Augmented reality guidance for configuring an anesthesia machine to serve as a ventilator for COVID-19 patients

Abstract

When there is a shortage of ventilators in a hospital, an anesthesia machine can be used as a ventilator. However, using an anesthesia machine as a ventilator requires that it be set up in a way that would not be familiar to medical personnel who normally work with ventilators. To teach medical staff how to do this, we developed a smartphone augmented reality app that allows a user to interact with a life-size virtual anesthesia machine, and leads them through the necessary steps. This makes it possible for the user to practice the setup procedures in a way that preserves the 3D spatial layout of the tasks without requiring access to the physical machine.