System solutions for the integration of devices in the OR

The technical complexity of the surgical arena, as well as of related specialised fields, has increased significantly. A look at the current situation in various surgical disciplines shows that, despite existing high-tech equipment, the operating room (OR) can still not be considered an ergonomic and optimised work environment. Industrial suppliers have integrated new procedures and techniques into surgical disciplines, often without consulting other manufacturers and without establishing or implementing appropriate standards. This paper describes the development of an integrated workstation for the OR and its related technical and clinical aspects, e.g. process analysis, system integration, standardisation, image processing, user interfaces, communication protocols (CANopen, DICOM) and networking. The first introduction of the prototype to our clinical partners has confirmed that the implementation of an optimised system workstation in the OR results in improved processes. The standardised and simplified user guidance leads to improved ergonomy. The selected communication standard between the subsystems of the diverse industrial suppliers gives the user more flexibility in configuring the individual OR system. Intensive collaboration between industry and clinical partners will continue to be vital for the further development of such complex system workstations in medicine.