As a part of its new digital orthopedic surgery platform, Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Synthes division will work with Zebra Medical Vision to supplement its artificial intelligence and imaging analytics efforts.
DePuy’s Velys Digital Surgery platform will focus first on joint reconstruction procedures by incorporating the company’s existing products such as the Kincise automated surgical mallet system and JointPoint navigation and planning software.
J&J and DePuy plan to add new technologies to the platform over time including sensors, apps, robotics and patient selection tools to address each point along a continuum of orthopedic care from pre-op planning to post-op rehabilitation and monitoring.
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Zebra Medical, a 2016 Fierce 15 winner, will work with DePuy’s Ireland-based subsidiary to co-develop and commercialize programs that create 3D models from cheaper 2D X-ray images, to enable surgical planning without needing an MRI or CT scan.
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“We are thrilled to start this collaboration and have the opportunity to impact and improve orthopaedic procedures and outcomes in areas including the knee, hip, shoulder, trauma, and spine care,” said Zebra Medical co-founder and CEO Eyal Gura.
“We share a common vision surrounding the impact we can have on patients’ lives through the use of AI, and we are happy to initiate such a meaningful strategic partnership, leveraging the tools and knowledge we have built around bone health AI in the last five years,” Gura added.