Earlier today Digital Healthcare Partners and Mashup Angels announced a joint investment in medical VR startup Surgical Mind.
Surgical Mind is currently developing a virtual reality-based surgical simulator that doctors can use to train for various surgeries and practice important procedures. Currently in the medical industry there is not only a shortage of doctors worldwide, but the number of skilled surgeons is also dropping. The company says that its goal is to help fix this problem using its VR technology.
According to medical journal The Lancet, over 5 billion people worldwide are unable to receive surgery in a safe environment. In particular, only 1 person in 10 is able to receive basic surgery in low income countries, and it’s estimated that some 2 million doctors are needed in these regions.
The decline in medical professionals is also a problem in advanced nations too. Research shows 15,000 to 20,000 hours of training is needed to gain enough expertise to become a surgeon. In many countries, the number of working hours for resident doctors is limited, meaning not enough time for practice. In the US alone, the number of first year residents taking part in surgeries has reduced by 85%.
While the situation seems bleak, virtual reality has been receiving attention in the medical field as a new way to train future surgeons and help hone their skills. The technology is able to give resident doctors an immersed experience by imitating a real surgery environment. Doctors wear an HMD (Head Mounted Display) and use surgical instruments on a virtual patient, just like you would in real life.
Surgical Mind is a spinoff of VR company Mania Mind, and is primarily focused on developing a cataract surgery simulator. Despite being one of the most common surgeries, some patients are reluctant to receive surgery for their eyes from resident doctors. Of course, this means less of a chance for residents to practice surgery, and in turn have difficulty polishing their skills.
With the need for better cataract surgery training, a 4 billion dollar market is forming worldwide, and simulators are able to name their price. Surgical Mind expects to be able to capitalize on this by offering its VR surgery simulator at an affordable price.
“We’re happy that we could receive this joint investment and acceleration from Mashup Angels, which specializes in the ICT industry, and medical accelerator DHP,” says CEO Kim Il. “Through virtual reality technology we will create a service that can innovate the surgery market.”
