BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 2026--
Orthopedic Specialists of Oakland County (OSOC) announced today that Dr. Safa S. Kassab has become the first surgeon in the United States to perform a total knee replacement using Pixee Medical's Knee+ NexSight augmented reality (AR) glasses — a wearable heads-up display that delivers real-time surgical guidance directly into the surgeon's field of vision inside the operating room.
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The milestone marks a significant advancement in surgical precision technology and reinforces Dr. Kassab's position at the forefront of augmented reality-assisted orthopedic surgery. Dr. Kassab has performed more Pixee AR-guided knee replacement procedures than any surgeon in the world, accumulating unmatched experience with the platform since its introduction.
"Augmented reality in the operating room is not a distant concept — it is here, and it is transforming the outcomes we can achieve for our patients," said Dr. Kassab. "The Knee+ NexSight glasses allow me to keep my eyes on the patient while receiving precise, real-time navigational data in my line of sight. It represents a new standard for how knee replacement surgery can be performed, and I am proud that our patients in Michigan are the first in the country to benefit from this technology."
The Pixee new AR platform functions as an optical heads-up display, overlaying critical navigational information including bone alignment, implant positioning, and surgical landmarks directly into the surgeon's visual field without requiring them to look away from the operative site. Unlike conventional navigation systems that rely on external monitors, the new platform keeps the surgeon's attention focused and workflow uninterrupted. Critically, the surgeon remains in complete control at every step. The augmented reality system informs without intervening, a distinction that sets this technology apart from robotic and automated surgical systems.
"This FDA clearance is a key milestone in Pixee's mission to support orthopedic surgeons with efficient, accurate, and cost-effective solutions," said Sébastien Henry, CEO of Pixee Medical. "Knee+ NexSight was built specifically for the ASC environment, where TKA is increasingly being performed. We are honored that Dr. Kassab and his team completed the first U.S. case with us."
Dr. Kassab's patients have already experienced the impact of augmented reality-guided surgery firsthand. One of his patients described his results after undergoing an AR-guided knee replacement: "My results were amazing. A friend of mine near Atlanta, Georgia, also needs surgery, and I have encouraged him to consider this technology."
The introduction of the Knee+NexSight latest upgrades builds on a track record that OSOC has established as a regional and national leader in augmented reality orthopedics. Dr. Kassab and the OSOC team have invested extensively in surgeon training, patient education, and outcomes tracking to ensure that advanced technology translates into meaningful clinical benefit.
Orthopedic Specialists of Oakland County serves patients throughout Metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan. The practice is located at 44038 Woodward Ave., Suite 200, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and can be reached at (248) 335-2977 or via osoc.com.
ABOUT ORTHOPEDIC SPECIALISTS OF OAKLAND COUNTY
Orthopedic Specialists of Oakland County (OSOC) is a leading orthopedic practice serving Metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Founded by Dr. Safa S. Kassab, MD, OSOC specializes in joint replacement, sports medicine, spine and minimally invasive orthopedic procedures. Dr. Kassab is one of the nation's foremost authorities on augmented reality-assisted total knee arthroplasty and has performed more Pixee AR-guided cases than any surgeon globally. OSOC is committed to delivering the most advanced, evidence-based surgical care available. For more information, visit osoc.com
ABOUT PIXEE MEDICAL
Pixee Medical develops augmented reality solutions for implant placement that offer orthopedic surgeons cutting-edge and clinically proven tools for precise and efficient surgery. Its first generation of products has already been used in over 10,000 procedures in more than 20 countries, demonstrating its positive impact on surgical practices worldwide. To learn more, visit pixee-medical.com
DISCLOSURE
Dr. Kassab serves as a paid consultant to Pixee Medical.
Dr. Safa S. Kassab performing a total knee replacement in the operating room, wearing Pixee Medical's Knee+ NexSight augmented reality smart glasses, which display real-time surgical guidance directly in his field of vision.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A man accused of storming the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner while armed with guns and knives pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges that he attempted to kill President Donald Trump and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer who tried to stop the attack.
