AR isn’t just for fun. Medical schools, hospitals and caregivers are using augmented reality tools to help improve the lives of patients.
Augmented reality is no longer just associated with gaming or leisure activities. Today, it’s playing, and will continue to play, a significant role in helping solve complex health-related problems that improve patient care.
In addition to being used in the military, real estate, marketing and education, AR is finding its way into the healthcare sectors. With purpose-built disruptive technology, the health-related AR and virtual reality market is expected to reach $5.1 billion globally by 2025.
What is AR?
Augmented reality is computer-generated imagery that provides an amplified or superimposed view of real-world surroundings and environments. It adds to the perception of realism. The AR segment is broken down into sub-segments: AR displays, sensors, input devices, semiconductor components and others.
How does AR help patient care?
AR can be pivotal in helping to enhance a medical professional’s ability to diagnose, treat and perform patient care, which ultimately helps improve care quality, timeliness and patient experience. It can provide real-time and more precise insights or assistance with diagnosis and procedures, reducing patient stressors that arise from health concerns.
AR tools are quickly emerging in various areas of healthcare, including:
- Physical performance and stress reduction
- Vision care
- Surgeries and navigation
- Mental health
- Musculoskeletal views and diagnosis
- Vascular visualization
- Training
- Dentistry
Depending on uses and patient needs, health care professionals in hospitals, private practices and care facilities can access some of these technologies and tools to improve patient care.
5 AR tools that are improving patient care
These are just some healthcare AR tools that are quickly becoming vital in the diagnosis, treatment and care of mental and physical conditions.
AccuVein makes it easier for medical professionals to see a patient’s veins. Image: AccuVein
AccuVein takes the guesswork out of finding veins. Various types of portable units are used to scan and locate veins under many conditions, such as starting IVs, cosmetic procedures, drawing blood or vascular procedures.
Key benefits:
- Reduces time to find veins by almost 3.5 times
- Two safe barcode-scanner class lasers: an invisible infrared and a visible red
- Real-time image of the subcutaneous vasculature up to 10mm deep
- Safer and more efficient venipuncture procedures
- Decreases discomfort and anxiety for patients
- 39% reduction in pain in adults and 59% in children
AccuVein is available worldwide. Contact AccuVein to purchase in the United States.
Brain Power helps neurodivergent people and their parents and caregivers. Image: Brain Power
Brain Power is a solution designed for parents, teachers, schools and caregivers to empower people with invisible neural differences. It was developed by a team of neuroscience doctors, medical doctors, former teachers, world-class software engineers, designers, managers and employees with autism.
Key benefits:
Brain Power features a set of interactive, augmented-reality, social-emotional learning games to improve skills for people with autism, ADHD and other social-emotional challenges.
For teachers and caregivers
- Self-paced learning to meet COVID-19 era needs
- Practical and ready-to-apply strategies
- Professional learning that’s evidence-based
For schools
- Professional development courses for districts
- One-click goal tracking
- Hybrid and distance learning options
For parents and families
- Artificial intelligence, augmented reality, smart glasses, gamification and SEL
- Heads-up and hands-free to encourage social interaction
- Repeatable practice and gamified reinforcement
- Real-time analytics to track progress
Visit Brain Power to find the right solution to meet your family, school or teacher/caregiver.
HoloAnatomy helps medical students learn about anatomy without using cadavers. Image: Case Western Reserve University
In collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic and Microsoft, HoloAnatomy was developed by a Case Western Reserve University team as a product to in-person or remotely learn about human anatomy. It has eliminated the need for cadaver-based teaching practices.
Key benefits:
- A pre-built asset library of over 8,000 assets
- Multi-user interactive sessions that allow instructors and students to interact simultaneously
- Mixed-reality support combines physical space with a headset-delivered experience
- 81% faster learning reported by students
- Custom content can be created for student consumption
Contact Interactive Commons to learn more about licensing and partnership opportunities.
Case Western Reserve University
Medivis helps surgeons with augmented reality solutions. Image Medivis
Medivis was founded by surgeons, radiologists and engineers to create a holographic future for surgery using augmented reality and computer vision advancements. They’ve joined forces with Microsoft to give surgeons and clinicians the power to improve surgical visualization and deliver better patient outcomes.
Key benefits:
- FDA-cleared SurgicalAR improves the accuracy of surgical procedures
- Hands-free spatial environment that enables accurate, real-time decision making
- Holographic overlays that increase surgical precision and decrease operating time
- Realistic depth perception that enhances visuospatial understanding
- AnatomyX a comprehensive anatomy lab and learning platform
Contact Medivis for information about pricing for SurgicaAR or AnatomyX.
Saagara helps people improve athletic performance and decrease stress. Image: Saagara
Saagara offers a suite of apps that people worldwide use to increase athletic performance, decrease stress and blood pressure, and improve overall health. Available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play, there are 13 apps now offered that fall under the areas of breathing, yoga, meditation and learning.
Key features:
- Non-demanding breathing exercises to master your breathing or just relax
- Progressive principles of yoga to help you find balance and relieve stress
- Exercise that improves mental acuity, memory and physical strength
- Access to comprehensive guides
- The only health augmented reality app that teaches and entertains
Apps are free to use on Apple App Store and on Google Play.
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