CHICAGO (RSNA Booth #2571) Nov. 25, 2007 -- Sony is ushering in a new era of medical collaboration and interactive learning in radiology applications at the Radiological Society of North America meeting this week, introducing the IPELA® IP-based high-definition (HD) video communications system.

The IPELA system delivers superb HD resolution, clarity and detail for live conferencing among multiple healthcare institutions.  By facilitating a real-time dialog among radiologists and other medical experts, wherever they are located, the system will enhance collaboration and enrich the physician learning process.

               “Radiology is not an isolated specialty,” says Khan Siddiqui, MD, chief of imaging informatics and cardiac CT MR for the Baltimore VA Medical Center and chairman of IT informatics initiatives for the American College of Radiology.  “Having information from clinicians, surgery and pathology, and actually observing patients themselves, you can tap into medical expertise and cases a continent away.”

               The Sony IPELA PCS-HG90 system delivers high-quality video in 1280x720, 60P/30P resolution. It delivers HD video and stereo audio through existing IP network infrastructures for a fraction of the cost of traditional satellite-based conferencing.  It combines the Sony model IPELA PCS-HG90 communications hub and PCS-HG90 pan-tilt-zoom camera to deliver video at three times the resolution of standard images for ground-breaking immediacy and heightened realism.

               Plans are underway to install the system at the University of Maryland and VA Maryland Health System through the innovative “Conference Room of the Future” project spearheaded by GE Healthcare.  The project will bring together a range of technologies to create a multi-dimensional, interactive conference environment that can span the globe, and help to pioneer a new paradigm in inter-disciplinary, cross-enterprise patient care and physician education.

                “Sony was selected for the Conference Room of the Future because of its world-class video technology and commitment to the medical market,” according said Mark Morita, marketing manager for GE Healthcare.

                At RSNA 2007, meeting-goers will have an opportunity to view key technologies to be featured in the Maryland project, including the Sony HD system, at a similar installation at the GE Healthcare booth 1729.

According to Dr. Siddiqui, who played a key role in the Conference Room project, collaborative technologies have always been extremely important in the practice of medicine.  “Today, by enabling communication on a face-to-face level, Sony video conferencing can make a major positive difference,” he said.

               The IPELA HD system captures the fine details of diagnostic images and anatomical structures, including subtle variations in form and color that can enhance the sharing of expertise.  “In radiology, standard video typically does not provide the definition required to visualize details adequately for meaningful discussion,” said Dr. Siddiqui.  “HD is extremely crucial when looking at high resolution images and correlating these with pathology slides and surgical information.”

According to Morita, “Today, medical teaching situations often involve static slide presentations.  Sony’s interactive conferencing can engage participants and support deeper learning and retention.”