A biomedical engineer at Western Sydney University has developed gloves with sensors that record the subtle differences between experienced and trainee surgeons’ actions.
Dr Gough Lui, working with Sydney’s Liverpool Hospital, said that while today’s techniques are more complex than in previous decades, teaching methods have not changed greatly. “Often (a surgeon supervising a student) might say, ‘that wasn’t very good,’ but can’t concretely articulate what is wrong,” said Dr Lui. “That’s very frustrating when you’re trying to master a skill, but not seeing a way forward.”
Worn by students, Dr Lui’s gloves monitor how their hand motions differ from experts’ performing the same procedure. He said he hopes the gloves will eventually be coupled with a smartphone app, so students can also refine their dexterity at home as an alternative to expensive surgical simulators.
