The clinical need for more safety, hygiene, efficiency and ergonomics is a constant driver of OR networking as surgery becomes more technologically advanced. However, it is only through standards that the combination of the great variety of innovative medical devices and components is made possible.

The ISO/IEEE 11073 standards series "Service-oriented Device Connectivity (SDC)" enables the integration of medical devices based on modern web technologies. These are to a large extent the result of the BMBF funded research project "OR.NET - Secure Dynamic Networking in the Operating Room and Clinic". So far, however, different manufacturers still model the network representation of very similar devices differently. This makes integration in a networked medical device system as difficult as testing and approval of networked devices.

Both the companies and the responsible IEEE 11073 Point of Care Devices Working Group have identified the need for supplementary standards. So-called "device specializations" define the networking requirements for a device type, i.e. the scope, structure and semantics of the data and services offered in the network as well as the behavior of the device at runtime. In addition, "Module Specifications" provide submodels that each model a function and can be referenced by multiple Device Specializations.

The PoCSpec project aims to develop these standards for high frequency surgery and endoscopy devices. This achieves a higher level of interoperability and enables the interchangeability of medical devices of different manufacturers during operation. This will sustainably strengthen Germany's outstanding international competitive position for medical devices.