To the surgeons, every operation is a test of skill and patience. After all, it is up to them whether the treatment is a success. For a long time, technical aids were required to ensure utmost precision and minimize risk during surgery. Current instruments can only go so far in terms of accuracy of Glasses. This can lead to mistakes during surgery, which can lead to consequences. These not only put patients’ health at risk, but they also raise the price of healthcare because of the need for costly corrective surgery.
Microsoft has created HoloLens, a pair of smart glasses that blend augmented reality and virtual reality. They provide surgeons with 3D views of the patient’s CT and MRI scans while undergoing surgery. The mixed reality headset uses digital images generated from CT or MRI scans. These images are then fed into the headset.
For many years, augmented reality has been the stuff of science fiction. That pipe dream, previously thought to be unattainable, is now becoming a reality. To ensure that today’s science fiction becomes reality tomorrow, we must grasp its healthcare applications as we unveil the barriers between the real and the virtual.
The HoloLens Glasses
Microsoft Hololens is a mixed reality headset that was designed and developed by the company. It is conceptually a wearable computer running the Windows 10 operating system. The machine is comparable in computer capacity to a laptop. It does not require cords to connect to a computer or other devices and hence operates independently.
Following that, a detailed digital representation appears. Complete with all anatomical structures that can be freely positioned within the field of view of the user. The user’s real-world environment is always clear, which is a significant advantage over virtual reality.
Along with the processor and graphics accelerator on the inside, a third chip dubbed the Holographic Processing Unit (HPU) is the actual story. Its purpose is to recognize the surrounding environment and instantly build a hologram. The headset includes integrated smart glasses capable of displaying holograms in the real world.
Microsoft refers to the headset as a “holographic computer.” It was created with the belief that “holograms are the future of information technology evolution.” As a result, Hololens become a wearable gadget that users may use for everything from the simplest of jobs to the most complex.
The company’s proprietary technology provides HoloLens’ mixed reality capabilities. In mixed reality, users can do more than see items projected into their field of vision. They can interact with them. Using this paradigm, we’re reimagining how we teach and assess our patients and design surgical techniques for the most challenging situations.
HoloLens as Surgeon’s Assistant
Because of HoloLens, we’ve entered a new era of technological advancement, notably in the medical field. It can project the human body (in its whole) in front of clinicians, facilitating and enhancing surgical outcomes. It can transform surgical operations by enabling significant improvements in precision, error prevention, and quality control. An interdisciplinary team of experts at the hospital has devised a method for supporting plastic and reconstructive surgery on traumatized, damaged, or partially ripped limbs.
Upgrade in Medical Education
This technology is already being used in classrooms and laboratories at many colleges across the world. The goal is to provide pupils with a fresh approach to teaching. With HoloLens, there are new avenues for education and research. Medical students can see 3D images of the human body the size of a movie screen. Without using cadavers, students will walk around anatomical bodies to see how bones, muscles, and organs work.
Apps power the HoloLens, just like they do on your smartphone. HoloPatient and HoloHuman, a cooperative initiative between Microsoft and Pearson, are two of the HoloLens programs already available. In medical colleges worldwide, hiring high-quality actors to play ill patients and teaching medical students and nurses how to handle these situations is a common difficulty. HoloPatient solves this problem. The HoloPatient can be easily duplicated, is highly adaptable, and does not get tired.
Other than this, studies have found that simulations boost retention far more than make traditional teaching approaches. Since HoloPatient can train future doctors and nurses faster and better than those of us who were unfortunate enough not to have this technology at our disposal, many people believe it has the potential for greatness. However, this remains a matter of debate.
This new learning method makes it workable for medical students and doctors of the future to better remember and assess their patient’s features without having to study from a book. Students’ capacity to learn better and with more confidence will undoubtedly improve because of this. The best approach to remember is to create simulations that allow students to fail, suffering no real consequences. Real-life medicine doesn’t allow doctors to make too many mistakes. Using HoloLens is expected to have a significant impact on how students are taught in colleges and universities.
Limitations of the Glasses
Although HoloLens has immense potential in healthcare, the technology is still in its infancy, and some healthcare providers are hesitant to use it without doing further research. In experiments, researchers found that individuals have trouble completing AR-assisted tasks that call for extreme precision (within 2m). There is a severe problem if the ‘exact work’ causes using a scalpel and the femoral artery.
Focal rivalry is to blame for this phenomenon. Humans have difficulty focusing on virtual and actual items in augmented reality simultaneously because of Focal Rivalry. This is especially true when both objects are close to one another, which leaves a potential for error—unwelcome news for those hoping to use augmented reality (AR) to improve surgical precision and safety. The problem may be solved with better technology, but for now, there are none.
Conclusion
The present health tech revolution necessitates the use of augmented reality. Opportunities for young healthcare workers within this industry are limitless, with everything from teaching to direct patient care being explored. It’s undeniable that these technologies will be a mainstay of our treatment over the next decade. Therefore, we should welcome them even if they have some technical difficulties. Read more articles at quiz curry.