Israeli Firm’s Holographic Imaging Tech Used In 1st Live Medical Procedure

Cardiologists and cardiac surgeons at Toronto General Hospital’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (PMCC) recently performed the first live medical procedure using real-time holographic imaging developed by Israeli company RealView Imaging Ltd.

With the HOLOSCOPE-i, the world’s first medical holographic system that provides realistic, spatially accurate 3D in-air holograms, surgeons performed a valve-in-valve mitral valve procedure, a minimally invasive procedure that replaced a worn-out surgical valve, according to the University Health Network (UHN), a healthcare and medical research organization in Toronto.

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Israeli President Reuven Rivlin was in Toronto for the unveiling. “I am delighted to be with you today at the Peter Munk Cardiac Center to see one of the most exciting and innovative joint projects between Israel and Canada,” he said in a statement. “This collaboration between Toronto General Hospital and RealView Imaging has created the most advanced facility of its kind in the world. We are all proud of this achievement and of the cooperation between our two countries in life-saving medical technology.”

RealView Imaging CEO and co-founder Aviad Kaufman said the company was really excited for “this first-in-the-world installation of the HOLOSCOPE-i medical holographic system for real-time use during interventional cardiology procedures.”

“By incorporating medical holography into the routine workflow, we expect to revolutionize the way clinicians engage with 3D medical imaging, ultimately resulting in better overall patient care,” he added.

PMCC Medical Director Dr. Barry Rubin said: “This unique and unprecedented event represents a breakthrough in our ability to see inside the heart without making an incision, and will allow our physicians to treat heart disease with exceptional confidence and accuracy.

“This incredible advance is another world first for PMCC. We will continue to integrate the most advanced digital technologies to help drive outstanding patient care, teaching and research.”

PMCC is using the hologram for other cardiac procedures, such as repairing leaking valves and closing holes in the heart, UHN said.

Dr. Kevin Smith, president and CEO of University Health Network, said hosting President Rivlin was “an honor,” adding that the “holographic heart program is the first of its kind in the world and an excellent example of Canadian-Israeli collaboration which benefits patients, research and commercialization.”

Dr. Rubin said the technology was “an incredible asset for our heart team, which manages the most complex and challenging cases daily.”

RealView Imaging’s technology, he said, “will improve the care of patients with heart disease locally and internationally.”