Photos courtesy of Novarad
If you or your children were a part of the Pokémon Go craze a few years ago, then you probably witnessed augmented reality: Walking around in a park, the smartphone buzzes and suddenly a Pikachu is standing next to the playground – at least according to the phone.
AR isn’t just for video games anymore. The medical field is implementing this technology of using devices to see and interact with computer-generated images that are superimposed on the user’s view of the real world.
Introducing Microsoft’s HoloLens goggles.
The eyewear dates back to 2010 when Microsoft created an add-on for – you guessed it – video games, specifically for its Xbox Kinect. But when Microsoft teamed up with the healthcare tech-focused company Novarad, history was made. In October 2018, the FDA gave 510(k) clearance to the first HoloLens device that uses the OpenSight Augmented Reality System for surgical implications.
Understanding the HoloLens
Dr. Wendell Gibby – a neuro-interventional radiologist who founded Novarad in 1990 – tested the HoloLens with a patient needing back surgery. Gibby has used image-guided surgery for back operations, but the images can be blurry and can lead to location confusion before and during the surgery.
In a video on the Novarad website, Gibby uses the HoloLens prior to operating on the two herniated disks. Gibby is seen interacting with projected images of the patient’s internal anatomy, which allows him to figure out an accurate path to take during the operation.
“It’s great to see that anatomy sort-of floating in space, see the spine, be able to look and say, ‘Okay, this is my trajectory this is where I should start.’ In my 35 years of medicine, I’ve never seen anything as cool as this,” Gibby says in the video. “This is an entirely new dimension in how we can treat people.”
The device isn’t just for practicing surgeons. Medical students can use HoloLens to project CT data onto cadavers, and researchers can use the AR mechanism to improve ethics standards.
“OpenSight (HoloLens) will enhance medical research by providing researchers with an unparalleled view of the subject’s anatomy without the need for surgical incisions or other invasive procedures,” the Novarad website says.
Goodbye, simple video games and hello a whole new world; a world where electronic goggles will truly impact the medical field and make the future a reality. To learn more about the Microsoft HoloLens with OpenSight technology, visit www.novarad.net.
Dancing into an Augmented World
The department of dance at The Ohio State University uses the HoloLens for dance routines
Dance is not just a physical art, the mental fortitude required to learn the movements can be overwhelming. Thankfully, the HoloLens with integrated software has been helping students at The Ohio State University learn and write choreography more efficiently.
Photos courtesy of Chris Summers and Hannah Kosstrin
In the department of dance, students use the Microsoft augmented reality device to run the LabanLens software, a program spearheaded by Hannah Kosstrin, assistant professor of dance, and Chris Summer, a media manager in the school of arts and sciences. The software allows students to see and interact with dance scores by dragging-and-dropping Laban movement notations – symbols that represent certain dance movements – into their real-world view.
And since it’s AR, students can wear the HoloLens while dancing since the 3D imaging of the notations is merely projected in their actual space. The new technology allows students to learn the choreography quicker and cuts back on movement mistakes, making more time to conquer perfection.
According to an August 2018 article on the OSU arts and sciences website, the program has only scratched the surface. The department hopes to include digital avatars that perform dances created by the HoloLens user, and learn to upload established dance notations so students and researches can study the movements.
To learn more about the HoloLens with LabanLens software, visit www.artsandsciences.osu.edu.
Lydia Freudenberg is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.
