UMC Utrecht’s approach to safer, faster, and more precise healthcare
How can hospitals make everyday care safer, faster and more precise? UMC Utrecht is driving innovation in hospital settings by developing smart, practical solutions to support healthcare professionals and improve patients’ safety: from robotic surgery to medical device management.
A university rooted in clinical impact
Known for its strong ties between academic research and applied healthcare practice, UMC Utrecht is contributing to digital health through a series of hands-on, high-impact case studies. Each one focuses on integrating technology into existing hospital routines to solve practical challenges and improve care delivery.
The studies target key operational areas: surgical guidance, equipment localisation, and quality control. They show how thoughtful innovation can directly support clinical teams and enhance the safety, efficiency, and accessibility of healthcare.
Lifting autonomy of robot-assisted surgery
Robot-assisted surgery is typically operated at the lowest level of autonomy, meaning the surgeon remains in full control of every movement. However, guidance technology can increase autonomy to Level 1: robotic assistance, improving surgical precision and workflow.
At UMC Utrecht, the TilePro™ feature of the da Vinci Surgical System® is being used to support this transition. The system displays real-time 3D reconstructions directly on the surgeon’s console, offering enhanced visual guidance during procedures. This small but significant step opens the door to smarter, more supportive robotic systems in the future of surgery.
UFound, localisation of medical devices
Managing clean and maintained medical devices across different hospital wards is a daily operational challenge. The UFound case study focuses on optimising the decentralised storage of these devices, while also improving the user experience for nurses, who need quick and reliable access during clinical workflows.
By improving both the technical infrastructure and interface usability, this pilot aims to reduce time spent searching for equipment, cut down on delays, and improve the overall efficiency of care delivery across the hospital.
LightControl, quality control of rigid endoscopes
Endoscopes are a crucial and expensive tool in minimally invasive surgery, requiring thorough cleaning and inspection between uses. The LightControl system, developed by Dovideq Medical, is used to measure the optical quality of rigid endoscopes, but the challenge lies in interpreting the results, especially when values fall into an ambiguous “grey area”.
This case study explores ways to make the data more usable for hospital staff, for instance, by displaying results as visual icons on packaging, or integrating data into hospital information systems for better management of surgical trays. By improving how measurement outcomes are communicated, the aim is to ensure safer, more confident decision-making.
From small improvements to big impact
The case studies led by Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht demonstrate how targeted innovation in hospital environments can lead to measurable gains in safety, usability, and clinical efficiency. Rather than overhauling entire systems, these pilots focus on enhancing what already works, guiding surgery with better visuals, finding the right tools faster, and ensuring devices are safe before use.