What if someday your surgeon could glance at a monitor during surgery and see the perfect angle to hold the scalpel? Or get real-time computer analysis about some unusual-looking tissue?

 

“Someday” is getting closer by the day.

Surgeons all over the world are already using technology systems to record surgeries. Then, using artificial intelligence (AI) software, they review and analyze the procedure afterward to see what they did perfectly and what could have gone better.

The Medtronic technology is called the Touch Surgery™ ecosystem.

Insights from Touch Surgery™ ecosystem have historically been limited to before or after surgery. Now, Medtronic is extending that capability to the procedure itself with the launch of Touch Surgery™ Aide, a computer platform built with NVIDIA infrastructure designed to run AI during surgical procedures.

“Real-time AI marks a new frontier for healthcare — it is a fundamental evolution in how surgery is supported, moving from technology that assists the surgeon’s hand to technology that helps teams work smarter, move faster, and deliver greater impact in the moment,” said Jim Peichel, chief technology officer at Medtronic.

Here’s how it all works

Small cameras allow the surgeons to see inside the patient during a procedure. The Touch Surgery™ ecosystem records the video feed, removes any identifying information about the patient, then uses a series of 17 complex math equations known as algorithms to analyze details from that video.

Similar in some ways to facial recognition technology, the algorithms can compare information from that single surgery with many thousands of similarly recorded procedures.

The algorithms quickly crunch the data and produce post-operative analyses that can help surgeons review anomalies and problems and benchmark performance during the recorded procedure.

Using learnings from Touch Surgery™ ecosystem, Surgeon Miguel Caceres in Panama City, Panama performed two of the most complicated operations of his 20-year career.

“The knowledge we’ve gained from reviewing surgical video with Touch Surgery™ ecosystem absolutely contributed to those cases, and the positive impact Touch Surgery™ ecosystem will have moving forward is going to be remarkable,” said Dr. Caceres, a gynecology oncologist and surgeon in Panama City, Panama.

With Touch Surgery™ Aide, there is now new real-time AI support for clinicians.

For example, the first real-time AI application, Instrument Exit Point, provides a visual notification when select surgical instruments move outside the field of view during a robotic procedure.

The application was recently cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use with the Hugo™ robotic-assisted surgery system.

Potential impact for the patient

Dr. Caceres agrees Touch Surgery™ technology has the potential to fundamentally change the surgical world. He believes that eventually, such technology could lead to performance improvements and operational efficiencies that may positively full procedural sequence rather than only the parts of the procedure in which they were directly involved,” Dr. Caceres said. ”The ability to pause, rewind, and examine critical timepoints offered a level of clarity that could not be achieved through memory alone.”

As real-time AI capabilities continue to develop, researchers are exploring how it could support decision-making during procedures and help reduce variation.

“Surgery is on the cusp of a generational shift, powered by AI and advanced compute,” said George Murgatroyd, general manager and vice president of digital technologies within the Surgical business at Medtronic.

After years of focusing on efficiency outside the operating room, artificial intelligence is beginning to move into the moments where it may matter most.

This is one in a series of stories about how Medtronic is using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve healthcare. Others include:

Grammy Award winning artist knows how math can help detect cancer.

Can math help detect heart disease before you even know you’re sick?

The Medtronic Touch Surgery™ ecosystem is not intended to direct surgery, or aid in diagnosis or treatment of a disease or condition. Performance Insights available for select procedures in select countries for select customers. Statements based on physician experience. Physician is a paid consultant of Medtronic.

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