Novel imaging using a touchless display for computer-assisted hepato-biliary surgery

Purpose: We developed a touchless display system that allows the user to control the medical imaging software via hand gestures in the air. We conducted this study to verify the effectiveness of this novel touchless display system as a tool for assisting with surgical imaging. Methods: The patient’s computed tomography (CT) data are generally observed on a display during surgery. The “Dr. aeroTAP” touchless display system was developed to generate virtual mouse events based on the position of one hand. We conducted comparative analyses of using the Dr. aeroTAP vs. using a regular mouse (control group) by measuring the time to select a 3D image from 24 thumbnail images on a screen (study 1) and to then see the CT image on the DICOM viewer (study 2). Results: We used the Dr. aeroTAP in 31 hepato-biliary operative procedures performed at our hospital. In study 1, which measured the time required to select one of 24 thumbnails, there were significant differences between the mouse and Dr. aeroTAP groups for all five surgeons who participated (P < 0.001). In study 2, there were also significant differences in the time required for CT DICOM images to be displayed (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The touchless interface proved efficient for allowing the observation of surgical images while maintaining a sterile field during surgery.