As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact society and healthcare across Europe and around the world, healthcare teams are forced to work in a safer and more efficient way. Thanks to the Surgery Assistance smart glasses, cardiologists and surgeons can perform critical interventions through remote expert support.

This means that patients will get the very best possible outcome: not only will they have expert cardiologists operating, but technology experts can attend planned or emergency interventions – from a safe distance.

The Surgery Assistance technology was developed by the Amsterdam-based company Rods&Cones. The smart glasses are equipped with two cameras to give the remote expert an unrestricted, close-up view of the intervention and enable real-time exchange and collaboration.

New service model pioneered in Benelux

Thanks to Rods&Cones, technological support during surgeries and procedures will also be possible without the on-site presence of medical device clinical experts. That is why global healthcare solutions company Medtronic announces to start with Surgery Assistance smart glasses in cardiac and vascular units in a selected number of hospitals in the Benelux region. All being successful, the technology will be expanded to similar units across the countries and EMEA region later this year.

“The innovative and at the same time easy-to-use technology makes it possible for cardiologists and surgeons to ‘dial-in’ our clinical product experts,” says Olivia Natens, country director of Medtronic Benelux. ‘Especially in current unprecedented COVID-19 times, it is important that we continue providing technical support and expertise to physicians and patients in the best possible, innovative, and most safe way.”

Priority Project

Following a rigorous assessment process, the technology has been put through its paces – passing very stringent patient safety and data security measures. As a result, Rods&Cones is now classified as a Priority Project; which means it has a crucial role in the current pandemic.

Bruno Dheedene, Rods&Cones co-founder, CEO, and veteran medical devices specialist says: “We are thrilled to make this significant step with Medtronic to make remote clinical support an option for surgeons around the world. Perhaps most importantly, we’re delighted we can help healthcare professionals continue their work despite the current COVID-19 restrictions so that more lives can be saved.”