Synaptive Medical, a medical device and technology company specializing in Neurosurgery and other surrounding disciplines, looks to align themselves with companies and healthcare professionals with the same mission – to develop and implement technology that solves a healthcare team’s challenges and improves patient care. With this goal in mind, the company recently chose Sony’s LMD-X550MD 55-inch 4K medical monitors to pair with their Modus V robotic digital microscope to enhance depth and field of view for surgeons, while offering natural color reproduction and the ability to approach surgery from a comfortable and detailed “heads-up” perspective.
Brad Fernald, Synaptive’s Director of Product Management discussed why his company chose Sony’s 4K monitors to complement their digital system, paired with a flexible robotic arm. The system collects optical information and displays it on a monitor, allowing everyone in an operating room to have the same view that the surgeon does. The Modus V is also beneficial in medical education programs, allowing residents, fellows and trainees to be guided through the techniques and intricacies of a detailed surgery on a large screen, making it easier to understand and replicate.
“In the past, with traditional surgical microscopes, the surgeon would have to be attached to the microscope, moving their body along with the scope which limits the number and types of approaches used for surgery,” he said. “In contrast, the Modus V system offers a surgeon the ability to reposition the optics in a hands-free manner that allows for a very efficient workflow which results in enhanced visualization and more collaboration. We see the future of surgery as being a collaborative environment where everybody can see what the main surgeon sees. Using the Modus V with Sony’s high contrast monitors allows for the visualization of tissue and structures, and can help surgeons perform very complex and technically demanding procedures using smaller openings and less available light.”
Fernald noted that Synaptive chose Sony’s 55-inch 4K monitors “first and most importantly because they could most accurately reproduce the color and contrast of the tissue by providing the best combination of black levels, refresh rates and detailed 4K resolution.” He added, “We needed a very large display so that surgeons could feel immersed in the tissue. The size of the monitor also allows it to be viewed from several different positions in the operating room, which enables everyone in the room to have the same view.”
Another reason Synaptive chose to standardize the Modus V with Sony’s monitors is that they felt the two companies had a common approach, driven by understanding the needs of their joint customers and designing solutions to meet those requests. In order to develop the best tools for surgery, Synaptive works closely with not only other manufacturers, but surgeons worldwide. This allows the company to offer technology that provides the right information, at the right time, in a way that doesn’t disrupt surgeons’ workflow or ergonomics and allows for more complex, but less invasive procedures.
One of those surgeons who is helping develop and use Synaptive’s Modus V coupled with Sony’s 4K monitor is Dr. Mitesh Shah, MD, FAANS for Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, who also serves as a Professor of Neurological Surgery for Indiana University’s School of Medicine. “I am committed to patient care in my specialized field 24/7, 365 so I need to use products and solutions that are dependable and customized with a surgeon in mind,” said Dr. Shah. “This is why I interface with Synaptive regularly to develop systems and processes that reflect my experiences.”
For Dr. Shah, the largest components of surgery are feel and visualization. He explained, “Actually looking at tissue and being able to differentiate when a nerve is being compressed by a large tumor, or when a blood vessel is carrying oxygenated versus unoxygenated blood, paired with the use of haptics, or being able to know the tactile feel of a tumor, enhances your senses allowing you to be as accurate as possible.”
Dr. Shah agrees the best way to engage a surgeon and their team is through a more realistic view of the anatomy. He said, “I’m currently using the Modus V system in the O.R., and having that microscope with a camera that can actually manipulate the images allows me to look at different color palettes, contrast, and brightness, simultaneously. Those factors enable you to have a richer experience with what you’re looking at.”
Having a large monitor that allows everyone in the room to have the same view is also beneficial. Dr. Shah commented, “Being able to distinguish what normal tissue is or visualize contrast and colors in a vascular case like an Arterial Venous Malformation with greater clarity is key. Veins that are still being fed by arteries that are shunting blood are oxygenated and have a different color, and being able to see that crisper and cleaner, on a higher resolution monitor is extremely important. The quality of an image is fundamental for a surgeon because it gives him or her the confidence to move and work the case with a better flow.”
In addition to aiding from a visual perspective, using this Modus V solution provides better ergonomics. Dr. Shah noted, “With the right tools, I can conduct more sophisticated surgeries, more comfortably. Using a robotic arm and working off a monitor allows me to be in a very neutral, well-balanced position, which I can maintain for longer periods of time without fatigue. I’m less apt to be physically exhausted at the end of a long procedure, which is crucial because often towards the end of these long operations we come to the critical structures. If we’re physically fresh, I think we see a better outcome.”
He continued, “Using the Synaptive digital microscope and the Sony 4K monitor, it’s a night and day difference in terms of how ergonomic the flow in the O.R. is. The problem with traditional microscopes is that I was physically contorting myself into different configurations, or having to move the patient, which wasn’t comfortable or efficient. I’d come home from a long case with aches and pains, because I was in awkward positions, but didn’t really realize it at the time. Now I can rely on and trust the clarity and information provided by my current product line.”
As surgery becomes more advanced and precise, surgeons like Dr. Shah use the latest medical technology to instill a sense of confidence in their patients. With the help of robotics, minimally invasive surgeries can result in smaller incisions, which require shorter hospital stays and less recuperation time. While a patient may not know the tools that go into a surgical suite, you’d be hard pressed to find one who wouldn’t prefer a more careful and comfortable surgeon who has a more accurate and detailed picture of their anatomy.