Alphonsus Chong's Personal Wiki

Objective Neurosurgical operating rooms are equipped with microscopes in order to provide a good standard of care. Nevertheless, in developing countries, microscopes are not always available. During a short period in a western Africa hospital, we adapted our smartphones as a valid alternative to the microscope.

Methods Using a shaped tin can, a smartphone cover, and a rod fixed to the bed, we could make a support for a smartphone creating a simple “homemade” exoscope, which allowed us to have magnification and light in the surgical field.

Results Among others, we performed 5 surgical interventions of both spinal and brain surgery using our smartphone as a magnifier. This allowed us to overcome the absence of a better magnification system.

Conclusions This simple “smartphone-based exoscope” allows surgeons to get an adequate magnification during surgery when microscopes or magnification goggles are not available. It can be a useful solution in developing countries where often nothing better is available.

• microscopes

Cenzato, M., Fratianni, A., & Stefini, R. (2019). Using a Smartphone as an Exoscope Where an Operating Microscope is not Available. World Neurosurgery, 132, 114–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2019.08.137