Augmented Reality Applications in Healthcare

By NIIT Editorial

Published on 04/02/2021

5 minutes

Augmented Reality refers to the science of superimposing digitally simulated images on real-world objects when viewed through an appropriate device. Though simple-sounding, the technology has far-reaching positive influences in fields that have long waited for something like it. Healthcare happens to be one such field. The fact that an umpteen number of app development companies are working on it has rendered AR affordable. We’ve reached a point where medical experts both experienced and otherwise have an AR app to fall back on. The following augmented reality apps are the best examples of AR applications in the healthcare sector.

Training Schools

With a hoard of students in the class, thermocol models of the human body do little to add practical value to student-understanding. AR apps can do much better wherein all a student needs is a smart device, such as a tablet/smartphone, with which to activate AR functionality. Irrespective of their seating position in the classroom, each student gets access to the same level of detail and attention with AR apps. For instance, Anatomy 4D is an app that uses AR to accord a multilevel understanding of the human anatomy to medical students.

Dentistry

Dentists use scanners to create a zoomed-in copy of our inner jaws for accurate prescriptions. However, there are already AR apps in the market that combine the functionality of a monitor with the scanner. This diagnosis can be used to map crowns and caps in an unprecedented precise manner.

AR Image Processing

MRI and CT scans can be augmented with AR software. The diagnosis could be actively used for surgical operations while minimizing error. AR software that is deployed for pre-operative procedural planning can zero-in on the precise location of the tumors. This is a huge deal for operations related to the nervous or vascular systems that pose a challenge for navigating to affected micro-areas.

Improving Visual Impairment

The AR marketplace is already privy to products such as the SmartSpecs that improve visibility, and comprehension of physical objects for those having impaired vision. The capability hand-holds patients and helps them navigate their environment with as few hindrances as possible. EyeDecide is another application of AR which uses smartphone cameras to identify the ill-impacts of diseases on a person’s vision and recommend safety measures.

Remote Surgery

This application of AR takes telemedicine a step further. Virtual Interactive Presence in Augmented Reality (VIPAR) is software that allows doctors to virtually collaborate during an ongoing surgery. Remotely connected doctors use the software to project hands on an AR display and guide peers. Another example of AR in surgical applications is the MEVIS Surgery App. It recreates the subject’s body with superimpositions that project a detailed map of blood vessels on the device screen.

Wrapping Up

The applications of AR in healthcare would continue to rise to the point wherein it readily acts as a smart interface between patients and medical professionals. With increased interlinking and guidance from machine learning algorithms, AR-apps would only get better with time.