Medtronic StealthStation.
A Breakthrough Surgical Positioning System.

Medtronic Navigation, a division of the world’s leading medical technology company, developed a cutting-edge surgical navigation solution designed to inspire confidence in both surgeons and patients.

Related Services
Interaction Design, Visual Interface Design

Role
Interaction Design, Visual Interface Design

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Integrating User-Centered Surgical Technologies Into the Operating Room

Over three months, extensive field research was conducted through direct observation of surgeries across hospitals throughout the United States. These immersive studies provided deep insights into the complex dynamics, communication patterns, and role-based workflows among the diverse team members in the operating room.

Guided by these observations, we designed a graphical and physical interface that thoughtfully aligns with the responsibilities and expertise levels of each medical professional interacting with the system. The interface introduces a clear and intentional division of tasks, ensuring that each team member, from surgeons to nurses and technicians, can engage with the system in a manner that aligns with their training and focus.

To reduce cognitive load and streamline interaction, the system combines a familiar input device with an intuitive touchscreen. This hybrid design supports confident use in high-stress environments, enhances team communication, and enables personalized surgeon profiles to improve efficiency, reduce setup time, and support better surgical outcomes.

The Medtronic StealthStation™ surgical navigation system introduced a groundbreaking interface and hardware configuration that transformed neurosurgical procedures.

Key Aspects of the User Experience

Using advanced imaging technology such as MRI and CT scans, the StealthStation generates 3D maps of the patient's anatomy, allowing surgeons to visualize critical structures in real time during procedures. The system provides dynamic guidance by registering the patient's anatomy with the surgical instruments, enabling surgeons to navigate intricate pathways and delicate tissues with minimal disruption precisely.

Utilizing electromagnetic tracking and computer algorithms, the StealthStation constantly updates the surgical field, ensuring precise localization and alignment of instruments relative to the patient's anatomy. This level of precision improves surgical outcomes and minimizes the risk of damage to surrounding healthy tissue. The Medtronic StealthStation empowers surgeons with enhanced visualization and precision, enabling them to optimize patient care.

Images: Medtronic

The StealthStation User Interface

Home and Patient Management Screen

The Medtronic StealthStation system's home screen features physician profiles, enabling surgeons to quickly access and activate their personalized settings. A step-by-step navigation bar at the top of the interface provides clear guidance, ensuring users are always aware of their current progress in setting up the equipment and executing surgical procedures.

Orientation and Setup

Research uncovered that some facilities required additional guidance in setting up the StealthStation, as staff members were not always familiar with the setup process. In response, a detailed schematic was designed, featuring an overhead view of the optimal hardware configuration. Along with this, an interactive, step-by-step setup guide was created to ensure a smoother and more intuitive equipment setup, helping staff quickly and accurately prepare the system for use.

 

Focused View

In designing the interface, the team prioritized the surgeon's view, ensuring that anatomical visuals remained the focal point. Interface elements that were not critical to viewing these visuals could be easily hidden, minimizing distractions and allowing the surgeon to focus entirely on the procedure at hand.

Tools On-Demand

Universal and view-specific tool palettes were designed for easy access, allowing surgeons to prioritize the tools relevant to their current task. This dynamic functionality ensured that the interface adapted to the surgeon's workflow, providing the right tools at the right time without cluttering the view.