Towards the operating theatre ‘black box’

With the increasing complexity of ‘smart operating theatres’, there is a risk of information over-load – technology must not become a burden. Adrian Hall, Brandon Medical’s chief operating officer, discusses the challenges of integration for operating theatres, both now and in the future, and offers an explanation of the barriers that need to be overcome to increase adoption of smart technologies.

Over the past 25 years, operating theatres have moved from being simple, clean procedure rooms to becoming complex multimedia smart rooms. This has been driven, in part, by innovation in minimally invasive surgery – as instruments are manipulated inside of the body cavity, this requires multi-media to guide and visualise the surgery. More recently, we have also seen hybrid theatres that allow imaging during the procedure, along with robotic surgery. 

Modern operating theatres have a proliferation of equipment, with multiple monitors showing multiple images. In addition to the need for pre-operative images such as MRI scans, ultrasound and CT scans, there is increasing demand for greater data sets, including vital signs and a variety of other information on the progress of the operation. Against this backdrop of smart technology is the increasing requirement to capture and integrate this data into the electronic patient record.