Mativision is delighted to announce the launch of the world’s first virtual reality (VR) medical training facility, which opened in London this week with a live dental implant surgery broadcast via VR headsets to a group of senior global doctors. Mativision’s proprietary VR platform, VRinOR®, has been specifically designed for medical education and training. An important step for healthcare practitioners worldwide, the facility will be permanently located at the Practical Implant Dentistry (PID) Academy in Leeds following the London demonstrations. The centre will add a new dimension to medical training, facilitating the instantaneous dissemination of surgeries to remote doctors and students.
To mark the opening of the training facility, initially housed at Sethi Ltd on London’s Harley Street, 25 international doctors were invited to witness a specialist in dental implants, oral surgery and prosthodontics, Dr Ashok Sethi, perform two complex dental procedures. Viewed via VRinOR® on Samsung Gear VR headsets, the assembled doctors were able to view the operation in as much detail as if they were in the room. The 360° camera provides those watching with the same viewpoint as the surgeon, offering a totally immersive experience. In addition, those viewing via the VRinOR® platform have access to interactive content that provides additional patient data and a close up view of the operation, projected over the 360-image.
The closed sessions in London are part of a series of many to filmed and viewed through VRinOR®. Once the permanent training facility opens later this year, the platform will be used as part of the academy’s Training in Practical Implant Dentistry course. It is hoped that the model will be replicated at medical training establishments across the UK and beyond, providing doctors and students around the world unparalleled access to expert medical training, ultimately improving healthcare globally.
George Kapellos, Mativision’s Head of Marketing and Partnerships, said: “VRinOR® gives better-than-live access to operations – traditionally students and doctors would be behind a partition when viewing live operations for training purposes – with VRinOR® they have the same view as the surgeon: 360 degrees, full view of the cameras used internally in the patient, the ability to move around the operating theatre by switching the camera view, and at the same time they’re able to overlay the screen with patient information and other data.
“The opportunities to use VR technology for good are extensive and growing all the time. By breaking down traditional barriers, our bespoke training facility will allow doctors and healthcare professionals from across the world to learn from each other for the ultimate benefit of the patient, and the new centre is an important step in reaching this goal. We are thrilled to be a part of the journey towards global democratisation of healthcare training.”
Dr Ashok Sethi said: “The quality of VRinOR’s immersive and interactive content means I can demonstrate complex procedures with extreme precision and at the same time add a wealth of additional information to the VR content, helping my trainees get a deeper understanding of the surgery technique at a glance, even if they’re thousands of miles away. We are delighted to have access to this pioneering technology, and look forward to a future in which VR integration is standard practice in medical training.”
About VRinOR®:
Partnering with globally renowned doctors, VRinOR® aims to democratise global medical training by offering wider reach, content interactivity, easier access to a wealth of information and customised experiences. Please click below for the link to a clip of the world’s first VR surgery, which Mativision streamed live on VRinOR to 55,000 viewers worldwide in April this year.
The VRinOR® app can be downloaded on the following platforms:
