MediView XR, a clinical augmented reality (AR) med-tech company, announced the first inpatient utilization of its XR90 AR-based surgical visualization and navigation system since its 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The system is intended to be used adjunctively for minimally invasive ultrasound and CT guided needle-based procedures for soft tissue and bone.
MediView is using AR to address the limitations of current medical imaging technologies. Flat panel monitors limit practitioners to 2D imaging and require them to look away from the patient's procedural site, which can disrupt hand-eye-coordination and potentially impact outcomes. Through Microsoft's HoloLens2 AR headset, clinicians are able to visualize the patient's holographic ultrasound to facilitate their workflow. XR90 overcomes the limitations of two-dimensional imaging by providing physicians with 3D "X-Ray vision" during procedures – the ability to visualize a patient's comprehensive internal anatomy in 3D underneath their skin, including bone, tissue, organs, and vasculature. The device projects 3D images of the patient's own anatomy based on their CT imaging and fuses that CT with live ultrasound to perform minimally invasive procedures, such as biopsies and tumor ablations (the use of heat or cold to kill cancerous tumors).
XR90's AR capabilities include a Holographic Light Ray that tracks and displays the path of the physician's instrument, CT-based 3D holographic anatomy display, and live ultrasound that is projected and displayed anatomically on the patient as the clinician scans, similar to a flashlight beam. The system is designed to provide visual information and reference to clinicians for analysis of procedural options during pre-operative planning, to help facilitate workflow, and to provide enhanced ergonomics to the user for heads-up, intra-operative display of medical images during ultrasound-guided needle procedures. The system also enables clinicians at remote locations to collaborate real-time with shared visualization, communication, and the ability to provide guidance during procedures for collaborative patient care.
Dr. Pua indicated that during the case, the tumor was not easily visible using ultrasound alone, but with the XR90 system, he was able to use the holographic anatomy to locate the targeted site. Dr. Pua then used the holographic needle tracking feature of the XR90 system to plan his approach before confirming on standard of care. "The system showed clinical utility and was a benefit to the patient to be able to correlate a CT that definitively identified the anomaly with what was displayed on live ultrasound," said Dr. Pua.
