Ocutrx Unveils DigiLoupe AR/XR Headset for Spine Surgery

Ocutrx Technologies, a company specializing in augmented reality (AR), Extended Reality (XR), and 3D technology for medical and surgical applications, revealed a new development of its ORLenz headset for spine surgery.
 
The enhanced version of ORLenz now features the DigiLoup AR/XR headset, which the company designed to take over conventional, optical surgical loupes with a digital alternative that has higher resolution and magnification. Ocutrx also said the headset has better ergonomic design.
 
Instead of having the surgeon’s chin pinned to their chest to wear traditional loupes, the DigiLoupe headset has cameras that tilt and look down during surgeries, rather than the surgeon looking down. It shows 3D, holographic images of the surgical site with up to 10x magnification and Ocutrx claimed it offers cinematic quality resolution.
 
The company revealed that ORLenz, already under clinical assessments for ophthalmology, is making progress for spine surgery applications. Dr. Leonel Hunt, an esteemed spine specialist in the U.S. and attending surgeon at both the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center and Cedars-Sinai Orthopedic Center, recently joined Ocutrx’s International Surgical Steering Committee.
 
Dr. Hunt said the new DigiLoupe headset’s virtual imaging MedTiles overlays allow him to see three or more different views by slightly turning his head and using hand gestures to choose, open, and view preoperative imaging while performing spinal surgery.
 
“The prospect of integrating the DigiLoupe headset’s visual and ergonomic capabilities into spine surgery as a stand-alone device offers a new frontier in surgical precision,” he told the press. “As a surgeon with a biomedical engineering background, I can say that this technology’s advanced visualization and surgeon positioning will significantly enhance surgical accuracy and patient safety.
 
Ocutrx’s global director of surgical applications Simon Prosser said the DigiLoup headset could be an enhancement for spine surgery and extend to be a new paradigm in surgical precision, 3D visualization, and ergonomic design.
 
“Our ambition with the ORLenz has always been to push the boundaries of surgical technology to make surgeries less painful for surgeons,” said Prosser. “A few years back, we submitted a patent application for the DigiLoupe headset, designed to replace traditional loupes, mainly due to its superior ergonomics for surgeons. We’re anticipating the patent’s approval shortly.”
 
The DigiLoup headset is currently in the prototype and testing stage. The company expects to expand its use beyond ophthalmology and spine surgery.
 
In April 2023, Ocutrx acquired Spectrum Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, an electronics manufacturing and assembly company with a 25-year legacy of serving defense, NASA, and commercial flight space programs.