5 examples of AR in medicine

Augmented Reality (AR) technology is rapidly transforming the landscape of medicine and healthcare, enhancing the way healthcare professionals diagnose, treat, and educate their patients. By merging the virtual world with the real world, AR provides a wealth of benefits, improving accuracy, efficiency, and patient outcomes. According to Goldman Sachs, the healthcare industry is projected to witness significant growth in the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), reaching a market value of $5.1 billion by 2025.

Similarly, MarketsAndMarkets anticipates a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.7%, resulting in a market worth $6.5 billion by the same year. This surge in the adoption of AR and VR technologies will contribute to the digital transformation of healthcare, creating valuable opportunities for payers, healthcare professionals, providers, and medical device manufacturers. This blog will explore five compelling examples of how AR is revolutionizing medicine and empowering healthcare professionals to deliver better care. 

Applications of AR in Medicine  

• Surgical Navigation and Visualization 

AR is revolutionizing surgical procedures by providing healthcare professionals with real-time, 3D visualizations and precise navigational guidance during complex surgeries. Surgeons can overlay patient-specific anatomical information, such as MRI or CT scans, onto the surgical field, allowing for accurate localization of structures, identification of critical areas, and precise surgical incisions. This technology helps reduce surgical complications, improves outcomes, and enhances patient safety. 

• Medical Training and Education 

AR is transforming medical education and training by offering immersive, interactive, and realistic learning experiences. Healthcare professionals can utilize AR to visualize complex anatomical structures, practice virtual surgeries, and simulate medical scenarios. AR-based training platforms provide a risk-free environment for healthcare professionals to refine their skills, enhance decision-making abilities, and improve patient care. Furthermore, AR can be utilized in patient education, allowing healthcare professionals to illustrate medical conditions, treatment options, and procedures in a more understandable and engaging manner. 

• Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy 

AR is playing a crucial role in the field of rehabilitation and physical therapy by creating personalized and engaging exercises for patients. Through wearable AR devices, patients can see real-time feedback on their movements, posture, and progress during rehabilitation sessions. These visual cues help patients perform exercises correctly, track their improvement, and stay motivated throughout the rehabilitation process. Additionally, AR-based gamification enhances patient engagement, making therapy sessions more enjoyable and increasing adherence to treatment plans. 

• Anatomical Visualization for Diagnosis  

AR provides healthcare professionals with advanced visualization tools that aid in accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. By superimposing medical imaging data onto the patient’s body, AR enables physicians to visualize internal structures and pathology in real time. This enhances the understanding of complex medical conditions, improves diagnostic accuracy, and facilitates effective communication with patients. AR can also assist in preoperative planning, allowing surgeons to precisely determine incision sites, evaluate implant placements, and simulate surgical outcomes. 

• Remote Consultations and Telemedicine 

AR has the potential to transform remote consultations and telemedicine by bringing a virtual presence to healthcare professionals. Using AR-enabled smart glasses or mobile devices, physicians can remotely examine patients, visualize medical data, and provide real-time guidance. This technology opens up opportunities for telemedicine in rural or underserved areas, where patients can receive high-quality care without the need for extensive travel. AR-powered remote consultations also facilitate collaboration between healthcare professionals, enabling them to consult with specialists and make informed decisions collectively.  

Examples of AR in Medicine  

• HoloAnatomy  

HoloAnatomy represents a significant advancement in AR-based medical education, exemplifying the potential of this technology. This platform empowers instructors to visualize and depict various elements of human anatomy, encompassing intricate systems like the cardiovascular system and individual organs, among others. By donning a HoloLens headset, students are immersed in a classroom environment where instructors deliver customized 3D lectures, showcasing dynamic visuals of human anatomy from different perspectives and scales. This interactive experience revolutionizes the learning process, offering a comprehensive understanding of anatomical structures and their relationships. 

• AED4EU 

A notable creation by Lucien Engelen is AED4EU, developed for the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in the Netherlands. This application enables users to identify and mark external defibrillators and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) units in a comprehensive database accessible via smartphones. By integrating AED4EU with the Layar browser, an augmented reality feature is utilized to swiftly locate and display the nearest AED devices. While the current focus of this app is on defibrillators, its underlying principle can be extended to various types of medical equipment or apparatus in future iterations. 

• AccuVein  

AccuVein is a portable scanning device that utilizes augmented reality (AR) technology to simplify the process of IV insertion, particularly benefiting patients. By projecting an overlay onto the patient’s arm, the device displays the pathways of veins, enabling nurses to mark them accurately. AccuVein claims that its scanner significantly improves the chances of successfully locating a vein on the first attempt, increasing the likelihood by 3.5 times. This innovative solution allows hospital staff to save time and redirect their attention to other important aspects of patient care. 

• Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital (Smart Hospital) 

In 2021, the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, situated in Ontario, Canada, opened its doors as a cutting-edge smart hospital. Leveraging seventy-five intelligent workflows, this facility aims to enhance staff efficiency and allow caregivers to dedicate more time to patient care. One notable feature is the utilization of real-time location badges by the hospital’s rapid response team. These badges override elevator systems, granting priority access for a timely response. Additionally, the hospital’s system is equipped to detect cardiac arrest events, automatically adjusting the patient’s bed and IV to optimize assistance for the responders. The implementation of these smart technologies at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital contributes to an improved healthcare environment for both patients and medical staff. 

• HIPAA Telemed  

HIPAA Telmed is a comprehensive web application that brings together a variety of features to facilitate seamless online consultations. It provides a secure platform for video and audio calls, efficient management of appointments, integration with electronic health records (EHR) for streamlined access to patient information, as well as the ability to share screens and documents securely. The application also prioritizes data encryption to maintain patient privacy and offers in-app payment options for convenient transactions. 

Augmented Reality is revolutionizing the practice of healthcare professionals, offering immense potential for improving patient care, medical education, and remote healthcare services. From surgical navigation and medical training to anatomical visualization and telemedicine, AR is reshaping the healthcare landscape. By harnessing the power of AR, healthcare professionals can enhance their diagnostic accuracy, improve surgical outcomes, offer more engaging patient education, and transform the way they deliver care. As AR technology continues to advance, its integration into medicine holds the promise of a more efficient, accurate, and patient-centric healthcare system.