Pixee smart glasses: a new vision for orthopaedic surgery has arrived at Spire Yale Hospital

A new vision for orthopaedic surgery has arrived at Spire Yale Hospital, in the form of specially designed surgical smart glasses called Pixee.

These high-tech Pixee smart glasses use technology that enables the surgeon to operate in a 3D space with millimetre precision, offering accurate support with total knee arthroplasty. Thanks to the proprietary algorithms, a simple camera is installed into the smart glasses, and the glasses pick up bar codes that are attached to the jigs, which then gives you an alignment of the knee/leg.

This tool complies with medical regulatory requirements. Navigation software installed in smart glasses are combined with reduced-size instrumentation equipped, with markers that can be sterilised in an autoclave.

Mr Tony Smith, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, who has introduced this new technology said: “I've been using Pixee for a year now, initially in the NHS at the specialist orthopaedic hospital RJAH, Oswestry where I did the first cases in the UK, having helped validate the technology with MATortho, a British implant company. I have done a dozen patient cases so far, with two patients at Spire Yale Hospital - both patients are doing well at first review appointments.

"This technology provides the patient with cheaper financial options, at a fraction of the price, without the need for additional expensive pre-op imaging or the placement of additional pins into the patient’s bone. It provides the same level of accuracy as navigation and robotic systems. It also has the extra benefit of linking the display up to a monitor by Bluetooth so the team in theatre can see exactly what I am seeing in the heads-up display. This makes it a useful teaching tool.

"At the moment I see its place in difficult cases where the patient has complex deformities around the knee or retained metalwork from previous surgeries that would make it difficult to use standard instruments. It is also available to private patients who express an interest in technology-assisted knee replacement at a fraction of the cost of existing alternatives.”

For more information about this treatment at Spire Yale Hospital, please contact:

• The self-pay team on 01978 268035
• The insured team on 01978 268057