Apparatus and method for patient rounding with a remote controlled robot

• US 20070112464A1
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Yulun, Kavoussi, Louis
• Granted Patent: US 7,289,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• 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 method for remotely monitoring a patient. The method includes generating and transmitting input commands to the robot from a remote station. The remote station may include a personal computer that is operated by a doctor. The input commands can move the robot so that a video image and sounds of the patient can be captured by a robot camera and microphone, respectively, and transmitted back to the remote station. The robot may also have a monitor and a speaker to allow for two-way videoconferencing between the patient and a doctor at the remote station. The robot can move from room to room so that a doctor can make “patient rounds” within a medical facility. The system thus allows a doctor visit patients from a remote location, thereby improving the frequency of visits and the quality of medical care.

Claims

1. A method for viewing a patient, comprising:

generating a first robot movement input command at a remote station;

transmitting the first robot movement input command;

receiving the first robot movement input command at a robot that has a camera and a microphone;

moving the camera to view and hear a patient; and

,

transmitting an image of the patient and a sound of the patient from the robot to the remote station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a second robot movement command, transmitting the second robot command and moving the robot across a floor of a medical facility.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the robot movement input command is generated by a doctor.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a video image and a sound of a doctor at the remote station to the robot, the video image being displayed by a monitor of the robot, the sound being generated by a speaker of the robot.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the robot movement input command causes the robot camera to zoom relative to the patient.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a video image of a medical chart from the robot to the remote station.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating and transmitting a question from the remote station to the robot.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the question is generated by a speaker of the robot.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the question is displayed by a monitor of the robot.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the robot movement input command is transmitted through a broadband network.

11-19. -19. (canceled)