Vuzix Corporation (NASDAQ:VUZI) has announced that its M400 smart glasses are being trialed in Japan as part of an emergency medical care plan designed to provide early treatment for critically ill patients undergoing transport to a hospital.
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are using Vuzix M400 smart glasses to convey medical information from the ambulance to the hospital starting from the first moment of patient engagement up to their delivery.
The collaborative trial involves Juntendo University, Shizuoka Hospital, the Shunto Izu Fire Department, and AVR Japan Co Ltd, the company said. Currently, Vuzix smart glasses are being used by select ambulances under the jurisdiction of the fire department, but there are plans to expand the trial in the future.
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Previously, the only means of communication between EMTs and doctors at a hospital was via phone, and therefore only vocal, Vuzix said.
The company’s smart glasses are equipped with two-way audio and video communications, making it possible to share information such as vital signs and ECG readouts, as well as a patient's facial expressions and other visual changes in condition. That data gets submitted in real time to doctors and nurses at the hospital to which the patient is being taken.
The ultimate goal is that examinations, diagnoses and preliminary medical treatment decisions can be made by various departments in the hospital before the patient even arrives.
Additionally, doctors can better instruct EMTs on in-transit emergency treatment, such as blood transfusion, surgery, thrombolytic therapy or intravascular treatment for time-critical illnesses.
"Among their expanding healthcare uses, Vuzix smart glasses can be an important life-saving tool for EMTs that require critical interaction and support from the hospitals to which they are headed," Vuzix CEO Paul Travers said in a statement.
"Our glasses are lightweight, comfortable and completely wireless, making them ideal to be used alongside the other head-mounted equipment EMTs must wear. We look forward to seeing an expansion of this trial by its participants, as well as adoption for similar usage by other providers in Japan and around the world."
Vuzix is a leading supplier of smart glasses and augmented reality technologies and products for the consumer and enterprise markets.
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