Measuring Workload and Performance of Surgeons Using Body Sensors of Smartwatches

Wearable Technology for Assessment and Surgical Assistance in Minimally Invasive Surgery

“…In MIS field, we have made use of smartwatches (Figure 1) to monitor hand motion and HRV data of surgeons during the performance of laparoscopic training tasks. Apart from evaluating the surgeon's physiological parameters and performance, we sought to build a machine learning model that could predict stressful situations and quality of surgical performance during laparoscopic practice [2,15]. Although more data is required in order to build a reliable model, smartwatches are proving to be a promising alternative to more invasive and expensive solutions that are often used in these types of studies.…”

“…The most popular include the use of acceleration sensors, followed by optical tracking solutions. These solutions range from a simple and affordable smartwatch that can measure a subject's hand accelerations from accelerometer sensors [2], to more complex and expensive systems such as the Xsens™ (Xsens Technologies B. V.) that uses inertial sensors [17].…”

“…All this leads to an increased mental and physical burden on the surgeon during surgery, as well as the possible onset of musculoskeletal disorders. The constant evolution of wearable technology allows for a comprehensive analysis of these parameters in order to improve the surgeon's ergonomics during surgery, and therefore the patient's surgical outcomes [2,3].…”