Surgeons have used the Apple Vision Pro during an operation: is this the big picture?
The Vision Pro headset was used to assist an operation at a private hospital. Is this where VR headsets are headed?
The long awaited Apple Vision Pro made its debut last month. Many people, myself included, were left wondering what the killer use case for the headset is after using it. Those focused on VR have long proclaimed it could be used to help in education and healthcare, helping professionals to do a better job. And it looks like that really is the big picture for VR. A successful surgery has been carried out by doctors wearing a Vision Pro headset.
Surgeons at Cromwell Hospital in London have just barrelled into the future, goggles first. Apple’s debut headset was donned by a scrub nurse during a spinal operation. It marked a UK first in the use of augmented reality tech in surgery. Suvi Verho, the lead scrub nurse, hailed the Vision Pro as a “game changer”. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Verho explained how the Vision Pro helps to eliminate human error and, essentially, guesswork in surgeries. “It gives you confidence in surgery,” she said.
The Apple Vision Pro allowed her to navigate the real world while virtual screens popped up with crucial information, probably making her feel a bit like Tony Stark in an Iron Man suit. It ran AI software developed by the US firm Exes, making every step of the operation trackable. This software doesn’t just record what happens; it compares the surgery with similar ones done globally.
This leap into the future isn’t just a flash in the pan. It’s a glimpse into what might soon be a common sight in operating theatres around the world. Just yesterday, Apple showed off upcoming software that would allow the Vision Pro to be used in pre-op sessions for knee and hip replacements. Perhaps more commercial settings are the big picture for headsets for the time being – especially ones priced at $3500 that you won’t be buying right away.
Connor Jewiss
