Extended reality for biomedicine

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Immersive Technologies

Background:

• Extended reality (XR) encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), enabling varying degrees of immersion in virtual environments.
• XR technologies overlay digital information onto the physical world or create fully immersive virtual experiences.
• These immersive technologies offer unique opportunities to transcend conventional limitations in various fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of Extended Reality (XR) technologies.
• To delineate the current and emerging applications of XR in biomedicine and healthcare.
• To identify technical advancements and challenges in the field of XR for biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of XR instrumentation and software computation methods.
• Delineation of state-of-the-art biomedical applications of XR.
• Analysis of technical advances and limitations in XR for healthcare.

Main Results:

• XR, encompassing VR, AR, and MR, offers significant potential for biomedical research and clinical practice.
• Current XR applications span diagnostics, surgical training, patient education, and rehabilitation.
• Advancements in hardware, software, and AI are continuously expanding XR's capabilities in medicine.

Conclusions:

• XR presents transformative opportunities for fundamental biomedical research and healthcare delivery.
• Understanding XR instrumentation, computation, and applications is crucial for professionals and trainees.
• Addressing current technical limitations will further unlock the potential of XR in medicine.