Visual indicator system for patient bed

A medical imaging patient bed having an integrated visual indicator system, comprising:

• a medical imaging patient bed;
• a finger guide comprising a recessed channel along one side of the medical imaging patient bed;
• one or more light strips, each light strip comprising a plurality of lights, the one or more light strips mounted to the medical imaging patient bed;
• a laser distance meter configured to emit a laser beam along the finger guide, the laser distance meter further comprising:
• a laser source configured to emit an emitted laser;
• and
• a laser receiver configured to receive a reflected laser;
• a storage device, configured to store one or more preconfigured finger gestures;
• a microcontroller;
• and
• a power source configured to provide power to the one or more light strips, the laser distance meter, the storage device, and the microcontroller;
• wherein the microcontroller is configured to detect when a finger truncates the beam in the finger guide, determine the location of the finger within the finger guide using the distance meter, and illuminate the one or more light strips after the one or more preconfigured finger gestures comprising gestures that include tapping a finger within the finger guide and moving a finger within the finger guide or a combination thereof are made with respect to the one or more light strips;
• wherein a position of illumination of the one or more light strips corresponds to a position of performing the one or more preconfigured finger gestures and one or more distance measurements received from the laser distance meter;
• wherein the visual indicator system further comprises a reflective portion, attachable to the other end of the medical imaging patient bed and configured to reflect the emitted laser and produce the reflected laser.

A method of using a visual indicator system, comprising:

• generating, by a laser distance meter, an emitted laser in a finger groove placed along the side of an imaging patient bed;
• performing, by a human finger, one or more preconfigured finger gestures in the finger groove, the gestures including at least tapping the human finger within the finger groove and moving the finger along the finger groove or any combination thereof;
• receiving, by the laser distance meter, a reflected laser caused by reflection of the emitted laser from the human finger;
• generating, by the laser distance meter, based upon properties of the emitted laser and the reflected laser, one or more distance measurements each time the finger reflects the emitted laser;
• communicating, to a microcontroller, the one or more distance measurements;
• and
• determining, by the microcontroller, the one or more preconfigured finger gestures;
• illuminating, by the microcontroller, one or more light strips in a manner corresponding to the one or more distance measurements received from the laser distance meter and the one or more preconfigured finger gestures.