Medical technology integration: CT, angiography, imaging-capable OR-table, navigation and robotics in a multifunctional sterile suite

Technology integration is an enabling technological prerequisite to achieve a major breakthrough in sophisticated intraoperative imaging, navigation and robotics in minimally invasive and/ or emergency diagnosis and therapy. Without a high degree of integration and reliability comparable to that achieved in the aircraft industry image guidance in its different facets will not ultimately succeed. As of today technology integration in the field of image- guidance is close to nonexistent. Technology integration requires inter- departmental integration of human and financial resources and of medical processes in a dialectic way. This expanded techno- socio- economic integration has profound consequences for the administration and working conditions in hospitals. At the university hospital of Basel, Switzerland, a multimodality multifunction sterile suite was put into operation after a substantial pre- run. We report the lessons learned during our venture into the world of medical technology integration and describe new possibilities for similar integration projects in the future.