Basingstoke, 8th October 2015 – 10am CET: Sony today announced it is bringing 4K technology to the medical industry, with two new 4K medical-grade monitors, the 31-inch (LMD-X310MD) and 55-inch (LMD-X550MD) models.

Sony also plans to unveil a line of 4K products designed to complement every step in the surgical imaging workflow. The new products, planned to be available over the next few ​ months, include a 4K medical grade recorder, 4K Video over IP converter and a 4K Content Management System.

“4K technology provides surgeons, physicians and medical teams with advanced visualisation during surgical procedures,” said John Herman, European Marketing Manager, Surgical at Sony Professional Solutions Europe. “This means a superior view of general anatomy and blood vessels, with virtually no pixilation, even during up-close viewing. This allows surgeons, clinicians and theatre staff to see in far more detail than possible with HD. This is vital for minimally invasive procedures, and provides more clarity for education and training.”

4K delivers four times the resolution of HD, resulting in enhanced clarity, higher contrast, and more accurate colour reproduction. The sharper, more detailed picture helps improve surgical vision, making it ideal for OR’s in hospitals, surgical centres, clinics, and other medical facilities.

Medical teams using 4K displays have the capability to simultaneously see a “quad-split” view of four Full HD images (1920x1080), from other sources, in addition to images from endoscopic camera systems. Surgeons can also zoom in on a 4K image without experiencing the pixilation normally associated with lower resolution technologies.

Sony’s development of a full line of 4K medical products will help create compatibility among visualisation technologies and other devices in the medical surgical imaging workflow. The increased bandwidth of 4K requires products that can properly display, distribute and store the larger 4K files.

Sony is committed to working with other medical industry companies to develop new products and accessories that complement the 4K imaging workflow, giving medical organisations more options in choosing the right 4K solution for their facilities.
​Extra detail when it counts in the OR with Sony’s New 4K Monitors

Sony has led the development of medical visualisation for more than 30 years and 4K is the next generation of imaging technology. Sony has the unique advantage of combining together 4K technology and expertise gained from the film and broadcast industry, where image quality is paramount with its expertise in 4K consumer products such as TV’s, and smartphones such as the new Xperia™ Z5 Premium to develop an industry leading 4K monitor suitable for medical environments.

Sony’s two new 4K medical monitors -- the 31-inch (LMD-X310MD) and 55-inch (LMD-X550MD) models – can display images from a surgical endoscopic camera system, or other medical imaging systems. These monitors allow for up-scaling of HD video to 4K. ​ Using the industry’s brightest LCD panel technology, the new 4K monitors feature a unique slender chassis, an edge-to-edge easy to clean splashproof glass protection screen, thin bezel and also OptiContrast panel™ technology to provide high contrast with minimal glare. Whereas conventional LCD panels have a layer of air between the liquid crystal display and protection screen, the OptiContrast panel™ fills this gap with resin, preventing the glare that would otherwise degrade the image contrast whilst also preventing condensation within the panel.

The monitors feature an extremely wide colour range, which results in higher contrast and more accurate colour reproduction. Both models offer Quad view picture display—so surgeons can see four Full HD (1920 x 1080) images at the same time. Users can select different display modes—Mirror Image, Side-by-Side, Picture-in-Picture, and Picture-out-Picture.

Both monitors incorporate image-enhancing technology unique to Sony called Advanced Image Multiple Enhancer (A.I.M.E.). This technology can accentuate both the colour and structure of the video image independently to provide enhanced real-time image analysis capabilities to the Surgeon’s preference.

The new LMD-X310MD and LMD-X550MD 4K medical monitors will be showcased for the first time in action at MEDICA in Düsseldorf from 16-19 November 2015 (Hall 10 / H57). For more information, visit www.pro.sony.eu/medical.