Google Glass could present novel applications in the professional sector, after it was withdrawn from the consumer market in 2015.
The technology has been called “promising” in new research surrounding its potential use in plastic surgery operating rooms, although some drawbacks have also been observed.
Research conducted by Dr Jeremy Sinkin and colleagues from Georgetown University Hospital in the US saw surgeons give Google Glass high ratings for comfort and overall satisfaction when trialled by nine resident and attending plastic surgeons.
Google Glass is capable of presenting information to the wearer and enabling recording and the sharing of photos and videos. The fact that it is hands-free and worn on the head is an advantage to surgeons who require use of both hands.
The surgeons surveyed rated the device’s ability to take images and video using voice-activated control as about three on a five-point scale, while the quality of photos and videos ranked nearly four out of five.
While the technology presents some positives, some limitations were also recognised by the surgeons. One third of those surveyed said they found Google Glass to be distracting; some had to bend their head or neck in order to take pictures, while others had to look away from the surgical field. The ‘wink’ feature that enables image-capturing was also found to present some problems, as well as reviewing images during surgery.
Dr Sinkin commented: “The results provide constructive end-user feedback regarding the introduction of this innovative technology into plastic surgery.”