On one hand, Canon talks up the REALIiS WUX10 Mark IID and SX80 Mark IID -- handy names -- projectors' DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) simulation mode that promises to properly display grayscale images. On the other, it says that these projectors are not approved for diagnosis purposes. So, consider this pair of LCoS beamers as something for the medical students and interns out there who are mastering the interpretation of shadows in medical images. They'll probably pull duty for HT applications as well, but the medical affiliation won't come for free; for reference, the consumer grade and non-"Mark IID" badged WUX10 and SX800 models list at $13,000 and $2,500, respectively.

Eizo's known for doling out less-than-affordable LCD monitors, but this one just takes the crown (for now). Slated to dazzle in operating rooms everywhere this July, the RadiForce LS560W is a 56-inch behemoth of an LCD that boasts a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 (or darn close to native 4k x 2k). We're also told that the panel features a 176-degree field of view, a 1,200:1 contrast ratio and 450 nits of brightness. And to think -- we were beginning to wonder if all that 4k surgery footage would ever find a dedicated screen to run on.

If your doctor was getting up to speed on a new surgical procedure via video footage, you'd want that video to be in HD, right? Thanks to Dr. Diethrich, a co-owner of VAS Communications in Phoenix and also Medical Director at Arizona Heart Hospital, that's now a possibility -- VAS Communications recently rolled out its HD production truck, complete with its own 2.4-meter antenna for satellite uplink. Also onboard are a Panasonic HD video switcher and an Yamaha digital audio console for putting everything together. The "HDMD" is the first HD production truck in Arizona, so you just know that between medical telecasts it's been pressed into action for local news work.

Slowly but surely, AMIMON is establishing itself as a serious player in the wireless HD space. Right before our eyes, the outfit has announced that it's playing a major role in the world's first HD wireless display designed specifically for use in the operating room. Stryker Endoscopy's WiSe HDTV is embedded with AMIMON's WHDI technology, though few details beyond that are being disclosed. We've no idea if this is just the beginning of AMIMON's domination of the OR, but it's certainly a good start. Here's hoping we see some similar announcements in the consumer space at CES -- it's about time some of these wireless HD doodads stopped looking pretty and started shipping out.

And to think, just over a year ago we all thought 1080p surgery was the future. Recently, Steven F. Palter, MD of Gold Coast IVF in Syosset, NY teamed with RED and Sony in order to "film and project a surgery and microscopic images in 4K, which represents its first uses in medicine and biology." During the digital cinema presentation, the 1,600+ surgeons in attendance were able to view the procedure in nauseating detail, giving the crowd the ability to almost be right there inside the operating room from afar. Additionally, the session included a projection of the "largest high-definition 3D surgical images ever," which we can only imagine led to at least a few dozen fainting episodes.

[Image courtesy of Surgery Encyclopedia]

We know several doctors who come home to relax in front of some HD material, and Sony (no stranger to the medical field) has a slew of new and upgraded products to make sure that they get the same high-fidelity experience at work. The ImageCore HD Digital Capture System can put both still and video images at full 1920x1080 pixel resolution onto the hospital network for anyone to view. And wouldn't you know, Sony has a new 32-inch LMD-3250 HD LCD monitor to help out with just that. Of course, collaboration is a big deal among medical specialists, and HD videoconferencing between five sites can be done with the PCS-XG80; there's even the UP-55MD/HD video printer so everyone can get a hardcopy. Sure, there are other players in the HD medical space, but this kind of product range is pretty impressive.

Weak stomach? Yeah, you may want to utilize that scroll wheel over there and pass this one on by. TRUMPF Medical Systems has just introduced what it's calling the "world's first in-light high definition operating room camera," the TruVidia HD. Said device is designed to be "integrated into the central handle of the TRUMPF iLED surgical light," but it's also available on a separate arm for different applications. Captured images taken during procedures are stored conveniently on a USB flash drive for easy portability, but there's no mention of what hospitals are planning (or already have) to integrate a few of these into their wards.

[Via TechRadar, thanks sk]

Ruh roh. Seems you can't use the "it's good for my health" excuse to watch just one more hour of Sunrise Earth, as a recent study has shown that watching serene scenes on HDTV just doesn't have the same calming effect as does watching a similar scene in nature. The University of Washington-based study discovered that heart recovery rates in people exposed to minor stress were the same when viewing peaceful imagery on a plasma or starting directly at a blank wall. Yeah, a blank wall. It was also noted that heart rates dropped more quickly when these same folks viewed a calming scene through a window, suggesting that technology may not be ready to replace reality just yet in this particular case. We just have to wonder if they were using true HD signals on the display -- nothing gets our heart racing like a bad episode of Pool Watchers in SD.

