AR/VR technology is no longer limited to entertainment use. Innovators have found a way to utilize the technology for the advancement of other fields as well. Healthcare has been among the many sectors that are benefiting from such technologies.
AR/VR for Neurosurgery
People from all over the world sometimes travel away from their hometowns to get the best medical education and training. In many instances, certain people don't even have the resources to do so. With the latest developed approach, it's possible to eliminate the need to travel for education.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) partnered with EDUCSIM, an AR/VR startup, and created a virtual avatar that could be operated by anyone remotely. The technology was specifically developed for American pediatric neurosurgeon, Benjamin Warf.
Known for and awarded the MacArthur Fellowship in 2012 for a revolutionary treatment of intra-cranial diseases in children, as per Interesting Engineering, Dr. Warf has the medical skills and knowledge that can be taught to other surgeons.
Thanks to AR/VR technology, this is made possible regardless of distance. The pediatric neurosurgeon managed to watch and assist a neurosurgery resident, Matheus Vasconcelos, even though he was in São Paulo, Brazil.
With MIT and EDUCSIM's collaboration, the team used high-fidelity motion-capture technology, volumetric video capture, and other AR/VR functions. Dr. Warf even used the appropriate gloves with sensors and operated on a physical model.
The project was started by EDUCSIM Scientific Director, Giselle Coelho, who was also a pediatric neurosurgeon. Having the lack of training options in mind, Dr. Coelho partnered with MIT's deep-tech accelerator program, START.nano.
With all the technological innovations, all involved parties managed to create an avatar of Dr. Warf demonstrating his surgery techniques, as well as operating in synchronous and asynchronous modes.
Other Medical Applications
MIT's project is a huge step in the right direction for the advancement of medical education, and even before that, there are already simpler ways that AR/VR technology can be applied to better teach medical students about various topics.
With the help of augmented reality, models of anatomy can be created so that students and practitioners can get a more three-dimensional model to study, allowing for a more immersive experience.
It provides more freedom than a physical doll-like model. The system can respond to the actions of the user, and can even display statistics to make it seem more realistic. Some already believe that AR/VR technology is the future of medicine.
Goldman Sachs, for instance, predicts that virtual technology in the healthcare sector will reach $5.1 billion by 2025, according to Wipro. MarketsAndMarkets have a higher expected growth at $6.5 billion in the same year. These are predictions that consider medical devices as well as patient interactions.
Some of the applications it can be used for aside from surgery virtualization include patient insights, patient rehabilitation, telemedicine, remote guidance, and more. It could even make healthcare more affordable as patients would not have to travel to distances for simple consultations.
