We have been hearing about iOS handhelds being used in education / healthcare for sometime now and here is a pro usage of the same. The last time I looked up a professional app on the App Store, it was a DICOM viewer to simply show some MRI scans. But how about using the iPod touch to perform a super complex surgery?
Apparently doctors at Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai have implemented a new system that uses an iPod touch with a software called DASH to perform knee replacement surgeries.
We would spare you the deep technical workings of this setup (though the demo video below does enough), but simply put in numbers, there is a 601% rise projected (from 2005-2030, according to reports cited) in corrective knee replacement surgery in US. And as many as 50% of these happen due to reasons like misalignment and loosening. Using precision tools can bring down these numbers drastically and at the same time reduce the operating time.
According to Dr Arun Mullaji all who demoed the technology to us, the intuitive iPod touch operation saves the need for heavy computers and more importantly the learning curve / certification required by doctors. And ask him why not the iPad, he shoots back with ‘its like taking a picture from the iPad camera’. Breach Candy has performed 3 successful surgeries using this technology.
The system is developed by BrainLab (Smith & Nephew Dash Smart Instrument system), you can try the demo app which is free on the App Store called “DASH Learn“. The hardware has a CE certification for Europe and awaits approval on US.
Seems like another feather in the cap for iOS.
Video Demo Of Real Operation:
Dr Arun Mullaji Demoing the Equipment
