The kinds of interface in the automation of clinical surgery were analyzed in this study. The kinds of interface were classified into 3 kinds, that is Vehicle-Type, Process-Type and Computer-Type according to the Kawano's classification of man-machine interface. Vehicle type interface is defined as the interface that is mainly controlled under the body feeling cue and physical law such as automobile and motorcycle. Computer type interface is defined as the interface that is mainly controlled under computer interface in which only logical cue is used. Process type interface is defined as the interface in which primary parameters is main cue such as chemical plants. ME devices in the operating room has mainl vehicle type and process type interface, most of the surgical instruments such as electro-cautery, suturing and anastmotic devices and ultrasonic cavitation devices were commanded by vehicle type interface, directly controlled by body feeling cues. ME devices of patient monitoring system and clinical laboratory consist of mixture of process, vehicle and computer type interface. However most of the interface of ordering and reservation system for prescription, meal service, clinical laboratory and radiology were commanded by computer type interface. Caution must be paid that miss-ordering into the computer type interface can cause disadvantage directly to the patients as well as other kinds of ME devices, so adequate protection for human error must be equipped to the computer type interface.
