AR Technology Connects Doctors in War-Torn Ukraine
By connecting doctors in war-torn regions of the country with medical and surgical experts elsewhere. Facing unprecedented and new injuries, perhaps most never seen before, clinicians and healthcare providers in Ukraine can put on a pair of AR and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven glasses, speak to an experienced trauma surgeon or emergency physician in the US, and have at their disposal the skills and knowledge necessary to treat the wounded. The platform technology, developed by TeleVU, embedded in smart glasses by Vuzix, and delivered by the nonprofit Ohana One have made their way to eastern Ukraine thanks to generous donations by each company.
Ohana One, a global surgical training nonprofit organization whose mission is to cultivate high-quality surgical and anesthesia programs in developing areas around the world, has been using the TeleVU technology for quite some time. Providing innovative AR, AI and IoT (Internet of Things) solutions with a specific focus on healthcare, TeleVU technology is the conduit connecting clinicians in two different locations. One giving the medical care, and one “watching” and giving instructions and guidance. Through the TeleVU platform, doctors in Ukraine sharing their live studio-quality feeds and high-definition images with medical professionals outside of the conflict zone that provide direction as if they were right there in the operating room together. Their connected ecosystem improves access to care for patients by eliminating geographical barriers to care and enables frontline care providers to deliver better care by being connected to remote specialists. This allows specialists to care for more patients beyond their local and national borders.
Ohana One’s surgical aid and educational services have been helping clinicians in remote countries develop much needed skills and expertise in a similar manner through the TeleVU/Vuzix hardware and software. Once the conflict erupted in Ukraine, the leaders of the three organizations felt the overwhelming desire to help physicians in the war-torn regions. Vuzix’s President and CEO Paul Travers put it plainly, “The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine has been devastating and we felt that one of the best ways Vuzix could offer the country assistance is to support their efforts in treating their wounded.”
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Once the decision to donate the glasses with the TeleVU technology had been made, the problem of delivery remained. Thanks to the casual conversation of Ohana One board member Sharon Oreck with her Ukrainian masseuse, a connection was made with Igor, a concerned Ukrainian native with a shipping company living in California. Igor was collecting and moving a warehouse full of needed items such as diapers, non-perishable food and common household supplies to his homeland on a regular basis. One brave volunteer wearing a ‘St. Javelin of Ukraine’ tee-shirt stepped up to hand deliver the glasses and necessary equipment to the Eastern Ukraine hospitals. As Travers emphasized, “With the country’s doctors, nurses and facilities inundated with casualties in many regions, our smart glasses and the remote medical support they can provide through Ohana One’s extensive network of surgeons will help facilitate the best medical treatment possible under their extremely tough conditions.”
You can learn more about the TeleVU technology and how Ohana One is utilizing their technology to train clinicians around the world in the HITLAB Summer Innovators Summit: The Everchanging Face of Digital Care on June 30th.
Senior Research Scientist for HITLAB’s Research Practice and Executive Director at Healthcare Professionals for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP).
A Scientist by training, Kat has worked for over 20 years as a researcher and scientific project manager. She holds a PhD in Experimental Pathology with an emphasis on virology and infectious diseases. Kat has been published in several journals and presented at numerous national and international meetings on topics such as infectious disease and public health. She has a lot of experience leading research and clinical trials.