Medtronic Launches "Touch Surgery™ ecosystem" in Japan
Medtronic has announced the April 23, 2026 launch in Japan of its "Touch Surgery™ ecosystem," an AI-powered digital platform to support learning and training in surgical medicine.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 22:00
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Covidien Japan Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo), one of the three Medtronic corporations in Japan, announces that it will launch the "Touch Surgery™ ecosystem," a digital platform that supports learning and training in surgical medicine, in Japan on April 23, 2026. Furthermore, the Touch Surgery™ ecosystem is scheduled to be exhibited at the 126th Annual Congress of Japan Surgical Society, which will be held starting April 23, 2026. Through this academic congress, we will introduce the potential of utilizing digital technology in surgical education to a wide range of healthcare professionals.
In Japan, along with the advancement of medical care and changes in the training environment for surgeons, the importance of efficient and high-quality training methods is increasing. Particularly, in the training of young surgeons and the standardization of surgical techniques, the demand for education utilizing digital technology is expanding.
The Touch Surgery™ ecosystem was developed to meet these challenges and demands in surgical education in Japan. The Touch Surgery™ ecosystem can be used in combination with Medtronic's Hugo™ robotic-assisted surgery system, is compatible with other robotic-assisted surgery platforms, and also supports laparoscopic surgery, thereby assisting training and learning in various surgical environments.
[About Touch Surgery™ ecosystem]
The Touch Surgery™ ecosystem is a platform that enables surgeons to learn surgical techniques efficiently and systematically by utilizing mobile and cloud-based digital technologies, as well as AI and data analysis. Compared to conventional operations that do not use equivalent systems, it simplifies surgical video acquisition and case reviews, enabling structured case reviews through secure and seamless video capture and AI-assisted insights. This supports the improvement and standardization of the quality of surgical education.
[Features of Touch Surgery™ ecosystem]
Video: Enables recording, easy access, and analysis of surgical videos in a secure, cloud-based library dedicated to each hospital.
Performance Insights: Utilizes AI-powered video analysis to streamline post-operative reviews and supports access to performance evaluations.
Live Streaming: Enables real-time collaboration with remote surgeons and medical students during surgery, evolving the operating room (OR) into an interactive learning space.
Simulation: By leveraging the cloud, it provides a flexible learning environment unrestricted by time or location. The interactive simulation feature allows users to learn surgical techniques step-by-step.
[Evolution of Surgical Education through AI and Data Utilization]
The Touch Surgery™ ecosystem realizes more effective training by providing feedback tailored to individual proficiency levels based on user operation data and learning history. This data-driven approach equalizes the quality of surgeon education and contributes to improving the reproducibility and safety of surgeries.
Professor Masafumi Inomata from the Department of Gastroenterological and Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, stated: "In the training of surgeons, in addition to traditional experience-based education, the importance of standardized training is increasing. We expect that digital platforms like the Touch Surgery™ ecosystem will be useful tools that efficiently support deepening the understanding of surgical techniques and improving the skills of young doctors. Furthermore, we believe that the ability to enable learning tailored to the proficiency of individual surgeons will have significant meaning for the future of surgical education."
Reiko Nakagawa, Senior Director of Surgical Robotics & Digital Technology at Medtronic, stated the following: "The introduction of the Touch Surgery™ ecosystem to Japan is an important step in accelerating the digital transformation of surgical education. By integrating digital technology, data, and AI alongside robotic surgery, we want to shape the future of surgical care and support the realization of more precise, more predictable, and individually optimized medical care. Through this platform, we hope to support the continuous learning and knowledge acquisition of surgeons, contributing to the improvement of surgical education quality."
Medtronic will continue to contribute to realizing a society where everyone can receive high-quality medical care by supporting the standardization of surgical techniques and the training of next-generation surgeons through educational solutions utilizing digital technology and data.
In Japan, along with the advancement of medical care and changes in the training environment for surgeons, the importance of efficient and high-quality training methods is increasing. Particularly, in the training of young surgeons and the standardization of surgical techniques, the demand for education utilizing digital technology is expanding.
The Touch Surgery™ ecosystem was developed to meet these challenges and demands in surgical education in Japan. The Touch Surgery™ ecosystem can be used in combination with Medtronic's Hugo™ robotic-assisted surgery system, is compatible with other robotic-assisted surgery platforms, and also supports laparoscopic surgery, thereby assisting training and learning in various surgical environments.
[About Touch Surgery™ ecosystem]
The Touch Surgery™ ecosystem is a platform that enables surgeons to learn surgical techniques efficiently and systematically by utilizing mobile and cloud-based digital technologies, as well as AI and data analysis. Compared to conventional operations that do not use equivalent systems, it simplifies surgical video acquisition and case reviews, enabling structured case reviews through secure and seamless video capture and AI-assisted insights. This supports the improvement and standardization of the quality of surgical education.
[Features of Touch Surgery™ ecosystem]
Video: Enables recording, easy access, and analysis of surgical videos in a secure, cloud-based library dedicated to each hospital.
Performance Insights: Utilizes AI-powered video analysis to streamline post-operative reviews and supports access to performance evaluations.
Live Streaming: Enables real-time collaboration with remote surgeons and medical students during surgery, evolving the operating room (OR) into an interactive learning space.
Simulation: By leveraging the cloud, it provides a flexible learning environment unrestricted by time or location. The interactive simulation feature allows users to learn surgical techniques step-by-step.
[Evolution of Surgical Education through AI and Data Utilization]
The Touch Surgery™ ecosystem realizes more effective training by providing feedback tailored to individual proficiency levels based on user operation data and learning history. This data-driven approach equalizes the quality of surgeon education and contributes to improving the reproducibility and safety of surgeries.
Professor Masafumi Inomata from the Department of Gastroenterological and Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, stated: "In the training of surgeons, in addition to traditional experience-based education, the importance of standardized training is increasing. We expect that digital platforms like the Touch Surgery™ ecosystem will be useful tools that efficiently support deepening the understanding of surgical techniques and improving the skills of young doctors. Furthermore, we believe that the ability to enable learning tailored to the proficiency of individual surgeons will have significant meaning for the future of surgical education."
Reiko Nakagawa, Senior Director of Surgical Robotics & Digital Technology at Medtronic, stated the following: "The introduction of the Touch Surgery™ ecosystem to Japan is an important step in accelerating the digital transformation of surgical education. By integrating digital technology, data, and AI alongside robotic surgery, we want to shape the future of surgical care and support the realization of more precise, more predictable, and individually optimized medical care. Through this platform, we hope to support the continuous learning and knowledge acquisition of surgeons, contributing to the improvement of surgical education quality."
Medtronic will continue to contribute to realizing a society where everyone can receive high-quality medical care by supporting the standardization of surgical techniques and the training of next-generation surgeons through educational solutions utilizing digital technology and data.