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Updated: Nov 17, 2025
Author Spotlight: Evaluating Clinicians' Adoption of Ultrasound-Guided Vascular Cannulation Through Simulation Training
Published on: August 9, 2024
The evaluation of eye gaze using an eye tracking system in simulation training of real-time ultrasound-guided
Kaji Tatsuru1,2, Yano Keisuke1, Onishi Shun1
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Research Field in Medicine and Health Sciences, Medical and Dental Sciences Area, Research and Education Assembly, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
Purpose:
Real-time ultrasound (RTUS)-guided central venipuncture using the short-axis approach is complicated and likely to result in losing sight of the needle tip. Therefore, we focused on the eye gaze in our evaluation of the differences in eye gaze between medical students and experienced participants using an eye tracking system.
Methods:
Ten medical students (MS group), five residents (R group) and six pediatric surgeon fellows (F group) performed short-axis RTUS-guided venipuncture simulation using a modified vessel training system. The eye gaze was captured by the tracking system (Tobii Eye Tacker 4C) and recorded. The evaluation endpoints were the task completion time, total time and number of occurrences of the eye tracking marker outside US monitor and success rate of venipuncture.
Result:
There were no significant differences in the task completion time and total time of the tracking marker outside the US monitor. The number of occurrences of the eye tracking marker outside US monitor in the MS group was significantly higher than in the F group (MS group: 9.5 ± 3.4, R group: 6.0 ± 2.9, F group: 5.2 ± 1.6; p = 0.04). The success rate of venipuncture in the R group tended to be better than in the F group.
Conclusion:
More experienced operators let their eye fall outside the US monitor fewer times than less experienced ones. The eye gaze was associated with the success rate of RTUS-guided venipuncture. Repeated training while considering the eye gaze seems to be pivotal for mastering RTUS-guided venipuncture.
