For years, Apple’s innovative products have been instrumental in advancing healthcare, enhancing patient outcomes, streamlining medical processes, and fostering research. From iPads aiding newborns in NICUs to iPhones assisting nurses in medication management, Apple technology has consistently empowered the healthcare community. Now, Apple Vision Pro emerges as a groundbreaking tool, poised to redefine healthcare and wellness through immersive spatial experiences.
Apple Vision Pro seamlessly merges digital content with the physical world, creating an infinite canvas for powerful health applications. This spatial computing capability, unique to visionOS, is driving the development of novel apps previously unimaginable. These innovations are transforming critical areas such as clinical education, surgical planning, medical imaging analysis, and behavioral health support, marking a significant leap forward in patient care and professional development.
Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations, highlights the transformative potential: “We’re thrilled to see the incredible apps that developers across the healthcare community are bringing to Apple Vision Pro. The imagination and drive of our developers, combined with the technical capabilities of visionOS, are igniting new possibilities for physicians, frontline workers, and even students, and we can’t wait to see what’s to come.”
Several pioneering apps are already leveraging Apple Vision Pro to enhance various facets of healthcare and wellness.
Enhancing Surgical Precision and Planning with Spatial Scan Technology
With over a million Americans undergoing knee or hip replacement surgeries annually, the demand for advanced surgical solutions is rising. Stryker’s Mako SmartRobotics, known for improving patient outcomes in joint replacements, now extends its capabilities with the myMako app for Apple Vision Pro and iPhone. This innovative tool empowers surgeons to visualize and meticulously review patient-specific Mako surgical plans in an immersive 3D environment, accessible anytime and anywhere. This enhanced pre-operative planning is crucial for optimizing surgical precision and patient care.
Robert Cohen, Stryker’s president of Digital, Robotics, and Enabling Technologies, emphasizes the app’s impact: “The myMako app for Apple Vision Pro allows surgeons the ability to access intricate surgical plan details and insights at their fingertips in a 3D-native, intuitive, and dynamic way. This level of insight — anytime, anywhere — was previously not possible. With Apple Vision Pro, Stryker’s market-leading enabling technologies such as Mako SmartRobotics have the exciting potential to transform the way surgeons think about preoperative planning and the intraoperative experience, all consistent with Stryker’s mission to make healthcare better.”
Addressing the critical need for efficient healthcare training, Boston Children’s Hospital has developed CyranoHealth. This comprehensive learning experience, designed for Apple Vision Pro, provides a safe and universally accessible virtual environment for mastering new medical equipment. Focusing initially on medical infusion pumps, CyranoHealth aims to boost confidence and reduce anxiety among frontline healthcare workers, particularly nurses. This immersive, multisensory approach ensures that healthcare professionals are well-prepared to utilize the latest technological advancements effectively.
John Brownstein, Ph.D., Boston Children’s chief innovation officer, underscores the transformative nature of CyranoHealth: “CyranoHealth utilizes spatial computing to revolutionize the training of healthcare professionals, offering immersive, lifelike simulations to enhance learning and combat burnout. The app represents a significant leap forward in healthcare training, blending technology and medicine to create a future-ready workforce.”
Further advancements in surgical planning and education are offered through apps like Fundamental Surgery, CollaboratOR 3D by KARL STORZ, Elsevier’s Complete HeartX, and Insight Heart. These applications leverage spatial computing and augmented reality to provide detailed anatomical visualizations and interactive surgical training modules, enhancing the learning and planning processes for medical professionals.
Sumbul Desai, MD, Apple’s vice president of Health, highlights Apple’s commitment to healthcare innovation: “At Apple, we believe technology can play an important role in the evolution of healthcare. With the ability to transform a user’s space, display 3D objects at life size, and see all relevant data in one view, the opportunities for health developers to use Apple Vision Pro to help improve procedural planning, education, and outcomes are limitless.”
Boosting Productivity and Collaborative Care Through Spatial Computing
Siemens Healthineers’ Cinematic Reality app for Apple Vision Pro offers surgeons, students, and patients immersive, interactive holograms of the human body derived from medical scans. Utilizing Metal and the M2 processor, this app delivers photorealistic renderings with advanced path-tracing technology, creating breathtakingly realistic lighting and reflections. This technology enhances understanding and communication in medical settings.
Christian Zapf, Siemens Healthineers’ head of Digital & Automation, elaborates on the app’s capabilities: “Cinematic Reality gives people the opportunity to immerse themselves in a world of photorealistic renderings of the human anatomy. Apple Vision Pro perfectly presents that three-dimensional experience, combined with great flexibility and standalone use. We see great potential for the technology for clinical as well as educational purposes.”
Epic Systems is also innovating with its Epic Spatial Computing Concept for Apple Vision Pro. This system allows clinicians to efficiently manage electronic health records through intuitive gestures within a spatial environment. Tasks such as charting, reviewing labs, secure communication, and managing workflows become more streamlined and accessible, directly enhancing productivity and patient care coordination.
Seth Howard, Epic’s senior vice president of Research & Development, speaks to the future of healthcare technology: “Creating the first electronic health record experience for spatial computing was an exciting project for our developers. With Apple Vision Pro, clinicians will be able to interact with their patients’ health information in new, immersive ways. We welcome ideas from the physician community about how this technology can expand the future of healthcare delivery.”
Additional apps like Visage Ease VP, Falcon Vue, and Medivis further expand the potential of spatial computing in medical imaging and collaborative healthcare environments. These tools are designed to improve diagnostic accuracy, enhance team collaboration, and ultimately elevate patient care standards through advanced visualization and accessibility.
Prioritizing Behavioral Health and Holistic Wellness with Immersive Experiences
Cedars-Sinai’s Xaia app leverages Apple Vision Pro to address mental health needs through an AI-enabled digital avatar. Xaia offers conversational mental health support within relaxing spatial environments, incorporating deep breathing and meditation exercises. These immersive therapy sessions can transform any space into a calming retreat, prioritizing user comfort and privacy without requiring personal or health information. This approach represents a significant advancement in accessible and personalized mental wellness support.
Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, professor of medicine, director of Health Services Research, and director of the master’s degree program in Health Delivery Science at Cedars-Sinai, emphasizes the revolutionary impact of Xaia: “Apple Vision Pro’s stunning display offers a gateway into a world of immersive, interactive behavioral health support — a quantum leap beyond previous technologies. With Xaia, we leverage every pixel of that remarkable resolution and the full spectrum of vivid colors to craft a form of immersive therapy that’s engaging and deeply personal. With this remarkable device, our team was able to completely reimagine how spatial computing can support behavioral health and overall wellbeing in ways never before possible.”
Furthermore, apps like the Mindfulness app, TRIPP, Healium, and Odio offer diverse immersive experiences designed to enhance relaxation, reduce stress, improve sleep, and promote overall wellbeing. By transforming users’ environments and incorporating spatial audio and visuals, these apps provide accessible tools for daily health and wellness management.
Apple Vision Pro is heralding a new chapter in healthcare, providing powerful tools for scanning, planning, and delivering enhanced care, ultimately promoting health and wellness through groundbreaking spatial computing applications. As developers continue to explore the potential of visionOS, the future of healthcare and patient experience is set for a transformative evolution.
