Google Glass and anesthesia: see patient vitals in the OR

How would your practice change if you could wear your computer?

That’s the question that developers and designers from Accenture Technology Labs and Philips asked in a collaborative project to explore the potential of Google Glass in a healthcare setting. Researchers simulated the experience of connecting Google Glass, a wearable computer, to the IntelliVue monitoring system. With the ability to see patient vital signs in front of your eyes, the results showed many possibilities.

Google Glass looks like a pair of glasses. It allows the wearer to view screens in their peripheral vision through LED displays. Wearers can search the web, access custom apps, or interface with other computers by either swiping the glasses or by using voice commands. It can even record video from the wearer’s perspective.

Using Google Glass with IntelliVue technology, the user could confirm patient pre-op status, record a procedure, or check post-op vital signs—all without having to walk to the monitor. In the OR simulator, the anesthesiologist could view patient information without having to turn away from the procedure.

And the results suggest even more possibilities for using wearable computers in healthcare, including:

Access real-time vital signs
View pre-surgery safety checklists
Check on patient vitals in the recovery room
Record surgeries from a first-person point-of-view for training purposes.

How can you imagine using wearable computers in your practice? Join the discussion at LinkedIn.

Doctor activating Google Glass while talking with 2 developers.

Dr. David Feinstein with Philips and Accenture developers testing Google Glass in the Digital Accelerator Lab.

"At first it's going to be cool and I think as everything develops, it's going to be very practical. It's a great stepping stone that will help make the care of patients go a little bit smoother and our jobs a little bit easier."

David Feinstein, MD,

Staff anesthesiologist,

Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

Watch how anesthesiologists could use Google Glass

David Feinstein, MD, staff anesthesiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, demonstrates how an anesthesiologist could use Google Glass to check on his patients and care for them in a hands-free environment.

View as if wearing Google Glass--a doctor walking in a hallway with patient vital signs in top right corner.

An anesthesiologist views patient vitals before surgery.

Doctor in OR with vital signs in top right corner of view.

Patient vitals are tracked before entering operating room.

View as if wearing Google Glass--patient in recovery with vital signs in top right corner.

A doctor views patient vitals after a procedure.

How would it work?

Anesthesiologist activating Google Glass by touching the glasses.

Activate Google Glass

In this OR simulator lab, the anesthesiologist could activate Google Glass while keeping his attention on the patient—either by touching the glass or for hands-free use, by voice commands. The user could view patient demographics, radiology images, lab results, and more.

Simulated OR room with vital signs from Google Glass in the top corner.

Hands-free data

By linking Google Glass to an IntelliVue monitor, the anesthesiologist could watch a live view of critical patient monitoring data while keeping his focus on the patient. The information would be available without interfering with or obstructing their line of vision, and without having to walk to the physical equipment.