Spotlight on Technology & Technique

Camera Brings High Definition Convenience

By Samantha Stahl, Assistant Editor

With demand for ophthalmic care on the rise, there is a growing need for precise teaching aids for residents and fellows. The ability to see a high level of detail in surgical footage is crucial in educational and conference presentations. Sony's PMW-10MD HD system contains a high definition video camera that records up to 280 minutes of video onto two 32 GB memory cards, which the manufacturer says will make it ideal for anyone performing procedures that will be viewed by an audience. And beyond its value to educators, the high level of detail gives any surgeon a better look at complicated cases.

Teaching with the Best

As the director of ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical Center, Stanley Chang, MD, is used to having a lot of observers in his operating room. He frequently has fellows and residents watching his procedures, soa quality surgical camera is a must. The device's 1,000 TV lines of horizontal resolution and 450% wide dynamic range do the trick. The PMW-10MD contains three half-inch sensors that deliver more than two million pixels each.

“The amazing high resolution from this system can avoid future complications both for the surgeon, and residents and fellows, by giving a better visualization and understanding of the surgical objectives,” he says. Dr. Chang, who uses the camera on every surgery, does primarily vitreoretinal procedures and combined phaco-vitrectomy cases.

“This camera improves the quality of teaching. Observers can see retinal details better than with any other video camera,” he says. The sensitivity of the camera and sharpness of the image are the most important features to him, and he appreciates being able to review the footage with fellows and residents and learn from it.

Attention to Detail

Dr. Chang uses a videographer who has a special adapter to adjust the camera settings during different parts of a case. Because phaco and IOL implantation require different camera settings than vitrectomy and panoramic viewing, it is convenient for some one else to adjust the focus, centration of the image and zoom to optimize images without distracting the surgeon.

He adds that the settings for sensitivity and iris are much different for cataracts, which require a large amount of available light, compared to membrane peeling, which needs low light levels from a source within the eye. “The camera is a very sensitive device and learning the appropriate settings is essential,” he says.

Compact in size, the PMW-10MD camera is designed for mounting above the operating table or directly onto a surgical microscope using optical adapters and optional lenses. The camera head and camera control unit are separated, so the components can be up to 62.6 feet apart. The memory cards, contained in the control unit, allow fast copying of footage over to IT-based devices, simplifying the review and editing process.

The built-in HD recorder features two modes — HQ mode with 1920 x 1080 resolution at 35Mb/s or SP mode with 1440 x 1080 resolution at 25MB/s — which also help improve the quality of footage to review. This high definition comes in handy, particularly with challenging cases, says Dr. Chang.

An image captured by the PMW-10MD during a vitrectomy and membrane peel for a macular pucker. COURTESY OF STANLEY CHANG, MD

For example, he had a case in which a retinal detachment was noted near the infusion cannula. After reviewing the HD video, he could see how the angle of cannula insertion was incorrect. Fortunately, he says, the outcome of the case was good.

Given the system's high sensitivity (F10) and 54 dB signal-to-noise ratio, Sony says the PMW-10MD makes it much easier to spot areas of concern when watching surgical footage — just the feature meticulous surgeons and educators need. OM

For more, visit http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-PMW10MD/