A Modular Edge Device Network for Surgery Digitalization

Abstract

Future surgical care demands real-time, integrated data to drive informed decision-making and improve patient outcomes. The pressing need for seamless and efficient data capture in the OR motivates our development of a modular solution that bridges the gap between emerging machine learning techniques and interventional medicine. We introduce a network of edge devices, called Data Hubs (DHs), that interconnect diverse medical sensors, imaging systems, and robotic tools via optical fiber and a centralized network switch. Built on the NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX, each DH supports multiple interfaces (HDMI, USB-C, Ethernet) and encapsulates device-specific drivers within Docker containers using the Isaac ROS framework and ROS2. A centralized user interface enables straightforward configuration and real-time monitoring, while an Nvidia DGX computer provides state-of-the-art data processing and storage. We validate our approach through an ultrasound-based 3D anatomical reconstruction experiment that combines medical imaging, pose tracking, and RGB-D data acquisition.