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A successful first in human surgical procedure utilizing ARAI™, an augmented reality and artificial intelligence-based surgical navigation system, has been completed by HoloSurgical.
This first case, a lumbar decompression and fusion, was performed on a 61-year-old male with grade-2 spondylolisthesis.
ARAI provides real-time patient-specific 3D anatomical visualization for pre-op planning, real-time intra-op guidance and post-op data analytics. The element of artificial intelligence is designed to autonomously segment and analyze patient anatomy and color-code key anatomical landmarks in real time, via proprietary algorithms, while augmented reality allows a view of internal structures such as nerves, vessels, joints and bones in 3D without making incisions and without looking away from the surgical field.
“The ‘smart visualization with guidance’ is a fundamental pillar of digital surgery of the future,” said HoloSurgical CEO Kris Siemionow, M.D., Ph.D. “The use of our digital surgery platform has the potential to simplify and automate a wide variety of surgical procedures, while decreasing soft tissue morbidity thus improving patient outcomes.”
ARAI system components include the surgeon workstation with an image generator and viewer, the surgeon’s augmented reality headset and a technician’s station that houses navigation tracking tools. ARAI also features cross-platform compatibility with any intraoperative CT scanner and is compatible with surgical instruments from different manufacturers.
Along with the spine application, HoloSurgical—founded in 2015 with offices in the U.S. and Poland—aims to adopt ARAI in hip and shoulder replacement for acetabular cup and glenoid component positioning, respectively.
As we have written previously, other companies such as Augmedics, 7D Surgical and Royal Philips are also developing digital visualization and guidance tools.
