Medtronic Unveils Touch Surgery Aide AI Platform for Real-Time Surgical Support

Medtronic has introduced Touch Surgery™ Aide, an AI-native surgical computing platform designed to deliver real-time artificial intelligence capabilities directly inside operating rooms.

Powering the broader Touch Surgery™ ecosystem currently deployed across more than 1,500 operating rooms worldwide, the platform connects pre-operative planning, intra-operative tele-mentoring, and AI-powered post-operative insights.

Built on NVIDIA's accelerated computing infrastructure—utilizing Holoscan, CUDA, and TensorRT—the platform combines computer vision and multimodal AI to process live surgical video and procedural context simultaneously.

Jim Peichel, Chief Technology Officer at Medtronic, stated:

"Real-time AI marks a new frontier for healthcare — it is a fundamental evolution in how surgery is supported, moving from technology that assists the surgeon's hand to technology that helps teams work smarter, move faster, and deliver greater impact in the moment."

Medtronic also highlighted Instrument Exit Point (IEP), the first FDA-cleared real-time AI application running on Touch Surgery™ Aide. Operating with the Hugo™ robotic-assisted surgery system, IEP uses computer vision to notify surgical teams visually when select instruments move beyond the active field of view.

The company continues expanding the Hugo™ RAS system, which received FDA clearance for urologic procedures in December 2025 and has pending 510(k) submissions for general and gynecologic specialties.

George Murgatroyd, General Manager & Vice President, Digital Technologies within the Surgical business at Medtronic, stated:

"Surgery is on the cusp of a generational shift, powered by AI and advanced compute. The Touch Surgery™ ecosystem, powered by Touch Surgery™ Aide, establishes a platform for a new generation of embedded connectivity, seamlessly integrating advanced capabilities into surgical workflows and reinforcing Medtronic's commitment to delivering the best possible care, for every patient, anywhere."

Medtronic will share Touch Surgery™ Aide at the Society of Robotic Surgery 2026 Annual Meeting, with plans to expand the platform into laparoscopic surgery.