A collaboration between UK-based Smith+Nephew and Dutch firm Rods & Cones aims to introduce smart glasses into the operating room to enable remote technical support for surgeons during procedures.

Medical technology company Smith+Nephew has announced a partnership with Rods & Cones to provide smart surgery glasses and digital remote assistance. By providing smart surgery glasses, Smith+Nephew representatives can see through the eyes of the surgeon, instrumentalist nurse or any healthcare professional using them, enabling continuous remote support before, during and after surgical interventions.

Initially used in the UK to support the NHS and other users, it allows Smith+Nephew to increase its ability to offer technical support for safe and effective use of its products at the right time from anywhere in the world. The increased complexity of surgery, advancement of technologies, and need for productivity and efficiency is enabled by ensuring a specialist is available remotely to give expertise when they need it, in the least disruptive way.

“I am delighted that we have agreed to partner with one of the most innovative companies in the area of remote surgical support,” said Simon Tarry, managing director of Smith+Nephew. “This new partnership will enable our team to deliver the highest possible expertise exactly when our customers and patients need it. At the same time, I believe enhancing our ability to support our customers remotely serves patient safety and sustainability to great effect.”

The multi-year agreement with Rods & Cones allows Smith+Nephew to scale its remote support capability, enabling connectivity with specialist surgeons during minimally invasive surgery. The MIS (minimal invasive surgery) Kit connects seamlessly to a secure Rods & Cones remote expert interface, which allows the user to follow and attend a surgery just as if standing in the OR, but with the exact view of the surgeon or other healthcare professional.

“We are thrilled to work with such a great company as Smith+Nephew,” said Bruno Dheedene, CEO of Rods & Cones. “The achievements they have made in the med-tech industry, especially within the sphere of repair, regeneration and replacement of soft and hard tissue has been awe-inspiring. This partnership between Smith+Nephew and Rods & Cones will be a great step forward and together we will change healthcare for the better.”

Smith+Nephew is a portfolio medical technology business focused on the repair, regeneration and replacement of soft and hard tissue. It has 18,000 employees and was founded in Hull, UK, in 1856. It now operates in more than 100 countries, and generated annual sales of $5.2bn in 2021.

Rods & Cones provides a remote assistance service used to connect medical experts worldwide. With technological devices and a digital remote assistance platform, users can connect safely with surgeons, product specialists or other medical professionals anywhere in the world, in real time. Rods & Cones was founded in 2017 by two brothers, Bruno and Jan Dheedene, and is based in Amsterdam.