Cromwell Hospital said it has become the first hospital in the UK and Europe to use the Apple Vision Pro, a spatial computing device, as a surgical logistics and organizational tool.
Introduced to the hospital by eXeX, a provider of artificial intelligence and spatial computing for surgical organization and workflow optimization, surgeons Fady Sedra and Syed Aftab, part of the Complex Spine group who operate out of Cromwell Hospital, used the technology to successfully perform two microsurgical spine procedures.
Cromwell Hospital and eXeX partnered in 2023 to introduce AI and Spatial Computing technology to the hospital's operating theaters to help optimize surgical procedures such as equipment setup, inventory control and resource allocation optimization. eXeX's software offers nurses and technicians holographic and touch-free access to the surgical setup and the procedural guides from within the sterile field of the operating theatre, granting them access to data and visualization that was previously never available. The platform has significantly increased efficiency of surgical delivery, with equipment and workflow accuracy, improving patient outcomes.
"Working with eXeX to use the Apple Vision Pro has made a huge difference to the way we deliver care to our patients. The software is seamless and has improved efficiency within the Complex Spine team. It's a real privilege to be the first team in the UK and Europe to use this software within surgery and I'm looking forward to seeing how this technology advances and the impact it can have across hospitals in the UK," Aftab said.
"At Cromwell Hospital, we are committed to innovation and improving how healthcare is delivered to benefit all patients, whether it is through harnessing robotic or AI technology, or using the latest, evidence-base approaches to deliver care. eXeX stands at the forefront of surgical technological advancements, and their philosophy for patient outcomes is inspiring. We are delighted to be working with them," said Kate Bovell, the Chief Operating Officer at Cromwell Hospital.
The surgeries completed by Mr Sedra and Aftab using the Apple Vision Pro serve as a testament to the adaptability and versatility of the eXeX software platform, which is currently deployed via headsets such as the Microsoft HoloLens. The successful proof of concept with the Apple Vision Pro is part of the company's ongoing commitment to develop hardware-agnostic solutions and will explore its ongoing use.
