Evaluation of an augmented reality platform for austere surgical telementoring: a randomized controlled crossover study in cricothyroidotomies

Abstract

Telementoring platforms can help transfer surgical expertise remotely. However, most telementoring platforms are not designed to assist in austere, pre-hospital settings. This paper evaluates the system for telementoring with augmented reality (STAR), a portable and self-contained telementoring platform based on an augmented reality head-mounted display (ARHMD). The system is designed to assist in austere scenarios: a stabilized first-person view of the operating field is sent to a remote expert, who creates surgical instructions that a local first responder wearing the ARHMD can visualize as three-dimensional models projected onto the patient’s body. Our hypothesis evaluated whether remote guidance with STAR could lead to performing a surgical procedure better, as opposed to remote audio-only guidance. Remote expert surgeons guided first responders through training cricothyroidotomies in a simulated austere scenario, and on-site surgeons evaluated the participants using standardized evaluation tools. The evaluation comprehended completion time and technique performance of specific cricothyroidotomy steps. The analyses were also performed considering the participants’ years of experience as first responders, and their experience performing cricothyroidotomies. A linear mixed model analysis showed that using STAR was associated with higher procedural and non-procedural scores, and overall better performance. Additionally, a binary logistic regression analysis showed that using STAR was associated to safer and more successful executions of cricothyroidotomies. This work demonstrates that remote mentors can use STAR to provide first responders with guidance and surgical knowledge, and represents a first step towards the adoption of ARHMDs to convey clinical expertise remotely in austere scenarios.

Procedural Telementoring in Rural, Underdeveloped, and Austere Settings: Origins, Present Challenges, and Future Perspectives

“…In terms of the human factors involved in telementoring, mentoring significantly increased the time taken (56,130), which may be critical in catastrophic situations. The Rubrum Coelis Project prospectively and randomly examined the utility of having real-time mentoring of nonphysicians to resuscitate simulated catastrophic multisystem injury.…”

Opportunities and Challenges of Smartglass-Assisted Interactive Telementoring

“…Google Glass launched in 2013 and demonstrated a viable use of OST HMDs through various situated applications in information visualization and augmented reality using images and instructions. Since then, commercial smartglasses from Microsoft [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21], Google [22,23], HTC [7,8], Vuzix [24], Epson [25,26] and Brother [27] have integrated a wearable display with a computationally sufficient computing unit that provides connectivity and a multi-modal user interface. For example, the latest OST HMDs such as HoloLens 2 and MagicLeap One provide high-resolution displays (i.e., up to 2048 × 1080), a wide FoV (i.e., 52 and 50 degrees), and tracking and control capabilities.…”

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The evolution of surgical virtual education and telementoring: One surgeon's journey

“…2020—Muñoz et al 95 evaluated a system for telementoring using a portable and self‐contained telementoring platform based on an augmented reality head‐mounted display. Remote expert surgeons successfully guided first responders through the performance of cricothyroidotomies in a simulated scenario.…”