GigE-Vision®-Compliant Receivers for the Networked Operating Room

Pleora Technologies, Ontario, Canada

When vision system integrators are designing systems for hospital operating rooms, they have a number of technologies to choose from. The video interfacing technology with which the system will transmit imaging data to PCs or other system elements has traditionally been limited to point-to-point connections. However, as medical diagnostics and image-guided surgery grow in sophistication and demand, the need for a networked video architecture in the operating room also grows.

Imaging data from the C-arm is delivered reliably in real-time over a standard GigE network. The video processing unit in the control room performs image correction and streams the images back over the network to displays in the operating room and other destinations — all with low, consistent latency.

Of the available video interfacing options, GigE Vision® is the only method that allows for networking. It is also standardized at all levels of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model for networking. This global standard, maintained by the Automated Imaging Association, transmits video and control data over low-cost Ethernet networks. It is also the only interface that delivers full native support for the seven-layer protocol stack for IP network communications. In practical terms, this means that GigE-Vision supports solutions that go well beyond traditional point-to-point, camera-to-PC applications.

One new type of network element is a video receiver that displays GigE Vision video streams directly onto standard monitors, without the need for bulky, unreliable PCs. The vDisplayTM HDMI-Pro IP engine effectively shrinks the size, cost, and power consumption of real-time viewing stations in the operating room.

The vDisplay is available as an enclosed unit or an OEM board. Its compact size (enclosed unit is 81 mm × 59 mm × 40 mm) and fanless technology make it suitable for a surgical environment. In addition, because the vDisplay was specifically designed for high-performance applications like the operating room, it enables ultra-low latency image transmission, with exceptionally low jitter. When built directly into a monitor, images can be shown at higher resolutions than with standard DVI or HDMI connections, which is critical for differentiating features during surgical procedures.

This technology was done by Pleora Technologies, Ontario, Canada. For more information, Click Here .