Potential for healthcare use.

Back in 2010 we were introduced to the “Wii-killer,” aka the Kinect for Xbox 360.  Microsoft’s initial lineup of exergames revealed great health gaming potential. Others, such as Dr. Bill Crounse who writes for the Microsoft Health blog, speculated that the Kinect could be used in healthcare for even bigger purposes due to its set of special characteristics. This includes:

• Hands-free controls
• Advanced motion-sensing
• Voice recognition
• Facial recognition
• Data collection through a simple Internet connection

Innovative uses in medicine.

Innovators in the medical community have been able to take these special characteristics and far surpass initial expectations for the ways the Kinect can be used in healthcare. I doubt that Microsoft expected their new controller-free gaming device to have such an impact in such a variety of ways. Here are just some of the many examples:

• Diagnose disorders in children: The National Science Foundation has funded Minnesota’s Medical, Science and Engineering, and Education and Human Development Colleges to use the Kinect sensor to detect abnormal movements in children which may indicate health problems like autism, attention-deficit disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.
• Save time in the operating room: Surgeons at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital are using Kinect sensors to access, rotate, zoom, and manipulate medical images during surgery without leaving the operating room.
• Increase effectiveness of patient-physician interactions – Jin Joo Lee of the Personal Robotics group at MIT Media Lab is using the Kinect to detect nonverbal cues. This can greatly enhance clinicians’ abilities to detect unnoticed patient needs via body language and facial expressions.
• Manipulate 3D CT images hands-free: Doctors at the Center for Biomolecular Imaging at Wake Forest University School of Medicine are using the Kinect to control 3D rendered CT scans to give surgeons the ability to manipulate visualizations in midair without using a mouse.
• Increase cardiac surgery rehabilitation adherence: The Esoma Exercise System, created by a staff member at Tufts University, uses the Kinect to help to make cardiac rehabilitation fun and engaging by transforming exercises into a game.

I’m sure there are many other ways the Xbox 360 Kinect is being used in medicine today, whether in testing or in practice. Feel free to share your knowledge with the group by leaving a comment.