This reference case is set in the field of medical education, particularly in the training of surgical students. Traditional surgical training often involves students physically present in the operating room, limiting the number of participants and potentially increasing the risk of infections. The advent of Microsoft HoloLens technology provides an opportunity to revolutionize surgical education by introducing augmented reality (AR) experiences.
Dr. prof. Olivier Verborgt of AZ Monica faced the challenge of optimizing surgical training for students. The limitations of physical presence in the operating room posed several issues, including the risk of bacterial infections for patients due to a crowded environment. Especially during the COVID-19 period, it was prohibited to have more people than necessary present in the OR. Moreover, the availability of expert surgeons for training sessions was constrained by geographical factors. The university sought a solution to enhance the quality and accessibility of surgical education while addressing these challenges.
Our partner Lifelike implemented an innovative solution using Microsoft HoloLens, a mixed reality headset. Through remote streaming technology, surgical students could virtually attend live surgeries without being physically present in the operating room. The HoloLens allowed for an immersive and interactive experience, enabling students to observe and learn from expert surgeons in real-time. The solution addressed the challenges by reducing the number of people in the operating room, thereby minimizing the risk of infections, and enabling access to extra educational media via AR.
The implementation of the Microsoft HoloLens-based solution yielded significant benefits
for the dr. prof. Olivier Verborgt and his students.
Firstly, the reduction in physical presence during
surgeries led to a lower risk of bacterial infections for patients.
Secondly, the virtual attendance feature allowed a larger number of students to
participate in a single surgery session, enhancing the efficiency of the training program.
Lastly, the solution could also be used to train students that were not in the vicinity of the hospital.
The innovative use of augmented reality technology proves to be very valuable in surgical training
thanks to the surgeon PoV and the ability to show in real-time content-specific information in overlay.
Lifelike is a partner of InspireHealth, specialized in AR/VR solutions with smartglasses like the Hololens and MagicLeap glasses. They create digital content solutions for various markets, amongst which the healthcare market.
Remote surgical consultation over 5G