Introduction to Zimmer Biomet’s New Technologies
Zimmer Biomet, a number one medical device company, has unveiled three recent ZBEdge offerings that mix robotic and digital healthcare technology. These innovations aim to reinforce the surgical experience for each patients and surgeons. The company introduced its recent OptiVu Mixed Reality Solutions platform, which will likely be used with Microsoft HoloLens smartglasses and have three applications available this winter.
OptiVu Mixed Reality Apps
The OptiVu Mixed Reality Solutions platform includes three applications that utilize mixed reality, a mixture of virtual reality and augmented reality. The first application, OptiVu Instrument Assembly, guides users through instrument assembly using image recognition. This app is designed to present users confidence of their instrument assembly and help them anticipate the subsequent surgical step. Another application, OptiVu Patient Assessment, collects and stores data to trace patient progress before and after surgery, measuring changes in shoulder range of motion, sit to face, squat, and single-leg balance.
OptiVu Surgical Demo App
The third app, OptiVu Surgical Demo, allows clinicians to share a mixed-reality experience with patients ahead of a procedure. This app helps patients visualize and understand the method, enabling them to make more informed decisions about their surgical experience. By sharing information and contextualizing physician-patient conversations, the OptiVu Surgical Demo app goals to enhance the general surgical experience.
Mymobility’s New Range-of-Motion Feature
In addition to the OptiVu Mixed Reality Solutions platform, Zimmer Biomet also introduced a brand new range-of-motion feature for its Mymobility care management platform. This feature measures range of motion using the cameras on a patient’s smartphone, providing patients with directions to finish assessments at home and sending results to the Mymobility clinician dashboard. By tracking progress, this feature can provide encouragement and motivation to patients, as range of motion is a vital objective end result for orthopedic procedures.
Zimmer Biomet’s Rosa Hip System
Zimmer Biomet also discussed its Rosa Hip system, which received FDA 510(k) clearance in August. The Rosa Hip system is the fourth robotic system in the corporate’s portfolio, allowing for personalization in planning procedures and positioning components. The system uses images taken with fluoroscopy and an efficient dual-image-based algorithm to orient the robotic arm and guide the surgeon to the right position. The Rosa Hip system can collect data during surgery, which could be combined with pre- and post-op measurements collected by the Mymobility app, enabling patients to share their data and optimize care.
The Future of Surgery
Virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality are promising technologies in surgery. Companies like NuVasive, OssoVR, and Medtronic are already exploring these technologies, with applications resembling virtual reality training modules, surgical training and assessment platforms, and augmented reality platforms for cranial procedures. Zimmer Biomet’s recent technologies are a part of this trend, aiming to reinforce the surgical experience and improve patient outcomes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Zimmer Biomet’s recent ZBEdge offerings, including the OptiVu Mixed Reality Solutions platform, Mymobility’s recent range-of-motion feature, and the Rosa Hip system, exhibit the corporate’s commitment to innovation and improving the surgical experience. By leveraging mixed reality, robotic technology, and digital healthcare solutions, Zimmer Biomet is poised to make a major impact within the medical device industry and enhance patient care. As the usage of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality continues to grow in surgery, it’s going to be exciting to see how these technologies evolve and improve patient outcomes in the longer term.
