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Canon overhauls Mixed Reality platform with new head-mounted display
Canon's been fiddling around with augmented (or mixed) reality for some time now, but the company just took things to the next level. A new AR headset announced today is less stylish than that other soon-to-be-released wearable tech you've likely heard about, yet certainly more sophisticated than its bigger brother. The controller sees visual markers through dual on-board cameras and projects virtual objects onto two corresponding displays set right above the eyes, marrying the virtual world to the desert of the real. You can gaze from any angle and even manipulate the virtual projects with what looks to be a plastic, magic ice cream cone. The glasses are set to release next month and, while Canon hasn't assigned a price, all the planned applications are decidedly industrial, making us think they won't be cheap. So, you probably won't be using em' to scope out the various Layars around your hood.
Cybram 001 simulator helps doctors practice brain surgery without risking lives (video)
Sometimes it's awesome to be a guinea pig; take for example, getting down and dirty with the Consumer Preview of Windows 8. When it comes to brain surgery, however, there are no happy little accidents -- and let's face it, Bob Ross would've been a horrible surgeon. Thankfully, a new invention out of Japan promises to keep surgeons from taking practice swings at your noggin. Known as the Cybram 001, it's said to properly simulate the flow and pressure of one's arterial system from the cerebrum to the groin, and should allow doctors to gain greater familiarity with inserting surgical instruments into these delicate spaces. As the entire model is transparent, it's ideal for both students and instructors to see what's being done, and because variables such as blood pressure and heart rate can be adjusted, it's a useful simulator for different scenarios in the operating room. Not all of us will grow up to be brain surgeons, but if you'd like a peek into the frontiers of the field, just hop the break.
New high-precision eye surgery robot helps doctors stay sharp
A researcher at the Netherland's Eindhoven University of Technology has invented a new type of eye surgery robot designed to steady the ophthalmologist's hands and minimize error -- always a good thing when it comes to having needles and knives near your peepers. Kind of like an Igor to a mad scientist, the robot is considered a "slave" to its "master" doctor, who controls the automaton's arms using two joysticks. The doctor is still in charge of the cuts, but the technology makes sure the MD jabs that needle in at the exact same entry point each time without shaking to minimize ocular marring. Another notable feature is the robot's ability to switch between tools quickly, ensuring that if this whole doctor thing doesn't work out, it'll at least have a job at Hibachi waiting. Jump past the break to check out the full PR.
Shapeways serves up prêt-à-imprimer 3D bones, Lagerfeld stands by for full skeletal replacement
3D printed chocolates? Sure, sounds innocuous enough. But made-to-order 3D printed bones? Now, that's just morbid. For the surgical team at Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Sick Children, however, the tech's come in handy as a budget-priced, pre-operative planning tool. Mark Frame, an orthopedic surgical trainee at RHSC, first came up with the idea to create the osteo-facsimiles after a costly university-made replica, commissioned for a procedure, failed to meet necessary proportion and size requirements. After undertaking a bit of self-assigned internet research, Frame sorted out a method to create renders of a patient's fractured forearm using CT scans processed via the open source OsiriX software. These were then passed through a separate MeshLab application to tidy up any artifacting, and finally exported in 3D-compatible .stl format. The resulting files were sent to Shapeways for printing, with the white plastic bone copies delivered just seven days later for £77. The hospital's been so pleased with the inexpensive outcome, that it's already begun prep work on a hip replacement surgery using a replicated pelvis -- and, no, they didn't specify if the patient was a fashion victim.
First synthetic windpipe transplant paves way for post-op, immunosuppresive drug-free future
Science can do some wonderful, heartstring-tugging things. Take this for example: surgeons have triumphantly performed the first ever synthetic organ transplant. Cancer-stricken Andemariam Teklesenbet Beyene was the grateful recipient of this life-saving surgical breakthrough, performed by Prof. Paolo Macchiarini at Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden. The revolutionary operation comes with a zero rejection rate and requires no donor -- a huge relief for those stuck on lengthy waiting lists. Using a 3D scan of Beyene's windpipe, scientists at University College London crafted a highly-porous nanocomposite tracheal scaffold replica and covered it in stem cells harvested from his bone marrow. Within two days, the stem cells had worked their magic, weaving a brand new transplantable facsimile that is "indistinguishable from a normal healthy one." And since the procedure uses no foreign-born tissues, patients can look forward to a full-recovery sans mandatory immunosuppressive drugs, a major plus for post-op quality of life. With the surgery a success, Prof. Macchiarini's moving on to the next patient in need -- this time, a nine-month-old Korean baby with a malformed trachea. Doctors -- saving lives and warming hearts. Press release of the medically wondrous kind after the break.
