Photos: The 'digital operating room of the future' at the new Smith+Nephew Academy

A VR simulation studio, warm greenery, an interactive LED wall, and more are what healthcare professionals from the region can look forward to. Priya Sunil takes readers on a walkthrough of the facility.

Picture this: you are performing a knee surgery simulation side-by-side with someone. That person, however, is situated in country A, while you are situated in country B. The entire interaction is seamless, and it almost feels like you are right there together in the operating theatre. Now, how is that possible?

It is all thanks to the use of virtual reality (VR), of course – something Smith+Nephew (S+N) is bringing to life at its recently launched S+N Academy in Singapore's Alice@Mediapolis, the medical technology business' first major medical education and digital innovation centre for the Asia Pacific region.

This new academy will offer an 'engaging, immersive, and interactive' training environment for healthcare professionals from across the region to experience the latest products and technologies, and refine their techniques under the guidance of expert peers. It was built to support the company's purpose of Life Unlimited, and aims to deliver three core pillars - education, innovation, and excellence.

Here's a sneak peek of the features and facilities that make up the academy:

The welcome lounge

Upon entering the academy, learners and visitors are greeted by a welcome lounge done up with self-check-in kiosks, plenty of seating, a coffee corner, and warm greenery. The lounge, which can accommodate up to 100 pax for events, also features an interactive LED wall that allows individuals to view presentations, videos, and live streams from the auditorium and bio-skills lab.

The 'digital operating room of the future'

Here, learners will be given the opportunity to experience an advanced digital operating room (OR) ecosystem that integrates technology with S+N Orthopedics' navigation, robotics, and arthroscopic visualisation solutions.

What also stands out about this OR is its ability to be configured to resemble the hospital of the future. Innovators will be able to perform surgical demonstrations while live-streaming to audiences either in the auditorium, as well as virtually across the globe.

The auditorium/seminar rooms 

The auditorium, which can also be split into two soundproof seminar rooms, was built to seat up to 100 pax, and will host a range of activities – classroom lectures and events including town halls, award ceremonies, and fireside chats.

It also features video capabilities and audio systems that allow simultaneous live-streaming to the lounge talked about above, as well as to the digital OR and bio-skills lab.

The AR/VR simulation studio

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be performing a simulation with a remotely-based peer? Well, one of the highlights of the S+N Academy is that is making this a reality (no pun intended) with its VR education format. Through its simulation studio, individuals or groups will be able to learn and practise new techniques in a "calm, comfortable, and exclusive" environment.

The laboratory space

The advanced bio-skills lab comprises 10 standard stations and two 'superstations' that are equipped with 4k-lens cameras, audio, and microphones. This allows professionals to broadcast live surgeries from the lab - right to the auditorium and the lounge.

According to S+N, this 'first-in-class' lab is integrated with C-arm technology and a leaded wall for added safety, and is fully outfitted to support cadaveric training and R&D testing.

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All images / Provided by S+N 
Video / Journalist's own