Augmented Reality is expanding its feet into various markets namely medicine, retail among others, gaming, automotive. Augmented Reality has been in development since the 1960s. Let’s get deep into the article about the benefits of using augmented reality in healthcare. You will learn how AR can bring a revolutionary change in healthcare and it’s future in the below sections.
AR Technology allows users to visualize the real world and project the digital information onto the existing environment. In fact, AR is a mixture of Virtual Reality imposed into real life. These virtual content exist in the form of sound or digital imagery applied in the form of videos or 3D models.
Augmented Reality works by using a range of sensors, computer components, a camera and a display device.
Opportunities that AR Provides in Health Care
Image Credits; Atomichronica
AR is opening up new opportunities in the Healthcare Industry. By 2020, the global market will reach around $1.5B. New innovations help doctors and surgeons the ability to diagnose and perform surgeries on patients accurately. These innovations give them access to real-time data and patient information faster and precisely than ever.
Augmented Reality provides huge value to those who practice medicine and education. It allows both students and physicians to visualize scenarios and health issues. The benefits that AR can provide in Health Care can be quite impressive. What we are witnessing as of now is just the beginning and a lot can happen with AR in the medicinal field.
Augmented Reality in Healthcare
Augmented Surgery
Data Accessing Technologies are really advanced these days and the next step is to provide a real-time and life-saving patient information to doctors so that they can use them during complex or simple procedures.
Using Augmented Reality surgeons can precisely study their patient’s anatomy by entering CT Scans and MRI related data into an AR Headset and overlay particular patient anatomy on top of their body before performing a surgery.
Surgeons can visualize bones, internal organs, muscles without even having the need to cut open the body. Thus, they can decide on where to make injections and can even be used to display life-saving information for paramedics in case of any medical emergency.
With AR, Surgeons can perform accurate and low-risk surgeries as well as save time in cases of emergencies. Instead of searching for any medical records Surgeons can get all the information on their AR Screen within a fraction of seconds. Thus, AR is used in Healthcare for better medical guidance and supervision.
Doctors and Surgeons in Hospitals like St. Mary’s and Imperial College in London have actually begun working with Microsoft’s HoloLens AR Glasses during reconstructive Surgery of patients suffering from Severe Injuries.
Earlier, these surgeons have to use a handheld scanner to identify the major blood vessels near the wound and now with the help of AR surgeons can identify blood vessels easily by displaying them in a three-dimensional virtual image.
Better Diagnosis
AR makes it easy for doctors to determine the patient’s symptoms and diagnose them in a better way. At times, patients struggle to explain their symptoms to doctors and patients can explain their symptoms better.
Medical institutions have already begun implementing AR in their curriculum to give students hands-on learning experience. Using an AR training program doctors can practice anything and everything that may come up in a real-life medical situation.
AR can save lives of plenty of people and we are in the initial stages to understand how valuable this technology can be to surgeons. Benefits that AR can bring in the fields of education and medicine are quite revolutionary.
We shall see how AR will be used for both diagnosis and treatment in healthcare in the mere future.
