Spatial computing is already playing a role within healthcare and is currently being applied to various procedures and diagnostic tools. It has become abundantly clear that XR has the capacity to act as a tool in both the treatment or diagnosis of a patient regardless of whether the treatment in question targets physiological or physical forms. For instance, AR has been used to assist with a number of different surgical procedures as it allows information to be readily accessible in a holographic manner. In neurosurgery, according to Taghian et al., XR has proven to be “beneficial in pre-operative planning as well as multimodal neuronavigation” (2023). Remarkably, AR can be used to identify key elements of the body such as blood vessels and nerves, further reducing potential risk in surgery as the user is more accurately able to determine proper placements (Brockmeyer et al., 2023). It is worth noting that surgical developments, in correspondence to the implementation of XT, have been primarily in spinal and orthopedic surgery. AR assists in processes such as spinal surgery, pedicle screw placements, bone biopsies, osteotomy planning, and even targeted cervical foraminotomy.
AR Surgical Navigation, otherwise known as ARSN, has been recorded to have an average of nearly 85% in terms of precision in comparison to 64% shown in free-hand positioning (Taghian et al., 2023). In an evaluation of AR’s accuracy, 20 operations were performed in which an orthopedic spine surgeon used an ARSN device to insert 253 pedicle screws without the use of fluoroscopy. The study found that ARSN without fluoroscopy was significantly better for thoracic pedicle screw placement as no screws were wrongfully placed and the total accuracy was 94.1% (Taghian et al., 2023). Furthermore, A France-based medical company, Pixee Medical, has made critical progress in conducting the first FDA-approved knee surgery guided by AR (Vardhan, 2023). Such a surgery marks a significant milestone in regards to the role of spatial computing within healthcare. Additionally, both VR and AR are being used in exposure therapy procedures in order to treat disorders such as anxiety, OCD, depression, phobias, addiction, psychosis, and even post-traumatic stress complications. These technologies are better known as VRET and ARET (Vardhan, 2023). ). AR and VR are also finding uses within medical training and education allowing individuals to learn with greater efficiency and ease. The AR in Surgery and Education program (ARiSE), for example, uses holograms in order to increase interactivity within the learning individuals. The software utilizes voice commands in conjunction with UI buttons and has numerous applications within health based education (Taghian et al., 2023).
While all of these practices continue to revolutionize the medical field, limitations persist that unfortunately hinder the efficiency of spatial computing on a more extensive scale. Extended use of XT, for instance, may result in headaches, discomfort, and even vertigo. Thus, while the patient is being cared for with greater accuracy, the medical professionals themselves may be at a disadvantage. There are also challenges with the physical spatial environments themselves as users will have a wide range of environments that differ in terms of purpose and dimension. These differences in designing virtual experiences are rather challenging as the experience must adapt to each user’s physical surroundings (Keshavarzi, 2022). Finally, it should be taken into account that “surgery professionals value tactile touch, but current VR systems cannot accurately imitate it” according to Taghian et al. (2023). Such sentiments only prove spatial technology has a long way to go, however, the future remains promising.