HD on the big screen
Resolution is one of the key factors in the identification of fine
details in laparoscopic images, says Ceana Nezhat, MD, FACS,
FACOG, fellowship director at Nezhat Medical Center and director
of minimally invasive surgery and robotics at Northside Hospital
in Atlanta. He points out that ultra-high-def 4K imaging offers four
times the resolution of standard HD systems.
The clearer pictures of 4K provide several advantages that
improve the surgeon's precision as he moves instruments in and
around critical anatomy, including the ability to magnify an image
on the screen 10 to 30 times with virtually no pixilation and
enhanced color profiles with more detail. Smaller 4K video scopes
are available with an autofocus feature that keeps images sharp as
surgeons move the camera in the surgical field through 3mm inci-
sions.
Is it possible to get this type of picture quality on the video monitor
you're currently using? Or do you need a larger monitor in order to prop-
erly display it? Full high-def has a 1920-by-1080 pixel matrix, compared
with the 3840-by-2160 pixel matrix of 4K. Mr. Soudagar says 4K displays
are therefore optimized on larger monitors. "The benefits are the clarity,
sharpness and wider color gamut," he explains. "Those benefits are fully
realized on monitors that let you see the entire picture."
By routing 4K images to large monitors, you'll view video with less
pixilation, wider and deeper colors, and better depth perception.
"When you use 4K to zoom in on a specific anatomy, the image will
not lose its sharpness and clarity, unlike with standard definition,
which will appear with more pixilation on bigger screens," says Mr.
Soudagar. "Surgeons who operate with the increased clarity of 4K [on
large monitors] can make better diagnostic decisions."
Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake, Iowa, recently
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