Mission Surgery: A Medical Augmented Reality Platform for USAF Surgical Guidance and Training

Medical Airmen must always be prepared for the extraordinary demands of a wartime scenario, but recent reports of declining AFMS patient volumes coupled with limited exposure to battlefield trauma cases limits their readiness to perform in such an environment. This trend can be countered with augmented reality, which uses a heads-up display to project digital 3D information onto the real world, allowing for a surgeon to view critical patient operating 3D data on the patient. This reduces cognitive load for the surgeon and promotes better patient outcomes per clinical testing. In this work, Xironetic seeks to do preliminary development and testing of its FDA-cleared surgical augmented reality product, IntraOpVSP, specifically for trauma cases that are common to USAF surgical cases. We will work directly with clinical champions and end users already identified at the David Grant Medical Center (DGMC) for the pilot and collect feedback on how to adapt the system for USAF needs. Our goal is to proliferate the technology beyond DGMC and transition into routine use to support USAF’s Core Mission of Rapid Global Mobility.