Augmented reality devices can display 3D images and documentation, directly into the surgeon's field of view.
Current surgical navigation poses 3 significant challenges:
Visualization in 2D.
Surgeons are distracted by navigation systems.
Alternating attention of the surgeon between the surgical site and the navigation systems.
How augmented reality can make surgery safer?
1. Improve the visualization
AR allows the surgeon to see 3D images as real 3D objects in space.
This allows the surgeon to interact more naturally with the content, which allows reducing the cognitive burden needed to process visual information.
Augmented reality allows improved precision for incisions and placement of screws and instruments.
2. Limit the surgeon's distraction
A second challenge the surgeon faces in the operating room is distractions.
AR allows the surgeon to control the opacity of the visual field in the operating room through the use of enhanced brightness functions.
A surgeon could use this feature to make their environment completely free of distraction and selectively increase their visual field to include only key anatomical structures.
3. Maintain attention to the surgical site
Augmented reality headsets allow the surgeon to focus on the surgical site.
This is made possible by projecting 3D images directly onto the patient or into a surgeon’s field of view when a surgeon wears augmented reality glasses.
A single AR display that integrates all imaging and patient data and allows surgeons to keep their eyes on the patient has the potential to improve quality and safety of operations.
In daily practice, anatomy education is facilitated by cadavers, models, and drawings. However, the use of cadavers is known to have practical and ethical drawbacks.
The lack of other teaching tools in some countries and the increased use of technological methods of teaching merit a more up-to-date, alternative method.
Based on this meta-analysis, the authors concluded that augmented reality (AR) could serve as a beneficial educational tool.
Several augmented reality applications are currently making it possible, using smart glasses, to improve how human anatomy is studied and viewed, whether for medical students, residents, or even surgeons.
HoloAnatomy is a Microsoft application that was designed to visualize the human body in 3D using mixed reality glasses HoloLens 2.
Users can see the entire anatomy of the human body, from the muscles to the most minor veins under their eyes, on a dynamic holographic model.
Students will be able to see the human body in 3D and interact with the different holograms, which is crucial at dissection.
AnatomyX is another example of the application of augmented reality in anatomy study, facilitating the creation of an immersive 3D space allowing multiple users to interact with a real-time anatomy-part model.
Whether these users are in the same room, or thousands of kilometers away (remote learning).
There are different augmented reality applications for anatomy studies with smartphone applications, but those providing interaction with models with smart glasses are the most promising.
Updated: 6 days ago
Or the first spatial computing app for medical education, as Apple would call it.
Anima Res launched the first mixed reality application for medical education.
Insight Heart guides you through the functions of the heart with the help of a virtual companion named "Ani".
The app works with an MR headset like Apple Vision Pro or Microsoft Hololens2.
You control the app via gestures or voice control.
ANIMA RES, launched lately Insight Kidney and Insight Lung, too.