Clinical collaboration, education and demonstration from anywhere: moving boundaries with 5G connectivity
MEDICAL DISPLAYS 2 min read
Last week, our healthcare team entered a new research project titled ‘Mobile Surgical Collaboration and Assistance from Anywhere’ (MSCAA). It will investigate the possibilities of 5G mobile connectivity in surgical environments. Our NexxisLive solution is at the heart of this project.
Diving deeper into collaboration, demonstration and education, inside & outside the operating theater
If we look at today’s surgical landscape, we see both medical professionals and clinical procedures becoming increasingly specialized. Complex medical devices are creating new possibilities for more precise surgical maneuvers, easier suturing and faster recovery. Specialists themselves, then, often intensively study a few types of procedures, of which they know all the ins and outs.
However, at the same time we also see a growing shortage of specialists. Expanding possibilities for training could help transfer knowledge and grow the next generation of medical professionals.
A solution to bring specialized experience to a wider audience, is working with remote communication solutions. And that’s where NexxisLive comes in. It’s a secure software solution that enables teams to collaborate remotely for better clinical confidence. And all of this in a secure way: NexxisLive is GDPR and HIPAA compliant, uses the highest level of data encryption, and is agnostic of any patient data.
Boosting 5G research
The MSCAA project will cover two surgical applications of 5G:
- Extending the possibilities of NexxisLive via mobile connectivity. Nowadays, 4G networks cannot always guarantee the connectivity or safety required to stream clinical procedures live. Therefore, a protected wifi network is often the best option. Mobile 5G guarantees the quality of service and secured connection needed for critical streaming.
- Exploring actual remote control of surgical robots: allowing an external expert to take over the surgical robot during critical moments in a procedure. In this way, the right specialist can help out, for example during emergency procedures, even when they’re unable to go to the hospital in time.
The speed of 5G connectivity is very promising for critical environments such as operating theaters and cathlabs. That’s why, for the MSCAA project, we have joined forces with French telecom operator Orange, KU Leuven university, Chirec Hospital Group, and Sweet Mustard, a company specialized in the development of software and mobile applications.
For a healthier tomorrow
The goal of the research project is to find solutions to address one of the most pressing healthcare challenges, staff shortage, by allowing access to care everywhere and teaching new generations of surgeons.
This will be another step towards a world in which scarce medical expertise becomes available to wider communities and generations of healthcare professionals, and benefit patients. 5G connectivity can help open up paths for more knowledge-sharing, and could open possibilities for faster treatment with better results.
We’re looking forward to the results!
The project is supported by the FPS Economy and the cabinet of federal Telecommunications minister Petra De Sutter.