Audio Visual Operating Room
The ideal solution for providing training, simulation or transmission of medical work (operations, therapeutic sessions, etc.) in hospitals, doctors, nursing staff, health professionals and in general the field of medical education and health care. The Audio Visual Operating Room, an operating room installation implemented at the Athens Naval Hospital, enables audio-visual interconnection and communication between hospital rooms on different floors. In particular, image and sound are transferred from the surgery room to the meeting room.
Only sound is carried from the conference room to the operating room. In addition, there is the possibility to use the overall image and sound of the session as input for teleconference software, such as e.g. Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, etc.
Real Time Interface
The exchange of information between the two rooms in real time is also important, something that would be impossible to happen, due to the seriousness of the medical procedures, but also the limited space, which does not allow a large number of people to be present.
Storage of audio-visual material
It is also possible to save the image and sound of the session to an external memory card for later use. The purpose of the installation is to enable the monitoring of the medical procedure, for educational or other reasons, by any interested party (student, specialist doctor, visiting doctor) but also the subsequent study of the recording, to improve the final result.
Operating room equipment
In the surgery room, a PTZ camera was placed on the ceiling, which receives an overall image of the medical procedures, as well as a headset for the communication between the doctors and the conference room.
From the vestibule of the operating room, it is possible to operate the camera that records the medical operations, and the following signals are transferred: image (NDI), sound (dante) and the output of a computer containing medical-imaging software. All signals are transmitted via a fiber optic network to the meeting room area.
The operator of the equipment in the vestibule has the possibility, through an image controller (multiviewer), which is connected to a monitor, to choose the output of the image and therefore what will be sent to the meeting room area. That is, if the operation being performed will be shown on the entire screen, if only the imaging program will be shown, or if the two screens will be juxtaposed at the same time.
Analytically:
- PTZ camera that receives images from medical procedures
- Network switch that receives a signal from an optical fiber and supplies the devices
- Interfaces for converting audio into a network signal and vice versa
- Recorder for saving sessions on external memory cards
- Device for converting the camera signal to NDI
- PTZ camera control panel
- Device to convert the video output to USB for recording on a computer
- Multiviewer monitoring monitor
- Multiviewer control, control device
Conference room equipment
On the side of the meeting room, there is the possibility of audio communication with the surgery room. A microphone is available in the center of the conference table, through which participants can converse with the doctors performing the operation, and a speaker enables bystanders to hear the doctors respectively.
Both devices use Dante protocol to transport the audio signal over a network. There is still equipment to receive the image via NDI and convert it to HDMI, to feed a 70-inch TV.
Analytically:
- Network switch that receives a signal from the optical fiber and supplies the devices that need network and power
- Interfaces that convert audio to a network signal and vice versa
- Device that converts the NDI signal to HDMI
Training & Support
Although the logic of the implementation is simple (the power supply is activated and all the devices "communicate" automatically with each other, since they are set beforehand) training was carried out for the hospital staff who will operate the equipment.
A detailed explanation of the functionality of the devices and their management by the users was given, and user instructions were delivered in digital format. The system is supported by Comart's technical department.
Comart
Comart is Authorized Reseller by Blackmagic Design, Lumens, Lacie, Adobe, Multicam, etc. and has long-term experience and a specialized sales and support department as well as high expertise in audio-visual facilities covering trainings, events, conferences, video, post and broadcast.