Mumbai surgeons perform knee surgery replacements using an iPod touch
The newest winner in the "there's an app for that" sweepstakes has to go to the DASH app and its supporting system. It's putting the iPod touch at the heart of a system that allows surgeons to make it easier to do hip and knee replacement surgery. This medical system, developed by Smith & Nephew along with Brainlab, has allowed doctors at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai to effectively perform three knee replacement surgeries. The system comes in a rolling box with a precision camera and everything needed to take exact measurements and landmark registrations critical to such an operation. The iPod touch is slipped into a case and the software does the measuring and computing. Without this assistance, highly trained surgeons would have to "eyeball" measurements that the DASH does for them. This is said to reduce the learning curve and, at least in India, lessens the certification process for surgeons performing replacement procedures. Operating times are also reduced. This system is currently awaiting FDA approval in the US. You can download the free DASH iOS app, which provides movies covering specific functions and operations of the DASH system, or watch the remarkable video on the next page that demonstrates the entire process. [via onlygizmos.com]
da Vinci Robot pwns Operation, deems our childhoods forlorn (video)
What happens when a robot with immaculate dexterity comes to grips with a notorious board game from our childhood? Just ask Johns Hopkins University students, who successfully removed the wish bone from an Operation board using the da Vinci Robot. If you're familiar with the game, you'll know how incredibly difficult it was to prevent that ear-piercing noise from occurring-- even with our tiny fingers. Of course, we should have expected that a robot -- especially one capable of folding a tiny paper airplane -- would be able to accomplish this feat with such ease. Be sure to peep the pseudo-surgery in video form below the break.
Kinect keeps surgeons on task, Nintendo 3DS might assist optometrists with diagnoses
The latest generation of gaming gadgets do some nifty tricks, and one of the niftiest they might perform is assisting the realm of medicine. Microsoft's Kinect sounded like a candidate for surgery, and this month real-life surgeons have actually put it to use -- Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, Canada rigged the Xbox 360 depth camera to its medical imaging computer. Now, doctors don't have to scrub out to manipulate an MRI scan, or even appoint a peon to the task -- rather, they simply raise their bloodied glove, and dive into the digital imagery with a wave of a dextrous hand. Meanwhile, the American Optometric Association has expanded upon its initial praise of Nintendo's 3DS, saying the autostereoscopic 3D handheld "could be a godsend for identifying kids under 6 who need vision therapy." Though Nintendo's warning labels had originally incited a bit of fear among parents, the organization says that kids who can't experience the 3DS to its full potential may have amblyopia (or other vision disorders) that can be more easily treated the earlier it's caught, though one doctor interviewed by the Associated Press contends that kids with amblyopia may not know what they're missing to begin with -- so don't necessarily expect a panacea, folks.
NYU professor unsurprisingly removes camera from the back of his head, citing pain and the malaise of lifecasting
Well, this one is not really a surprise. NYU Professor / artist Wafaa Bilal had a removable camera installed into the back of his head via a surgically implanted titanium plate to assist him with his lifecasting. Turns out that the camera caused a decent amount of pain as his body rejected the foreign object -- again, no big surprise there. Bilal, however, seems pretty unfazed, and vows to continue on with the project which he says is a "comment on the inaccessibility of time, and the inability to capture memory." Whatever, we suspect he just wanted to be known as the guy who had a camera implanted in the back of his head, and that's alright by us. [Photo by Brad Farwell]
University of Washington students hack Kinect to aid in robotic surgery
We're sure that a time will come when we're slightly less amazed by Kinect hacks but, right now, we're still just seeing one more impressive than the last -- and we're certainly OK with that. This latest comes to us from a group of students at the University of Washington, who had the bright idea to pair Microsoft's device with some of the robotic surgery projects currently being developed by the university's BioRobotics Lab. That combo isn't quite the sentient, Kinect-enhanced robo-surgeon you may have feared, though. The students are actually using Kinect to provide force-feedback to the actual, human surgeons controlling the robotic equipment -- something that would have been a $50,000 proposition without Kinect. As you might expect, however, the Kinect-based system isn't quite ready to be used for actual surgery as it is -- while it gets the job done as a proof of concept, the students note that the sensors will need to be scaled down, and the resolution improved in order to be deemed suitable for surgical use.
