Recording images from the operating room

Recording video files of procedures conducted in operating rooms has already become common in Western European countries. Most often, there are two video streams, one from a camera placed over the operating table (usually at the operating lamp), the other from the imaging device currently in use (endoscopy, laparoscopy, ultrasound, surgical microscope). The recorded files are treated as medical records for review in case any doubts arise about the procedures performed, as training material (with appropriate approvals), or for later control of the treatment process.

How medical recorders work

The recording is done in the recorder itself on an internal hard drive. In the next step, the files are transferred to the hospital's database and stored there, along with all other patient data or examinations. They are then available for review by attending physicians at the hospital's outpatient clinic, for medical consultations, or for training purposes. They can also be copied to an external device via a USB interface, such as: a hard drive or to more capacious devices such as: tape drives, NAS devices or RAID disk systems.

The image of the procedure being performed, can be made available in real time (live streaming) for ongoing consultation or as training material via hospital information networks (LAN).

The recorders record video files in 4K UHD (3840×2160) or FullHD (1920×1080) resolutions. Depending on the resolution and the size of the installed internal drive, this can be up to 175 hours of recording (4K). Files can be recorded with sound, as well as, at the doctor's request, images can be taken/saved in parallel.

Examples of video interfaces include: SDI, DP, HDMI (for 4K resolution), SDI, DVI, S-Video, Composite (BNC) (for FullHD resolution).

Patient data entry is accomplished by:

Touch panel built into the recorder

Starting/stopping recording, or taking a photo, is done by pressing a single key. Many recorders are equipped with a remote control or an additional pedal that acts as an on/off switch for a given action (recording, taking a photo).

We expect that also in Poland, soon, there will be a requirement to record video from the operating room with the analogous rigor of treating the files as medical records.