The cell chip in PS# is being used for military and medical research due to its unique computing structure -- read about why and how here http://docinthemachine.com/2008/02/08/ps3cell/

then we will fightin the shade

OC-- the major surgical endoscope companies are alomost all introducing HD systems. Past experience has been that the lower res systems are gradually replaced. As time passes moore's as with consumer video the price differential decreases (that is if the lower res chips and systems are even still produced). Leading centers are upgrading now. The time frame for the complete trickle down is uncertain especially outside of the USA. There are differences in resolution between systems however today even in the HD offerings.

I am the surgeon in the post who used the equipment. I can address many of the comments and questions above. First the timing of the introduction of HDTV to surgery. I performed the world's first HDTV laparoscopy in 2000. At that time it took me more than a YEAR of convincing to get a consumer compnay to adapt a cmera for medical use. The major issue initially was that the medical video market is a tiny dot of a fraction of the consumer video market. The major companies were all focused on developing HDTV for your living room and nor for the relatively small and highly regulated medical markets. in 2001 I broadcast HDTV surgery at a major medical conference and the majority of those in the audience polled with audience feedback system were amazed and wanted to use the system. Many of the above comments are correct. 1) In my subjective experience the use of HD for laparoscopy give s a much clearer picture and reduces fatigue and is much easier to work with. It allows the visualization of smaller detail and lesions. Direct clinical outcome improvement has not been proven yet not directly studied yet. The same transitions have been seen with every generation going back to low res single chip camera to today's systems. Every single resolution improvement has improved the surgery in my eyes but yes I "can" do it with a lower res system. I can watch TV in SD but I prefer HD. The same is true for the same reasons when I operate. These systems will likely replace SD systems over the years as every single resolution improvement has done to its earlier model. You don't use super 8 video any more and VHS camcorders are no longer being bought. Try to find regular VHS recorders or even a SVHS one in local stores. 2) economics- yes an issue. manufacturers will have to provide dramatic improvements in quality or no one will spend the money to upgrade. The pictures are very very different to my eyes! 3) the still photos- we did not have a HD still capture set up only the XDCAM HD system for National Geographic. To fit our recording needs to send the show to them we had to convert to 1080i on the recorded footage only. Good eyes! the photos are frame grabs from out converted video and far inferior to the live feed we saw.

This will be the first time surgery is broadcast in HD for the lay public- I am getting lots of comments that the "gross-out" factor is an all time high! I think the shots are beautiful but hey I am a surgeon.

Details of the systems are here
http://docinthemachine.com/2007/08/02/recordhd/

details of the recording set-up we used are here
http://docinthemachine.com/2007/08/02/recordhd/

this is a bit deceptive as jonothan says -- there is no jawbone (ie bone conduction ) technology here such as is used in the nextlink miltary and police modes- this uses standard DSP electronic noise reduction with a switch that tells it when you are speaking. real jawbones rely on sound conduction thru bone and are silent. need to check this out and see how well it works

While the surgeon can;t use a cell-phone in the O this charger tedchnology could be very important to allow many devices to "cut the cord" and step towards wireless tools.

more on this at
http://docinthemachine.com/2006/12/12/ortoolcharger

Thanks for the hattip to docinthemachine.com on this post-- A $300 Billion project is certainly a target for cuts but very few realize the enormous peace dividend of a project of this technologic magnitude. Please see my original post on this subject that engadget linked to-- here I discuss the incredibly significant multitude of immediate and vital medical surgical advances coming today from this project. It will open your eyes to what we surgeons do today with military hardware.

post at
http://docinthemachine.com/2006/12/08/army-axing-high-tech-soldier-of-tomorrow-medtech-losses-predicted/

This is yet another iteration of a biometic reader. It was not designed to be "better" than fingerprint- it is just different and therefore fills a litle niche. There is nothing whatsoever inherently moresecure than vein patterning- just that the pattern is harder to come by than a latent print left behind. A retinal scanner is similar. In the medical field the concept ofusing IR or near IR is catching on. HEre are some posts on the use of this technology and a video I took of an IR based vein display system on ny very live arm 9we milk the blook in and out of the veins)

infrared and vein scan video:
http://docinthemachine.com/2006/11/17/futuresurgery-alt-vis2/

medical concept of using non-standard visualization:http://docinthemachine.com/2006/11/17/futuresurgery-alternate-visualization-pt1/

This technology is 100% coming to a bodt cavity inside you. I just gave a plenary session lecture at the 35th international gyn endoscopy congress on just this very topic. Endoscopic surgery is on the verge of a radical paradigm shift where traditional scopes are replaced by remote self-contained devices. The pill-cam was step one. Military and NASA technology is right now being ported to medical uses and prototypes are being developed for many fields.

I will posting my lecture streaming and a podcast in the next week or so on my medical technology blog. I just put up a summary of part one a series on the future transformation of surgery. This part deals with the introduction of "alternate visualization" whch is the idea of a machine providing abilities and senses beyond that of simple human abilities. The robots will be posted next.

http://docinthemachine.com/2006/11/17/futuresurgery-alternate-visualization-pt1/

I have worked a lot with these displays in medical display development. From the first SONY glasstron which we used as a distraction device to the olympus eyetrek used in the OR etc etc. The current gen used in the OR is from vikingsystems and is based on the military kaiser electro-optics HMD. Once you use a real high res display you see how poor these toys work. The technology is developing so fast that we should see at least medical and then consumer hires lower cost displays within 3 years. I have seen so many prototypes. That is unless the retinal displays hit it first...