iPods assist German doctors during surgery
The next time you are wheeled into the operating room, don't be surprised to see the surgeon toting an iPod touch. Before you try to scramble out of your gurney, he or she will most likely be using the portable media player to assist with the surgery, not rock out to some tunes while you are under the knife. According to a report out of Welt Online, an iPod-based system has been developed by German doctors and is being used in surgical procedures that require the precision only a computer can provide. The report notes that the iPod could replace conventional computer-based imaging systems that are wheeled into operating rooms. These older systems can be as large as refrigerators and cost a whopping 200,000 Euros. They require a monitor and can be cumbersome to use as the doctor has to shift his gaze back and forth from the patient to the monitor. With an iPod-based system, the handheld device can be held directly next to the surgeon and the patient. Not only compact and portable, the iPod-based surgical system is also much less expensive than the traditional systems, costing on average 50,000 Euros. Orthopedist Holger Bäthisin is one of the doctors who has used the iPod during surgery and has this to say about the system: "The joint anatomy is recorded, digitized, the data will go to the camera system - the calculations are in milliseconds to me via iPod. It works wirelessly with wireless, so no more tripping over here in the operating room. " He further adds, "We have achieved excellent results." According to the report, the iPod is being used in a pilot program at the Municipal Hospital of Merheim and at an unnamed hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Besides orthopedics, the iPod-driven system could also be used in neurosurgery, ENT and facial surgery where exact precision is required. Thanks to reader el3ktro for sending this in!
LSUHSC hires surgical robot to remove salivary stone
Louisiana State University's Health Sciences Center has just enlisted the support of a surgical robot "guided by a miniature salivary endoscope" in order to yank a 20mm salivary stone and mend the salivary duct of a 31-year-old patient. A bit gruesome to consider, sure, but it's a whole lot less invasive than removing entire salivary glands as we've had to do in the past. Purportedly, the new procedure saves the salivary gland, cuts down on blood loss, reduces scarring and shortens the accompanying hospital stay. While inside, the robot can also provide high-definition, 3D images, but there doesn't seem to be any public word on when this here doodad will be ready for use outside of a lab. We're guessing it'll get loads of testing done down in Baton Rouge, though -- this Les Miles fellow seems to be giving fans heart attacks, kidney stones and all sorts of other stress-related conditions.
First all-robot surgery performed at McGill University
A team of surgeons at McGill University, including the da Vinci robo-surgeon and a robot anesthesiologist named, of all things, McSleepy, recently removed some dude's prostate during what is being billed as the world's first all-robotic surgery. The device transmits hi-def 3D images to a nearby workstation, where it is controlled by surgeons "with a precision that cannot be provided by humans alone," according to MUHC urologist-in-chief Dr. A. Aprikian. Of course, the robots are being kept on a tight leash by their human operators, with McGill's Dr. Thomas Hemmerling pointing out that "[r]obots will not replace doctors but help them to perform to the highest standards." Just tell that to all the other medical robots we've seen in this space, eh, doc? We've heard they have plans. Bad plans.
Sofie surgical robot gives haptic feedback for a more humane touch
Surgical procedures assisted by robots are nothing new -- they can be more precise and less invasive -- and now it looks like a new upgrade could make them even better. The main drawback of a surgical robot is that the human surgeon performing the operation gets no tactile feedback, but that's not the case with Sofie. Sofie, a joystick controlled robot gives haptic feedback to the surgeon by adjusting the resistance the controls give to indicate how much pressure is being exerted, surely a welcome addition to bots of this kind. This robot is also more compact than many earlier bots of this kind, and its creators are now looking to bring it into production, with a goal of it coming to the market in about five years.
