Johnson & Johnson MedTech unveils the Polyphonic digital ecosystem

Johnson & Johnson MedTech unveiled Polyphonic, the open and secure digital ecosystem for a more connected surgical experience. The ecosystem features software applications that are agnostic to data sources and focused on delivering insights when and where they matter most, with future releases offering an open and secure development platform and marketplace for curated digital solutions.

The first release, available now for select hospitals, features Polyphonic Solutions applications for surgical video, telepresence, and planning to help surgeons and surgical teams increase collaboration within an integrated, user-focused solution purpose-built for healthcare.

Why does it matter?

In surgery, software solutions that analyze data have the potential to help surgical teams increase collaboration, connect with other experts, and securely share content for greater surgical proficiency.

The first release of the Polyphonic ecosystem focuses on the value of video — a significant source of data in surgery today. With one minute of surgical video equal to more than 25 times the amount of data in one high-resolution CT image, the potential is in helping surgeons better manage, tag, edit, and securely share de-identified video to improve workflow and collaboration before, during, and after surgery. Other first-release features include telepresence and case planning capabilities to help address collaboration, peer training, and the efficiency of OR workflow.

As part of the beta program for select hospitals, Meander Medical Centre in Amersfoot, The Netherlands, is utilizing Polyphonic during surgeries today.

The Polyphonic ecosystem is available in early access to select hospitals only.

What's next?

Future releases will target the broader digital surgery ecosystem with the Polyphonic Studio for creators and developers and the Polyphonic Store to offer secure access to curated digital solutions.

Polyphonic Studio will build on a secure operating environment to offer data management, advanced analytics, edge compute and connectivity, and design and developer toolkits to make it easier for creators and developers to create and scale software solutions for surgery. The Studio will deliver artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, leveraging Johnson & Johnson MedTech's work with NVIDIA to scale AI for surgery.

The Polyphonic Store will bring together curated software solutions in a secure marketplace for Johnson & Johnson MedTech as well as third-party innovation.

On the record

"What's next in surgery is a more connected experience for patients, healthcare teams, and hospitals as we bring forward the value of surgical data," said Hani Abouhalka, Company Group Chairman, Surgery, Johnson & Johnson MedTech. "Building on our extensive network of surgical technologies and surgical software solutions deployed in operating rooms around the world, we are prioritizing collaboration and open innovation for a more human, more adaptive, and more connected surgery experience."

"Digital will revolutionize the future of surgery," said Dr. Ivo Broeders, Surgeon and AI Lab Leader at Meander Medical Centre. "We proudly stand as pioneers in the digital realm and are excited to be testing this promising software solution. Together with Johnson & Johnson MedTech, we are shaping the future of surgical excellence and paving the way for transformative advancements in healthcare."

"Innovation is accelerating in surgery as medical experts and technologists see the opportunity to improve outcomes by delivering insights at-scale," added Shan Jegatheeswaran, Global Vice President, Digital, Johnson & Johnson MedTech. "We are extending our long-standing expertise in surgery to create Polyphonic, which offers the technologies that surgeons are asking for today to enable key use cases while building the more open, connected future of digital in surgery."

The context

For more than a century, Johnson & Johnson MedTech has driven breakthrough scientific innovation to address unmet needs and reimagine health. In surgery, orthopaedics, vision, and interventional solutions, it continues to help save lives and create a future where healthcare solutions are smarter, less invasive, and more personalized.