Dutch hospital uses Google Glass during jaw operation

Surgeons at the Dutch Radboud University hospital in Nijmegen used Google Glass during a jaw operation, allowing medical students to follow the surgery from the doctor's perspective, it was announced Thursday. The aim of the experiment was to see if the eyewear had added value for students compared with traditional fixed camera observations.The hospital is enthusiastic about the results. "The quality of the images was sometimes even better than when you would use traditional over-the-shoulder-camera observations. It offers a lot of new possibilities," Radboud press officer Marloes de Vink told Xinhua.De Vink said another potential advantage of Google Glass is "that colleagues world-wide can watch operations via Skype in case extra advice is needed."But according to the hospital, there was also room for improvement. The footage collected by Google Glass was sometimes jumpy as surgeons walked around. Also, strong light in the surgery room had a negative impact on image quality.The hospital said it was the first time in Europe that Google Glass was used to take footage during operations.The hospital plans to carry out more research into potential applications of Google Glass in healthcare. The system may also be used by home nursing staff so that doctors can assess patients from a distance.Xinhuanet