Augmented reality has been gaining more attention for its possible applications in the medical field. The technology could give surgeons a way to perform surgeries. The European Space Agency (ESA) has developed a new augmented reality system called the Computer Assisted Medical Diagnosis and Surgery System (CAMDASS). The agency believes that this system could be a major benefit for astronauts with medical training and could prepare them for any medical emergencies that arise during lengthy missions.
Currently, CAMDASS is being used for diagnostic purposes. Using the system’s head-mounted device, astronauts are able to see inside of a patient’s body, allowing them to find problems without having to make invasive incisions. The system would be ideal for a medical emergency where communication with an earthbound team is limited or blocked completely. CAMDASS is designed in such a way that even those with limited surgical experience can be guided through complicated procedures.
Technology and medicine mesh well together. Augmented reality, in particular, can be very useful to the medical field due to its ability to present physicians with detailed information by interactive with virtual displays. CAMDASS is currently being tested at the Saint Pierre University Hospital in Belgium, and the ESA expects that astronauts will be using the system in the near future.
Though CAMDASS may have a lofty future for spacefarers, it will also find uses here on earth as more medical professionals get practice with the system.
