General purpose distributed operating room control system

Abstract

The present invention pertains to control systems and provides a run time configurable control system for selecting and operating one of a plurality of operating room devices from a single input source, the system comprising a master controller having a voice control interface and means for routing control signals. The system additionally may include a plurality of slave controllers to provide expandability of the system. Also, the system includes output means for generating messages to the user relating to the status of the control system in general and to the status of devices connected thereto.

1 - 9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . An operating room voice command system comprising: 
 a first medical device having a first device lexicon of verbal device commands associated therewith;    a second medical device having a second device lexicon of verbal device commands associated therewith; and    a control system in electrical communication with the first medical device and the second medical device, the control system having a voice interface for receiving a verbal device selection command included in a device selection lexicon, the device selection lexicon including a first device selection command and a second device selection command, the control system directing a command signal to a selected device in response to the verbal device selection command, the selected device being either the first medical device or the second medical device, the voice interface also for receiving a verbal device command associated with the selected device, the command signal corresponding to the device command, the control system identifying the device command from among the first device lexicon when the selected device is the first medical device, and the control system identifying the device command from among the second device lexicon when the selected device is the second medical device.