Taiwan's leap forward in medical technology has led to the development of smart medical glasses over the course of five years by a Taiwanese team. These glasses not only allow surgeons to see through the skin to bones, blood vessels, and nerves, reducing the risk of surgical complications, but also enable remote guidance for surgeries or emergency procedures in disaster areas.
In collaboration with Show Chwan Memorial Hospital and National Chin-Yi University of Technology, the research team spent five years developing smart medical glasses integrated with Mixed Reality (MR) technology. Today, they held a research presentation to unveil their achievements.
Dr. Lee Pei-Yuan, the director of Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, conceived the idea behind this technology. He noted that during surgeries, physicians rely heavily on X-rays, CT scans, and other imaging techniques to prevent errors. Integrating this data into smart medical glasses allows surgeons to focus their attention back on the patient.
Dr. Hu Ming-Xian, the chief of spinal surgery at Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, highlighted the glasses' ability to visualize bones, blood vessels, organs, and nerves beneath the skin. In precision spinal surgeries, these glasses not only reduce the risk of complications but also minimize radiation exposure.
He explained that conditions such as spinal degeneration, osteoporosis, or scoliosis are common among patients requiring spinal surgery. However, the spine is surrounded by numerous blood vessels and nerves. Accidentally damaging nerves during surgery can lead to paralysis, while cutting into blood vessels may cause severe bleeding, posing significant risks of infection as well.
Dr. Hu Ming-Xian mentioned that due to these risks, surgeons often conduct multiple X-rays, CT scans, and other examinations before spinal surgery. The less experienced the surgeon, the more scans may be needed, leading to increased radiation exposure. Utilizing smart medical glasses in the future can reduce radiation exposure by at least 30%. Over the past year, this technology has been used in 60 spinal surgeries.
Dr. Lee emphasized that these glasses are not only revolutionizing surgical precision but can also be used in resource-limited disaster areas. Whether it's a terrorist attack, battlefield, or earthquake-stricken area, surgeons can remotely guide on-site personnel in performing surgeries or emergency procedures using these glasses.
The new technology will be showcased at an exhibition in Germany in November, with plans for testing and mass production in medical centers next year. Dr. Lee stressed that this technology is entirely Taiwanese-made, from research teams to programming and design. While similar products exist globally, primarily for educational purposes, Taiwan's technology is the first to be used in clinical surgeries.
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