Evaluating the efficiency and ergonomics of a novel smart surgical lighting system: a passive oddball experiment with EEG measurements to assess workplace strain in clinical settings.

INTRODUCTION: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency and ergonomic benefits of a novel surgical lighting system developed within the SmartOT project. The developed system aims to automatically prevent shadows on the surgical field, eliminating the need for frequent manual adjustments, which is common with conventional surgical lights. Additionally, the study seeks to explore the feasibility of using EEG recordings as an objective method for assessing workplace strain in clinical settings, thereby laying the groundwork for future studies focused on reducing the workload of medical personnel.

METHODS: To achieve these objectives, we conducted a passive Oddball experiment involving EEG measurements to assess the impact of the new lighting system on workplace strain. Participants performed a task requiring them to identify specific LEGO® pieces. The study involved 30 participants (13 females, 17 males), with errors being tracked as an additional measure of cognitive load. The experimental setup was informed by previous research, which established a method for objectively determining workload generated by AR and VR technologies in clinical settings. In that research, EEG signals were recorded during surgical planning under different conditions, revealing trends in cognitive load and validating the utility of EEG for workload assessment.

RESULTS: The NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) analysis revealed significantly lower mental demand, temporal demand, effort, and frustration scores for the smart surgical lamp compared to the manual lamp conditions, with mandatory and optional adjustments. However, there were no significant differences between the smart and conventional lamp in the dimensions of physical demand and performance. Similarly, EEG recordings indicated a higher P300 amplitude at electrode Fz following the smart lamp condition (p = 0.037), reflecting less cognitive load; latencies did not differ between conditions. Error analysis confirmed fewer errors and shorter processing times for the smart lamp.

CONCLUSIONS: The measurements of NASA-TLX and EEG after running simulated surgical tasks showed that the SmartOT prototype significantly reduced errors and workload compared to the conventional surgical lamp. These findings reflect the capability of smart surgical lighting in improving patient safety and efficiency within operating theaters.