du to reshape the healthcare sector with mixed reality

du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), collaborated with Microsoft and apoQlar to present one of the most innovative healthcare applications, VSI HoloMedicine® for the first time in the UAE.

VSI HoloMedicine® by apoQlar is a medically certified Mixed Reality platform that leverages the Microsoft HoloLens 2 to transform medical images, clinical workflows and medical education into a 3D mixed reality environment. du is working with Microsoft to power the future of surgical care and medical education with Mixed Reality in line with its goal to strengthen the UAE’s digital transformation agenda.

Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO at du said: “Merging the real-life environment with digital components, the healthcare sector is undergoing a significant transformation driven by next-generation technologies such as Mixed Reality. Our collaboration with Microsoft and apoQlar will further explore the potential of technology in the domain of healthcare with multiple use cases from medical student training to pre-operative visualization. In line with the UAE’s futuristic digital agenda, this collaboration is focused on developing technology with a purpose.”

Naim Yazbeck, General Manager of Microsoft UAE said: “Healthcare has always been a sector benefiting from rapid innovation. New technologies such as mixed reality are empowering healthcare providers globally to scale as well as approach challenges and therapies in new ways, powered by the cloud and local data centers. We are excited to collaborate with du and contribute towards making healthcare more efficient through our technologies and infrastructure, in alignment with the UAE’s digitalization vision.”

The global mixed reality in healthcare market size is expected to reach $723.9 million by 2026, according to a report by ResearchAndMarkets.com. The Mixed Reality solution du is introducing to the UAE, displays medical images and allows the visualization of 3D imaging holograms. It can be utilized for surgery planning, remote collaboration, teaching of medical students and patient education. The solution enables medical students to develop critical thinking capabilities by visualizing medicine in multiple perspectives. It also helps doctors to augment their teaching with experiential and immersive 3D education guides to drive student engagement and learning. 

In addition, doctors are able to explore the medical metaverse with collaborators as 3D avatars or as collaborators physicals standing next to each other interacting in the same mixed reality environment.