Barco, KU Leuven, and Orange receive ‘IT Project of the Year in Health’ award

We’re proud to have won the ‘IT Project of the Year in Health’ award by the technology magazine Computable! The project, known as Mobile Surgical Collaboration and Assistance from Anywhere (MSCAA), investigates the transformative potential of 5G technology in healthcare. It’s a partnership between Barco, KU Leuven RAS, Orange Belgium, Sweet Mustard and Cronos.

Advancing surgical care

As surgical procedures become increasingly complex, the demand for specialized expertise continues to rise. Simultaneously, a shortage of specialists poses challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. The Mobile Surgical Collaboration and Assistance from Anywhere project addresses these critical issues.

A collaborative effort

We collaborated closely with our partners to investigate the possibilities of combining 5G technology with our NexxisLive platform, which transmits real-time surgical images from operating theaters.

The team is exploring whether surgeons can safely intervene remotely during robotic procedures, using the speed of a 5G mobile network. This would solve a problem that occurs very often: experts unexpectedly being called in during a surgery, but being too far away to actually go to the hospital and support during the procedure.

The role of 5G

NexxisLive harnesses 5G’s high bandwidth, ultra-low latency, and secure connectivity. This combination makes it an ideal tool for mobile surgical collaboration. Surgeons can access live feeds and intervene, regardless of their physical location.

“The collaboration with our partners has been incredibly fruitful,” says Tom Kimpe, VP Technology & Innovation at Barco. “Together, we’re unlocking new possibilities in surgical care. This project exemplifies the future of healthcare, where technology bridges gaps and enhances patient outcomes.”