The Microsoft team is excited to be part of the Project Convergence public-private partnership that’s establishing the nation’s first 5G-enabled hospital at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Collaborating with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Medivis and Verizon will not only result in 5G-based innovations, it will create unprecedented opportunities to improve veteran health care by leveraging the power of Microsoft HoloLens 2 and our trusted Azure cloud.

Microsoft HoloLens 2 in health

Mixed reality on HoloLens 2 is changing the game for the health industry – from planning and performing live surgeries, to seeing ultrasounds in 3D, to training doctors, surgeons and nurses to learn and understand human anatomy in new ways. By blending digital objects as 3D holograms in the physical world, HoloLens 2 allows health professionals to experience content with the context, format and people that make it most relevant.

HoloLens 2 combines an untethered device with apps and solutions that help the medical community learn, work, communicate and collaborate more effectively to produce better patient outcomes. It’s the culmination of breakthroughs in hardware design, artificial intelligence (AI) and mixed reality development – and we’re ready to help transform veteran care by enabling clinicians to clearly view and work with detailed medical images as they treat patients.

Project Convergence

Project Convergence brings Verizon’s 5G technology and Medivis’ clinical visualization system together with the Microsoft HoloLens 2 headset and Azure to improve the quality and safety of surgical care for America’s veterans. Launching the first-ever 5G mixed reality surgical navigation system has significant potential to advance visualization and planning of worldwide health care while reducing costs. With this initiative, traditional 2D imaging data can be viewed as real-time 3D holographic visualizations, giving doctors the ability to see inside a patient’s body and enhance surgical practices and precision.

“In the same way GPS provides the right information at just the right time so drivers can maneuver while keeping their hands on the wheel, digital health technology can enable real-time guidance for clinicians while they perform operations and procedures,” said Dr. David Rhew, Microsoft vice president and chief medical officer. “The VA, Microsoft, Verizon and Medivis are seeking to transform this vision into reality by combining state-of-the-art mixed reality technology, cloud computing and AI, all on a 5G network.”

VA partnership

We’re looking forward to developing initial Project Convergence clinical uses of the combined Medivis, Verizon and Microsoft technologies. Our Microsoft team will contribute HoloLens 2’s myriad health-specific capabilities, including: data visualization, spatial planning and mapping, remote collaboration and monitoring, 3D modeling and product design, and simulation training.

Microsoft also is proud to further our 20-plus year strategic partnership with Veterans Affairs by pioneering advancements that will empower all 1,255 VA health care facilities to continue delivering the best possible care and service to veterans. Whether equipping VA rehab centers with Xbox Adaptive Controllers, supporting an e-gaming lounge at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games or partnering on Project Convergence, our goal is to serve and honor U.S. veterans while reimagining health through better experiences, insights and care.