US-based Vuzix, a leading supplier of Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technology and products, ahas nnounced that its M400 smart glasses are currently being trialed in Japan for an emergency medical care plan with the objective of providing early treatment in an effort to improve patient outcomes and lifesaving rates for critically ill patients undergoing transport to the hospital. The collaborative effort on this trial involves Juntendo University, Shizuoka Hospital, the Shunto Izu Fire Department, and AVR Japan Co., Ltd.

In this trial, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are using Vuzix M400 smart glasses to convey medical information from the ambulance to the hospital from the moment of patient engagement to their delivery to the hospital. Previously, the only means of communication between rescuers and doctors waiting in the hospital was via mobile phone calls, and information sharing was only vocal. By using smart glasses with two-way audio and video communications, it becomes possible to share medical information such as vital signs and ECG readouts, as well as the patient's facial expressions and other visual changes in condition, in real time to doctors and nurses who are on standby at the hospital to which they are being transported.

By sharing this information in real time with the hospital, it is expected that examinations, diagnoses, and preliminary medical treatment decisions can be made by various departments in the hospital before the patient even arrives. Additionally, in-hospital doctors can better instruct accurate in-transit emergency treatment (blood transfusion, surgery, thrombolytic therapy, intravascular treatment, etc.) for time-critical illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases.

Currently, Vuzix smart glasses are being used by select ambulances under the jurisdiction of the Shunto Izu Fire Department. In the future, there are plans to expand the trial to include more ambulances to provide further research on the effectiveness of smart glasses usage.