Sony and Polecam collaborate to improve training of surgeons

The new Medcam product is designed for use in parallel with the original Polecam system, which has already proved popular in both medical and broadcast television applications. Medcam and Polecam together create a cost-effective picture acquisition tool to provide both live and recorded coverage of operational procedures. Such images can be used in training, and for public promotion of individuals, procedures, facilities and medical equipment.

Polecam itself is a lightweight, portable jib-arm/camera system with a reach of up to 6m. It packs away into two carrying bags and can be rigged and de-rigged in minutes with no special set-up tools. It allows smooth, floating crane shots with fast relocation. A unique elbow section can be used to surmount obstacles; combined with a small-profile pan-and-tilt head, it allows the operator to place the camera where other cranes cannot go. It has already been used in a diverse range of productions in the broadcast and film environments: these include UK soap-opera Hollyoaks, David Letterman’s late-night TV chat show, coverage of NHL ice hockey, US sports car racing and under-water wildlife documentaries.

The new Medcam adaptation uses the FCB-S3000P to add high-quality close-up work to Polecam’s capabilities. The camera’s three-chip system is used to produce high-quality pictures at a 16:9 aspect ratio. Each device is a 1/4.7 -type HAD™ CCD sensor with a total of 1,070,000 pixels, providing precise colour reproduction and high resolution. HAD technology confers low noise, even in low light conditions: signal-to-noise ratio is more than 50dB and the camera requires minimum illumination of 15lux. In keeping with the requirements of the Medcam application, the camera measures just 72(w) x 67(h) x 105.5mm, and weighs only 350g.