Design Architectures for Operating Theatres Machines
Fatima TAIF, Abedelwahed NAMIR, Mohamed AZOUAZI
Transactions on Machine Design, Vol. 14, No. 1, 2026.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6025/tmd/2026/14/1/10-22
Link: https://www.dline.info/tmd/fulltext/v14n1/tmdv14n1_2.pdf
Abstract:
This work presents a multidisciplinary framework for modeling and managing operating theatre (OT) systems
through a multi-agent system (MAS) integrated into an Interactive Decision Support System (IDSS). Recognizing
OTs as critical bottlenecks in hospital workflows, the authors address the challenge of frequent schedule
disruptions particularly from emergency cases by proposing a real-time, adaptive rescheduling architecture.
The system features supervisor agents for global coordination and service agents representing operational
units (e.g., operating rooms, surgical teams). These cognitive agents negotiate, prioritize, and allocate resources
dynamically using algorithms for resource allocation, unavailability handling, and information
retrieval. Decision making is enhanced by the ELECTRE III multi-criteria outranking method, which resolves
conflicts based on clinical urgency and resource availability. Implemented in JADE, the platform uses FIPA
standards to ensure robust, interoperable agent communication. Beyond software coordination, the paper
also outlines key principles for OT equipment design including ergonomics, sterility, modularity, safety, and
interoperability and emphasizes human centered design, regulatory compliance (e.g., ISO 13485, IEC 60601),
and sustainability. Emerging trends such as AI, IoT, and digital twins are noted as enablers of smart, resilient
operating theatres. The approach aims to optimize resource utilization, reduce delays, and improve res
ponsiveness in high pressure surgical environments, filling a gap left by prior domain specific MAS application
that overlook emergency surgical coordination.