Google to help perform SURGERY as internet giant moves into operating theatre
GOOGLE could soon be assisting in the operating theatre after the search giant struck a deal with a healthcare company to develop surgical ROBOTS.
The collaboration between Google and Johnson & Johnson will see the enhancement of robotic surgeons, aimed at helping doctors perform operations more efficiently.
The robots will give surgeons better control and accuracy during minimally invasive procedures - providing less trauma to patients.
While Google will not develop the control mechanisms for surgical instruments, the search guru will explore software and provide data analysis.
Gary Pruden, chairman of J&J’s global surgery group, said Google will help to produce a "much smarter robot that gives ‘informatics’ to surgeons doing critical tasks".
He said: "Google has the intellectual property and capability to help us make a robot that is much more than just an extension of a surgeon’s eyes and arms.
"It would give them the information to make decisions... right down to where to make the best incision."
But he stressed that it would "always be the surgeon that is the decision maker" and added that he hopes the technology will improve the quality of surgery.
Google hopes to enhance robotic tools by using artificial intelligence technologies, such as that seen in their self-driving cars.
We look forward to exploring how smart software could help give surgeons the information they need at just the right time during an operation
The collaboration will explore how technology could compliment the surgeons' abilities.
This could include the highlighting of structures - such as blood vessels and tumours - that are harder to see by the naked eye.
Andy Conrad, head of the Life Sciences team at Google, said: "We look forward to exploring how smart software could help give surgeons the information they need at just the right time during an operation."
The cost of the deal, which will be between Google's Life Sciences team and J&J's medical device company Ethicon, has not yet been specified.
However, it is merely the latest in a long string of mash-ups between the healthcare sector and technology groups.
Google has previously invested in DNA-testing company 23andMe, while Apple recently launched ResearchKit - a platform for medical researchers using its forthcoming Apple Watch.
