Gabriel E Escalona, MD1, Pedro Monsalve, MD2. 1Clínica Felix Boada, 2Hospital Universitario de Caracas
Introduction: Technological innovations advance rapidly and powerful devices are becoming more accesible at lower cost. The distribution and global use of smartphones make this technology promising and practical in the field of medicine. The objective of this study was to design and test the adaptation of a laparoscope in a smartphone camera to replicate the image seen in a traditional laparoscopy tower, and use it as a video module for portable laparoscopy ex-vivo and in an early clinical series.
Methods: Experimental, comparative and double-blind study. A smartphone adaptor for laparoscopy was designed and printed with 3D technology. 10 second videos were obtained from two sources: 1) 30° laparoscope through smartphone with a portable light source and, 2) a conventional endoscopic camera equipment. To test and compare the quality between the images the United States Air Force test card and the Munsell color chart were used. Unidentified videos were sent with a survey to 25 surgeons experts in laparoscopy, members of the Venezuelan Society of Surgery. Average score were compared using Student’s t-test with a confidence interval of 0.95.
Results: A significant difference was obtained in edges/contrast in favor of the traditional tower, however the averages for the rest of items (color shades, brightness, shapes identification) were similar between the portable and the conventional high definition camera. At the evaluation of the video overall quality there was also no statistical difference (3,12 Vs 3,20 p=0,4). After this validation we have performed 16 procedures including appendenctomies, cholecystectomies, and diagnostic laparoscopies using this portable smartphone technique.
Conclusions: The adaptation of the smartphone as a video device for laparoscopy with similar quality of conventional towers is feasible with a lower cost. Mobile laparoscopy is a promising cost-effective technology and more studies should be done in the clinical setting with increasingly complex procedures.
Presented at the SAGES 2017 Annual Meeting in Houston, TX.
Abstract ID: 91063
Program Number: ETP844
Presentation Session: Emerging Technology iPoster Session (Non CME)
Presentation Type: Poster