We return to the metaverse to explore one of its most anticipated medical uses: as a training tool. Considering the advent of the remote healthcare revolution, the notion of a safe virtual environment proving useful to facilitate the training of physicians and surgeons is not far-fetched. In fact, already a number of tech startups are partnering with large healthcare companies in order to bring augmented reality (AR)- and virtual reality (VR)-based training into the market.

Given that much of the progress of metaverse-supported medical training depends on the maturity of technologies like AR and VR, we have incorporated relevant coverage on this matter in the Comment section.

Elsewhere in this issue, we venture into the world of intradermal drug delivery to ask the question of whether 3D printing will increase the viability of microneedle patches as drug delivery systems. Additional features include an investigative retrospective on digital pills and their state of play, and an analysis on biopharma’s readiness to exploit the wealth of data brought about by an ever-growing collection of connected devices.

And don’t forget to keep reading for all the latest and most significant medical device industry news, data and analysis from GlobalData.

Alvaro Arjona PhD, editor-in-chief