Augmented Reality in the Medical Field
Augmented reality (AR) is becoming increasingly popular among companies in the medical industry. With AR, healthcare professionals are able to see how new medical tools and drugs work with the body.
What’s the Difference Between AR and VR?
The purpose of AR is to use virtual illustrations to improve real-world situations, and VR is the immersion into a simulated environment. AR is also thought to be easier to use than VR. While VR applications usually require headsets and specialized hardware, AR applications can be used on common mobile devices that include an iPad, laptop, or cell phone.
How AR Will Impact the Medical Field
Analysts have predicted that the AR market will increase by 23 percent from 2017 to 2023. Currently, AR is being used for surgical visualization and patient and doctor education. It’s also being used for disease simulation so that researchers and doctors can improve treatments.
New AR Products
AR content partners and brand teams are launching new products that give healthcare providers the opportunity to efficiently and effectively learn how a new device or medication is going to react with the body throughout the different stages of a disease.
Engaging Experiences
AR can create a more engaging experience for doctors than traditional 3D models. With AR, doctors are able to change objects to predict the effects of practice procedures and medications. Healthcare professionals can use AR to get a 360-degree view of a medical device or molecule. AR creates an immersive experience that can result in improved patient outcomes. AR also allows doctors to use illustrations to introduce new treatments to patients.
Research and Development
Clinical researchers are also able to reap the benefits of AR. With AR, clinical researchers have the ability to observe how medications interact with cells via a smartphone or laptop. For example, this technology lets researchers use an iPad to manipulate cell receptors to see what effects it has on cell signaling.
With AR becoming more user-friendly and affordable, many companies in the medical field and life sciences industry are considering using AR as a method to educate and communicate with healthcare providers and establish a solid brand.