Abbott desires your blood, and it has new combined actuality know-how to get it. At CES 2023, the well being tech firm unveiled a brand new combined actuality expertise designed to make the blood donation course of extra nice.
As a result of it is combined actuality, not digital actuality, donors utilizing the tech shall be conscious sufficient of their environment, however they’re going to be arrange with an immersive digital expertise that’ll take them away to a make-believe backyard, the place they’ll take heed to music and plant seeds that develop into colourful vegetation. This all goes down whereas they’re in a well being heart, needle in arm, donating blood. It makes use of Microsoft’s HoloLens 2.
Abbott
In partnership with Blood Facilities of America, Abbott designed the know-how within the hope of attracting new and youthful donors. The trouble relies on analysis exhibiting donors choose a pure setting whereas giving blood (as a result of who would not). Abbott additionally stated in a press launch that “one of many greatest challenges” going through the nation’s blood provide is a drop within the variety of donations from individuals below age 30.
Within the US, an individual is in want of blood or platelets each two seconds, in line with the American Pink Cross. Causes for needing a blood transfusion embrace accidents or automobile accidents, sure cancers or sicknesses and pure disasters. Folks of any blood kind can donate, however individuals with Kind O blood (typically known as “common donors“) are in excessive demand.
Along with youthful of us, a combined actuality expertise may assist distract individuals who have a concern of needles throughout a blood draw, or assist transfer the eye away from an disagreeable sensation of blood donation.
“Some persons are hesitant to donate for quite a lot of causes or simply do not take into consideration giving blood,” Harpreet Ok. Sandhu, CEO of Stanford Blood Facilities and chairperson of Blood Facilities of America, stated in a press launch. “Because the want for blood is fixed, we’re regularly on the lookout for sensible new methods that may attraction to individuals who have by no means donated earlier than or could also be apprehensive.”
After they’re utilizing Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 throughout a blood donation, customers’ eyes shall be seen to make sure monitoring from the well being care crew. The light-weight headsets shall be adjustable for consolation.
Abbott says the blood donation and combined actuality expertise is presently being examined “on a restricted” foundation at some Blood Facilities of America places. You possibly can signal as much as discover out when it is coming to a metropolis close to you right here.
The knowledge contained on this article is for academic and informational functions solely and isn’t meant as well being or medical recommendation. All the time seek the advice of a doctor or different certified well being supplier relating to any questions you might have a few medical situation or well being targets.
