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EP-4134966-B1 - OPERATING ROOM VIDEO ANALYTIC SYSTEMS AND METHODS

EP4134966B1EP 4134966 B1EP4134966 B1EP 4134966B1EP-4134966-B1

Inventors

  • DALBERT, Heinz-hermann
  • WOLFE, Gene

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20210812

Claims (13)

  1. A computer implemented method of monitoring a patient (117) on an operating table (101), the method comprising: receiving (501) image data captured by at least one image capture device (113); and determining (503) a position of the patient (117) relative to the operating table (101) in dependence on the image data; wherein determining (503) a position of the patient (117) relative to the operating table (101) in dependence on the image data comprises: determining a position of the patient (117) from the image data; determining a position of the operating table (101) from the image data; and determining the position of the patient (117) relative to the operating table (101) based on the position of the patient (117) and the position of the operating table (101); wherein the position of the patient (117) and the operating table (101) is determined using image recognition techniques.
  2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a position of the patient (117) relative to the operating table (101) comprises: determining (505) a first position of the patient (117) relative to the operating table (101); and determining (507) a second position of the patient (117) relative to the operating table (101), the second position being determined at a time later than the first position; wherein the method further comprises determining (509) if the patient (117) has moved on the operating table (101) by comparing the first position and the second position.
  3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises outputting (511) an alert if it is determined that the patient (117) has moved on the operating table (101).
  4. The method of claim 3, wherein the alert is output if the patient (117) has moved by at least a threshold amount on the operating table (101) and/or wherein the alert is output if the patient (117) has moved out of a predefined region on the operating table (101).
  5. The method of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein determining a position of the patient (117) on an operating table (101) comprises determining a plurality of sub-positions of the patient (117) based on the image data, the sub-positions of the patient (117) being positions of parts of the patient's body.
  6. The method of claim 5, wherein an alert is output if it is determined that the patient (117) is not in an acceptable position and/or if it is determined that the patient (117) is in an unacceptable position based upon the plurality of sub-positions of the patient (117).
  7. The method of claim 6, wherein the alert is output if the patient (117) is not in an acceptable position and/or if it is determined that the patient (117) is in an unacceptable position for at least a threshold period of time, wherein optionally different threshold periods of time are set for different positions.
  8. The method of any of claims 5 to 7, wherein the parts of the patient's body corresponding to sub-positions of the patient's body may include one or more of: head; arms; hands; legs; feet; torso; and abdomen.
  9. The method of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein determining a position of the patient (117) on an operating table (101) comprises determining the position of a patient (117) underneath a sheet, wherein optionally the position of the patient (117) underneath a sheet is determined at least in part from image data captured by a thermal imaging and/or infrared camera.
  10. The method of claim 9, wherein the position of the patient (117) underneath a sheet comprises: determining a surface of the sheet above the operating table (101); and determining the position of the patient (117) underneath the sheet based on the surface.
  11. A system for monitoring a patient (117) on an operating table (101) comprising: one or more image capture devices (113) configured to capture image data; and one or more computing devices configured to carry out the method of any of claims 1 to 10.
  12. A computer program which, when run on one or more computing device, is configured to cause the one or more computing devices to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 10.
  13. A non-transitory memory having stored thereon the computer program of claim 12.

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to the field of video analytics systems and methods for use in operating rooms. Background More and more different technologies are being used in operating rooms to aid medical professionals and improve patient care and outcomes. However, integrating these technologies is difficult, as different tools, equipment and systems may be incompatible or require different inputs and outputs, presenting a challenge when trying to maximise the effectiveness of an operating room environment. Furthermore, many tools, devices and equipment also generate data. This data is frequently device and manufacturer specific, further hindering integration. For example, for surgery utilising a robotic surgical instrument to perform portions of the surgery, the robotic surgical instrument needs to know the precise location of the operating room table, and/or the patient relative to that operating table. Positional data may be output by the operating room table, but this is in the form of changes in a step motor configured to move the table. This positional data provides little benefit and cannot be used by, for example, a robotic surgical instrument, unless it has been calibrated prior to use and localised within the operating room. This is a time consuming process, made more undesirable by the fact that an operating room may host many different surgical procedures, each requiring different equipment, and hence requiring new localisation and calibration before each use. KR102195825B1 relates to a surgery guide system through a notification function and a method thereof, and more particularly, to a system for guiding a surgical position, a drug dose and the like required during a surgical procedure through a notification function that uses light, sound, haptics (vibrations) or the combination of the same by photographing a surgical site of a patient placed on an operating table, a surgical procedure, surgical tools and the like, and comparing and analyzing a photographed image with a reference image according to the gender, body type, surgery type of the patient, and a method thereof. The surgery guide system comprises: a guide signal output part; a guide information monitoring part; and a notification generation part. The document discloses neither determining a position of the operating table from image data using image recognition techniques, nor determining a position of a patient relative to the operating table. Summary of Invention The invention is defined by the appended claims. Summary of the Disclosure According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method of monitoring a patient on an operating room table is provided. The method comprises receiving image data captured by at least one image capture device; and determining a position of the patient relative to the operating table in dependence on the image data. Determining a patient position using image data means that the method does not require any specific operating table, and as such can be employed easily to a wide variety of situations. Furthermore, the method can be used with existing operating tables and even with future tables. In addition, as the system is remote from the operating table, it does not compromise patient outcomes or the effectiveness of an operating table as an operating table. Determining a position of the patient relative to the operating table in dependence on the image data comprises determining a position of the patient from the image data; determining a position of the operating table from the image data; and determining the position of the patient relative to the operating table based on the position of the patient and the position of the operating table. Determining positions of the patient and the operating table allows an accurate position of the patient to be determined, and means that the position of the operating table and patient relative to other objects need not be known. For example, as the position of the operating table is determined, it does not matter if the position moves between different procedures or the like. Determining the position of the operating table based on the image data means that the type of operating table used does not matter, and that the method can easily be used with existing or future operating tables. In particular, no calibration or other information about the operating table is needed. The position of the operating table is determined using image recognition techniques. The use of image recognition techniques can allow the method to be automatically implemented by a computer or computer system. The step of determining a position of the patient relative to the operating table may comprise determining a first position of the patient relative to the operating table and determining a second position of the patient relative to the operating table, the second position being determined at a time later than the first position. The method further comprises determi