The feasibility of ontological description of medical device connectivity for laparoscopic surgery

Abstract

This study develops an ontological description of medical electronic (ME) device connectivity for endoscopic surgery, and discusses some problems and the feasibility of the approach. The connection status and human–machine interface of ME devices for endoscopic surgery, considered in the operating room, are investigated and classified, from the upper level down to sub-class concepts. These aspects are then ontologically described within a resource-description framework. The connection status of ME devices was successfully described within ontological concepts, and these ontological descriptions were possible to derive via either device-centered or Human (patient or surgeon)-centered descriptions. Endoscopic surgery requires a wider variety of medical devices than conventional open surgery does, and so the ME device connectivity during endoscopic surgery can impose a heavy burden on surgeons and nurses. Thus, an ontological description of the ME devices and their network could find application in many areas, including education and training, navigation systems for the operating room, and medical safety. As well, such descriptions could aid artificial-intelligence research about surgery itself.