How can mixed reality and AI improve emergency medical care?
CategoriesSustainable News

How can mixed reality and AI improve emergency medical care?

Spotted: Mixed reality (MR) refers to technologies that create immersive computer-generated environments in which parts of the physical and virtual environment are combined. With potential applications that range from education and engineering to entertainment, the market for MR is forecast to record revenues of just under $25 billion by 2032. Now, in a ground-breaking partnership, Singapore-based company Mediwave is teaming up with Sri Lanka’s 1990 Suwa Seriya to deploy MR and artificial intelligence (AI) to create a fully connected ambulance.

1990 Suwa Seriya is Sri Lanka’s national pre-hospital emergency ambulance service, which boasts response times that surpass even some services in developed countries. The innovative ambulance it has deployed uses Mediwave’s integrated Emergency Response Suite, which combines the latest communications equipment with internet-of-things (IoT) and AR capabilities to enhance the efficiency of the emergency response eco-system.

The connected ambulance ensures swift response times and digitises critical processes, while specialised care can be provided remotely through a Microsoft HoloLens. The technology enables Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) – staff who man ambulances in Sri Lanka – to connect with physicians at the Emergency Command and Control Centre. These physicians help the EMTs provide care during the so-called ‘golden hour’ of medical emergencies – the concept that rapid clinical investigation and care within 60 minutes of a traumatic injury is essential for a positive patient outcome.

In addition to connecting EMTs with doctors, Mediwave’s system also employs an AI-powered transcriber to digitise Electronic Patient Care Records. This minimises human error and reduces delays once the patient reaches the hospital.

Other applications of extended reality in the Springwise library include holograms that are used to train doctors, virtual environments for treating phobias, and an augmented reality contact lens.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

Reference

Hariri Pontarini rethinks cold medical interiors at BARLO MS Centre
CategoriesInterior Design

Hariri Pontarini rethinks cold medical interiors at BARLO MS Centre

Canadian architecture studio Hariri Pontarini has completed a clinic in Toronto for multiple sclerosis patients that features warm wood tones and spaces designed to feel like “first-class airplane lounges”.

The Barlo MS Centre is Canada’s largest clinic dedicated to those with MS, a complex autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system.

Entrance with curved reception desk
The BARLO MS Centre was designed with atypical colours, materials, textures and lighting

Named after its two biggest donors, the Barford and Love families, the centre occupies the top two floors of a new 17-storey tower at St Michael’s Hospital in Downtown Toronto.

The 30,000-square-foot (2,790-square-metre) facility was designed by local studio Hariri Pontarini Architects, which aimed to rethink sterile-looking healthcare spaces and focus on patient wellbeing through the use of atypical colours, materials, textures and lighting.

Feature staircase in the atrium
The clinic’s two storeys are connected by a staircase that rises through an atrium

“Canadians are particularly prone to MS for reasons that are unclear,” said the studio.

“This hospital’s mission is nothing less than to transform MS care and become the world’s leading MS centre through research and clinical treatment.”

Walnut cladding around consultation rooms
Circular consultation rooms are partially clad in walnut

Taking cues from the hospitality industry, the team aimed to create a “comfortable and welcoming environment” by filling the spaces with daylight and offering views of the skyline.

The two floors are connected by a double-height atrium, topped with an oculus that allows more natural light in from above.

Inside a consultation room
The wavy panels conceal the rooms from the main circulation corridor

A staircase rises up through the atrium, curving towards the top with a glass balustrade to follow the shape of the opening.

Downstairs, the atrium connects to a lounge at the corner of the building and a reception area anchored by a curved white counter.

Infusion pods
Infusion pods are given privacy by pale wood screens

A wide corridor leads past a series of cylindrical consultation rooms that are partially glazed, but screened where they face the circulation area by wavy walnut panels.

On the other side of the floor plan, smaller and more open consultation booths named infusion pods are still offered privacy with curved pale wood screens.

Reception area
Different varieties of wood give the interiors a warm tone

“The infusion pods where patients may sit for up to eight hours are modelled to resemble a first-class airplane lounge and provide complete control over their environment,” the Hariri Pontarini team said.

Various light-toned woods are used for wall panels and balustrades, as well as thin slats that extend across the ceilings.

Lounge area
The atrium connects to a lounge and waiting area

All spaces were designed with durability and accessibility in mind, considering that some MS patients have vision and cognitive loss, fatigue and impaired coordination.

Bronze-coloured handrails were installed along the majority of walls and partitions, while anti-slip porcelain tiles cover the floors to aid patient mobility.

The centre also includes a gym, a mock apartment adapted for MS patients, and rooms for meetings, research and administration.

Together, it provides patients with a space to see a dedicated healthcare team in one location and clinicians the state-of-the-art resources to offer the best possible treatment.

Upper level lit by oculus
An oculus above the atrium brings daylight into the centre of the building

Hariri Pontarini Architects was founded by Siamak Hariri and David Pontarini in 1994.

One of the studio’s most recognisable buildings is the Bahá’í temple in Chile, featuring torqued wings made of steel and glass, while its work closer to home includes the glass-wrapped Tom Patterson Theatre in Stratford, Ontario.

Upper level corridor
Handrails are provided throughout the clinic to aid patient mobility

The Bar MS Centre is one of five projects shortlisted in the Leisure and Wellness Interior category of the Dezeen Awards 2022, along with a Shenzhen cinema and a spa in the Maldives.

See the full Interiors shortlist and vote now for your favourites.

The photography is by A-Frame.

Reference

‘Medical matchmaking’ provides personalised healthcare insights
CategoriesSustainable News

‘Medical matchmaking’ provides personalised healthcare insights

Spotted: Humanity is a collection of unique individuals who represent a complex mixture of medical realities. Yet traditional medicine is based on a ‘law of averages’ – treating patients based on generalisations about the population as a whole. This law of averages can be misleading, and in a world where the average American spends 52 hours looking for health information online each year, generalisations create misunderstandings. Information provided by ‘Dr. Google’ or Facebook is inadequate and doesn’t account for the specific characteristics of each individual.

Israeli startup Alike has come up with a novel multidisciplinary solution to this problem – using health data and machine learning to match people who are alike on a holistic level. The AI’s matchmaking takes into account considerations such as co-morbidities, lifestyle factors, age, and gender.

Patients are then put into contact with an anonymised community of ‘Alikes’ – people who share their exact clinical journey, lifestyle, and interests. Members of this community can share or receive relevant and personalised insights that help them to better manage their conditions.

The new technology is possible due to regulatory changes that make it possible for everyone to gain instant electronic access to their personal health records. The app allows users to automatically create a health profile through a direct connection with their health provider.

Given the sensitive nature of medical information, Alike has put in place stringent privacy controls. The data shared on the app is completely de-identified, which means all personal identifiers are removed. Every user is verified by their healthcare provider, and further measures including data encryption and data fuzzing are employed. This means that patients can benefit from the insights of other patients while maintaining their privacy.

Healthtech is booming, and other recent innovations spotted
by Springwise include a startup that provides
medical data for testing AI health solutions, and an at-home
hormone tracking app to empower women.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

Email: hello@alike.health

Website: alike.health

Reference