Intelligent Operating Room (inOr)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility study to evaluate and develop the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance surgical team training and performance in the operating theatre and to improve efficiency and patient outcomes.
IRAS ID
258885
Contact name
Sanjay Purkayastha
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
Surgery is a vast and rapidly developing field that includes numerous specialties and surgical techniques vary widely across different surgeons and departments. Therefore surgical trainees and operating theatre staff have to learn vast specialist knowledge with limited training opportunities and often will face unfamiliar operations and equipment.\nWe do not know of any formal preparation or real-time support for operating theatre staff.\nEvidence suggests that standardising surgical procedures, providing formal training and mentally preparing before the procedure, all help to improve its execution.\nIn this context digital technologies and artificial Intelligence (AI) are expected to help achieve standardisation, support patient-tailored care as well as improve staff training.\n\nFor these reasons, Digital Surgery Ltd developed Go-SurgeryTM software: to strengthen induction processes, support training and achieve standardised surgical practices.\nGo-SurgeryTM allows surgeons to prepare step-by-step standardised digital workflows of procedures, including equipment details, tips and warnings.\nWorkflows can be used by operating team staff as a form of induction and mental preparation.\nDuring the surgery, workflows are displayed on a tablet, and the surgical team can move backwards and forwards using pedals. \nGo-SurgeryTM is developing AI computer-vision to recognise the surgical phases, so that it can automatically present relevant parts of the workflows without having to use the pedals. \nAdditionally after the surgery, AI analyses surgical videos to notify surgeons of their performances and compare operative times to previous cases, and allows them to share learning points. \n\nThis feasibility study aims to test the ability of Go-SurgeryTM to improve induction processes, team performance, surgical training and patient outcomes as well as developing the computer-vision to recognise surgical images.\nThe research will use questionnaires, team assessments, technical measures and patient outcomes to measure these outcomes.\nFurthermore anonymised images of keyhole surgery shall be used in collaboration with Digital Surgery Ltd to develop AI computer-vision software.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
19/NS/0052
Date of REC Opinion
30 May 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion