【轉貼】Sony, Olympus unveil 4K endoscopy system

Source: http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/ ... 4K-endoscopy-system

TOKYO -- Sony Olympus Medical Solutions plans to release the world's first 4K ultrahigh resolution surgical endoscopy system equipped with high-speed autofocus in early October.

   SOMED, a joint venture between electronics giant Sony and optical equipment maker Olympus, announced the planned release of the Visera 4K UHD on Wednesday. The new system, the first product from SOMED, is priced at about 17 million yen ($139,802) and will be sold through Olympus' sales channels.

All the ingredients

Sony and Olympus formed a capital and business alliance in September 2012 and established SOMED in April 2013. Sony holds a 51% stake in the venture, and Olympus owns the remainder.

   Sony's major contribution to the Visera project was its image processing and transmission technologies, honed through years of developing video cameras, TVs and broadcasting equipment.

   Olympus, meanwhile, provided its cutting-edge technology in digestive endoscopy. The company also consulted with doctors and handled issues related to medical law.

   "It's rare for a company to have all the components -- from the illuminant to the image sensor to the monitor -- for an entire 4K image system," SOMED President Toru Katsumoto said at a press conference the same day.

   Endoscopic surgery places less of a physical burden on patients than abdominal operations do. In the U.S., the number of endoscopic operations performed in 2014 was more than double what it was in 2006.

   Olympus controls only 20% of the global surgical endoscope market, but it hopes the Visera will help raise that ratio to 30% by 2020. "We will make 4K endoscopes the de facto standard in surgeries," said Akihiro Taguchi, senior executive managing officer of Olympus.