Holomedicine:
Healthcare through technology
HoloLens 2 is a device that utilises new technology to create highly precise 3D visualisations of real-world objects and allows users to interact with these holograms using simple gesture controls. The use of holograms in medicine or clinical care is referred to as "Holomedicine." It falls under the growing Extended Reality (XR) field, which encompasses all technologies that alter reality with digital elements. This ability opens up a whole new world of possibilities and applications in healthcare.
NUHS is the only healthcare system in Singapore that is using Holomedicine technology, supported by the NUHS Holomedicine Programme. We are one of the leading hospitals in the world in terms of the program size, deployment, and maturity of using this technology - which has been used in over 100 surgical cases in National University Hospital and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
Understanding the use of MR device for patients:
NUHS first deployed Mixed Reality technology in patient counselling to explain surgical procedures to patients who require brain surgery. Through the device, surgeons, patients, and their family members can easily view 3D holographic images of the patient’s MRI scans. Surgeons can link multiple devices to the technology to share and display the same 3D imaging, allowing them to explain the entire procedure to the patient in detail during patient counselling.
Ng Teng Fong General Hospital's (NTFGH) role in using MR device:
During the adoption phase, NTFGH was the research site for MR device.
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Currently, the Department of General Surgery is one of the research sites for Holomedicine where it is used in specialty services under Neurosurgery, Breast Surgery, Endocrine and Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery. The technology is used for preoperative and intraoperative augmented reality imaging and navigation for brain tumour resection.
Use cases include locally advanced breast cancer requiring chest wall resection for surgical planning together with thoracics, planning fracture reduction for facial fracture (as facial skeleton is 3-dimensional), endocrine surgery for reconstructing patient’s DOTATATE PET/CT on HoloLens for patient education and also for planning of certain surgical operations.
We would like to give a shoutout to our doctors for playing a part in bringing a new innovation to the hospital:
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Clin A/Prof Low Shiong Wen (Head of Division & Senior Consultant, Division of Neurosurgery, Department of General Surgery, NTFGH)
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Clin A/Prof Philip Iau (Head & Senior Consultant, Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery, Department of General Surgery, NTFGH)
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Clin Asst Prof Vigneswaran Nallathamby (Head of Division & Senior Consultant, Division of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, NTFGH)
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Dr Low O-Wern (Consultant, Division of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, NTFGH)
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Dr Gao Yujia (Consultant, Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, NTFGH | Assistant Group Chief Technology Officer, NUHS)
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Adj Asst Prof Oh Han Boon (Consultant, Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery, Department of General Surgery, NTFGH)
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Adj Asst Prof Ira Sun (Senior Consultant, Division of Neurosurgery, Department of General Surgery, NTFGH)
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Dr Goh Chun Peng (Associate Consultant, Division of Neurosurgery, Department of General Surgery, NTFGH)
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Dr Swati Jain (Associate Consultant, Department of General Surgery, NTFGH)
Read more about Holomedicine here: https://news.microsoft.com/en-sg/2023/11/23/healthcare-through-the-hololens-of-technology/