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Eizo debuts 56-inch 4k x 2k RadiForce LS560W LCD monitor


Eizo's known for doling out less-than-affordable LCD monitors, but this one just takes the crown (for now). Slated to dazzle in operating rooms everywhere this July, the RadiForce LS560W is a 56-inch behemoth of an LCD that boasts a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 (or darn close to native 4k x 2k). We're also told that the panel features a 176-degree field of view, a 1,200:1 contrast ratio and 450 nits of brightness. And to think -- we were beginning to wonder if all that 4k surgery footage would ever find a dedicated screen to run on.

Stryker Endoscopy intros world's first wireless HD surgical display


Slowly but surely, AMIMON is establishing itself as a serious player in the wireless HD space. Right before our eyes, the outfit has announced that it's playing a major role in the world's first HD wireless display designed specifically for use in the operating room. Stryker Endoscopy's WiSe HDTV is embedded with AMIMON's WHDI technology, though few details beyond that are being disclosed. We've no idea if this is just the beginning of AMIMON's domination of the OR, but it's certainly a good start. Here's hoping we see some similar announcements in the consumer space at CES -- it's about time some of these wireless HD doodads stopped looking pretty and started shipping out.

RED / Sony wares used during first 4K recording of surgery

And to think, just over a year ago we all thought 1080p surgery was the future. Recently, Steven F. Palter, MD of Gold Coast IVF in Syosset, NY teamed with RED and Sony in order to "film and project a surgery and microscopic images in 4K, which represents its first uses in medicine and biology." During the digital cinema presentation, the 1,600+ surgeons in attendance were able to view the procedure in nauseating detail, giving the crowd the ability to almost be right there inside the operating room from afar. Additionally, the session included a projection of the "largest high-definition 3D surgical images ever," which we can only imagine led to at least a few dozen fainting episodes.

[Image courtesy of Surgery Encyclopedia]

Serene scenes on HDTV no substitute for nature


Ruh roh. Seems you can't use the "it's good for my health" excuse to watch just one more hour of Sunrise Earth, as a recent study has shown that watching serene scenes on HDTV just doesn't have the same calming effect as does watching a similar scene in nature. The University of Washington-based study discovered that heart recovery rates in people exposed to minor stress were the same when viewing peaceful imagery on a plasma or starting directly at a blank wall. Yeah, a blank wall. It was also noted that heart rates dropped more quickly when these same folks viewed a calming scene through a window, suggesting that technology may not be ready to replace reality just yet in this particular case. We just have to wonder if they were using true HD signals on the display -- nothing gets our heart racing like a bad episode of Pool Watchers in SD.

[Thanks, Ben]

HD surgery provides gruesome level of detail

High-definition capture and monitoring equipment has long been available for medical uses, but for whatever reason, widespread use has yet to catch on. Now, however, you people will be able to um, partake, in viewing the "first HDTV surgery ever broadcast" as National Geographic HD airs a special presentation of the 1080p system in action. According to a doctor that actually got to experience the technology first-hand, the KSEA HDTV Surgical System provides a widescreen, Full HD look at what's going on within, employs a 3CCD camera with an acquisition resolution of 1,920 x 1,080, and outputs an image that is progressively scanned and displayed at 60 full frames-per-second. We'd recommend you tune in to the aforementioned show on September 16th if the channel is available in your neck of the woods, but you may want to click on and see a few stills of the KSEA in action before subjecting yourself (read: your weak stomach) to the real deal.

[Thanks, Dr. Steven P.]

Sony's PDW-70MD XDCAM HD recorder gets official

We'll admit, we too noticed the stark irony in Sony -- the firm at least somewhat responsible for recalling millions of potentially harmful batteries -- releasing a gizmo to benefit the medical field, but regardless, we can't deny the impressiveness of the PDW-70MD XDCAM HD recorder. While we caught wind of this thing awhile back, it's now getting official with a full list of specs and a hefty pricetag to boot. Taking high definition recording to a field that can genuinely benefit from more detailed captures, the device can "record and store up to two hours of MPEG2 video on a 23GB PFD-23 XDCAM disc" (wasn't this another failed attempt by Sony's proprietary format department?), which is sealed to help prevent scratches and "preserve data with minimal degradation for more than 50 years." Doctors can store HD video of medical procedures in crisp 1,440 x 1,080 resolution, view colored thumbnails of the footage on the 3.5-inch LCD monitor, and control the action with the bevy of front-mounted controls. Of course, the two biggest factors that prove the PDW-70MD is tailored for medical use is the inability to use a recordable format that the general public can acquire (and afford), and moreover, the $14,995 pricetag that only cash-generating hospitals are likely to glance over.

[Via MedGadget]




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