Surgeons Get AI Assists: Nvidia and Johnson & Johnson team up to develop new AI applications for surgery

The operating room is about to get a high-tech upgrade. Johnson & Johnson MedTech and Nvidia are joining forces to develop artificial intelligence (AI) applications tailored for J&J’s digital surgery ecosystem. Their joint effort aims to usher in a new era of high-tech surgery and provide real-time insights and guidance for surgeons throughout procedures.

In an announcement on Monday, Johnson & Johnson disclosed its partnership with Nvidia to pioneer and expand AI applications for surgery. Picture surgeons having instant access to data analysis right amid an operation – a glimpse into the future envisioned by this groundbreaking alliance.

On the day of the partnership announcement, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also revealed plans for a next-generation of artificial intelligence chips and software designed to power AI models. These advancements are expected to be released later this year.

By harnessing Nvidia’s AI computing prowess, J&J MedTech aims to furnish surgeons with real-time decision-making support. But the scope of AI’s impact won’t be confined to the operating room alone. It could extend to analyzing patient data beforehand to enhance pre-surgical planning and even aid in post-surgery recovery monitoring.

As part of this collaboration, J&J’s MedTech unit and Nvidia plan to seamlessly integrate AI across devices and platforms from pre-op to post-op, ensuring surgeons have a comprehensive toolkit at their disposal. Nvidia’s vice president of health care, Kimberly Powell, highlighted that the collaboration involves leveraging AI to streamline surgical video analysis and automate post-procedure documentation, CNBC reported.

Powell emphasized the potential of AI to leverage various data sources within an operating room, including voice and internal camera footage, to capitalize on the current AI revolution.

J&J’s MedTech unit, renowned for its innovative solutions addressing conditions like heart failure and stroke, conducts technology-driven procedures exceeding 75 million annually. Powell noted Nvidia’s extensive experience in medical devices and imaging spanning over a decade.

“There’s an ability to use all the sources of data inside an operating room, whether it’s your voice, or whether it’s the video coming from a camera inside the body, or elsewhere, to take advantage of the generative AI moment that we’re in,” Powell told CNBC in an interview.

Shan Jegatheeswaran, vice president and global head of digital at J&J MedTech, underscored the transformative power of surgical video data, likening one minute of footage to roughly 25 CT scans. He emphasized the significance of computational power and infrastructure in annotating and sharing surgical videos, foreseeing benefits in education, training, and real-time decision support for surgeons.

“AI models are currently being created by experts in surgery in various parts of the world,” said Shan Jegatheeswaran, vice president and global head of digital at J&J MedTech. “If we can create a trusted, open ecosystem that enables and accelerates coordination, it would create a flywheel of innovation where different groups can collaborate and connect at scale, improving access to advanced analytics across the surgical experience.”

In the short term, Jegatheeswaran envisions enhanced surgical video aiding in educational initiatives, while in the long term, real-time analytics could revolutionize decision-making processes. This democratization of surgical insights means trainees won’t solely rely on seasoned practitioners for guidance.

Powell highlighted that while the collaboration is in its early stages, the immediate impact will be felt in time-saving measures like automating paperwork. She emphasized the profound effect this technology will have on clinicians, nurses, and healthcare staff, providing them with top-tier tools and information.

The partnership’s emphasis on “edge computing,” facilitating on-site data processing within the operating room, ensures rapid and secure analysis without compromising patient confidentiality. This strategic alliance represents a significant leap toward J&J’s vision of “Surgery 4.0,” promising intelligent surgical suites that enhance efficiency and patient outcomes through the fusion of surgical expertise and AI capabilities.