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retically, but is more subtle to the human eye. So the sense of
urgency to upgrade isn't quite the same, although we're now seeing
4K gain some traction in ORs. Some things to consider:
• Do you really need this yet? 4K is objectively superior to HD; it's 4
times the amount of pixels, providing much richer detail. But does
your facility actually need 4K? 4K camera systems are much more
expensive right now than HD camera systems, at about a 40% to 50%
premium — although that will likely change a few years out. Also
remember, you're not just buying a 4K camera system; you might also
need to spend on upgrades to your network infrastructure and storage
capabilities.
It goes beyond cost justification, though. Some surgeons are total-
ly happy with HD; others really can't tell the difference between HD
and 4K. Bottom line: 4K is undoubtedly great, and it's absolutely
going to be commonplace eventually in ORs of all types. Your task is
to determine why, and when, you really need it. If you can justify the
cost, by all means, go for it, because the technology is awesome.
• Advantages beyond resolution. Higher resolution is great, but
what does it mean in practice? As we mentioned, at first glance the
naked eye might not be able to tell much difference between HD and
4K. But 4K has some secret sauce that makes it compelling. For one,
when the surgeon zooms in on a 4K image using a camera feature like
optical zoom, it won't pixelate like an HD image might. Second, 4K
offers a wider color gamut than HD does, which helps surgeons dis-
tinguish finer patterns and structures of tissue when they're enlarged.
A red is a red to me, but light red versus dark red might be a major
distinction for the surgeon. Third, individual pixels are not discern-
able when you display images on a large screen that's positioned close
to the surgeon. In addition, 4K video looks better the larger the screen