Cole Tomas Allen was handcuffed and shackled and wearing an orange jail uniform when he appeared in federal court for his arraignment. Allen didn’t speak during the brief hearing. One of his attorneys entered the plea on his behalf.
Allen’s lawyers are asking U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden to disqualify at least two top Justice Department officials from direct involvement in prosecuting him because they could be considered victims or witnesses in the case, creating a potential conflict of interest.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro were attending the event when Allen ran through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer, authorities said. In a court filing last week, Allen’s attorneys argued that it creates at least the appearance of a conflict of interest for Blanche and Pirro to be making any prosecutorial decisions in the case.
McFadden, a Trump nominee, didn’t rule from the bench on that question but asked Allen’s attorneys to elaborate on the possible scope of their recusal request. Defense attorney Eugene Ohm said the defense likely would seek to disqualify Pirro’s entire office from involvement in the case. Ohm acknowledged that a bid to disqualify the entire Justice Department would be unlikely.
“That would be quite a request,” the judge said.
McFadden gave prosecutors until May 22 to respond in writing to the defense's request. The judge asked the government to specify whether it believes Pirro and Blanche could be considered victims in the case.
“That might add some clarity here,” McFadden said.
In their filing, Allen's attorneys suggested that the appointment of a special prosecutor might be warranted.
Allen is scheduled to return to court on June 29.
A Secret Service officer was shot once in a bullet-resistant vest during the April 25 attack at the Washington Hilton hotel, which disrupted and ultimately prompted an early end to one of the highest-profile annual events in the nation’s capital. The officer fired five shots but didn't hit anybody, authorities said.
Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was injured but was not shot.
Besides the attempted-assassination count, Allen also is charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two additional firearms counts. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of the attempted assassination charge alone.
Allen was placed on suicide watch after his arrest, but jail officials removed him from that status after several days. Allen’s attorneys complained that he had been unnecessarily confined in a padded room with constant lighting, repeatedly strip searched and placed in restraints outside his cell.
Allen told FBI agents that he didn’t expect to survive the attack, which could help explain why he was deemed to be a possible suicide risk, a Justice Department prosecutor has said.
Allen was outfitted with an ammunition bag, a shoulder gun holster and a sheathed knife when he took a photo of himself in his room at the hotel just minutes before the attack, according to prosecutors. In a message that authorities say sheds light on his motive, Allen referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and alluded obliquely to grievances over a range of actions by Trump's Republican administration.
Authorities have alleged that Allen on April 6 reserved a room for himself at the Hilton where the event would be held weeks later under its typical tight security. He traveled by train cross-country from California, checking himself into the hotel a day before the dinner with a room reserved for the weekend.
Trump was rushed off the stage by his security team at the Saturday night event and appeared at the White House two hours later, still in his tuxedo, to talk about the attack and the suspect.
“When you’re impactful, they go after you. When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone,” the president said. “They seem to think he was a lone wolf.”
This courtroom sketch depicts Cole Tomas Allen, seated center, the California man arrested in the shooting incident at the correspondents dinner in Washington, seen appearing before U.S. Magistrate Moxila Upadhyaya, in federal court, Thursday, April 30, 2026 in Washington. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)
FILE - U.S. Secret Service agents respond near President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - Secret service agents respond when a man, who authorities say, tried to storm the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with guns and knives, in Washington, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner, File)
This courtroom sketch depicts Cole Tomas Allen, center, listening as his attorney Eugene Ohm, left, speaks to U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui, Monday, May 4, 2026, in Washington, as Tony Towns, the acting general counsel for the District of Columbia Department of Corrections, listens at right. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)
This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice, April 29, 2026, shows Cole Tomas Allen, left, inside his hotel room, on Saturday, April 25, 2026 in Washington, using his cellphone to take a photograph of himself in the mirror. An enhanced version of the image is right. (Department of Justice via AP)
