Heads up, surgeons: GE HealthCare announced it has deployed its first augmented reality system that provides holograms of 3D anatomy during a live, image-guided procedure.
Developed through an ongoing collaboration with the AR software developer MediView, the OmnifyXR system includes a wearable heads-up display capable of showing up to four different information feeds at once—such as real-time X-ray fluoroscopy, ultrasound imaging and blood flow data.
The companies said the platform was first installed at North Star Vascular and Interventional in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has since been used in two separate procedures to close off problematic arteries from within.
“The heads-up display and augmented reality capabilities of OmnifyXR, especially the 3D anatomical view offered by the hologram scan, are game-changing and allow for new perspectives into treatment we haven’t seen before,” said North Star founder Jafar Golzarian, who performed the operations.
The main goal is to place more important information within a surgeon’s line-of-sight, allowing them to keep their focus on the patient instead of having to repeatedly turn to face different monitors during a procedure. The OmnifyXR system also allows clinicians to collaborate digitally, with remote first-person views.
“With GE HealthCare’s Allia platform, I can create a highly detailed 3D generated model in a matter of minutes without having to remove my sterile gloves to help maintain sterility during the procedure,” North Star’s Amin Astani said in a statement. “Using MediView’s OmnifyXR, I can virtually place this 3D model anywhere in the room—allowing me to walk around it and evaluate it from different angles and perspectives in order to make more informed decisions about the way I approach and navigate my procedures.”