Surgical support system, data processing apparatus and method

A data processing apparatus for a surgical support system, the surgical support system comprising an eye behaviour monitoring apparatus operable to monitor eye behaviour of a surgeon performing a surgical procedure to obtain eye behaviour data of the surgeon, a surgical data generating apparatus operable to generate surgical data associated with the surgical procedure being performed by the surgeon and a surgical intervention apparatus operable to perform an intervention procedure for intervening in the surgeon's performance of the surgical procedure, wherein the data processing apparatus comprises circuitry configured to:

• receive the obtained eye behaviour data;
• receive the generated surgical data;
• determine a value of an intervention parameter associated with the surgical procedure using the obtained eye behaviour data,
• determine an acceptable range of the value of the intervention parameter using the generated surgical data, and
• if the determined value of the intervention parameter is outside the determined acceptable range of the value of the intervention parameter, output a signal to control the surgical intervention apparatus to perform the intervention procedure for intervening in the surgeon's performance of the surgical procedure.

A method of operating a surgical support system, the surgical support system comprising an eye behaviour monitoring apparatus operable to monitor eye behaviour of a surgeon performing a surgical procedure to obtain eye behaviour data of the surgeon, a surgical data generating apparatus operable to generate surgical data associated with the surgical procedure being performed by the surgeon and a surgical intervention apparatus operable to perform an intervention procedure for intervening in the surgeon's performance of the surgical procedure, wherein the method comprises:

• receiving the obtained eye behaviour data;
• receiving the generated surgical data;
• determining a value of an intervention parameter associated with the surgical procedure using the obtained eye behaviour data,
• determining an acceptable range of the value of the intervention parameter using the generated surgical data, and
• if the determined value of the intervention parameter is outside the determined acceptable range of the value of the intervention parameter, outputting a signal to control the surgical intervention apparatus to perform the intervention procedure for intervening in the surgeon's performance of the surgical procedure.