St. Elizabeth Medical Center Continues its Commitment
to Providing Leading HD Technology in the OR

"Taking advantage of advanced high-definition (HD) surgical images with the Sony UP-55MD/HD printer is one of the many ways St. Elizabeth Medical Center (Edgewood, KY) is maintaining a 140-year-old tradition that has placed it in the forefront of medical care in the Kentucky and Cincinnati areas since it was founded in 1861," says Ron Scroggins, RN, CMLSO, Resource Nurse for Clinical Technology for St. Elizabeth. The medical center was recently named one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals by Thompson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the quality of healthcare.

Incorporating Sony HD printing, along with state-of-the-art HD surgical visualization with the ConMed™ Linvatec digital endoscopic HD camera system, into its advanced HD video operating rooms (OR)s is part of its long-term commitment to leveraging leading edge technologies for the benefit of patient care. That tradition included use of diagnostic x-ray imaging in its infancy in 1903 and is clearly expressed today in the hospital's state-of-the-art HD video OR environment, complete with advanced endoscopes, surgical cameras and more.

An early adopter of HD technology, the 1000-bed plus, multi-site medical facility began updating its minimally invasive ORs from enhanced definition analog equipment to today's newest technologies. Currently, HD helps guide its skilled surgeons with greater precision than ever before in a wide range of laparoscopic and arthroscopic surgeries, from appendectomies and colon resections to hysterectomies and shoulder and knee procedures.

As part of the technology upgrade, the hospital's general, gynecological and orthopedic surgeons who use minimally invasive techniques benefited from the enhanced image quality of several state-of-the-art Sony UP-55MD/HD HD color video printers, which replaced their existing standard definition models. The Sony device accepts full 1080i and 720p HD signals, as well as SD input. The printer also accepts other HD signal formats such as 1080P when used with an optional signal converter device. Using advanced dye sublimation technology, it delivers 379 dpi prints with 16 million color graduations, helping surgeons capture the full power of high-resolution imaging in an end-to-end HD OR environment.

Extremely satisfied with the results, the hospital had purchased 12 Sony HD printers by mid-2009. Together, the Linvatec endoscopic HD camera system and Sony model UP-55MD/HD printer ensure that St. Elizabeth benefits from the full power of state-of-the-art HD technology and today's most advanced features throughout the imaging chain, from image acquisition to output. Additional Sony HD printers were integrated into mobile carts for flexible use in other areas of the hospital.

"The enhancement over SD technology in printing performance was significant," comments Scroggins. "The printed images look almost exactly as they do on our high-definition monitors. Anatomic details are much clearer. Print time is faster. And, using Sony's ImagePort Technology™, we can capture key images on a USB storage device automatically after they are printed."

Scroggins notes that, as is standard practice in many HD ORs, the printers are connected directly to endoscopic cameras with little capacity for intermediate image storage. As a result, the ability to capture hardcopy surgical images is limited by printing speed. "In the past, because we had to wait for current images to print before capturing new ones, we might have missed images surgeons would have liked to have recorded," he comments. "With the new Sony HD printers, images output in just 20 seconds per page-significantly faster than before-and the device enables up to eight images to be printed on a single sheet of paper. As a result, we are able to record more details of a surgery in hard copy."

According to Scoggins, this increased printing speed has the potential to impact the surgical procedure itself. "I can foresee a scenario where surgeons may need extremely detailed documentation of a case--for example, when they encounter an anatomic problem not apparent before the surgery. In that situation, the surgery might have to be altered to allow time to capture and print the appropriate images before progressing to the next step. With the new printer's ultra-fast speed, this would certainly be less of an issue."

The UP-55MD/HD provides a 16:9 aspect radio, compared to the previous 4:3 SD ratio. This wider field of view conveys enhanced special relationships within the image and allows doctors to pinpoint areas of interest through detailed capture of anatomical landmarks.

Along with advanced HD technology, the UP-55MD/HD boasts a range of leading edge and convenient operating features. Its innovative ImagePort Technology automates image transfer to a USB device for easy post-surgical importing to a PC to create reports and PowerPoint presentations. The device's print media ink, ribbon, and paper are easily replaced simply by opening a drawer and sliding new ones in place. "It's a piece of cake," says Scroggins.

Like most hospitals, St. Elizabeth uses hardcopy surgical images primarily for patient and clinician education, as well as case documentation. Improved image quality as well as a greater number of images for each case make an important difference in these applications. "Clear, easily understood visuals are important in explaining complex medical procedures to patients and their families," says Scroggins. "Also, residents rotate through here, in particular, for our family practice residency program, and photos are a crucial educational tool. The better the image, the more a future doctor learns."

"Additionally, we are extensively involved in nurse training," he notes. "After observing a procedure, nurses can take high-quality images back to their classrooms and say, 'this is what I saw today,' to share their experiences in detail with other students. Many of our doctors write articles for medical journals, and again, image quality as well as the ability to save images to a USB device for easy manipulation is extremely helpful."

HD printing can be a critical component in the HD imaging value chain. Clearly, the Sony UP55MD/HD printer together with the Con Med Linvatec endoscopic HD camera system plays an extremely important role in St. Elizabeth Medical Center's commitment to providing outstanding patient care.