Surgical Endoscope System
Specifications listed in a products catalog do not explain everything that users demand of surgical devices. For example, in the case of a surgical endoscope system, the device`s total ease of use - including portability, setup, surgical performance, and takedown - also are key functions. When designing such products, one of the challenges is to solve potential problems that doctors and nurses might even not have been aware of.
Two key requirements for the new video system center were an easy-to-understand design and consistency with previous devices. To ensure that video and light cables attached to the device did not get in the way, the cable connections were arranged on the left side of the device and the operating panel was located on the right. The overall color scheme is basically white to project a clean, hygienic image, but the operating panel features contrasting dark and white tones for clear visual recognition.
The liquid crystal screen is angled for easy visibility and operation, affording unobstructed sight lines even when viewed from above. Ease of maintenance is also important, so the corners were rounded to enable nurses to wipe the device easily and efficiently for sterilization.
A new approach was taken when considering the GUI`s design. Conventional systems incorporate a keyboard and switches on the front to enable operations to be performed while viewing the screen, but the new system features a touch panel and more intuitive operability. Designing focused on addressing three key problems: misleading operations, erroneous operations, and physical and mental burdens on the operator. While these problems may seem obvious, goals and priorities can become obscured during the complicated process of product development, so the Olympus designers made sure the GUI stayed true to the core concepts of their new surgical endoscope.
The consolidated design makes it easier to transport the system around hospitals, conserves space in operating rooms, and allows personnel to move more efficiently during operations. However, creating the design was not simply a matter of consolidation components anyway possible; it had to be perfected with great thought and care regarding two areas in particular: the hardware and the graphical user interface (GUI).
Endoscopy has the significant merit of eliminating the need for a large incision, so the recovery time after surgery is faster and the patient can be rehabilitated back into society quickly. However, the procedure requires advanced technical skills and great concentration.
To alleviate burdens on doctors, Olympus is constantly developing and enhancing its products through the use of advanced technologies. A good example is three-dimensional (3D) endoscopes, which enable doctors easily to grasp conditions inside human bodies by simply viewing images on a monitor. It is anticipated that medical procedures such as resecting diseased parts and sealing blood vessels will become increasingly easy to implement thanks these devices. Moreover, 4K-compatible high-resolution systems are making it possible to observe diseased parts in greater detail than with conventional high-definition systems. In addition, infrared-equipped systems now allow blood vessels, blood flow, etc. to be observed with greater clarity than with the naked eye.
Olympus also is incorporating proprietary narrow-band imaging (NBI) technology, which uses a unique light for the vivid display of capillaries and their patterns. NBI is expected to contribute to the earlier diagnosis of cancer and other diseases.
Olympus is also driving the advancement of medical devices through innovative designing based on direct involvement from the initial stage of development, which ensures that Olympus designers understand how to satisfy doctors and nurses with exceptionally easy-to-use devices.