Basic CRT monitors entered operating rooms in the mid-1900s to display heart rate and other vital signs. With the development of endoscopy and laparoscopic surgeries came a need for more advanced, albeit low-resolution, video monitors to display real-time surgical images. By the 2000s, flat-panel technologies and high-resolution monitors became standard across operating theaters, designed to make surgery more precise.
Technology has clearly evolved. So too have surgeons’ skills in using these visual systems. However, surgeons themselves, as the physical human interface between their tools and their patients, have remained the same. Which is to say, exploring critical information on a surgical monitor while actually performing surgery requires turning one’s eyes and attention from one to the other.
But augmented reality technology is changing that dynamic — rapidly. AR is enhancing the whole experience by overlaying digital information onto the physical world offering real-time data during procedures.
For example, since the FDA approved the use of augmented reality technology for spinal surgery in 2019, more than 8,500 patients have benefitted from what solution provider Augmedics calls “x-ray vision for spine surgery.” What this means is that by wearing a specially designed AR headset, surgeons can visualize a patient’s anatomy in 3D, plus other critical information, without taking their eyes off the patient themself. The results? Even greater precision (including higher than 99 percent accuracy in placing spinal implants) and less time on the operating table for patients. The device is also enabled to record the operation for study cases.
Augmedics’ FDA-cleared Xvision Spine System includes AR display technology from Lumus, which designs the optical engines that go inside AR headsets, allowing surgeons or any other type of user to visualize information right before their eyes. The same Lumus technology goes into the Scopeye EUD (eyes-up display) from MediThinQ, which can be used for medical procedures such as endoscopy and fluoroscopy, as well as for surgical training.
In fact, Lumus’ unique technology is ideal for AR-assisted medicine because it allows doctors to do what they do best — care for patients — without the limitations of other AR solutions getting in the way.
Better Optics Enable Medical AR Applications
Operating rooms can be bright places. Light helps ensure visibility, uniform illumination, and color accuracy as surgeons and medical staff safely treat patients. Certain areas may be dimmer to reduce glare on surgical monitors, but as AR gains acceptance in medicine, AR display systems must contend with the ambient light where they’re used.
They must also be comfortable (low-weight and well-designed in the distribution of the headset weight) and non-intrusive to wear. The batteries that power them need to last throughout what can sometimes be a lengthy operation.
The component of an AR system that is most determinant of these capabilities is the near-to-eye, optic display — and there are several ways of designing AR displays.
Lumus display technology, foundational to medical AR systems like those from Augmedics and MediThinQ, is based on reflective waveguides, as opposed to less effective diffractive waveguides. Waveguides act as the surface on which AR content is displayed from miniature projectors along one side of a lens. Reflective waveguides employ tiny, reflective mirrors, to create visual images.
And here’s why Lumus reflective waveguides are best suited to medical AR applications: They create the brightest possible visuals with the least power.
Reflective waveguides don’t waste light. Images are precisely directed toward the eye so they can be seen in rooms that are also brightly lit. Because they don’t require extra material to block out ambient light, Lumus-based AR headsets can be designed lighter and less bulky — critical attributes in surgical or other medical applications.
Plus, their light efficiency means they draw less power from the AR solution, which can be designed to last longer. Ideally, a medical AR headset should be completely cordless so as not to clutter the space where it’s used.
In medical settings, precision and clarity are paramount, and Lumus’s technology excels in these areas.
AR systems with Lumus inside are used in many industries, including military, manufacturing, and public safety. And their medical applications go well beyond AR-assisted surgery. For example, by projecting imagery on a cadaver, medical students can visualize the body before ever making an incision. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Lumus-powered AR glasses allowed healthcare professionals to treat patients safely in the field. AR headsets enable better collaboration, with medical professionals in multiple locations able to see the same things.
Augmented reality is transforming medicine by enhancing how healthcare professionals diagnose, treat, and interact with patients. Lumus optics offers the most suitable solution for healthcare’s unique requirements.
Lumus’s waveguide technology is helping to bridge the gap between advanced visualization and practical usability, making AR an increasingly indispensable tool in healthcare.
To learn more and explore including Lumus near-to-eye display technology for medical applications, please contact us.