Development of a contactless operation system for radiographic consoles using an eye tracker for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection control: a feasibility study

Abstract

Sterilization of medical equipment in isolation wards is essential to prevent the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS–CoV-2) infection. Particularly, the radiographic console of portable X-ray machines requires frequent disinfection because it is regularly moved; this requires considerable infection control effort as the number of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) increases. To evaluate the application of a system facilitating noncontact operation of radiographic consoles for patients with COVID-19 to reduce the need for frequent disinfection. We developed a noncontact operation system for radiographic consoles that used a common eye tracker. We compared calibration errors between with and without face shield conditions. Moreover, the use of console operation among 41 participants was investigated. The calibration error of the eye tracker between with and without face shield conditions did not significantly differ. All (n = 41) observers completed the console operation. Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis showed a strong correlation (r = 0.92, P < 0.001) between the average operation time and the average number of misoperations. Our system that used an eye tracker can be applied even if the operator uses a face shield. Thus, its application is important in preventing the transmission of infection.