[Thanks, Ben]

Time to bust open the memory vault. Aw, don't kvetch too much, we're only talkin' last month. Toshiba Imaging's diminutive IK-HD1 3CCD HDTV camera, which was showcased at NAB Show 2008, has found its way into Olympus' new Synergy-HD Microscope Imaging System. The two have partnered up in order to deliver a clinical microscope for pathology and teaching that transmits 1,920 x 1,080 resolution imagery onto a bundled 42- or 47-inch 1080p LCD monitor. Folks interested in the system can also snag an additional PC with an HD-SDI frame grabber for showing off captures in front of a group -- and making everyone in attendance unquestionably nauseous.

Although we're sure clever consumers could put a 20.8-inch QXGA (2,048 x 1,536) display to good use, LG.Philips' latest is aimed squarely at the medical market. Deemed the "highest resolution panel of its size," this unit also touts a 600 candela brightness and In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology that enables doctors, nurses and curious onlookers to see imagery in exceptional detail. The panel isn't set to enter mass production until the first half of next year, but those hanging out at FPD International in Japan can reportedly catch it on display right now.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

High-definition capture and monitoring equipment has long been available for medical uses, but for whatever reason, widespread use has yet to catch on. Now, however, you people will be able to um, partake, in viewing the "first HDTV surgery ever broadcast" as National Geographic HD airs a special presentation of the 1080p system in action. According to a doctor that actually got to experience the technology first-hand, the KSEA HDTV Surgical System provides a widescreen, Full HD look at what's going on within, employs a 3CCD camera with an acquisition resolution of 1,920 x 1,080, and outputs an image that is progressively scanned and displayed at 60 full frames-per-second. We'd recommend you tune in to the aforementioned show on September 16th if the channel is available in your neck of the woods, but you may want to click on and see a few stills of the KSEA in action before subjecting yourself (read: your weak stomach) to the real deal.

[Thanks, Dr. Steven P.]

If you make ends meet by checking out digital X-rays each day, or you just suffer from an awkward obsession with watching 16:9 material in a vertical orientation, Sharp is offering up a duo of LCDs specifically for you. Taking its highly-regarded PN-655U and PN-655UP and designing them for portrait mode use, the 65-inch PN-655RU / PN-655RUP displays both feature 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, cold-cathode fluorescent backlight, 170-degree viewing angle, 400 cd/m2 brightness, dual 10-watt speaker terminals, a sleek, all black frame, and weigh in at a whopping 145.5-pounds. Although both displays are designed for the "rugged" hospital wall, the PN-655RUP adds a protective acrylic overlay for an additional layer of protection. Of course, owning a high-end display that looks more like a mirror and less like a TV demands quite a premium, as the PN-655RU will set you back about a Mercedes C230 $29,995, while the PN-655RUP demands an even more shocking $32,995.

We'll admit, we too noticed the stark irony in Sony -- the firm at least somewhat responsible for recalling millions of potentially harmful batteries -- releasing a gizmo to benefit the medical field, but regardless, we can't deny the impressiveness of the PDW-70MD XDCAM HD recorder. While we caught wind of this thing awhile back, it's now getting official with a full list of specs and a hefty pricetag to boot. Taking high definition recording to a field that can genuinely benefit from more detailed captures, the device can "record and store up to two hours of MPEG2 video on a 23GB PFD-23 XDCAM disc" (wasn't this another failed attempt by Sony's proprietary format department?), which is sealed to help prevent scratches and "preserve data with minimal degradation for more than 50 years." Doctors can store HD video of medical procedures in crisp 1,440 x 1,080 resolution, view colored thumbnails of the footage on the 3.5-inch LCD monitor, and control the action with the bevy of front-mounted controls. Of course, the two biggest factors that prove the PDW-70MD is tailored for medical use is the inability to use a recordable format that the general public can acquire (and afford), and moreover, the $14,995 pricetag that only cash-generating hospitals are likely to glance over.

[Via MedGadget]

Lest we forget, Sony does more than just Blu-ray and SXRD. At the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress in Chicago it's showing off a collection of HD monitors and video equipment to make sure that when students go over your "minor surgery" gone horribly wrong, it is all recorded in crisp 1080i. Sony plans to show off the LMD-2140MD monitor shown here and its first XDCAM HD medical-grade 1080i video recorder, the PDW-70MD, with the IPELA videoconferencing platform to demonstrate high definition video streaming over IP. Some may question the need for high-def in medicine but we see this as an extremely necessary tool for training. Next time you make a trip out of the country for cheap surgery, make sure your fly by night quack surgeon earned his internet degree training in HD.