Imaging Interaction in Surgery

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue explores multimodal interaction with imaging systems in the operating room (OR). The OR constitutes a specialized environment with unique challenges for interaction, for instance, the sterile barrier between the surgeon and the imaging system or the fact that such systems divide both the attention (cognitive) and the task space (physical) between the surgical procedure and the interaction. Multimodal techniques have the potential to enable interaction with imaging systems while performing surgery, as the surgeon can choose the suitable modality given the constraints of the current task at hand. Although different systems have implemented multimodal techniques, such as voice control, mid-air gestures, touch or foot pedals, in both research and industry, we are still a long way from understanding how these interplay with surgical tasks. The unique specificities of surgical tasks, the complex collaboration among the different parties, and the high stakes make it difficult to apply knowledge from other areas into the domain of surgery, and thus, there is a latent need to understand how multimodal interaction techniques impact this context-critical environment. Examples of imaging systems include pre-operative images, such as MRI, PET, or CT scans, and peri-operative images, such as live endoscopic video feeds or ultrasounds.

We welcome submissions of different types, including research articles, case studies, systematic reviews, literature reviews, theoretical and critical perspectives, and opinions on multimodal technologies for imaging systems in the OR. Example topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Novel interaction techniques;
• Empirical studies on the impacts of multimodal technologies;
• Contributions to the methodology for exploring interaction techniques;
• Implications for the design of future interactive systems; and
• Theoretical contributions that enlarge our understanding of interactions with existing or future multimodal technologies.

Dr. Helena M. Mentis
Dr. Ignacio Avellino
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.