Johnson & Johnson, one of America’s largest beauty and pharmaceutical manufacturers, today announced that it is partnering with Google to develop medical robots that can assist surgeons in the operating room.
By looking to robots, both companies hope that the technology can help give medical professionals greater control and precision to make surgery as minimally invasive as possible to expedite the healing process.
Google’s Life Sciences team specified that they hope to use imaging and sensor technology to provide detailed imaging and data analytics during procedures, such as highlighting blood vessels, nerves or tumor margins, or showing relevant surgical information at the right time. Information will also be displayed in an overlay interface during operations so surgeons do not have to view multiple screens to access relevant data.
“This collaboration with Google is another important step in our commitment to advancing surgical care,” Gary Pruden, worldwide chairman of J&J’s global surgery group said in a press statement. “Together, we aim to put the best science, technology and surgical know-how in the hands of medical teams around the world.”
Today’s collaboration is the latest extension of Google’s foray into medical tech. Last year, it partnered with Novartis to create a smart contact lens that measures the wearer’s blood glucose levels.
Google’s collaboration with J&J today is part of Google X’s Moonshot projects, which include many curious programs such as Project Loon, self-driving cars, the aforementioned contact lens and, of course, Google Glass.
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