Research & Development

Medical professionals using augmented reality technology with medical imaging at OR-X

Intro

Research Infrastructure for Surgical Innovation

Recognized as a national research infrastructure in the SERI Roadmap of Research Infrastructures 2023, the OR-X provides a platform for translational research in surgical technology, robotics and medical imaging under near-clinical conditions. Within this environment, research groups, start-ups and R&D teams from academia, hospitals and the MedTech industry can collect surgical data, integrate and evaluate new technologies, develop surgical methods and conduct validation studies.

Through our 4-Tier Strategy, we support these activities with experienced OR staff and dedicated technological units, creating efficient workflows for surgical research and innovation.

4-tier Strategy for Surgical R&D

  • 1. Tier: Surgical Core Facility

    Through our surgical core facility, we provide a realistic and fully controlled operative environment that enables surgical research and development while ensuring that patient treatment remains unaffected.

    Tools:

    • Fully equipped OR
    • Surgical laboratory
    • Human anatomy and specimens
    • Surgical devices and instrumentation

    Impact:

    Research and development without compromising patient treatment.

  • 2. Tier: Intraoperative Imaging

    By combining advanced intraoperative imaging with robotics and sensor technologies, we generate richer intraoperative insights that support surgical decision-making and error prevention.

    Tools:

    • Intraopearative sensing devices
    • Robotic imaging and 3D reconstruction
    • Large multi-modal datasets

    Impact:

    Improved intraoperative decision-making and error prevention.

  • 3. Tier: Surgical Data Science

    Building on a high-performance computing network and NVIDIA DGX infrastructure, our platform enables real-time data acquisition and AI-driven analysis to translate complex surgical data into actionable insights.

    Tools:

    • Real-time collection of spatio-temporal data
    • Data aggregation and measurement methods
    • AI servers with real-time capabilities

    Impact:

    Advancing AI in surgery through the digitalization and standardization of surgical treatments.

  • 4. Tier: Surgical Execution & Translation

    Through our environment for surgical execution and translation, we support the validation of new technologies, prototyping and the implementation of surgical innovations into clinical use.

    Tools:

    • Test-bed for incremental prototyping
    • Performance evaluation and clinical validation
    • Computer-aided surgery

    Impact:

    Advancing precision surgery and supporting the translation of surgical innovations into clinical practice.

R&D Use Cases

R&D Use Cases with a Surgical Impact

From early experimental work to clinically applied studies, our infrastructure supports different stages of surgical innovation within the same environment.

  • Ex-Vivo Studies: Development and validation of surgical technologies using real anatomical structures.
  • Clinical Trials: Clinically applied studies with integration into clinical workflows and regulatory alignment.
  • Animal Studies: Preclinical investigation of surgical procedures and workflows under controlled experimental conditions.
  • MedTech Validation: Assessment of medical devices and surgical technologies under realistic operating room conditions.

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