Olympus Introduces AI-Powered Surgical Planning Tool

Olympus Corp. has launched its first artificial intelligence (AI)-powered clinical decision tool through a strategic partnership with software firm Ziosoft.

The application integrates advanced imaging analytics and machine learning, empowering surgeons to take ownership of their pre-op planning. This collaboration represents a significant step forward in Olympus’s mission to bring AI-enabled solutions to help make clinical healthcare workflows more efficient and effective.

The first three applications being launched aim to revolutionize liver, lung, and kidney procedures:

• Thoracic surgery: Transforms 2D CT/MRI images into precise 3D models, aiding in lung cancer and thoracic procedure planning and reducing invasive approaches.
• Liver surgery: Helps general and hepatobiliary surgeons visualize liver anatomy, practice ahead, and plan liver-sparing surgeries by visualizing vessels and tumors, thereby helping to improve patient recovery.
• Urologic surgery: Assists in minimally invasive nephrectomies by accurately assessing the size, location and shape of tumors, cysts or other abnormalities.

“Olympus has a proud legacy in medical technology, particularly as a pioneer in endoscopy. We are excited to partner with Ziosoft, which has its own long history of developing AI software to help physicians make more accurate diagnostic and treatment decisions during procedures,” said Darryl Rock, vice president, Business Unit Leader, Surgical Solutions, at Olympus. “This collaboration represents a significant step forward in Olympus’s mission to bring innovative, AI-enabled solutions to the healthcare industry.”

Physicians traditionally utilized flat, 2D images to plan procedures. This new application uses imaging such as computed tomography (CT) scans and MRIs to translate static images into 3D modeling in real time utilizing AI and thousands of radiologic images. The aim is to help physicians make better clinical decisions in sparing as much tissue as possible and improve tumor margins.

The development of 3D procedure modeling can also help educate surgical fellows and help guide newer surgeons through unfamiliar procedures and workflow. This supports Olympus’ commitment to enhancing surgical outcomes with AI-powered clinical decision support applications. It marks the first in a series of surgical innovations aimed at “Seeing the Invisible” designed to make procedures safer, more efficient and consistently successful.

“Ziosoft is committed to improving patient outcomes, and we are pleased to collaborate with Olympus to equip clinicians with greater diagnostic capabilities through advanced visualization,” Ziosoft Vice President of Business Development and Marketing Rajeev Taitriya stated. “By combining our expertise in AI-driven imaging with Olympus’ minimally invasive treatment solutions, we can help enhance surgical precision and streamline workflows, ultimately improving patient care. With the rise of lung cancer screening, more patients are undergoing complex segmentectomies, which Ziosoft’s REVORAS platform can support by enabling rapid pre-operative planning, allowing thoracic surgeons to make critical surgical decisions in minutes, helping to optimize outcomes and advance the standard of care.”

This surgical planning application will be launched in parallel to the Olympus’ Intelligent Endoscopy Ecosystem, which attempts to leverage technologies like AI and integrate hardware, software, services and data to enhance clinical decision-making and streamline workflows in GI.

Olympus’ surgical portfolio includes the multispecialty imaging platform and the ESG-410 Surgical Energy Platform that powers a comprehensive energy solution with applications across numerous specialties such as general surgery, thoracic surgery, urology and gynecology. The company’s EVIS X1 Endoscopy System and CADDIE AI System are the first cloud-based AI endoscopy system designed to help gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeons detect suspected colorectal polyps during colonoscopy procedures and localize disease during surgical procedures.

The CADDIE device works by analyzing the endoscopic video of the colon in real-time and using visual markers to alert the endoscopist or surgeon to the potential presence of polyps. The endoscopist or surgeon is responsible for reviewing the CADDIE device’s suspected polyp areas and confirming the presence or absence of a polyp based on their own medical judgment.

Olympus partners with healthcare professionals to provide solutions and services for early detection, diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment, aiming to improve patient outcomes by elevating the standard of care in targeted disease states. For more than 100 years, Olympus has produced products designed to deliver optimal outcomes for customers.

Olympus Corporation of the Americas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Olympus Corporation, is headquartered in Center Valley, Pa., and employs more than 4,500 workers in North and South America.

Founded in 1998 with offices in Japan and the United States, Ziosoft considers itself a recognized leader in functional CT/MRI 3D visualization and analysis software. With thousands of systems installed in more than 30 countries worldwide and 900 scientific publications, Ziosoft’s true vendor-neutral and multi-modality advanced visualization technology platform is helping patients and clinicians by enabling greater diagnostic confidence, lower dose options, and precision in treatment planning. As a software-only solution, it is simplified to minimize cost of ownership.