Touch Surgery launches app to virtual reality platforms
Official announcement: Touch Surgery launches app to virtual reality platforms
London 11.02.2016.
Touch Surgery is leading the advance of surgery into virtual reality platforms including Oculus and zSpace. In an AMA Andre Chow, one of the co-founders of Touch Surgery hinted that Touch Surgery had a “prototype set up on the Oculus”. Today Touch Surgery announced that the team have deployed their first virtual reality procedure on the Oculus Rift as well as the 3D tablet computer, zSpace. Touch Surgery has been dominating the app store in the US for medical apps and now is spreading its reach to other platforms.
Andre Chow said, “over the last year Touch Surgery engineers have been developing Touch Surgery 3D, a real-time engine that will power virtual surgery on platforms such as the Oculus and zSpace as virtual reality platforms develop interactivity, we are excited to be leading this space”. The prototypes have already been showcased at selected events; Touch Surgery Oculus integration surfaced at ASiT2015 and, in addition, a full zSpace surgical simulation showcased at the Gadget Show Live 2015 where Phil McElnay, an Academic Cardiothoracic specialist trainee, published his first attempt performing VR surgery on the Touch Surgery app for zSpace stating “this is the future of surgical simulation”.
Gregg Yedwab, a business development executive, at zSpace explained, in Surgical Products Magazine, that “since cadavers are expensive and other simulation software can be pricey and limited, this is an economical and convenient way to work through a surgery before entering the operating room”.
John Paro, a Plastic surgery trainee at Stanford University explained that “engaging in the steps of the procedure before you’ve ever seen it in person helps you prepare and I think as a surgical trainee that’s really important because you want to come into the operating room looking like you’ve prepared for the case and that’s where the learning happens.”
A number of academic research studies evaluating virtual reality in surgery, medicine and healthcare have shown the impact of VR Surgical simulation on trainee performance. One such study has shown that use of a simulator in a structured training program led to a two-fold increase in learners successfully being able to complete a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removing the gallbladder through keyhole surgery). Other studies have also shown similar outcomes for endovascular and arthroscopy procedures. Academic research on Touch Surgery has also started to surface demonstrating the validity of the simulator and what was described as the “training effect” of the platform.
Touch Surgery is a mobile-first platform that empowers and connects the global surgical community to make better decisions in the operating room (OR). Touch Surgery works with leading surgeons at global academic institutions (e.g. Imperial College, Stanford and Johns Hopkins) to cognitively map surgical procedures and combines this with a 3D virtual reality anatomical patient. Surgeons use Touch Surgery to learn, simulate and rehearse for surgery in the OR step by step. Touch Surgery also provides a testing platform for the users, enabling data measurement of competence for safer surgery. Learn more about Touch Surgery:
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