How Virtual Reality Is Changing Medical Technology
06 November, 2024
UAS Technikum Wien and Technikum Wien Innovations are driving innovative VR solutions in the medical field that are revolutionizing training and planning. The trade journal KTM recently reported on this.
UAS Technikum Wien is intensively researching the possibilities of virtual reality and augmented reality to optimize the training of medical professionals. From the simulation of medical workflows to the specialist planning of rooms used for medical purposes, these technologies are driving the further development of medical technology. In a recent issue of the trade journal KTM (Krankenhaus Technik + Management), the role of UAS Technikum Wien and Technikum Wien Innovations in the development and application of virtual reality (VR) in the medical environment is highlighted.
VR applications in medical training
One important project is MedTech-mR, which enables realistic simulations of medical rooms. These virtual environments make it possible to practice complex medical procedures, such as airway management, in a safe environment. In collaboration with Technikum Wien Innovations, these VR scenarios are being continuously developed to improve the quality of training.
Advances in specialist medical planning
Another area of application for VR at UAS Technikum Wien is medical planning. Here, the “Medical Reality” product solution developed jointly with gsm Gesellschaft für Sicherheit in der Medizintechnik supports the spatial visualization of medical facilities. The interactive representation makes it possible to evaluate and optimize room concepts at an early stage before they are implemented in the real world. Technikum Wien Innovations plays a central role in integrating this technology into the planning process.
Cooperation for neurorehabilitation and pre-dementia research
UAS Technikum Wien is also involved in research into neurorehabilitation and pre-dementia. Together with the Medical University of Graz, students have developed a virtual supermarket that is used in pre-dementia research. This VR application makes it possible to train cognitive skills in a targeted manner. This also demonstrates the close connection to Technikum Wien Innovations, which supports the practical application of these research results.
Well-trained staff are very important in the healthcare sector. A sound education, plenty of practice and further training are a particular priority. As part of the PrepaCare (XR) project, a team from UAS Technikum Wien has developed simulation-based teaching and training concepts for the medical sector together with four international partner institutions. Among other things, web-based training tools and VR technology were used.
The KTM article deals with VR application possibilities in a medical context, focusing on several projects from the FHTW departments of Life Science Engineering and Computer Science (both UAS Technikum Wien).
“The further education and training of healthcare staff is a potential key to success, especially for rare but critical situations,” explains project manager Andrea Balz from the Medical Engineering & Integrated Healthcare competence field, in the specialist journal KTM.
“The potential of virtual reality in the medical and medical technology context is enormous”
The close collaboration between UAS Technikum Wien, Technikum Wien Innovations and their partners shows that immersive technologies have the potential to change medical technology and education in the long term. These projects impressively demonstrate the innovative strength and commitment of UAS Technikum Wien in the field of life science engineering and computer science.
In further projects, similar treatment and simulation scenarios are to be designed and implemented and new tasks and ideas introduced. “The potential of virtual reality in the medical and medical technology context is enormous and we are certainly only at the beginning of a pioneering development,” says the Managing Director of Technikum Wien Innovations, Mathias Forjan, in the KTM article.
The MedTech-mR project was funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG as part of the COIN programme line (COIN Development 8th Call for Proposals “UAS Research for the Economy”) with funds from the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW). The PrepaCare (XR) project was funded by the EU.
Further links:
FHTW project: PrepaCareXR – preparing for healthcare training in XR
FHTW project: Medical technology in mixed reality (medTech-mR)
Virtual experience of the operating room during planning: medical technology in mixed reality
Department of Life Science Engineering
Field of competence Medical Engineering & Integrated Healthcare
