The Implementation of IRTUS and Develoments for MATTUS

Alistair Holdoway, Video South

Initially three sites are being equipped. Radiology labs in The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee and Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow will all have similar facilities. Each of these hospitals already have automated audio visual networks installed by Video South to allow day to day demonstration of surgery, endoscopy or radiology to local seminar rooms and lecture theatres. In the radiology labs the equipping includes ceiling-mounted articulated arms with cameras on them to provide very flexible positioning around the patient or to demonstrate instrumentation.

The cameras have 12:1 zoom lenses and can be remote controlled on the camera mount, at the system control point (teleconference trolley or wall box in the room) or by a remote at the table in a sterile bag. This camera can give wide views for orientation but can also be pulled in (the mount has sterile handle covers) for ultra close up with the zoom lens. The unit can be operated entirely by the staff usually at the procedure. As well as this camera, some rooms have an orientating view always available from a camera mounted high on a wall. The x-ray image is taken as a video scan-converted output which can be transmitted on the network and mixed (as picture-in-picture) with the camera images. Each room also has ports for up to four other video images. These can be used for mobile equipment, camcorders, ultrasound, etc, when required. The audience can then select any two of these views for simultaneous display (as PIP) on a large screen projector in the remote seminar room. The audience moderator is able to select the views by easy touch panel control of the switch in the radiology lab. He can also control the picture-in- picture set up as the demonstration proceeds. Thus preview monitors are provided in the lab so that those conducting the demonstration can see which images are being selected by the audience. This remote control all operates across the MATTUS dial-up network and so the audience in Glasgow can have a teaching session fully controlled by their own moderator of a presentation from Dundee and without extra technical staff or presenting a burden to the demonstrating team.

The local and national network operates with full open channel two-way sound as well as an intercom system for making arrangements and for private conversations.

In Ninewells the system is also equipped with the very latest technology to transmit the full quality x-ray image directly to a data projector in the seminar room. For the first time, radiologists can teach to a large audience in a remote room knowing that the quality on the large screen is exactly the same specification in resolution and greyscale as the screens in the lab.

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