HD Displays Show Crystal-Clear Image

When looking at printed pictures, few people spare much thought to the paper they are printed on. When it comes to screens, they are probably a little more aware that quality varies. But when it comes to diagnostic medical images, the quality of the visual display may be a matter of life and death. At the European Congress of Radiology, Planar Systems, providers of flat panel display hard- and software solutions, demonstrated two striking new displays which they are introducing into Europe.The Dome EX line includes the first 4-megapixel medically certified colour display for healthcare. Made of medical-grade glass, these displays are designed for use in areas like cardiology, dermatology, radiology, nuclear medicine, PET/CT. They are also used for point-of-care and patient monitoring devices as well as diagnostic imaging. The E4c has a wide-screen format that simplifies comparison studies by cutting out the image split associated with dual-head monitors and providing more screen space for multiple images. All the displays in the EX line the Dome E4c, the E2c and the E3c enhance visualisation by the use of various colour modalities, 2D colour imaging, image fusion and 3D imaging.The Dome EX greyscale displays come in 2-, 3-, and 5-megapixel resolutions. All feature automatic DICOM calibration, and more than 3,061 distinct shades of grey. In practical terms this means faster and smoother image rotation, higher brightness and contrast ratios with more vivid images and improved detection. These performance characteristics make the displays suitable for the most demanding diagnostic applications. The Dome EX line is fully compatible with a Dome Dashboard console that enables PACS administrators and IT managers to manage, control, and report the imaging displays centrally.Planar also introduced a new generation of stereoscopic displays the SD1710 Stereo Monitor. The patented StereoMirror technology uses simple polarizing spectacles to produce stunning 3D images that may be manoeuvred, rotated, reduced and expanded to facilitate analysis of the image. Stereoscopic digital mammography has been found to improve the detection and classification of breast cancer lesions significantly. Mammography can be one of the most difficult radiographic exams to interpret because subtle lesions may be masked by the superimposition of normal breast tissue and therefore remain undetected. Even when a lesion is confirmed on orthogonal views, determining its 3-D shape and characteristics from such images can be difficult, particularly for clusters of micro-calcifications. The potential value of a 3-D image to be manipulated is therefore clear (Getty D, et al, Stereoscopic digital mammography: improving detection and diagnosis of breast cancer, Elsevier International Congress Series, 1230 (2001) 538-544). The SD1710 is very simple for an image with such a dramatic appearance. It runs on off-the-shelf graphics cards and is just plug-in-and-play with most open architecture applications that support stereo.Planar also introduced a 3viseon SD1710 stereoscopic workstation as part of a joint development effort with 3mensio. This turnkey solution has been designed for both viewing and advanced 3D manipulations of medical images and can be used both inside and outside the radiology department. The 3D software, combined with the SD1710 using StereoMirror technology, provides a better discernment of depth and relative position in the medical images. By adding dimension, healthcare professionals can be better prepared for surgical procedures based on pre- or post-operative CT or MRimage data.