to said housing and can be coupled to said battery recharger station, and a power management software routine wherein said holonomic platform moves said housing so that said battery is coupled to said battery recharger station.

72. The robot of claim 65, wherein said movement platform includes a plurality of roller assemblies.

73. The robot of claim 65, wherein said controller runs a routine to moves a drawer of said housing to an open position.

74. A method for monitoring a patient, comprising:

storing a pre-existing video image of a patient;

capturing an existing video image of the patient; and

,

transmitting the pre-existing video image and the existing video image to a remote control station.

75. The method of claim 74, wherein the robot is remotely controlled.

76. A robot system, comprising:

a battery recharger station;

a robot housing;

a battery coupled to said robot housing;

a movement platform attached to said robot housing;

a camera attached to said robot housing; and

,

a controller that is attached to said robot housing and coupled to said movement platform, said controller operates a power management software routine that causes said movement platform to move said robot housing so that said battery is coupled to said battery recharger.

77. The robot system of claim 76, further comprising an arm coupled to said robot housing.

78. The robot system of claim 77, wherein said arm includes a gripper.

79. The robot system of claim 76, further comprising a speaker coupled to said robot housing.

80. The robot system of claim 76, further comprising a microphone coupled to said robot housing.

81. The robot system of claim 76, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said robot housing.

82. The robot system of claim 76, wherein said movement platform includes a plurality of roller assemblies.

83. The robot system of claim 76, further comprising a mass storage device that stores a video image.

84. A method for operating a robot, comprising:

operating a software routine within a robot to determine whether the robot needs power; and

,

moving the robot to a battery recharger station when the robot needs power.

85. The method of claim 84, wherein the robot is remotely controlled.