Editor’s note: This week’s “Deep Dive” feature focuses on Triangle-based Asensus Surgical’s deal with Nvidia in efforts to improve robotic surgery.
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Asensus Surgical is turning to technology giant Nvidia to accelerate the development of its digital tools that give surgeons more insights in the operating room and beyond.
Headquartered in Research Triangle Park, this medical device maker already uses Nvidia technology for features such as digital tagging, 3D measurement and enhanced camera control in its surgical system. As part of its new collaboration with Nvidia, Asensus will enhance augmented intelligence capabilities in its system that surgeons use, called Intelligent Surgical Unit (ISU).
Asensus said its Nvidia collaboration will also give both companies early access to product plans and assist with developing business models for digital surgical solutions.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Nvidia to enhance the machine vision and image analytics capabilities of the ISU, as well as the processing speed and precision of its automated intelligence capabilities,” Anthony Fernando, Asensus president and CEO, said in a statement.
Founded in 2006, Asensus is pioneering how minimally invasive surgery is performed. One application is by assisting surgeons through augmented intelligence. Unlike artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT, augmented intelligence supplements existing skills and expertise and is not intended as a substitute for human capabilities. Asensus says its augmented intelligence tools leverage surgeons’ skills to help improve decision-making and health outcomes.
Its technology assists in multiple phases of surgical procedures, including pre-operative simulations for surgeons, real-time information during surgery, and post-operative analytics to improve surgical performance over time.
The field known as digital surgery is expanding rapidly. It includes surgical robotics, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence and other tools and capabilities in medical technology.
Asensus technology has been used to perform more than 10,000 medical procedures. The company changed its name from TransEnterix in 2021.
Nvidia, a global leader in artificial intelligence computing, is based in Santa Clara, Calif.
(C) N.C. Biotech Center
