XR Medical Training Platform GigXR announces a partnership with Northwest Perm

Recently, GigXR, an XR provider of medical training solutions, announced a partnership with Northwest Permanente, an Oregon healthcare provider, to jointly develop a range of MR medical training applications. GigXR also received investment from Northwest Permanente, and the two companies have not yet disclosed the specific amount of investment.

GigXR, a Venice-based startup, uses virtual reality to train people on medical procedures and has developed a range of mixed reality healthcare training applications. According to PitchBook, GigXR's most recent funding round came in a $3.5 million seed round in 2020.

Northwest Permanente is Oregon's largest medical group with more than 1,300 physicians. It will work with GigXR to create medical training simulations, starting with first aid measures such as life support and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Training in cardiac emergencies often involves mannequins that are expensive and lack the true response of heart patients. GigXR's game-inspired technology aims to improve this training by superimposing 360-degree holograms of patients onto the trainees' environment and allowing them to pass through a variety of life-saving techniques.

GigXR said the investment will help it expand its product suite and platform. The company's mixed reality products cover "patient holograms" that simulate cardiac arrest and can cover mannequins currently used for CPR and AED (defibrillator) training.

GigXR has also developed training simulations for the Air Force Academy, the University of Pennsylvania, and many other universities and hospitals. David King Lassman, CEO of GigXR, said its products are primarily focused on healthcare, physics and chemistry, where simulation can help avoid the dangers of real-world experimentation.

To date, the startup has raised more than $6 million in funding and is currently in Series A funding. In addition to its partnership with Northwest Permanente, GigXR has partnered with Michigan Medical School, run by the University of Michigan, and University Hospital Of Cambridge, UK.