First full-face transplant completed in France: tear ducts, eyelids, and all
While the idea of transplanting an entire face from a corpse -- including the eyelids, tear ducts, and mouth -- might seem, well, gross, you probably don't suffer from a face deforming genetic disorder. For the 35-year-old patient "Jerome," it's a technical miracle. The successful operation, carried out by Laurent Lantieri, is a claimed world's first and was completed just a few weeks ago at the Creteil Henri-Mondor hospital outside of Paris. According to local newspaper reports, the patient, who had been waiting two years for the surgery, gave an enthusiastic "thumbs up" when he first saw his new face in the mirror. Naturally, the operation also reconnects nerves and blood vessels using a microscope -- in fact, the patient's beard has even started to grow in. God complex, deserved, Dr. Lantieri. P.S. That image above is not from the surgery. We said it was performed France, not Brazil.
iPad used to assist surgery in Flash-free Japanese OR
At least one surgeon in Japan is using an iPad in the operating theater (a term we learned from M*A*S*H). It's unclear to us whether it's attached to an endoscope, he's looking at reference photos, or even if the device is serving any use at all other than attracting TV coverage, but it sure looks like the real thing -- he's pinching to zoom through latex gloves and everything! The next obvious question is, of course: is there an app for that operation? Video after the break. [Thanks, iNicc0lo]
iPads help perform surgery, capture history
Not satisfied that the magical and revolutionary Apple tablet is helping marine mammals communicate their displeasure with the despoilage of the majestic oceans? Fortunately, the iPad is no unitasker; it's being put to good use in both inner and outer space. First up, CrunchGear points to this video of Japanese surgeons using the iPad as a display for reference during an operation. The iPad appears to show CT images and possibly a video loop as well; it's covered with a sterile plastic drape. Any translation efforts welcome -- and if other physicians are using the iPad in similar fashion, do let us know. Second, photographer Scott Audette sent a note to let us know he was able to use the iPad, in combination with some wireless camera control tech from Canon, to manage a remotely positioned camera and capture images of the final scheduled launch of space shuttle Atlantis. The full rundown on gear and configuration is on Scott's blog, and it's quite a read.
Virtobot scanner performs 'virtual autopsies,' no body-slicing necessary (video)
Grossed out easily? If so, we suggest you hand this article off to someone more calloused while you read all about our recent Windows Phone 7 Series discoveries. For those of you still here, the Virtobot is one of the more ominous robots we've seen; used currently at the University of Bern's Institute of Forensic Medicine, the creature is capable of performing "virtual autopsies." In other words, corpses can be slid within the 3D scanner for investigation, all without ever cracking open the skull or slicing the cold, pearly skin. The goal here is to provide investigators with information on deaths even years after they happen, possibly after new evidence is dug up. It's hard to say what this means for you here on this Earth, but you can rest assured that 187 you were pondering might be a wee bit harder to get away with now. Video after the break, if you're dark enough to handle it.
Robotic Surgical Simulator lets doctors sharpen their skills by operating on polygons
These days you wouldn't jump behind the controls of a real plane without logging a few hours on the simulator, and so we're glad to hear that doctors no longer have to grab the controls of a da Vinci surgical robot without performing some virtual surgeries first. The Center for Robotic Surgery at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the University of Buffalo School of Engineering have collaborated to create RoSS, the Robotic Surgical Simulator. Unlike our Ross, who works odd hours and covers fuel cell unveils with innate skill, this RoSS allows doctors to slice and dice virtual patients without worrying about any messy cleanups -- or messy lawsuits. We're guessing it'll be awhile before consumer versions hit the market, but just in case we've gone ahead and put our pre-orders in for the prostate expansion to Microsoft Cutting Sim 2014™.
Trauma Team delayed; recover from the shock with new trailer
We'll be in the waiting room a bit longer before we're allowed to meet with the Trauma Team. Atlus announced a delay from the game's original April 20 date to May 18. In the meantime, in lieu of an old magazine, why not watch this video about Trauma Team's orthopedics mode? It's all about bones -- setting broken bones, drilling into bones, setting pins, and all manner of extremely methodical work to fix broken Day-Glo bones, all represented in-game as movements within precise guidelines. Even without the Trauma Center time limit or malevolent viruses, it seems stressful.
