Augmented Reality Software Enhances OR Safety

A new technology-as-a-service (TaaS) intraoperative augmented reality (AR) system offers real time deformable soft tissue assessment.

The Activ Surgical (Boston, MA, USA) ActivInsights AR software suite’s initial offering is Perfusion View Insights, which uses visual overlays to provide clinicians with the ability to see blood flow and perfusion in real time, without the use of traditional dyes, including viewing of colorectal anastomosis cases. The AR technology is based on mulitspectral imaging that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities. ActivInsights is intended for use with the proprietary Activ Surgical ActivSight Intraoperative Imaging Module.


ActivSight is compatible with most laparoscopes, arthroscopes, endoscopes, surgical robots, and other platforms, and is placed between the visualization device and the surgeon’s eyes or monitor. At the flip of a switch, ActivSight processes light in multiple spectrums to detect subtle changes in tissues, using AI and ML to provide a visual map to the surgical field in a real-time, cost-effective manner. When used together with ActivInsights, video annotations of surgical procedures can be completed nearly 20,000 times faster than traditional surgical video annotation methods.

“I founded Activ Surgical in 2017 with the goal of democratizing surgical care by extending insights from leading surgeons to all surgical systems, regardless of location,” said Peter Kim, MD, co-founder and CSO of Activ Surgical. “Bringing our ActivInsights offerings to market is a significant step in realizing this goal, as it will provide meaningful visual data that was previously unavailable in the OR to surgeons all across the globe.”

AR is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input. It is related to a general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified--possibly even diminished rather than augmented--by a computer. As a result, the technology can enhance the perception of reality.

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