Raheem Bell - Building the Autonomous Operating Room

Raheem Bell is a surgical resident at Northwestern and the CEO of Operative Insights, a startup developing an autonomous operating room lighting system designed to help surgeons see better, work more efficiently, and improve patient outcomes. In this episode, Raheem shares how years in the operating room led him to identify a surprisingly common problem: surgeons constantly adjusting lights during procedures. We discuss how computer vision, robotics, and AI can be used to create intelligent lighting that follows the surgical team, eliminates shadows, and adapts to the needs of each operation. Raheem also talks about the challenges of building a medical device startup, navigating FDA approval, raising capital, assembling a multidisciplinary team, and balancing entrepreneurship with the demands of surgical training. It's a fascinating look at how innovation often starts with a simple frustration and grows into a mission to transform an entire industry.