ImmersiveTouch, Inc.® announces the launch of ImmersiveView™ Surgical Plan (IVSP), the only suite of integrated virtual reality (VR) real-time solutions for personalized surgical planning, patient engagement and surgical training using ultra-realistic haptic “touch” technology. IVSP is designed to optimize outcomes and save costs, decreasing time in the operating room and improving pre-operative planning and patient satisfaction.
The IVSP suite revolutionizes surgical planning by rapidly transforming existing patient computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images into accurate, fully realized, high-resolution VR models that the physician can manipulate and explore from any angle, enabling a level of interaction not previously possible.
Advances in imaging in the last 15 years have led to three-dimensional (3D) recreations of anatomy, but they could only be viewed on a two-dimensional (2D) display, limiting the ability to fully interact with the model and assess the patient’s anatomy with full accuracy. IVSP provides 3D imaging in a VR 3D display.
“Even though we could see the 3D anatomy, we could never interact with it – we were always trapped in a 2D surface. ImmersiveView allows us to cross that glass barrier into the other side, into a different universe where we can touch and work with the anatomy,” said Pravin K. Patel, M.D., chief of pediatric plastic and craniofacial surgery at both the University of Illinois Heath & Medical Science Center and Chicago Shriners Hospitals for Children. “It’s easy to learn and simple to use and has made a significant difference in the way I approach patient care.”
IVSP is highly intuitive, allowing the physician to grab, turn, expand and explore the VR model of the patient to evaluate procedural options and plan the surgery. With the touch of one button (which can be adjusted for right- and left-handedness), the user can:
- Measure
- Draw
- Cut
- Overlay and move a 2D scan of the patient anywhere in the image
- Better visualize specific parts of the anatomy by enabling transparency of tissues, such as bones, organs or blood vessels
- Take a picture and save it to the computer for later reference
Physicians also can use ImmersiveView to help patients experience, better understand and feel more comfortable with the procedure. Patients can ask more informed questions and participate in decision making, easing anxiety and supporting improved patient satisfaction and surgical conversion rates.
Another suite offering provides realistic VR surgical simulation using patented tactile (haptic) feedback. Surgical residents can familiarize themselves with the exact size, feel and internal workings of typical patients for specific surgeries and train as many times as needed to feel comfortable. The training system is fully customizable to all devices and scientifically proven to improve outcomes.1-5
ImmersiveView, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared platform, is portable and fully compatible with all Patient Archiving and Communication Storage (PACS) and Digital Imaging and
Communications in Medicine (DICOM) systems. It can be used with any VR headset and system. Teams can participate in surgical planning by viewing the image the user is experiencing in VR on a display screen in person or via video conference.
“IVSP helps physicians fully explore and understand their patients in 3D pixel by pixel, enabling them to do what they do even better,” said Pat Banerjee, Ph.D., CEO of ImmersiveTouch. “We have heard from users that IVSP is a game changer, and we’re confident it will continue to revolutionize surgical practice, helping lead to fewer surgical errors and complications.”
