Dr. Joaquin Sanchez-Sotelo of Mayo Clinic and Dr. George Athwall of St. Joseph’s Health Care (London, Canada) performed the surgeries.
Kalamazoo, Michigan–based Stryker designed its Blueprint MR guidance system to combine software with the Microsoft HoloLens 2 headset. It allows the surgeon to track the position and orientation of surgical instrumentation in the physical environment.
Blueprint MR guidance uses 3D images and widgets to guide surgeons and their instruments. Displayed on the patient and in the surgeon’s line of sight, the images and widgets avoid disrupting the surgical workflow. The FDA cleared this system about a year ago.
Dr. Sanchez-Sotelo said individualized care platforms can cater to each patient’s unique anatomy.
“Mixed reality technology offers important benefits to patients,” said Dr. Sanchez-Sotelo, one of the Blueprint design surgeons. “This technology allows the surgeon to plan and execute the surgery based on precise images of the patient’s shoulder, thereby minimizing the risk of improper placement of the implant.”
Stryker’s previous Blueprint system was used by more than 50 surgeons in more than 3,500 shoulder replacement procedures globally. The company expects the completion of the first case using the new Blueprint system in Europe next month, too.
“The addition of mixed reality guidance to our Blueprint platform has the potential to benefit the entire shoulder arthroplasty market – surgeons and patients alike,” said Tim Lanier, president of Stryker’s Trauma & Extremities division. “Now that Mixed Reality Guidance has officially entered the operating room, our surgeons will have access to the most innovative technology available, enabling more precise surgical results and allowing for improved results for patients.”
