Sony Releases Medical Grade Monitor

Electronics giant Sony has announced what it’s calling the “world’s first medical-grade monitor based on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology.” The 25-inch model is called the PVM-2551MD, and was recently granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance. The monitor is said to provide true-to-life color reproduction, high resolution, and virtually no motion blur.

Sony Medical Systems Division General Manager George Santanello said that the “Sony OLED monitor will enhance surgical viewing in the United States.” He went on to say that many of Sony’s resellers have expressed excitement about the product, and that the company is looking forward to getting the monitor “into operating rooms across the country.”

According to Sony, the majority of surgeons both inside and outside the United States who evaluated the monitors reported they prefer Sony’s technology to other on the market. They noted the stability of color imaging and high quality contrast, making it ideal for applications such as endoscopy, arthroscopy, laparoscopy, thoracoscopy, as well as general surgery procedures.

Sony’s OLED technology is already used in a range of commercial applications such as critical reference monitoring for video production, with more than 10,000 units delivered worldwide. Now the company expects to see the same rapid adoption by the medical industry.

The OLED screen differs from liquid crystal display (LCD), the common TV screen now present in most living rooms, in that it can display quick motion with significantly reduced blur. The monitor also incorporates Sony’s Trimaster EL (EL standing for electroluminescence) technology, which enhances black pigmentation. Sony claims that its capability for representing pure black will make it easier for surgeons to observe very subtle details such as the faint color difference between various tissues and blood vessels. The company hopes this will translate to quicker, more confident decision making for surgeons, ultimately benefiting patients.

The monitor is also self luminous—emitting no black when displaying images and displaying a high level of contrast. It also has 10-bit signal processing and is slim, lightweight and energy efficient.

The Sony Medical Systems Division is based in Park Ridge, N.J., while Sony Electronics’ U.S. headquarters are in New York, N.Y.