Innovations in Polish medicine? – CarnaLife Holo, VR and holograms
Polish medical startup MedApp has developed a system that allows to shorten the time of a surgical procedure. Through the VR goggles and the corresponding apparatuses, it allows a 3D holographic imaging of the organ to be operated on, which will allow to get acquainted with it and make a preliminary operation even before it starts. The tool can also help doctors translate the diagnosis and proposed treatment to the patient.
As reported by Newseria agency, CarnaLife Holo solution is already successfully used in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics or ENT. On the MedApp website we can find a case study of successful implementation of the system in three Polish medical institutions, i.e. w: Neo Hospita Group Hospital, Department of Vascular Surgery and Angiology at the Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 1 in Lublin and ECZ Otwock.
Apart from Poland, the company is successful in other European countries, but also outside the EU, such as Great Britain or Brazil. The creators want to develop their tools with more specialties and new markets in mind. So far, the technology has been used in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics and ENT departments. Market Data Forecast analysts predict that the medical holography industry in the next four years can increase its value by almost 400 percent reaching a value of over two billion dollars.
CarnaLife Holo is a system for visualization of medical imaging data. From the system in the hospital we download data from tomography, MRI or ultrasound. Then they are visualized using our software and Microsoft HoloLens 2 goggles. In this way, in the Microsoft goggles, the doctor, medical staff or patient can see the data from the tomography or MRI printed with light – explains in the interview with the Newseria Innowacje agency Krzysztof Mędrala, that is the president of the board of MedApp. – This allows the doctor to visualize the data of a heart, liver, kidney or individual joints in 3D, to become fully interactive and better prepare for the procedure.
Holographic interactions
Holographic imaging alone is not all that CarnaLife Holo can do. It turns out that people using this system can interact with it. The displayed hologram allows it to rotate, scale, but also to go inside. The constructors convince us that no specialist technical knowledge is needed, so the staff operating the machine is not necessary – which is not at all obvious in the case of medical equipment.
The holographic projection of the organ can be displayed live during the operation, and the goggles can also serve as an additional screen during the operation. Our solution shortens the procedure time in the field of cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics or ENT by nearly 30%. These are clinical, medical values. Reducing this time means that less blood is needed for the procedure, and fewer anaesthetic agents are used. The effectiveness of the recovery and rehabilitation of patients is increasing. They can recover faster – mentions Krzysztof Mędrala.
In addition to Poland, the UK and Brazil, CarnaLife Holo is also used in France and Luxembourg. In the health section, the Wprost article indicates that CarnaLife has already been used in 200 procedures. MitraClip mitral valve seal surgery was one of those procedures. In November 2021, a team from the University Clinical Hospital in Opole performed the procedure without opening the patient’s chest. The entire process was aided by 3D visualization of the heart’s diagnostic data.
The future of Polish medicine?
We predict that within two-three years we will make available […] already a new solution supporting not only diagnostic imaging, but helping doctors conduct real procedures in the operating room; declares Mędrala. MedApp in search of investors argues that Poland has great potential to play a significant role in this market.
– Poland is a country with some of the best IT specialists in the world. We are in the top three. We also have fantastic, talented doctors. More and more often, the combination of technology, engineering and technological competence results in better and better solutions offered in medicine. We will use them more and more often not only in Poland, in Europe, but also in the world – says the CEO of MedApp.
The future under the sign of the holographic questionnaire
One of the most serious problems that we will be facing in the near future is the aging population. Krzysztof Mędrala also argues that in 30 years there may be over two billion seniors in the world, and in Poland within ten years due to the lack of medical staff even half a thousand hospitals may be closed. – In this situation, only technology offered by m.in. InPost Mobile – a new deal on the courier delivery market InPost Mobile – a new deal on the courier delivery market InPost Mobile – a new deal on the courier delivery market – says expert.
More and more startups and technology companies are beginning to see the huge profits from medical technology. There is nothing surprising in this, especially seeing the condition of Polish health care, about the existence of which more and more people are beginning to have only suspicion, and not a real belief. The situation is not yet dire in other highly developed countries, but problems will begin when the baby boomer generation passes through the funnel as elderly. Who knows, maybe artificial intelligence will still find a place in the Polish backyard, and until then holograms will settle in our country for good.
