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Perhaps the most common misunderstanding that clinical customers have about HD monitors involves the classification "medical
grade," says Mr. Pinkney. Medical grade has nothing to do with the
quality of a displayed image (indeed, there is no specific imaging standard for medical applications). What it means is that the monitor is
suitable for use within a sterile field. It's met certain electrical safety
standards, includes no cooling fans or vents that could scatter contaminant particles, and can be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected
between cases.
The medical grade distinction can also influence where you'll buy
your ORs' HD monitors and even how much you'll spend on them,
says Mr. Pinkney. Video displays on towers, carts or booms inside the
surgical field must be medical grade and, as a result, must be purchased from a medical equipment manufacturer. "But wall-mounted
displays or those stationed outside the OR for the scheduling nurse
can be standard, off-the-shelf products," he says, and can be purchased
through an electronics dealer, big box store or whichever retailer
offers the best price.
The physical size of the wall-mounted monitors you purchase will be
limited only by the available space on your OR walls. With regard to
your medical-grade displays, though, less is more, or at least more manageable. "In the surgical field, you've got 19-inch to 50-inch screens
available, but if you're only planning to display 1 image at a time on it,
don't go larger than 23 to 26 inches," says Mr. Pinkney. "You'll be close
N O V E M B E R 2012 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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