Integration of Currently Available and Emerging Intracorporeal Imaging Technologies in Medicine

Background: Current intracorporeal imaging technologies are not sufficient. Many research studies have developed ways to integrate alternate technologies into existing procedures. To understand the use of these different intracorporeal imaging technologies a systematic literature review was performed to formulate alternative technology-based medical device designs. Methods: Using the keywords of “Ultrasound Vascular Access” a total of 6,402 articles were found. Further refinement using “Intravenous, cannulation, augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, and peripherally inserted catheters” narrowed the results to 200 articles. Results: Two major themes were identified: advanced intracorporeal imaging used during surgical procedures and those used only to acquire vascular access during a variety of simpler medical procedures (n=35). Conclusion: Based on these initial findings, integrated augmented reality system for ultrasound (mixed reality) appears to be the most promising technology that is effective, reduced cognitive workload and has adequate usability in clinical environments.