Mixed reality ultrasound simulator unveiled by CAE Healthcare

A new training simulator allows healthcare students to interact and move freely within a clinical training environment that is augmented with holograms.

Students using CAE Healthcare’s VimedixAR simulator will be able to examine 3D anatomy inside the body of the Vimedix mannequin. As learners practise scanning an animated heart, lungs or abdomen, they can observe in real-time how the ultrasound beam cuts through anatomy to generate an ultrasound image.

Learners can also elevate the VimedixAR hologram above the body to gain an understanding of human anatomy and how its circulatory, respiratory and skeletal structures are integrated. For example, the hologram of the heart can be isolated and enlarged, rotated and turned as it floats at eye level. If a learner is struggling to understand a concept, he or she will be able to walk around the hologram to gain a different perspective, CAE Healthcare explained.

The simulator is integrated with Microsoft HoloLens, the world’s first self-contained holographic computer.

The healthcare technology specialist said that it will be the first company to bring a commercial Microsoft HoloLens application to the medical simulation market.

“We are on the cusp of a new frontier in simulation for healthcare,” commented Dr Robert Amyot, president of CAE Healthcare. “Augmented and virtual reality can accelerate learning and provide shared training experiences in a more immersive and engaging clinical learning environment. Our engineering team is just beginning to explore possibilities with the Microsoft HoloLens, and we look forward to offering it as a key training solutions technology to our industry partners.”

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