Barco announces collaboration with NVIDIA and SoftAcuity to add AI and data analytics applications to the operating room

Barco is integrating NVIDIA Jetson Orin and IGX Orin system-on-modules into two new products, as part of its Nexxis platform for digital operating rooms and interventional suites.

Barco and SoftAcuity will develop two NVIDIA Holoscan-based products, featuring an innovative user interface, generative AI voice control, sensor arrays, high-fidelity audiovisual capabilities, advanced computing, and AI-powered data analytics capabilities. Both new products will be fully integrated into Barco’s Nexxis ecosystem, benefiting from its uncompressed video-over-IP connectivity, and offering advanced computing capabilities to all connected video sources.

“Barco’s history is strongly connected with high-quality visualization and fast, powerful computer processing,” says Johan Fornier, Executive VP for Surgical and Modality at Barco. “Our collaboration with NVIDIA and SoftAcuity will help prepare our Nexxis portfolio for a smart, AI-powered future, where surgical and interventional workflows are more flexible and more efficient for healthcare professionals and their patients.”

Building the foundations for innovation in surgery

Based on these NVIDIA Holoscan-powered products, Barco plans to build a future-proof platform, with built-in scalability, capable of hosting multiple AI and data analytics applications for medical environments. The products will offer a simple and flexible setup to allow easy deployment of validated internal and third-party AI applications, making it cost-efficient for partners integrating the Nexxis platform and for end-users working with it.

“The future of healthcare is software defined and AI enabled,” said David Niewolny, Director of Business Development for Healthcare and Medical at NVIDIA. “Barco’s adoption of NVIDIA accelerated computing hardware combined with the NVIDIA Holoscan edge AI software stack enables the rapid development and deployment of software-as-a-medical device applications, which has huge potential in enhancing patient care and streamlining OR efficiency.”

About the Barco Nexxis ecosystem

Nexxis is Barco’s established fiber-based video-over-IP solution for digital operating rooms and interventional suites. The system enables sharing uncompressed, high-resolution video and audio in and between operating rooms, with near to no transmission delay. Nexxis also features several add-on applications, for example for training and collaboration and for central asset management.

About Barco

Barco, headquartered in Kortrijk (Belgium), is a global company leading in visualization, networking, and collaboration technology. Its innovative solutions drive advancements in the healthcare, enterprise, and entertainment markets. At the heart of Barco’s success are over 3,000 dedicated ‘visioneers’, each passionately contributing to driving change through technology.

Listed on Euronext (BAR), Reuters (BARBt.BR), and Bloomberg (BAR BB), Barco realized sales of 1,050 million euro in 2023. For further insights, please visit www.barco.com or connect on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

Barco. Visioneering a bright tomorrow. © 2024

About SoftAcuity

SAI, a new startup based in Santa Barbara, California, is creating a new Brilliant Assistant application platform for operating rooms, leveraging advances in image processing, audio DSPs, microphone arrays, acoustics, machine vision and Gen AI.

More information at https://softacuity.com/