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X-rays were discovered on November 8, 1895 by the German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen.
The beginnings of augmented reality (AR) in 1957, by Morton Heilin, a cinematographer who proposed a multisensory user experience in his Sensorama.
The first virtual reality headsets to appear were Sega VR (1993) from Sega and Virtual Boy (1995) from Nintendo.
GE Healthcare has teamed up with MediView to help surgeons see patients’ anatomies as they are with the help of augmented reality glasses. The upcoming OmnifyXR system is being designed to provide 3D holographic imaging as well as a display screen for interventional X-ray images using Microsoft’s HoloLens hardware.
The goal is to offer views of the 3D anatomy in a more ergonomic position and with a line of sight that is better aligned with the patient, rather than doctors repeatedly returning to look at different monitors during a procedure. At the same time, OmnifyXR’s connectivity will allow others to collaborate remotely through a surgeon’s view.
“Augmented reality imaging is key to enhancing visualization of anatomy and enhancing the user experience,” said GE’s general manager of global surgical intervention, Arnaud Marie, in a press release.
MediView has previously worked with GE Healthcare and Microsoft on AR glasses technology for ultrasound exams, providing clinicians with a virtual monitor that can be positioned anywhere within their field of vision during a scan.
For the OmnifyXR Interventional Suite, GE Healthcare and MediView said they plan to co-commercialize the system, with an initial release scheduled for the United States and later worldwide. According to the companies, the program does not need FDA clearance, but may require CE mark approval before being released in Europe.
“We are trying to address the limitations of current procedural views, or the way surgeons can ‘see inside’ a patient. Simply put, our technology gives surgeons X-ray vision so they can see the patient’s own internal anatomy without having to make an incision.” MediView CEO and co-founder John W. Black said in a statement.
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