How an Apple Vision Pro headset was used to assist in a spinal surgery

One of the most talked about Apple products this year is the Vision Pro headset. The headset, with both, virtual reality and augmented reality capabilities, allows you to do everything from watching a movie on a virtual TV screen to taking calls on FaceTime, all without having to touch your iPhone, iPad or MacBook.

That said, the headset’s use-case can reach far beyond personal entertainment. In fact, the first real-world example of the Vision Pro’s powers was showcased by a team of surgeons. Intrigued? Read on.

Apple Vision Pro used in spinal surgery

Suvi Verho, the lead scrub nurse at Cromwell Hospital in London, donned the Apple Vision Pro headset in the operation theatre. Verho used an app developed for the Visio Pro by eXeX, which superimposed virtual screens displaying the vital parameters of the patient in front of her, as well as choose which tools to hand to the surgeon leading the operation – Dr. Syed Aftab.

This isn’t the first time the Apple Vision Pro was used to assist in such a surgery. Last month, American surgeon Dr. Robert Masson also used the headset with eXeX’s app to perform a similar surgery. Again though, in his case, an unnamed nurse assisting him in the surgery wore the headset.

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Based on information available on the company’s website, Masson’s team, and Verho used ExperienceX, which is an MR app that gives medical professionals a touch-free heads-up display.

Other medical applications of the Apple Vision Pro

As it turns out, Apple’s Vision Pro headset’s medical applications don’t just end at spinal procedures. A recent blog post from the Cupertino-based company revealed that several other apps are being developed for the headset.

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These include myMako from med-tech company Stryker, which helps doctors draw up plans for joint replacement surgeries, as well as Cinematic Reality from Siemens Healthineers, which allows medical students to view and interact with holograms of the human body.

The two apps, among more, are available for download on the App Store, although they require a connection to the developer’s platform to work.