Johnson & Johnson MedTech has announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into surgery. This collaboration shows an effort to enhance surgical decision-making, education, and collaboration on a global scale. Tim Schmid, Executive Vice President, and Worldwide Chairman of MedTech at Johnson & Johnson emphasized the potential of this partnership to revolutionize healthcare by delivering efficiency, informed decision-making, and extended training and education in surgery. Through leveraging NVIDIA’s AI platform for healthcare, Johnson & Johnson aims to create a more connected and personalized surgical experience.
A key aspect of this collaboration is the adoption of advanced edge computing within the OR, enabling localized data processing for real-time analysis of surgical data. By leveraging NVIDIA’s IGX edge computing platform and Holoscan edge AI platform, Johnson & Johnson MedTech seeks to facilitate the secure deployment of AI-powered applications during surgical procedures. This approach minimizes the need for data transfer and ensures ultra-low latency, which is necessary for improving surgical outcomes. Shan Jegatheeswaran, Vice President and Global Head of Digital at MedTech, emphasized the importance of advanced edge computing hardware and software in scaling AI for surgery, enabling innovation and the development of AI-powered solutions for clinical decision-making, education, and collaboration.
The collaboration between Johnson & Johnson MedTech and NVIDIA extends beyond improving surgical decision-making to include clinician education and collaboration efforts. By linking NVIDIA’s AI platforms with Johnson & Johnson’s surgery suites, the companies aim to deliver algorithms that optimize surgical procedures while ensuring continuous improvement through machine learning. This aligns with Johnson & Johnson’s vision of “Surgery 4.0,” which involves leveraging digital technologies to refine best practices and improve surgical results. David Niewolny, Director of Business Development for Healthcare/Medical at NVIDIA, highlighted potential uses for AI in surgery, including the development of AI models for real-time analysis of endoscope footage and the removal of personally identifiable data to facilitate collaboration among experts. J&J plans to deploy NVIDIA’s AI models on-site, ensuring a faster, localized approach while also scaling up to reach operating rooms worldwide. This localized processing of data within the OR itself eliminates potential lags and security risks associated with transferring data to remote servers, necessary in surgical settings where even slight delays could have serious consequences. By integrating AI into surgical workflows, J&J aims to establish a digital surgery system capable of tracking individual patient journeys before, during, and after procedures. This approach refines best practices and supports the sharing of insights among surgeons, ultimately enhancing the quality of care provided to patients undergoing surgery.
The collaboration between Johnson & Johnson MedTech and NVIDIA shows an advancement in the integration of AI into surgery. By using the power of AI algorithms and advanced edge computing, the companies aim to revolutionize surgical practices, empower clinicians, and improve patient care. This partnership outlines the potential of digital technologies in healthcare and shows the commitment of both companies to driving innovation in surgery.
