Cutting-edge technology has a way of snaking itself into the medical field. Over the past few years, for example, we've seen 3D printers used to create prescription medication, prosthetic limbs, casts, replacement bones, homemade cosmetic braces and even cartilage implants.
Now, we're beginning to see some of the ways that virtual reality will impact modern medicine with a company by the name of Medical Realities leading the way.
Co-founded by Dr. Shafi Ahmed, Medical Realities is a medical training firm that specializes in virtual reality, augmented reality and serious games using consumer-level devices like the Oculus Rift. In just a few days, he and his team of medical professionals will be livestreaming the removal of a tumor from the colon of a man in his 70s.
The operation is said to be of low risk although the fact that it'll be streamed live (well, almost live) in 4K over the Internet will no doubt add a bit of pressure to the otherwise standard affair.
Ahmed believes AR and VR will play a major role in operating rooms of the future. That's why he's inviting medical students and anyone else that wants a front-row seat to join along as spectators during the procedure.
As Wired notes, the patient has consented to having the procedure viewed by potentially millions of people. And in the event that things don't go as planned, the feed will be on a delay of about one minute.
Anyone interested in viewing the April 14 surgery is encouraged to download the Medical Realities mobile app and acquire a Cardboard-style headset for viewing.