In Brazil, surgeons use Kinect to control x-ray displays

The Intera project at the Hospital Evangélico de Londrina is helping surgeons to control vital on-screen imagery with gestures to save precious time in the operating room.

Following swiftly on from our coverage of PredictGaze, the platform that makes use of devices’ cameras to enable gesture control, we’ve spotted some more innovative use of such technology. The Intera project at the Hospital Evangélico de Londrina in Brazil is helping surgeons to control vital on-screen imagery with gestures to save precious time in the operating room. When performing complex surgery, reference material such as x-rays and patient exam details is necessary to ensure the procedure goes smoothly. Many surgeons still use physical x-ray film and light boxes, which can take time to set up and is limited to the space of the display area. According to reports, those behind the Intera project wanted to bring the operating theatre into the digital age without requiring the surgeon to take off their gloves to operate a computer or tablet and are now using the Microsoft Kinect to allow doctors to control the display while keeping their hands ready for the task in front of them. The images are displayed on a large screen in the operating room and vital imagery can be swapped or magnified and video can be paused, rewound or slowed down. The video below explains – in Portuguese – how the system works: The system makes the process of retrieving and displaying important visual cues for surgeons easier and quicker, reducing stress for doctors and giving patients a greater chance of survival in emergency situations where time is of the essence. Intera has already been used successfully in actual operations but at the moment it is limited to the Hospital Evangélico de Londrina. Could this innovation benefit hospitals around the globe? Spotted by: Regina Gauer