VirtaMed
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| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Medical Simulation |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | , Switzerland |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products |
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| Services |
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Number of employees | 100-150 |
| Subsidiaries |
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| Website | www |
VirtaMed is a Swiss company that develops virtual reality simulators for post-graduate medical education. The company was founded in 2007 as a spin-off of ETH Zurich by Gabor Székely, Co-Head of the Computer Vision Laboratory at ETH Zurich and Director of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) for Computer-Aided and Image-Guided Medical Interventions (CO-ME).[1] Co-founders were Stefan Tuchschmid, Daniel Bachofen, Matthias Harders, Michael Bajka and Raimundo Sierra.
The company gained initial funding by winning the first Venture Kick Award, then the Red Herring 2015 Award,[2] the Switzerland Global Enterprise Export Award 2019,[3] and the Swiss Medtech Award 2020.[4] It is still privately held.
In 2020, the company responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering simulation training to University Hospitals across Switzerland[5][6][7][8]
Medical simulators
[edit]Different types of virtual reality medical simulators have been developed in parallel with advances in computer graphics technology. The company currently has applied for or been granted ten patents.[9] Most VirtaMed simulators combine rubber anatomic models with magnetic positional tracking[10]
The company simulates procedures in four main medical specialties:
- Arthroscopy: knee, shoulder, hip[11][12] and ankle arthroscopy[13]
- General Surgery: laparoscopy
- Gynecology : obstetric ultrasonography, intrauterine device placement.,[14] embryo transfer,[15] laparoscopy and hysteroscopy[16]
- Urology: Transurethral resection of the prostate, Transurethral resection of bladder tumor and laser resection of Benign prostatic hyperplasia[17]
Partnerships
[edit]Medical device company, Hologic, announced in 2013 a customized simulator for the MyoSure® hysteroscopic tissue removal device.[18] In 2015, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) entered into a partnership with VirtaMed to create an embryo transfer simulator .[19] Upstream in the USA partnered with VirtaMed to provide IUD placement training in 2016.[20] Later in 2016, NxThera revealed that their Rezum device required prior training with a VirtaMed-powered simulator.[21] In 2018, VirtaMed entered into an exclusive partnership with the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), to integrate simulation into their training curriculum.[22] In 2019, it was reported that global medical device manufacturer Smith+Nephew had partnered with VirtaMed to simulate arthroscopy procedures.[23] VirtaMed's first simulator in General Surgery for laparoscopy training was announced with KARL STORZ in early 2020[24]
References
[edit]- ^ Computer-aided and image-guided medical interventions 2001 – 2013 (PDF), retrieved 25 July 2019
- ^ 2015 Top 100 European Winners, retrieved 24 July 2019
- ^ VirtaMed Wins Export Award, 27 March 2019, retrieved 24 July 2019
- ^ "Swiss Medtech Award 2020 Nominees | Swiss Medtech". www.swiss-medtech.ch. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
- ^ Giger, Fabio (2020-06-23). "Mobiler Operationssimulator beim Spital Triemli in Zürich". Blick. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
- ^ "Ärzte setzen auf mobiles Simulationslabor". Telebasel (in Swiss High German). 2020-07-05. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
- ^ "Mit Hightech-Simulator zur perfekten Operation - Prime News". primenews.ch. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
- ^ Andrew Mernin (3 July 2020). "Swiss firm brings COVID-defying surgical simulators to European hospitals". Retrieved 2020-09-06.
- ^ "Patents Assigned to VIRTAMED AG - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ US patent 8992230, "Medical training systems and methods"
- ^ "Laura's digital disruptors: virtual realit-knee at Bournemouth University's Orthopaedic Research Institute". Digital Health. 2016-12-07. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ "Surgeons hone craft on UNLV's cutting-edge surgery simulator". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2017-09-28. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ Rahm, Stefan; Wieser, Karl; Bauer, David E.; Waibel, Felix WA; Meyer, Dominik C.; Gerber, Christian; Fucentese, Sandro F. (16 May 2018), "Efficacy of standardized training on a virtual reality simulator to advance knee and shoulder arthroscopic motor skills", BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 19 (1): 150, doi:10.1186/s12891-018-2072-0, PMC 5956558, PMID 29769058
- ^ Smothers, Hannah (2016-03-23). "How a Mechanical Vagina is Helping Train Clinics to Do Same-Day IUD Insertions". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
- ^ "PCC14". www.eshre.eu. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ Elessawy, Mohamed; Skrzipczyk, Moritz; Eckmann-Scholz, Christel; Maass, Nicolai; Mettler, Liselotte; Guenther, Veronika; Van Mackelenbergh, Marion; Bauerschlag, Dirk O.; Alkatout, Ibrahim (23 August 2016), "Integration and Validation of Hysteroscopy Simulation in the Surgical Training Curriculum", Journal of Surgical Education, 74 (1): 84–90, doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2016.06.007, PMID 27567366
- ^ Bright, Elizabeth; Vine, Samuel; Wilson, Mark R.; Masters, Rich S.W.; McGrath, John S. (23 February 2012), "Face validity, construct validity and training benefits of a virtual reality turp simulator", International Journal of Surgery, 10 (3): 163–166, doi:10.1016/j.ijsu.2012.02.012, PMID 22366646
- ^ "Hologic, Inc. Enhances Physician Training With Virtual Reality Simulation". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2020-12-19.
- ^ Simulation builds skills, 8 May 2015, retrieved 25 July 2019
- ^ Kliff, Sarah (2016-03-23). "The IUD revolution". Vox. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
- ^ "NxThera's Rezūm Provides a New Treatment Option for Patients with BPH: Interview with CEO of NxThera |". Medgadget. 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
- ^ AANA, VirtaMed Collaboration to Set New Standards for Arthroscopy Training, 27 January 2018, retrieved 25 July 2019
- ^ Condon, Alan (10 September 2019). "Smith & Nephew, VirtaMed partner to provide arthroscopic simulation training". www.beckersspine.com. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
- ^ "LapTrainer Mixed Reality Simulator for Laparoscopy Training Unveiled |". Medgadget. 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-02-11.