The history books are quickly filling up with Google Glass firsts -- everything from skydives, showers and, now, surgeries.
You read that right -- Dr. Rafael Grossman, also a TEDx speaker and Google Glass Explorer, has used the wearable device to live-stream a surgery. The operation involved endoscopically inserting a feeding tube for a patient and, though he captured footage of the procedure, Grossman said he kept the patient's confidentiality intact.
In a post on his website entitled "OK Glass: Hand Me the Scalpel, Please," Grossman wrote:
“Not only I obtained informed consent about what we were going to attempt (and documented it), but most importantly, made sure that no recording or transmission of any identifying information was done.”
Recorded from Grossman's point of view, the surgical footage (now demarcated as "private" on YouTube) was transmitted to a Google hangout. Grossman said that his goal with the procedure was to show how the device and its platform could be used as intuitive, inexpensive tools to aid in surgical maneuvering and mentoring.
His conclusion? "Google Glass streaming during live surgery by a Glass Explorer surgeon is possible."
Google Glass cost $1,500 when the developer version was released earlier this year; the consumer version is expected to cost less. Watch the video above to learn more, and let us know what you think about the latest Glass endeavor in the comments below.
BONUS: A Look at Google Glass
[nggallery id=10893]