Lincs surgeons practice on Wii hip

A training device has been developed for doctors and surgeons in Lincoln, based on Nintendo Wii technology, that allows trainee surgeons to simulate the action of a surgical drill.

The handheld device will be used by medics specialising in orthopaedics at Lincoln County Hospital and support their training by simulating surgery on fractures of the hip.

The product has been developed through a partnership between United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Lincoln’s school of computer science and demonstrates best practice techniques.

Dr Amr Ahmed, senior lecturer at the school of computer science and joint lead of the project, said: “I was really surprised that there wasn’t something already in place for surgeons, especially when I saw the particular operation itself.

“When this operation goes wrong it has a real effect on the NHS and the medics, causing a lot of complications and a lot of cost, in particular for the NHS.”

The training tool prototype incorporates a Wii remote, a webcam, and a table tennis ball. The motion of the device is picked up by a sensor, which translates the movement in real-time to an on-screen 3D model of the bone and drill.

The motions of the device are then recorded and the data can then be used to analyse surgical technique.

Ahmed told eHealth Insider that the project decided to use “commercially available, off the shelf products” because those involved wanted to create a device that surgeons could use easily, even at home.

He said they did not want to create a complicated device that required substantial funding and could only be accessed in hospital.

“The main benefit is this will prepare surgeons and trainees for the real operation, lowering costs for the NHS,” said Dr Ahmed.

At the moment, the training process involves an individual operating on a patient under supervision by a senior consultant. Dr Ahmed said the device had attracted positive feedback from NHS consultants.

Professor Mohammad Maqsood, joint project lead and consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at Lincoln County Hospital, said: “Trainees are required to see a number of patients as part of their learning and assist in the operating environment.

“The new software will help strengthen a trainee’s understanding of how to perform an operation and the different methods that can be implemented depending on which operation they are performing.

“We are really excited about this new training development, and I am sure it will be embraced by trainee doctors and surgeons for many years to come.”

It is hoped that the technology should be available at the hospital by the end of the year, with a new and improved prototype currently being developed.