steven he’s mixed reality headset ‘theia’ can help doctors perform remote surgery anywhere

theia is fully immersive with integrated high-tech features, eliminating the need to look away at monitors while in the operation room.

Steven He edited by matthew burgos May 21, 2024 3 min

theia is stylish and user friendly for the operation room

Theia is a mixed reality headset for remote surgery, realized by Steven He, Max Burton, and Toby Stopper. Over time, VR headsets and wearable technology for hospital use have often appeared either too alien or overly complicated, urging the designers to make medical wearables stylish and refined. With every feature designed for efficiency, functionality, durability, with a fashionable touch, the headset is modelled after a pair of sleek sunglasses, empowering doctors to feel confident and perform their jobs more effectively.

Theia provides a fully immersive experience with integrated high-tech features, eliminating the need to look away at monitors while working, and enhancing greater control and focus. As it evolves, the model’s overlay will be adapted to include AI-driven recommendations based on thousands of past procedures, enhancing real-time decision-making.

steven he's theia is a sleek mixed reality headset for remote surgery — all images courtesy of Steven He

steven he envisions a surgical robotic ecosystem

The headset’s concept was developed by industrial designer Steven He while working at Industrial Craft in San Francisco, envisioned as the first component of a broader surgical robotic ecosystem. Designed to be user-friendly and lightweight, all elements from materiality to practical manufacturing methods have been carefully considered. The resulting material palette includes polycarbonate, clear soft TPU, polyester fabric, vegan leather, and clear Velcro.

Specifically designed for use in the operation room, where sterility is a baseline requirement, Theia features a one-time-use clear polycarbonate molded drape covering the entire front portion. It also features a lightweight, long-lasting modular battery pack tailored for extended surgical sessions. A convenient button feature allows the headset to be fastened securely to surgical caps, while its clearly defined, replaceable parts allow for a worry-free user experience for doctors, significantly reducing repair costs.

functional fashion in medical wearable design 5 — a button feature secures the surgical cap, safeguarding both the battery and strap

functional fashion in medical wearable design 6 — clearly defined, replaceable parts allow for a worry-free user experience and significantly reduce repair costs

functional fashion in medical wearable design 8 — injection molded clear polycarbonate front drape

functional fashion in medical wearable design 9 — integrated bone conduction earphone and strap conjunction

functional fashion in medical wearable design 10 — surgical cap with button feature

project info:

name: Theia: Surgical Mixed Reality Headset
designer: Steven He, Max Burton, Toby Stopper

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