Healthcare is undergoing significant changes and during the pandemic adoption of tech accelerated. For instance, a medtech startup in Florida has launched MedOptic software that allows surgeons, trainees, and students to stream procedures in real-tie with 3D capabilities.
Pandemic changed how medical professionals train
Pre-pandemic training of medical professionals and lawyers required them to attend training events in person in line with state licensing requirements. The process requires surgeons and lawyers to take time from their practices, families, and patients to attend these events.
In March last year, the US Health and Human Services Department address the requirements required by states, stating that healthcare providers can comply with requirements remotely. The HHS allowed the use of applications allowing for video chats including Facebook Messenger video chat, Apple’s FaceTime, Google Hangouts video, Zoom, or Skype to offer telehealth without worry that OCR could impose a non-compliance penalty.
With the industry going digital, the medical field is now looking at medical tech as-a-service. Tampa, Florida-based Immertec, a medtech startup has launched a MedOptic platform which is a tech-as-a-service surgical training platform. Immertec’s real-time VR platform allows surgeons to train instantly on new medical devices, learn the latest surgical procedures and collaborate on surgical cases where necessary. The platform is currently the only 3D real-rime surgical training VR platform allowing surgeons to stream live procedures from their office or home through VR.
3D teleconferencing for trainees
The technology comprises 3D teleconferencing, mobile scheduling app, and VR headsets loaned to trainees. Most importantly the trainees benefit from 3D video and audio conferencing for communication and collaboration. The company closed a $12 million round to expand MedOptic to other locations and launched the product in iOS and Android app stores in July last year. The new funding allowed the company to create a strong leadership team including COO, VPs, chief commercialization officer, and director-level team members from Surgical Intuitive, Magic Leap, Stryker, Apple, and Microsoft.
Erik Maltais, Imertec’s CEO said that the platform leverage VR innovations to increase surgeon exposure and minimize barriers.
