New AR Patient Solution Applies VR to Thoracic Surgery

Surgical Theater (Mayfield Village, OH, USA), a provider of virtual and augmented reality healthcare services, has launched its first ever 360° Augmented Reality (AR) patient engagement solution that will allow thoracic surgeons to view patient-specific virtual reconstructions in AR.

Rendered from comprehensive combined modalities of CT, MRI as well as advanced post processing images such as DTI and BOLD, the 360° virtual reality fly-through is designed to allows patients and their surgeons to step into the patient's complex diagnosis and to walk together in a 360-degree, virtual reality reconstruction of the patient's anatomy.

The solution combines Precision VR patient-specific models with the Magic Leap One spatial computing headset. Precision VR is a visualization platform that allows patients and their surgeons to step into the patient's complex diagnosis and to walk together in a 360-degree, virtual reality reconstruction of the patient's anatomy. For the first time in thoracic surgery practices, patients and their surgeons will be able to walk together inside the patient's specific anatomy augmented into their shared physical space using the 360° AR patient engagement solution.

The shared 360˚ AR approach to thoracic surgery consultations creates an experiential environment, encouraging shared decision-making and collaboration with the patient and loved ones. AR allows surgeons and all participants to maintain physical awareness and eye contact while walking through the 360˚ virtual model.

"The evolution of Surgical Theater's Precision VR technology has provided our hospital partners with tremendous value in the ability for surgeons and patients to walk inside the 360˚ model," said Moty Avisar, CEO and Co-founder of Surgical Theater. "It has been proven to achieve superior patient understanding, which has resulted in improved patient satisfaction and reductions in patient out-migration."