Google to produce augmented reality-based microscope for cancer diagnoses in DoD project

Google Cloud is working with the US Department of Defense (DoD) to deliver an augmented reality (AR) microscope for cancer diagnoses.

The project, for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), more widely involves prototyping an AI-enabled digital pathology solution at select DoD facilities.

The company cited research from the Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety which found up to 5% of outpatient diagnoses were conducted in error. The...

4 September 2020 | Healthcare

AR visualisations can help in spinal treatments, research suggests

A new study has suggested how augmented reality (AR) can be applicable for spinal treatments.

The study, published in the Global Spine Journal (no opt-in required), explored 42 spinal procedures, with AR implemented using operating microscope head-up displays (HUDs), and concluded all tests were successful.

The tests used AR to provide preoperative image data to automatically segment the vertebra, with each being assigned a unique colour, and aided in various procedures,...

10 June 2020 | AR

VR is helping doctors see coronavirus-infected lung tissue in simulation

Doctors at the George Washington University Hospital came across their first Covid-19 patient, who is now the subject of their experiment wherein his lungs are being diagnosed to see severity of the disease.

The doctors used VR technology simulation in which they are able to see healthy as well as virus-infected tissue, as can be seen in this YouTube video explainer.

Dr. Keith Mortman, chief of thoracic surgery at GW Hospital, said in an interview for HealthCast, the...

30 March 2020 | Healthcare

VR assists doctors to detect balance issues in multiple sclerosis patients

A team of researchers have established a test using virtual reality (VR) to detect the risk of falling in patients with multiple sclerosis, despite them not knowing about any walking deficiencies in themselves.

The idea behind the use of VR, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, is that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be compensating for walking deficiencies by depending on their visual abilities. Such patients may...

20 March 2020 | Healthcare

Oxford VR secures $12.5 million investment to help VR for mental health mission

UK-based Oxford VR has announced $12.5 million (£9.63m) in a series A funding round led by Optum Ventures and supported by Luminous Ventures. Existing investors which include Oxford Sciences Innovation, Oxford University Innovation and GT Healthcare Capital Partners also participated in this investment round.

According to Oxford VR, the funding will help the firm to boost US expansion of its evidence-based and scalable automated VR therapy solutions for behavioural health...

13 February 2020 | Healthcare

AR to overtake VR as dominant platform for healthcare, finds GlobalData

While healthcare assistance for virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies remains nascent, AR is expected to move ahead over time as capabilities increase.

That’s according to a new report from GlobalData. The paper states that as the technology advances and with the availability of cheaper, more user-friendly VR and AR headsets, the barriers to widespread use in healthcare are beginning to fall. Though the technologies are in their early stage of adoption,...

5 February 2020 | Applications

Health Scholars raises $17m in funding to continue research for VR tech in healthcare

VR-enabled clinical training firm Health Scholars has successfully completed its series B funding round to the tune of $17 million (£13.1m), which will be used by the company to continue its R&D in new virtual technologies in hospital and public safety market.

The fundraising round was participated by Arboretum Ventures, Venture Investors, Capital Midwest Fund, OSF HealthCare. The raised funds will majorly help Health Scholars to expand its VR content library and further...

28 January 2020 | Applications

UCI School of Medicine studying psychological effects of AR medical simulation training

The UCI School of Medicine has collaborated with Chenega Healthcare Services and MedCognition to examine the psychological effects of AR medical simulation training.

The study, titled, Assessment of the Psychological and Physiological Effects of Augmented Reality, has been provided with a $1.2 million fund by the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium.

The two-year study, which began in December, focuses on whether pre-existing psychological traits or past stress...

14 January 2020 | Applications

New research finds ways to reduce physical risk while using VR

A study conducted by Oregon State University has tried to assess some common movements in virtual reality (VR) that may contribute to muscle strain and discomfort.

The aim of the study was to make sure that users who are not just into gaming, but also into education and industrial training, are safe.

Participants wore an Oculus Rift headset and were tasked with pointing to specific dots around a circle, or colouring in a particular area with their finger. The tests were...

8 January 2020 | Applications

VR can speed up availability of less-invasive treatment for thyroid patients, research finds

A University of Virginia (UVA) Health interventional radiologist believes that virtual reality can offer physicians a better way to educate and expedite the adoption of innovative procedures.

By leveraging the simulated experience technology, UVA’s Zia Haskal, MD, has created a 11-minute video with an aim to increase the availability of a less-invasive treatment option for thyroid patients.

Haskal’s educational video features one of his colleagues treating...

16 October 2019 | Applications