Apple's Vision Pro headset did not receive sustained praise in the gaming industry, but unexpectedly gained recognition in the medical industry.
A team from Cromwell, a private hospital in London, recently used Vision Pro equipment to repair the spine of a male patient. Assistant nurses who assist surgeons in performing surgeries wear this device on their heads, and use the important information displayed on the virtual screen in the head display to prepare for surgery, track and select surgical equipment.
Assistant nurse Suvi Verho, who participated in the surgery, stated that this technology is a game changer in the medical industry, capable of eliminating human errors and misjudgments, and giving people confidence in the surgery.
The chief surgeon, Syed Aftab, also supports this technique, stating that it can turn a nurse who has never worked with him into someone with whom he has worked for over a decade, making his team even stronger with just one headshot.
Currently, Vision Pro has not been launched in the UK. Its public selling price in the United States is $3500 and it is designed as an AR/VR product for computer game players or movie audiences.
But the functionality of this product is clearly not limited to the entertainment sector. Two UK National Health Trusts have been negotiating with Exex, the American company behind artificial intelligence software, to apply it in healthcare and promote the use of headsets.
British Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt also called on the health sector to embrace artificial intelligence after the successful Cromwell surgery. He stated that the UK government will invest billions of dollars in modernizing the UK National Health IT system to improve productivity.
Unexpected joy
On Monday, Apple also released a new statement on its official website, stating that it is very pleased with the medical application of Vision Pro. It points out that Vision Pro can seamlessly integrate digital content with the physical world, and its unique features will change multiple fields such as clinical education, surgical planning, training, and medical imaging.
Apple also offers some existing applications for further development. Stryker's myMako application can utilize Vision Pro and iPhone to expand outdoor scenes, helping surgeons experience visualization and review surgical plans for patients' knee or hip joints at any time.
Robert Cohen, President of Stryker Digital, Robotics, and Support Technology, also pointed out that Apple's headsets, combined with Stryker's leading support technology, have created exciting potential products that can enhance surgeons' preoperative planning and intraoperative experience.
In addition, Apple also stated that it is collaborating with Boston Children's Hospital to develop a comprehensive learning system, utilizing Vision Pro and the CyranoHealth application to help train frontline personnel such as nurses in the skills of using new medical devices. All other things are mentioned in different ways.
And Apple's enthusiastic attitude towards the healthcare industry also indirectly reflects the huge opportunity for Vision Pro to enter the healthcare industry. Compared to the immature gaming world, being able to open up a situation in the medical industry was indeed an unexpected surprise for Apple.