Teachable Medical News  article  10282018

This article was written by Mallory Griggs.

 

Can an augmented reality hologram really save you from an arrhythmia?

The news item:

The potential use of the Microsoft HoloLens-enabled intraprocedural 3D augmented reality platform to provide a holographic visualization of the anatomy of the heart in real time was reported by Healthiar web site:

SentiAR adds real-time holographic visualization to cardiac ablation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZghC1X-Mk0gby Kristi Hansen Onkka — A new dimension to clinical practiceI recently talked with Jim Howard, the CEO and co-founder of SentiAR. The St. Louis-based startup uses technology originally built by founders Dr. Jennifer Silva and biomedical engineering profes

The article states that: “SentiAR has developed a Microsoft HoloLens-enabled intraprocedural 3D augmented reality platform. SentiAR provides real-time holographic visualization of the patient’s actual anatomy in the clinical setting, literally floating over the patient. The key here is the “real-time” aspect of SentiAR’s technology. While companies like CAE healthcare have been using HoloLens for holographic mixed-reality training simulations, SentiAR is one of the first to offer a live real-time view of the patient’s actual anatomy in the operating room. Heart arrhythmias are a common health problem. Some arrhythmias are so brief (for example, a temporary pause or premature beat) that the overall heart rate or rhythm isn’t greatly affected. But if arrhythmias last longer, they may cause the heart rate to be too fast or too slow. The heart rhythm can become erratic. If that happens, the heart pumps less effectively and surgical intervention could be required. The specialist for cardiac arrhythmias is the electrophysiologist (EP). They use a device that burns (ablates) areas of the heart to change the rhythm. It is a highly precise procedure. For EPs, visualization is everything. Traditionally, they use small catheters that are inserted into the body to map the heart and ablate areas that impact the cardiac rhythm.”

 

 

So, Why Do I Care??

The augmented reality Microsoft HoloLens is used to analyze cardiac arrhythmias and to advance the treatments. A cardiac arrhythmia is an irregular beating of the heart by the electrical signals in the heart. It can develop into a fast, slow, early, or a fluttering heartbeat. Arrhythmias result from interruptions of the electrical signals by drugs, smoking, caffeine, or other medical conditions. Some arrhythmias can be less severe and go unnoticed without any symptoms. Other arrhythmias can be severe and result is heart failure or a stroke and cause damage to the heart or brain. The damage can be caused by the failure to pump the desired amount of blood in and out of the heart or by creating masses of blood that can move to other organs as clots. Heart arrhythmias are not rare and about 2.2 million Americans are living with one form of arrhythmia.

 

 

 

Plain English, Please!!

Have you ever been to the doctor and they placed a clamping device on your finger? That device is intended to track how many times your heart beats in a minute. A heart beat is when the heart contracts or relaxes due to an electrical signal that helps move blood through the heart to other organs in the body by valves opening and closing. The electrical signals are like the electricity in your house. When an appliance is plugged into an outlet, the appliance is allowed to work and perform its action. However, if there was an interruption or a problem with the electricity, the appliance would not be able to work properly. This is similar to what a heart arrhythmia does to the heart.

 

So, how can a floating 3D hologram help heart surgeons?  Because fixing a heart with arrhythmia is a highly visual process.  The surgeons must see how the catheter is moving through the heart, and they have to guide it to just the right spot to start the treatment. With the help of the Microsoft HoloLens, doctors can see the patient’s heart in real time. They would be able to move the 3D hologram model and manipulate the view like you manipulate picture size on your phone. The doctors will be able to explore the patient’s heart and find the area that is being affected and causing a heart arrhythmia. The doctors would also be able to look at the patient’s actual heart anatomy in an operating room allowing them to explore other possible problems of the heart. The Microsoft HoloLens would help eliminate the current use of many computer screens that hang overhead to show the hearts anatomy. It will reduce a patient’s time in the operating room and improve precision.