S. N. Graves1, S. Davidson1, A. Langerman2 1University Of Chicago,Pritzker School Of Medicine,Chicago, IL, USA 2University Of Chicago,Department of Surgery,Chicago, IL, USA
Introduction:
Video recording in the operating room acts as a record of operative performance, provides useful data for quality improvement, and serves as a platform for sharing surgical technique and knowledge. There are many challenges to collecting video in the operating room to include user interface, physical obstruction of field of view, and contrasting light conditions. Commercially available, off-the-shelf camera systems can facilitate surgical education and record keeping in the operating room by providing a low cost solution for high-definition point-of-view video capture.
Methods:
The GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition, Contour+2, and TASER AXON Flex cameras were field tested for suitability of use in the operating room. Each camera was tested in a clinical and non-clinical setting and evaluated for quality of video and ease of operation. Non-clinical testing consisted of app interface and camera adjustments to ensure comfort, stability, and video quality. Clinical testing consisted of recording surgical procedures, further adjustment of camera settings to compensate for the live operating room environment, and optimizing video collection workflow.
Results:
Head mounting each camera using the respective manufacturer’s head mounting devices accomplished the best point-of-view video collection. The TASER AXON Flex camera was the most comfortable camera, but camera settings could not be adjusted to achieve high quality video capture. The GoPro and Contour cameras produced the best, usable footage in terms of resolution and ability to compensate for the contrasting light environment surrounding the surgical field, with the GoPro producing the best overall footage of surgical procedures. The Contour+2 is only capable of wide-angle field of view and did not adequately capture minute procedures performed during surgical procedures. The optimal video settings for the GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition were found to be a resolution of 1080p with the Protune function enabled, field of view set to ‘narrow’, and white balance set to automatic. Optimal settings for the Contour+2 were determined to be a resolution of 1080p with high video quality, automatic white balance, and contrast, sharpness, and exposure set to 62, 3, and -4, respectively.
Conclusion:
Commercially available off-the-shelf cameras are a viable option for video collection in the operating room. Cameras must be capable of compensating for contrasting light conditions, provide adequate data security, and be easily operated in order to ensure optimal video capture. The GoPro HERO3+ and Contour+2 cameras are technically sophisticated enough to capture high definition footage in the operating room environment, while the GoPro HERO3+ produced the highest quality video capture of the cameras tested during surgical procedures.