Monthly Insights
Augmented Reality in Healthcare Clinical Practices
July 2026
FDA's AR/VR Authorised Medical Device List Surpasses 90 Cleared Devices as of July 2026 (July 2026)
The U.S. FDA's AR/VR medical device list now includes more than 90 authorised devices across radiology, neurology, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, rehabilitation, and surgical navigation reflecting accelerating regulatory acceptance of immersive technology in clinical healthcare.
August 2026
AR Prototype Simulating Dementia Symptoms Boosts Empathy and Understanding Among Healthcare Professionals (August 2026)
A study of the AREduX augmented reality prototype designed to simulate the physical and cognitive experience of dementia found it significantly enhanced empathy and clinical understanding among healthcare providers, with implications for person-centred care training and rehabilitation settings.
Augmented Reality in Medical Practices and Surgery
August 2026
AR Image-Guided Navigation Successfully Applied Beyond Screw Placement in Minimally Invasive Lateral Spine Surgery: Cadaveric Study (August 2026)
Houston Methodist researchers demonstrated AR-enabled image-guided surgical navigation for prone lateral transpsoas interbody fusion procedures in a cadaveric model, showing accurate real-time anatomical visualisation across multiple spinal levels while reducing reliance on intraoperative fluoroscopy.
Augmented Reality in Dental Practices and Surgery
August 2026
Wearable AR for Dental Implant Navigation: Scoping Review Maps Evidence, Accuracy, and Adoption Barriers (August 2026)
A PRISMA-informed scoping review of HMD-based AR systems (e.g., HoloLens) for dental implant placement found promising accuracy data and workflow advantages over conventional navigation, with real-world surgical complexity and hardware limitations as the primary barriers to broader clinical adoption.
September 2026
Head-to-Head Study: Four AR/MR Dental Implant Navigation Systems Compared Against Conventional Dynamic Navigation (September 2026)
A multi-modality comparative study found significant differences in angular deviation, coronal-apical accuracy, and procedural time between four AR/MR navigation systems and conventional dynamic navigation for dental implant placement, with AR systems offering streamlined direct-view guidance but requiring further clinical validation.