What just happened? Apple's Vision Pro might have its detractors, not least due to the $3,500 price tag, but its use in the enterprise and other non-consumer sectors could be revolutionary. In the UK, for example, surgeons have performed the first operation in the country where the mixed reality headset was utilized.
Apple hopes that one area where the Vision Pro will find plenty of success is the medical industry. The profession is examining the use of mixed reality in certain fields and, according to some analysts, Apple's powerful headset could be a game changer.
During a recent operation to repair a patient's spine at the private Cromwell Hospital in London, a scrub nurse working alongside the surgeon used the Vision Pro to help prepare, keep track of the procedure, and choose the right tools, reports the Daily Mail. This marked the first operation in the UK where the Vision Pro was used.
The software running on Apple's headset during the operation comes from US company eXeX, which has made similar programs for Microsoft's HoloLens. It offers nurses and technicians both holographic and touch-free access to the surgical setup and the procedural guides from within the sterile field of the operating room, according to the press release. The software also tracks each stage of an operation and can measure how well the op went compared to previous procedures performed by other surgeons.
"It eliminates human error and eliminates the guesswork," said Suvi Verho, lead scrub nurse at London Independent Hospital. "It gives you confidence in surgery."
While this marked the first time that the Vision Pro was used during a UK surgery, the first-ever time the device was used in an operating room was last month, just three days after its release, when Orlando resident and world-renowned Neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Masson wore it during several spine reconstruction surgeries (top of page).
"We are in a new era of surgery, and for the first time, our surgical teams have the brilliance of visual holographic guidance and maps, improving visuospatial and temporal orientation for each surgical team and for each surgery in all specialties", said Masson.
The Vision Pro is being trialed across different areas by several healthcare organizations around the globe. In addition to aiding surgery, it's also being used for radiology, patient monitoring, medical teaching and planning, therapy, and spotting early signs of conditions.
Late last month, a software developer who posted photos of himself wearing an Apple Vision Pro at his wedding (alongside his nonplussed bride) offered an explanation for why he did it.
https://www.techspot.com/news/102212-uk-surgeons-perform-first-operation-using-apple-vision.html
