Surgeons were able to view 3D anatomical information in real-time thanks to Dr. Steve Murphy’s AR guidance platform.
According to a report by WCVB-TV, a new intra-operative AR guidance platform ‘HipInsight’ was used for the first time last month during a live operation at New England Baptist Hospital, marking one of the first times AR technology has been used inside the operating room during live surgery.
Developed by Dr. Steven Murphy, an orthopedic surgeon and founder of Surgical Planning Associates, the AR-enhanced platform—referred to as HipInsight—works by outfitting surgeons with Microsoft HoloLens 2 mixed reality headsets loaded with 3D images of the patients’ anatomy. Using a special tracker secured to the patient, Dr. Murphy and three of his colleagues were able to view an accurate 3D layout of the patients’ anatomical data while they operated.
“We’re going to a place in medicine that has just never existed before,” said Dr. Steve Murphy during an interview with WCVB-TV. “What this does is it takes all the critical three-dimensional information of that patient and puts it right where you want it, when you want it, in real-time,” adding, “Little differences turn out to be big differences for the patient. Being able to lock in and be sure that everything you’re doing is exactly what you planned and you’re accomplishing exactly what you’re setting out to do, is a difference-maker for surgery.”
Dr. Murphy’s intra-operative AR guidance platform was approved by the Food and Drug Administration Moving on January 28, 2021. That following month, the system was used to perform a total hip arthroplasty at North Atlantic Surgery Suites in Salem, N.H.. Moving forward, Dr. Murphy hopes his system can be used for not only hip surgery but other forms of treatment as well, such as knee replacement.
“Traditional navigation systems, robotics and interoperative imaging provide information on flat screens outside the surgeon’s view of the patient, leaving the process disjointed and awkward,” said Dr. Murphy. “The HipInsight system enables surgeons to stay focused on the patient, projecting holograms on AR glasses that effectively give them ‘x-ray vision,’ so that surgeons can see what they need to see, when they need to see it, right inside the patient’s body.”
Not too long ago we had the chance to go hands-on with another XR-based platform making waves within the medical industry, FundamentalVR. Whereas Dr. Murphy’s system utilizes AR technology to enhance live surgical operations, FundamentalVR’s surgical training platform employs VR technology to help students, as well as professionals, develop their skills in a safe, consequence-free environment.
For more information on FundamentalVR’s surgical training platform visit here.
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Feature Image Credit: Surgical Planning Associates
