The WHaSP: A Wireless Hands-Free Surgical Pointer for Minimally Invasive Surgery

To address the challenges of surgical instruction during minimally invasive surgery (MIS), a wireless hands-free pointer system has been developed. The Wireless Hands-free Surgical Pointer system incorporates infrared and inertial tracking technologies to address the need for hands-free pointing during MIS. The combination of these technologies allows for optimal movement of the pointer and excellent accuracy while the user is located at a realistic distance from the surgical monitor. Several experimental evaluations were performed to optimize the settings of the sensors, and to validate the system when compared to a commercially available hands-free pointing system. The results show improved performance with the proposed technology as measured by the total trajectory travelled by the pointer and the smoothness of the curve. The technology presented has the potential to significantly improve surgical instruction and guidance during MIS.