3D Hologram Utilization Technology in Operating Rooms, Full-Scale Commercialization Begins

KIST< Signed Technology Transfer and Joint Research Development Agreement with Private Companies

[Photo by Getty Images Bank]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A technology that creates 3D holograms of patients' lesion areas from X-ray, CT, and MRI images for use in operating rooms is entering full-scale commercialization.

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) signed a technology transfer and joint research and development agreement with Ian Hightech at its Seoul headquarters on the 2nd to develop a medical hologram system.

KIST will transfer the 'Medical Hologram Technology' developed by Dr. Han Hyung-seop's Biomaterials Research Center team to Ian Hightech and jointly promote commercialization research and development. The goal is to develop a medical auxiliary medical hologram system applicable to all medical fields with global competitiveness.

Previously, Dr. Han, along with Dr. Kang Min-gu from the Artificial Intelligence Research Group, developed a technology that converts patients' X-ray, CT, and MRI images into 3D holograms. Specifically, they succeeded in automatically optimizing and reconstructing DICOM files?the standard medical image format generated during imaging?into 3D models through a trained algorithm and holographing them on a multi-viewpoint display.

In particular, considering the actual operating room environment and the surgeon's progress, the system was designed to allow control of the hologram images using only the surgeon's hand or head movements without an auxiliary controller, making it easy to utilize hologram images during surgery. The research team plans to maximize the effectiveness and commercial viability of the developed product (technology) through demonstration research with Asan Medical Center. This aims to make hologram technology, previously seen only in movies, applicable to all medical fields.

Dr. Han said, "Using the next-generation medical auxiliary hologram system, three-dimensional forms of lesions seen in surgeries such as tumors, cerebral hemorrhages, and liver transplants can be understood very efficiently," adding, "It will effectively provide synesthetic information to the surgeon, increasing surgical success rates and preventing complications."

KIST announced that, together with Ian Hightech, it plans to release products soon that allow simulation of post-surgery (procedure) results through holograms in hospitals such as plastic surgery, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, and dentistry. The technology transfer fee for this agreement is an advance payment of 1 billion KRW, with additional milestones set for further development and optimization.