Medtech startup MedCognition has been contracted to develop military medical training modules for the US Army using its PerSim augmented reality (AR) patient simulator system.

Under the $750,000 development contract, MedCognition will utilise its PerSim AR system to create military-relevant trauma training modules for supporting tactical combat casualty care, as well as emulate battlefield and mass casualty incident injuries.

The US Military will implement the training modules in the years to come. They will be developed over the next 12 months.

The PerSim system is claimed to be the first patient simulator designed specifically for the pre-hospital professional.

It uses Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality to offer active realism in medical simulation training to project realistic holographic patients into actual work environments.



The portable PerSim system enables participants to see patient simulations with various clinical presentations, including respiratory distress, stroke and minor trauma.

“PerSim empowers educators and trainees to practice caring for critically ill patients with the tools and in the actual environments where they deliver care.”

MedCognition is partnering with Chenega Healthcare Services on a military medical education and training initiative for the US Army.

MedCognition CEO and US Army combat veteran physician Kevin King said: “Experiential learning is a cornerstone of providing quality patient care and potentially preventing medical errors, especially in a frantic and stressful environment like pre-hospital.

“MedCognition delivers affordable, realistic and portable tools for first responders and healthcare clinicians to learn through hands-on experience. Instead of classrooms or on-screen training modules, PerSim empowers educators and trainees to practice caring for critically ill patients with the tools and in the actual environments where they deliver care.

“This contract expands our capabilities into military medicine and battlefield care, with the hope that this could help save the lives of critically ill and injured soldiers.”

Based in Texas, US, MedCognition was founded in 2016 and developed by emergency medicine clinicians, educators and computer scientists via a collaboration with UT Health San Antonio and UTSA.