GE Heathcare and MediView XR, a med-tech company that leverages augmented reality, announced their collaboration to co-develop the OmnifyXR Interventional Suite System. It will combine medical imaging and mixed-reality solutions to assist physicians and their care teams.

The collaboration will pair GE's imaging technologies with MediView's augmented reality and surgical navigation expertise to allow physicians to evaluate multiple holographic displays of live imaging in 3D using Microsoft's HoloLens technology. 

The aim is to help physicians better assess a patient's anatomy, make more informed clinical decisions and allow for remote collaboration by care teams in different locations.

OmnifyXR will be designed and manufactured by MediView XR, and will initially launch in the U.S. 

"We are thrilled to advance our strategic collaboration with GE Healthcare by co-developing and creating the interventional suite of the future –- one that is designed to improve ergonomics, with natural interactions for optimized workflow and facilitates care team collaboration.

"The physician is empowered to simultaneously interface with virtual monitors, holographic 3D anatomy and remotely collaborate with colleagues around the world," Mina Fahim, president and CEO of MediView, said in a statement. 

THE LARGER TREND

In 2021 GE announced its plans to spin off its healthcare unit in early 2023 to separate the company into three public companies, of which one was GE Healthcare.

In October the company released details about its progress in splitting the company, noting its plans to organize GE Healthcare into four segments: imaging, patient care solutions (which will include monitoring and digital tools), pharmaceutical diagnostics and ultrasound.

GE Healthcare acquired surgical visualization company BK Medical for $1.45 billion in 2021. Previously it purchased both Zionexa, a developer of in-vivo biomarkers to guide cancer treatment, and Swedish medical x-ray-imaging startup Prismatic Sensors.

In October, the healthcare giant announced its partnership with AMC Health to offer remote patient monitoring technology to patients after they've been discharged from the hospital.