There’s no question that the increased clarity and anatomic detail of high definition images are major advantages during laparoscopy. So far we’ve used the Storz and Stryker systems and have been impressed with both. Recording the beautiful images they provide, however, remains a major remaining challenge. Although Storz and Stryker each offer their own capture systems, both fall short.

The AIDA is Storz’s touchscreen image and data recording unit, and although it can capture stills in high definition, video is downgraded to standard definition. As a result, most of the original detail is lost. The Stryker SDC Ultra, in contrast, can capture video in high definition, but since it records to DVD media the maximum recording time is about twenty minutes. And, unfortunately, you can’t just keep popping in blank DVDs, since the player needs about fifteen minutes to burn to disc after each recording session. Additionally, the SDC Ultra only captures signals at 1280×1024 pixels, which falls shorts of true high definition (1920×1080 pixels), and introduces lots of grainy artifact (see below image).

Oh, did we mention that both of these systems also cost over $20,000 each?

In our operating rooms we’ve been experimenting with some third-party solutions, but none so far has struck the right balance between performance, ease-of-use, and cost. As we’ve been using a TiVo to record House in high definition since it came on the air, we’re a little disappointed that in some respects the operating room hasn’t caught up to the technology in the living room. 

UPDATE: Sony has answered the call in a big way.