Medical Scope Button System Providing User Feedback Without the Need for Direct Sight or Activation Test
AssigneeKARL STORZ Imaging, Inc.
InventorEric Hale
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for improved control feedback of medical scopes. Buttons on a scope include both touch sensors and button press sensors. The touch sensors activate independently of a button press when a mere touch is applied to the button, causing a function indication to be displayed, preferably on the scope video display, showing which function will activate if the button is pressed. Touch indications may also be displayed identifying the button that is pressed. The buttons may be reconfigured along with the function and touch indications. Such a feedback scheme allows improved operation and safety as the operator does not need to look away from the display to identify a button to be pressed.
Claims17
A medical scope system comprising:
- a medical scope including a scope shaft, a handle attached to the scope shaft having a plurality of control buttons disposed along at least one surface of the handle, two or more of the control buttons including a depression activation circuit operable to create a depression activation signal when pressed, and a touch detection circuit operable to create a touch detection signal when touched, independently of being pressed;
- a camera control module including an electronic controller communicatively coupled to the medical scope and operable to receive the depression activation signals and the touch detection signals from the two or more control buttons;
- a display device communicatively coupled to the camera control module;
- and
- wherein the camera control module electronic controller is programmed to, in response to receiving a touch detection signal from a respective button of the two or more control buttons, display a function indication on the display device indicating that the respective button is presently being touched and identifying a function that the respective button is configured to activate when the button is pressed in a present mode of operation.
A method of operating a medical scope system, the method comprising:
- detecting an operator touch of a button on a medical scope, the button capable of both touch detection and pressure or mechanical displacement activation;
- in response to detecting the operator touch, transmitting a touch detection signal to a camera control module identifying a touched button among a group of multiple buttons;
- and
- receiving the touch detection signal at the camera control module and in response, causing an electronic display to display a function indication identifying a function that the touched button is presently configured to activate if the button is pressed or mechanically displaced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.