NVIDIA & GE HealthCare collaboration on AI imaging tech

NVIDIA and GE HealthCare have announced a collaboration to further the development of autonomous imaging systems using NVIDIA's new platform, Isaac for Healthcare.

The collaboration aims to enhance the development of autonomous X-ray and ultrasound technologies by integrating physical AI into these systems. The integration requires medical imaging systems to comprehend and interact with the physical world, allowing the automation of intricate processes such as patient positioning, image capturing, and quality verification.

GE HealthCare is employing NVIDIA's Isaac for Healthcare simulation platform, which includes preconfigured models and physics-based simulations of medical environments. This platform accelerates research by facilitating the training, testing, and validation of autonomous imaging capabilities in a virtual setting before real-world application.

Kimberly Powell, Vice President of Healthcare at NVIDIA, commented on the significance of this collaboration by stating, "The healthcare industry is one of the most important applications of AI, as the demand for healthcare services far exceeds the supply. We are working with an industry leader, GE HealthCare, to deliver Isaac for Healthcare, three computers to give life-saving medical devices the ability to act autonomously and extend access to healthcare globally."

The initiative seeks to expand access to medical imaging, noting that nearly two-thirds of the global population currently lacks sufficient access to ultrasound and X-ray services. By equipping these imaging systems with robotic functionalities, NVIDIA and GE HealthCare aim to improve accessibility to medical care.

NVIDIA and GE HealthCare have a longstanding partnership spanning nearly two decades, collaborating on various imaging technologies, including CT, MRI, and mammography. Roland Rott, President and CEO of Imaging at GE HealthCare, expressed their commitment by stating, "GE HealthCare is committed to developing innovative technologies that redefine and enhance patient care. We look forward to taking advantage of physical AI for autonomous imaging systems with NVIDIA technology to improve patient access and address the challenges of growing workloads and staffing shortages in healthcare."

Beyond GE HealthCare, NVIDIA intends to support other clients using Isaac for Healthcare, focusing on the development of simulation environments where robotic systems can safely acquire skills applicable to real-world situations. This platform allows simulations of intricate medical environments, which include AI models attuned for healthcare robotics.

The Isaac for Healthcare platform is part of NVIDIA's robotics solutions, comprising NVIDIA DGX, NVIDIA Omniverse, and NVIDIA Holoscan. These components facilitate the simulation of medical environments and enable smooth deployment of AI-driven decisions in real-world scenarios through the Holoscan platform.

Using this platform, developers can create physics-based digital replicas of medical environments, while simulating various medical scenarios, from microscopic to full hospital facilities. This development process allows for rapid digital prototyping and the training of robotics systems.

Further, Isaac for Healthcare fosters the expansion of the healthcare robotics ecosystem by accelerating robotic healthcare solution development. Numerous early adopters and ecosystem partners, such as Moon Surgical, Neptune Medical, Xcath, Ansys, Franka, ImFusion, Kinova, and Kuka, are integrating this technology.

Isaac for Healthcare is currently accessible as an early access platform, extending its solutions to a broader spectrum of robotic healthcare innovations.