Virtual Reality Device Helps Treat Blocked Arteries
By HospiMedica International staff writers Posted on 29 Nov 2015 |
Image: CTA images displayed in Google Glass (Photo courtesy of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology).
A wearable virtual reality (VR) device based on Google Glass can be used to guide revascularization of chronically blocked coronary arteries.
Developed by researchers at the Institute of Cardiology (Warsaw, Poland), the optical VR device projects three-dimensional (3D) coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) reconstructions to a wearable head-mounted display that is worn by interventional cardiologists in the catheterization laboratory. The projection of the 3D CTA reconstructions onto the screen of virtual reality glass allows the operator to clearly visualize the distal right coronary vessel and verify the direction of the guide wire advancement, relative to the course of the occluded vessel segment.
The wearable computer, which is also equipped with a hands-free voice recognition system and a zoom function, was developed specifically by a team of physicists at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling of the University of Warsaw (Poland) to improve procedure efficiency in interventional cardiology by enabling physician-operators to clearly visualize coronary vessels. The study describing the development and first -in-human use of the VR device was published on November 19, 2015, in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
“Mobile technology is easily accessible and offers an incremental opportunity to expand the existing open platform for mobile applications, which might in turn overcome the economic and capacity limitations of advanced angiography systems with dedicated monitors for projection of CTA data sets,” said lead author Maksymilian Opolski, MD. “Wearable devices might be potentially equipped with filter lenses that provide protection against X-radiation. We believe wearable computers have a great potential to optimize percutaneous revascularization, and thus favorably affect interventional cardiologists in their daily clinical activities.”
Chronic total occlusion, a complete blockage of the coronary artery, represents a major challenge for catheter-based percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) due to unpredictable procedural success rates that are related to incomplete visualization of the occluded coronary arteries by conventional coronary angiography radiology methods. As a result, coronary CTA is being increasingly used to provide physicians with guidance when performing PCI in this subset of lesions.
Related Links:
Institute of Cardiology
University of Warsaw
Developed by researchers at the Institute of Cardiology (Warsaw, Poland), the optical VR device projects three-dimensional (3D) coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) reconstructions to a wearable head-mounted display that is worn by interventional cardiologists in the catheterization laboratory. The projection of the 3D CTA reconstructions onto the screen of virtual reality glass allows the operator to clearly visualize the distal right coronary vessel and verify the direction of the guide wire advancement, relative to the course of the occluded vessel segment.
The wearable computer, which is also equipped with a hands-free voice recognition system and a zoom function, was developed specifically by a team of physicists at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling of the University of Warsaw (Poland) to improve procedure efficiency in interventional cardiology by enabling physician-operators to clearly visualize coronary vessels. The study describing the development and first -in-human use of the VR device was published on November 19, 2015, in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
“Mobile technology is easily accessible and offers an incremental opportunity to expand the existing open platform for mobile applications, which might in turn overcome the economic and capacity limitations of advanced angiography systems with dedicated monitors for projection of CTA data sets,” said lead author Maksymilian Opolski, MD. “Wearable devices might be potentially equipped with filter lenses that provide protection against X-radiation. We believe wearable computers have a great potential to optimize percutaneous revascularization, and thus favorably affect interventional cardiologists in their daily clinical activities.”
Chronic total occlusion, a complete blockage of the coronary artery, represents a major challenge for catheter-based percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) due to unpredictable procedural success rates that are related to incomplete visualization of the occluded coronary arteries by conventional coronary angiography radiology methods. As a result, coronary CTA is being increasingly used to provide physicians with guidance when performing PCI in this subset of lesions.
Related Links:
Institute of Cardiology
University of Warsaw
Latest Surgical Techniques News
- Caterpillar Robot with Built-In Steering System Crawls Easily Through Loops and Bends
- Tiny Wraparound Electronic Implants to Revolutionize Treatment of Spinal Cord Injuries
- Small, Implantable Cardiac Pump to Help Children Awaiting Heart Transplant
- Gastrointestinal Imaging Capsule a Game-Changer in Esophagus Surveillance and Treatment
- World’s Smallest Laser Probe for Brain Procedures Facilitates Ablation of Full Range of Targets
- Artificial Intelligence Broadens Diagnostic Abilities of Conventional Coronary Angiography
- AI-Powered Surgical Visualization Tool Supports Surgeons' Visual Recognition in Real Time
- Cutting-Edge Robotic Bronchial Endoscopic System Provides Prompt Intervention during Emergencies
- Handheld Device for Fluorescence-Guided Surgery a Game Changer for Removal of High-Grade Glioma Brain Tumors
- Porous Gel Sponge Facilitates Rapid Hemostasis and Wound Healing
- Novel Rigid Endoscope System Enables Deep Tissue Imaging During Surgery
- Robotic Nerve ‘Cuffs’ Could Treat Various Neurological Conditions
- Flexible Microdisplay Visualizes Brain Activity in Real-Time To Guide Neurosurgeons
- Next-Gen Computer Assisted Vacuum Thrombectomy Technology Rapidly Removes Blood Clots
- Hydrogel-Based Miniaturized Electric Generators to Power Biomedical Devices
- Custom 3D-Printed Orthopedic Implants Transform Joint Replacement Surgery