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On display
For
diagnostic displays, image quality, reliability, ease of use and simple
maintenance are all essential characteristics. Reliable performance and
high image quality contribute to confident diagnosis, whilst ease of
use and maintenance increase the running efficiency, installation and
operations of the technology.
by
Reinhard Bräuer, Laurence Paget and Walter Kupper
Reliability
and image quality of displays can influence diagnosis markedly. There
are some important features that are beneficial:
- Precision factory calibration.
High-precision factory calibration of monitors to a display function
like CIE or DICOM Part 14 presents grey levels suited to the
sensitivity of the human eye. Siemens only delivers factory-calibrated
displays.
- In-plane switching
(IPS) technology.
In-plane switching (IPS) technology, which is used in all Siemens
displays, is the only LCD technology that meets the diagnostic
requirements for a wide viewing angle. The display function does not
change its shape even up to a 45° angled point of view.
- Fast response time.
This is important for many applications, such as ultrasound and
endoscopy. Fast pixel switching supports use of flat panel displays for
motion studies. Siemens displays – for example its new 1MP colour
displays – fulfil those requirements.
-
Blue tinted backlight.
Under interior light conditions, the eye is more sensitive to the kind
of bluish colour temperature that can be achieved with a blue tinted
backlight. This allows optimisation of both spatial and contrast
resolution. Eye fatigue is also reduced.
-
Long backlight lifetime.
Siemens displays are known for the use of Planon backlight technology.
Planon backlights provide a constant brightness even after three to
five years, which is three times longer than standard backlight
technology such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL).
- Better backlight uniformity.
Planon backlights maintain better spatial uniformity than common CCFL
backlights. As CCFL backlights age, the fluorescent lamps lose
brightness, especially at the edges. The Planon design is not subject
to this limitation.
A display’s
ease of use is important as it improves day-to-day efficiency and
simplicity of installation. Ways of simplifying the process include:
- Integrated correction tables.
Siemens displays are plug and play, ready for use and require no new
calibration on site, since the displays are factory calibrated with
optimised display functions.
- Hot
swapping.
Easy replacement of graphics boards and workstations makes the process
much quicker. No new calibration is required when the workstation or
graphic board is replaced. All the display settings, including the
calibration, are stored within the display.
- Support
for latest technology.
It is possible to choose the graphic board best adapted to your
application, as Siemens displays are can support a wide range. If you
are unsure of your choice of graphics board, Siemens Display
Technologies offers a complete range of graphics board options
optimised for a wide variety of applications.
- Five
unique correction tables.
The displays are integrated within the display electronics; choose a
correction table optimised for your ambient lighting without performing
a new calibration. If your ambient lighting changes, you can easily
select an appropriate correction table for the new ambient condition.
- Calculated display function. You
can choose or develop your own custom display function, with or without
any additional luminance measurements.
- Easy
installation
. No external power supply and only one cable to the workstation for
video signal and service interface (DDC and DVI in one cable) make for
simple installation.
- Quick start.
Siemens displays are ready to use on power-up. The Planon backlight
reaches its stable brightness state in less than five microseconds. You
do not have to wait 20 minutes or more (for CCFL backlight) to have
your display ready for diagnostic use. Planon’s quick start capability
allows you to use the operating system’s power-saving modes, which will
increase the life of your display.
SMfit ACT Remote interface is a quick and easy way to check for
hospital-wide picture quality
Simple
maintenance will save time and money, reducing the need for
replacement. Some of the ways in which maintenance can be made easier
include:
- Backlight
stabilisation. This isimplemented
in all Siemens displays, ensuring the stability of the display
correction table by permanently stabilising and controlling the
backlight brightness.
- Backlight
sensor.
The built-in backlight sensor, which is used for stability checks of
the brightness, allows you to establish your own quality assurance plan
without the need for service.
-
SMfit ACT Basics. This free-of-charge software allows
easy adjustment of the display parameters and track display stability.
- SMfit calibration
. This makes it easy to recalibrate a display that fails a conformance
check. This simple procedure can be performed by the end user and does
not require a service call.
-
SMfit ACT Remote.
Part of the SMfit ACT quality software from Siemens, this allows remote
access and remote conformance checks using the display’s internal
sensors. The quality control over the installed network of an unlimited
number of workstations is completely automated. An automated message
notification is delivered if problems occur, outlining where the
problem is and what is needed, which in turn simplifies and minimises
service intervention.
- Display
stability.
The display is much more stable over time than with a CCFL backlight.
Trust your system. Better parameter stability means fewer requirements
for service, and in combination with a longer lifetime, dramatically
reduces the total cost of ownership for displays.
Siemens
Display Technologies concentrates its efforts on providing displays
that guarantee the highest performance, combined with the lowest cost
of ownership. The features described above underline the benefits of
such a display.
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