AS INTRAOPERATIVE IMAGING GOES MOVEABLE, DESIGN MUST MOVE WITH IT.
For emerging technology to be truly effective in a surgical environment, it must fit naturally into the surgeon’s existing workflow. Innovation must integrate, rather than interrupt – an objective that moves us to expand the definition and the magnitude of intraoperative Design.
Intraoperative imaging allows surgeons to obtain diagnostic-quality images of the patient during surgeries – giving the clinical team a new layer of information, insight that empowers them to make more intelligent decisions and increase the likelihood of a positive outcome. Moveable intraoperative scanners take it to the next level. By keeping the patient stationary and bringing the scanner to them, these devices significantly lower the risk of trauma and infection.
And while intraoperative imaging is an unprecedented opportunity for surgeons, patients and hospitals alike, it also presents an unprecedented challenge:
A challenge that calls for the evolution of intraoperative Design.
» SAFETY BECOMES AN ELEMENT OF DESIGN.
Safety always means proper training for clinical teams, but with a powerful magnet moving in and out of the OR, it becomes an element of Design. In addition to a comprehensive network of safety interlocks and collision-detection systems, our planners concentrate on the positioning of equipment – especially those with magnetic properties affected by the magnetic field – along with visual cues (such as the Gauss Line) making it easier for the clinical team to position technology outside the magnetic field.
» OPTIMIZING THE SURGICAL ENVIRONMENT BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT AND MORE COMPLEX.
Quality is critical to the efficacy of intraoperative imaging. To enable diagnostic-quality imaging in the OR, our planners craft a stable environment by considering factors such as:
o Equipment vibration and magnet stability
o Location of power supply-lines
o Magnetic shielding requirements
o Magnetic effects of ferrous metal masses
» THE RIGHT ACCESSORIES BECOME CRITICAL
Accessories are always important to a surgeon’s workflow. However, when moveable intraoperative imaging is introduced to the OR, our planners consider accessories that can aid both intraoperative transitions and function with the scanner present – including MR-friendly head-fixation devices, adjustable boom-lighting and LCD monitors, and even the new IMRIS MR NEUROSURGICAL TABLE, which enables clinical teams to achieve optimal patient-positioning for scanning.
» THE SURGEON BECOMES A ‘DESIGNER’.
When designing an IMRIS Surgical Theatre, the surgeon should always be involved in the process; but when the Theatre incorporates intraoperative imaging, it’s the only way for the Design to be a success. We engage the surgeon at the very beginning of the process, familiarizing ourselves with the subtle nuances of their workflow. When it’s time to design the Theatre, we use this relationship to inform every decision – from the positioning of equipment to the architecture of the Theatre itself.
» THE INTRAOPERATIVE TRANSITION EVOLVES INTO A FORM OF ART.
At some point during a surgery, the surgical team may decide to take a scan of the patient – requiring them to transition the OR into an imaging-ready environment. Planners play a critical role in making this an intuitive, streamlined process. They plan for the space to position the equipment outside the magnetic field. Timing is critical to the success of the operation, so our planners consider implementing elements that streamline the transition, such as distinct electrical systems, which allow the clinical team to shut-off only the equipment that emits radio frequency that affects image quality, while also keeping critical care equipment powered.
» DESIGN MOVES AWAY FROM A FINITE SERVICE.
The Design team should be involved in every stage of the process – from initial consultation to creation and ongoing support – constantly leveraging their intimate knowledge of the clinical team’s workflow to craft the right Design for the specific situation.
To create an effective moveable intraoperative imaging solution, Design becomes a fluid element of the greater process and is no longer a finite service.