Patient data is now regularly accessed during surgeries to help physicians make decisions, but doing so either requires leaving the sterile environment or having an assistant pushing buttons on the computer on the doc’s behalf. There have been a number of systems developed that track hand motion to allow touch-free interaction with clinical computers (example), but now Tobii Technologies, a Swedish company that makes eye trackers, and ESINOMED, a German firm that makes clinical displays, partnered to create their own touch-free controller specifically designed for surgeons.
The EyeSeeMed system does not require eye-tracking glasses to be worn, but instead detects where the eyes are pointing using remote cameras. Looking at specific buttons on the screen for a few seconds works like a click to select that option, while other basic head motions, like tilting left and right, can be used to navigate through radiological images. Here’s a video showing off how the system works in the operating room:
Source: MedGadget
