Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34028606›Full record

ArticleSurgical endoscopy2021

A novel gaze-controlled flexible robotized endoscope; preliminary trial and report.

Arun Sivananthan, Alexandros Kogkas, Ben Glover, Ara Darzi, George Mylonas, Nisha Patel

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Evaluation of User Interfaces for Actuated Control of Endoscopes During Flexible Endoscopy.IEEE journal of translational engineering in health and medicine · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Eye tracking technology in endoscopy: Looking to the future.Digestive endoscopy : official journal of the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society · 2023
    Review
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Arun SivananthanImperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, W2 1NY, UK. arun.sivananthan@nhs.net.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1649-0150
Alexandros KogkasThe Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Ben GloverImperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, W2 1NY, UK.
Ara DarziImperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, W2 1NY, UK.
George MylonasThe Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Nisha PatelImperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, W2 1NY, UK.

Funding

Department of Health
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInterventional endoluminal therapy is rapidly advancing as a minimally invasive surgical technique. The expanding remit of endoscopic therapy necessitates precision control. Eye tracking is an emerging technology which allows intuitive control of devices. This was a feasibility study to establish if a novel eye gaze-controlled endoscopic system could be used to intuitively control an endoscope.

methodsAn eye gaze-control system consisting of eye tracking glasses, specialist cameras and a joystick was used to control a robotically driven endoscope allowing steering, advancement, withdrawal and retroflexion. Eight experienced and eight non-endoscopists used both the eye gaze system and a conventional endoscope to identify ten targets in two simulated environments: a sphere and an upper gastrointestinal (UGI) model. Completion of tasks was timed. Subjective feedback was collected from each participant on task load (NASA Task Load Index) and acceptance of technology (Van der Laan scale).

resultsWhen using gaze-control endoscopy, non-endoscopists were significantly quicker when using gaze-control rather than conventional endoscopy (sphere task 3:54 ± 1:17 vs. 9:05 ± 5:40 min, p = 0.012, and UGI model task 1:59 ± 0:24 vs 3:45 ± 0:53 min, p < .001). Non-endoscopists reported significantly higher NASA-TLX workload total scores using conventional endoscopy versus gaze-control (80.6 ± 11.3 vs 22.5 ± 13.8, p < .001). Endoscopists reported significantly higher total NASA-TLX workload scores using gaze control versus conventional endoscopy (54.2 ± 16 vs 26.9 ± 15.3, p = 0.012). All subjects reported that the gaze-control had positive 'usefulness' and 'satisfaction' score of 0.56 ± 0.83 and 1.43 ± 0.51 respectively.

conclusionsThe novel eye gaze-control system was significantly quicker to use and subjectively lower in workload when used by non-endoscopists. Further work is needed to see if this would translate into a shallower learning curve to proficiency versus conventional endoscopy. The eye gaze-control system appears feasible as an intuitive endoscope control system. Hybrid gaze and hand control may prove a beneficial technology to evolving endoscopic platforms.

Indexed as

EndoscopesWorkloadEndoscopyHumansMinimally Invasive Surgical ProceduresEye trackingRobotic endoscopyTouchless interactions

Identifiers

PMID34028606
PMCPMC8263462

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.