Effectiveness of using of a hands-free manual for operating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)

In spite of the availability of ECMO equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, many hospitals were unable to use it due to a lack of skilled staff. This paper reports on the effectiveness of HFM on assembling ECMO. This manual uses augmented reality (AR), smart glasses (SG), and a voice recognition system to enable operators to operate page through the manual, allowing them to view the object being operated and the manual in the same field of view. Results of previous studies suggest that medical technicians who have practiced with paper manuals at least once can successfully operate equipment using hands-free manuals (HFM). Therefore, participants were asked to practice operating the device using a conventional paper manual (practice) and to operate the device using the HFM one week later (test). Participants were asked to rate (1) the accuracy of the operation, (2) the time it took them to successfully operate the device, and (3) to complete a questionnaire. Participants were clinical engineers and nurses (8 males and 2 females). Although some operational errors were observed during the practice, all participants successfully performed the operation during the test, although it took more time and effort. Participants offered suggestions for improvement to the SG.