“We have the ability to use all the data sources in the operating room, whether it's your voice or video from cameras inside the body or elsewhere, to capture the generative AI moment we're in right now. “We can leverage that,” Powell said in an interview with CNBC.
J&J's MedTech division develops tools and solutions for conditions such as heart failure, kidney disease and stroke, and its technology is used in more than 75 million surgeries each year, the company told CNBC. Powell said that NVIDIA has been working in the field of medical devices and imaging for more than 10 years.
Shan Jegaseeswaran, vice president and global head of digital at J&J MedTech, said just one minute of surgical video is equivalent to about 25 CT scans, so these videos should be annotated and shared widely. He said it would be powerful for surgeons if they had the computing power and infrastructure to do so.
In the short term, he said, anonymizing and enhancing videos could help educate and train surgeons. In the long term, analytics can be overlaid on top of video to provide real-time decision support. More accessible surgical videos mean residents no longer need to rely solely on the insight and responsiveness of experienced physicians at their institution.
“Think about athletes. They watch game tape and watch themselves and get better over time,” Jegatheeswaran said in an interview with CNBC. “That's kind of the starting point. That's the holy grail in the short term.”
Powell said the collaboration is in its “early stages” and it will take time to fine-tune and safely implement the many applications. But non-diagnostic use cases, such as automating paperwork, will save surgeons time and make a difference “immediately,” she said.
“The fact that this kind of technology is going to be within the reach and reach of every clinician, every hard-working nurse, every medical staff member is really exciting for all of us as patients. I think we should,” Powell said. “They will have the best tools and information at their disposal.”
