Extended reality (XR)-facilitated technologies, encompassing augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR), have been actively and increasingly involved in various fields and aspects of healthcare. Practical examples covered in this chapter include XR-facilitated surgical systems, rehabilitation modalities for mental illness, and education modules for clinicians and medical students. In the surgery field, technologies incorporating AR have been increasingly improving the safety and effectiveness of surgery. In mental health rehabilitation, users of head-mounted displays can enter a virtual relaxation world through predesigned VR scenarios. Moreover, AR- and MR-augmented technologies have been incorporated into knowledge platforms and guide simulator practice systems in medical education. Overall, XR-facilitated technologies have promoted personal self-care and patient-centered care, datafication of hospital information, novel disease treatments across various specialties, surgical workflow, and medical education.
Top1. Introduction
Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of computer analogy to generate a virtual world of three-dimensional space, providing users with analogy of vision and other senses, allowing users to feel as if they are in the real world, while being able to observe things in three-dimensional space instantly and without restrictions. When the user moves their position, the computer can immediately perform complex calculations and transmit the precise three-dimensional world image back to produce a sense of presence. The technology integrates the latest development achievements of computer graphics, computer simulation, artificial intelligence, sensing, display and network parallel processing and other technologies. It is a high-tech analog system assisted by computer technology.
Given the maturity of XR technology and its development in various fields, this chapter aims to discuss the application of XR in the medical field. The concept of VR first came from Stanley G. Weinbaum's science fiction “Pygmalion's Spectacles”, which is the first to explore VR. A sci-fi work with short stories detailing virtual reality systems based on smell, touch, and holographic goggles.
In this chapter, introduction to XR technology and its applications were covered. The applications of XR for healthcare would also be emphasized. Lastly, limitations and future trends would be discussed. In the technical introduction, we will introduce the development process of VR/AR from laboratory to commercialization. In the field of application, we will focus on the discussion of XR for healthcare, which is divided into three parts for discussion, namely, education, mental illness and surgical systems. In the challenges and future perspectives section, we will divide into cases of advantages and disadvantages, including the limitations and future trends of XR for healthcare.
1.1 Development of VR in Lab
A general VR device contains at least a screen, a set of sensors and a set of computing elements, which are assembled in the device. The screen is used to display the simulated image, which is projected on the user's retina, the sensor is then used to sense the user's rotation angle, while the computing element collects the sensor's data to determine what the screen displays. In 1968, Ivan Sutherland and his student Bob Sproull created the first VR system. The head-mounted display (HMD) was so primitive and heavy that it had to be suspended from the ceiling. The device was called “The Sword of Damocles”. Inventions such as these can only exist in the laboratory and cannot be used by the general public.