By Giuseppe Bergamaschi, Sales Director, Milexia Group, Italy
How we interact with machines has evolved rapidly in recent years.
From voice-controlled
Behind much of this transformation is the growing sophistication of Human-Machine Interface (HMI) technology.
In industries like manufacturing, HMIs are making operations safer, faster, and more automated.
No wonder independent consulting firm Grand View Research is forecasting overall growth of 10.4 per cent per year in the market for HMI solutions in the run up to 2030.
However, it is arguably in healthcare where the most innovative HMI advancements are being seen.
HMIs are reshaping patient care, surgical precision, and healthcare efficiency.
Some of the most advanced HMIs use bioelectrical signals to allow the human body to communicate with machines in real-time via touchscreens, membrane switches, pushbuttons and joysticks, helping to reshape how doctors and surgeons go about their work.
Let’s take a closer look at how HMI technology is making its mark in the healthcare industry.
Where HMI is making the difference: real-world examples
Simplifying critical care
- Ventilators with touchscreen interfaces: Ventilators that assist patients with breathing must, in an emergency, be configured quickly and accurately. Modern ventilators feature touchscreens with simple visual cues, easy-to-assimilate icons and logical menu structures. This makes it easy for medical staff to adjust settings and monitor patients effectively, even under the most stressful conditions
- Infusion pumps with guided interfaces: HMIs can reduce human error by providing clear prompts and safety alerts to guide users through critical actions. Modern infusion pumps delivering medications, fluids and nutrients to patients feature touchscreens and step-by-step instructions, minimising room for mistakes and ensuring accurate and safe drug delivery
Enhancing home healthcare
- Glucose monitors for diabetic patients: HMIs are also used in home care situations, enabling patients to operate devices independently, improving self-care and treatment adherence in a safe and reliable manner. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems, for example, are used by diabetic patients and feature HMIs that allow users to view their glucose levels in real time.
- Remote physical therapy tools: Wearable rehabilitation devices now include HMIs that guide patients through exercises, provide progress feedback, and alert remote clinicians to any issues—offering care continuity without constant in-person appointments.
Empowering healthcare professionals with better data
- ICU monitoring systems: Patient monitors now collect data from multiple sources—heart rate, oxygen levels, respiration—and consolidate it through AI-supported HMIs. The result? Real-time dashboards that help clinicians make faster, better-informed decisions.
- Diagnostic imaging consoles: Imaging systems like CT and MRI machines now feature highly responsive HMIs, allowing radiologists to manipulate scans, zoom in on critical areas, and compare results with past records—all from one integrated interface.
Making healthcare more accessible
- Wearables for early detection: We are increasingly familiar with wearable monitors like the Apple Watch and the Fitbit which feature intuitive HMIs to allow users to monitor their heart rate, detect irregularities, and receive alerts. The right wearable HMI can inform users of a range of potential issues without overwhelming them with complex medical data.
- Telemedicine portals: Increasingly, video consultation platforms are being enhanced with HMI-driven features such as gesture navigation, voice-activated controls, and AI-driven symptom checkers, improving both clinician usability and patient experience.
The touchless revolution in the operating room
Perhaps the most futuristic application of HMI in healthcare is one that’s already becoming reality: touchless surgery.
Highly sophisticated HMI technology can now allow surgeons to view and manipulate medical imagery through a combination of gesture and voice control, minimising the amount of contact they need to have with equipment or patients while reducing their reliance on potentially imprecise verbal communication with assistants during an operation.
Giuseppe Bergamaschi
Born out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic, touchless HMIs have proven to be a game-changer for infection control and surgical precision.
With surgeons now highly reliant on 3D images to carry out complex procedures, any technology that offers them added control with minimum disruption is a welcome advance.
This kind of innovation, made possible through the development work of organisations like Microsoft Research and Grayhill, marks a new era in seamless and hygienic interaction with technology, providing innovative solutions to a variety of challenges.
What comes next: AI meets HMI
We’re now entering a new chapter where HMIs don’t just respond to humans—they anticipate needs.
New technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) are helping to take this to new levels. With artificial intelligence integrated into the interface, medical devices can:
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- Proactively communicate with clinicians: Imagine a dialysis machine that notifies staff before a filter needs replacing, or an imaging device that suggests the best scan settings based on patient history.
- Enable smarter remote diagnostics: Through AI-powered HMI, at-home devices can evaluate early warning signs and escalate to a healthcare provider only when truly necessary—saving time, money, and stress.
- Optimise hospital operations: Predictive HMIs in equipment like refrigeration units or autoclaves could ensure critical maintenance tasks are completed before failures occur, reducing downtime and waste.
- Improve surgical precision: Surgical robots can now provide surgeons with high levels of additional control and precision. Surgical HMIs, backed by AR, feature ergonomic controls and 3D visual interfaces that allow the surgeon to operate robotic instruments in real time with accuracy.
Greener and more efficient by design
Intelligent HMIs don’t just make healthcare safer—they can also make a considerable environmental impact.
Smart sensors and real-time monitoring systems are an effective way to reduce waste, ensuring, for example, that cooling chains for medications are better managed and exposure to harmful contamination is minimised.
Smart HMI-driven solutions like this are not only more effective than the more primitive solutions they replace, they also generally use less energy and involve fewer processes, helping to decrease medicine’s not inconsiderable environmental impact.
HMIs are here to stay
As HMIs become more intelligent, immersive, and adaptable, they are redefining what’s possible in healthcare.
From helping patients manage chronic conditions at home to assisting surgeons with delicate procedures, HMIs are making care more responsive, more personalised, and more efficient.
In a world where every second, every decision, and every connection can matter, human-machine interface is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s becoming a life-saving necessity.
