Sira Medical announced today that it received FDA 510(k) clearance for its augmented reality (AR) preoperative surgical planning application.
The San Francisco-based company’s application offers clinicians with advanced imaging to assist in making key patient management decisions.
According to a news release, Sira Medical wants to address a lack of clarity caused by hidden anatomy on CT scans and MRIs. This lack of clarity forces surgeons to make critical decisions on the fly, the company says. This can lead to errors and inefficiencies.
Sira Medical designed its hologram technology to remove those obstacles. It believes this allows surgeons to prepare for surgery with more confidence, reducing patient complications and improving outcomes.
Co-founder Dr. Jesse Courtier says surgeons often face challenges applying radiology information onto real-world patients as they “still rely on 2D images.” The Sira Medical technology sets out to eliminate that hurdle to improve efficiency and safety. It says multiple peer-reviewed studies demonstrate greater surgical efficiency with reduced operating time.
“We enable surgeons to manipulate anatomical models, make virtual cuts, and simulate corrections, among other features,” said Rick Beberman, Sira Medical’s co-founder and CEO. “Our proprietary image creation process provides anatomical clarity and fidelity.”
AR- and VR-powered surgical planning tools continue to offer utility in these procedures. Companies like Osso VR, FundamentalVR and Avatar Medical, to name a few, are also in the surgical planning arena, although they offer differing technologies.