Orbis International and FundamentalVR have launched an immersive VR training system designed for use in low and middle-income countries, built to support students learning to perform surgery to treat cataracts.
FundamentalVR partnered with the nonprofit organisation, Orbis, to develop a VR surgical training system that is affordable, portable, and scalable, designed to accelerate Orbis’ efforts to build sustainable eye care systems globally.
The system integrates VR, haptic feedback, cloud assessment data, as well as off-the-shelf hardware to create a system for cataract surgical training in settings where resources are limited. The immersive VR simulation combines with haptics to create a realistic experience for eye-care professionals, who can practice each step repeatedly to cement an understanding of both basic and difficult surgical techniques.
Dr. Hunter Cherwek, vice president of clinical services and technologies, Orbis International, commented: "We saw a real need that we could meet. Existing simulation training tools are expensive, not easily transportable or sourced, and/or train doctors on a surgical method usually only practiced in high-resource areas. Thanks to our partnership with FundamentalVR, we were able to bring a new VR solution to life that makes cataract surgical training accessible no matter where you live."
Independent learning can be achieved through automated performance monitoring and feedback, which is useful for medical professionals without access to ophthalmic training opportunities before entering the operating room. This system can also be used with Orbis’ Cybersight telemedicine and e-learning platform.
Affordable gaming hardware is used to make the system more financially accessible to partners, focussing on manual small-incision cataract surgery which is the most common technique performed in low-resource countries.
The tool is already in use at partner hospitals in India, Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, and Mongolia.
Richard Vincent, co-founder and CEO, FundamentalVR, commented: "Our partnership with Orbis International not only underscores our commitment to advancing the field of ophthalmology but also highlights the immense potential of VR in creating safer, more effective learning environments for healthcare professionals.
"Our goal is to elevate patient outcomes and redefine the standard of surgical proficiency on a global scale, advancing the quality of healthcare across borders."