Developing An AR Application For Neurosurgical Training: Lessons Learned For Medical Specialist Education

This paper presents the technical and pedagogical implications of developing an AR application to teach and demonstrate an innovative neurosurgical procedure called SPGBlock. SPGBlock is a blockade of the sphenopalatine ganglion nerve cells, administered to migraine and cluster headache patients. We describe the process of co-creating an AR application for several devices and the challenges it brought. We started with three different AR devices (Magic Leap (R), Hololens (R), Meta 2 (R)). We describe the commercial and technical reasons that affected deployment on all devices. The paper discusses how the instructor-student relation and the modalities of individual training influenced the design of the AR application. The testing process highlighted the difficulties that arise between traditional teaching expectations, the relation between teacher and student using AR and the use of AR technology in a highly specialised medical field. User studies were carried out to refine and evaluate the development. Results show how AR best contributes to teaching a neurosurgical procedure and its limitations compared with current practice.