Holographic Transmission for Real-time Education and Medical Care

Holographic transmission represents a transformative convergence of advanced imaging, augmented reality, and extended reality technologies for real-time education and medical care. We reviewed the current state of holographic transmission, emphasizing its applications in intraoperative guidance, telementoring, teleteaching, and telesupervision. By enabling real-time, life-sized 3-dimensional interaction across distances, holographic systems can democratize access to expertise, especially in underserved or remote areas. We analyzed technical enablers, including high-speed digital cameras, CoaXPress data transmission, graphics processing unit-based reconstruction, and 5G low-latency networks for their role in achieving near real-time fidelity. Two proof of concept demonstrations validate the technology's feasibility: a transcontinental surgical telementoring session between Boston, MA, and São Paulo, Brazil, and a large-scale educational holographic transmission connecting Mayo Clinic (United States) and the G7 Summit (Brazil). Both achieved seamless, bidirectional volumetric communication without perceptible delay, showcasing immersive copresence for clinical and educational collaboration. Despite these advances, barriers persist, most notably high implementation costs, latency sensitivity, limited field of view, and the digital divide that restricts broadband and electrical infrastructure in low-resource regions. Ethical issues surrounding privacy, data ownership, and equitable access also require structured governance. Our discussion highlights holographic telemedicine's potential to establish a borderless educational landscape where knowledge flows freely and health care equity is strengthened globally. Continued innovation, investment in infrastructure, and development of ethical and regulatory frameworks are necessary to create truly global, real-time, and immersive health care without borders.