Fujifilm Healthcare Europe reported a new partnership with the Augmented Operating Room (BOpA) Innovation Chair to accelerate the development of digital technologies for surgery.

The BOpA Innovation Chair – a partnership between Greater Paris University Hospitals | AP-HP, Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT) and Université Paris-Saclay – aims to identify common problems in the operating room and develop digital technologies to support medical professionals in surgery. The organization’s purpose is to transform the way surgical procedures are learned and analyzed by modernizing resources in the operating room.

The company agreed to a four-year sponsorship to help the BOpA Innovation Chair fund the research. This sponsorship comes in addition to the support provided by the AP‑HP Foundation, Fondation Mines-Télécom, and Université Paris-Saclay. As a provider of ultrasound systems and software for surgeons, Fujifilm will also participate in the project through the loan of materials and equipment to support the development of these technologies to assist in surgery.

“The BOpA Innovation Chair is exploring the future of the operating room, so it's no coincidence that Fujifilm is one of BOpA's new sponsors," Eric Vibert from Université Paris-Saclay, co-founder of the BOpA Innovation Chair, and surgeon at the Hepato-Biliary Center of the Paul-Brousse hospital within Greater Paris University Hospitals, said. "Between the digital twin and ultra-high frequency ultrasound, we're going to discover what the future will be together."

Laurent Rapon, head of Ultrasound Europe at FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe, said that creating new digital technologies to aid surgeons working in the operating room will benefit healthcare systems and patients alike, improving the overall quality of care.

"The BOpA Chair innovates by cross-fertilizing two major research axes: human-centered approaches and technological advances," said Françoise Prêteux, VP and general manager of IMT. “As a co-founder, we are pleased to welcome a world-class technology partner to participate in the development of ‘Medicine 4.0’, and improve relationships with patients thanks to digital transformation.”