Development of a Surgical Microscope with 4K 3D video technologies

Press Release

September 19, 2017
Sony Corporation
Sony Imaging Products & Solutions Inc.
Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc.
Olympus Corporation

Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. (President: Yoichi Tsusue; "Sony Olympus Medical Solutions"), a medical joint venture between Sony Imaging Products & Solutions Inc. (President: Shigeki Ishizuka; "Sony") and Olympus Corporation (President: Hiroyuki Sasa; "Olympus"), co-developed its surgical microscope system, incorporating 4K 3D video technology as well as high-definition and three-dimensional digital images to support precision surgery. Olympus Corporation announced the launch of this product.
The new surgical microscope ORBEYE will be launched in Japan and America in early October 2017 through the Olympus's sales channels.
The product co-developed by the three companies will be their next achievement following the release of their surgical endoscope system incorporating 4K technology in 2015.

For this product, Sony's technological advances in the field of 4K 3D imaging and miniaturization have been combined with Olympus's surgical expertise to develop a new product different from conventional surgical microscope systems, most of which have employed optical designs. The new surgical microscope system features the following:

  • 1. High-resolution 4K 3D digital images support precision surgery
  • 2. Use of a large 55-inch 4K 3D monitor contributes to a reduction of surgeon fatigue and facilitates team surgery
  • 3. Significant reduction in size (95% smaller in volume than the conventional model), leading to securing of a larger surgical space and shortened setup times

The key contributions to development of this product made by each company are shown below.

Sony Olympus Medical Solutions:

Sony Olympus Medical Solutions has brought together the core technologies of Sony and Olympus, and led fundamental R&D for the entire system including the lens, light source, and image sensor for image input, to as well as the monitor and recorder for image output.
Combining the 4K 3D video and miniaturization technologies of Sony with expertise of the surgical microscope business and medical device development in addition to the needs/techniques of the medical community of Olympus, Sony Olympus Medical Solutions has optimized its constituent elements and the video processing technology in 4K 3D surgical microscope systems.

Sony:

Sony has provided 4K 3D video and miniaturization technologies and expertise acquired through digital imaging technologies. The company has also developed 4K 3D monitors and recorders for medical use.
Various technologies accumulated by Sony Group have been incorporated into the product. For example, the 4K Exmor R® CMOS sensor, lens devices, optical/mirror tube design, image and signal processing technology, optical transmission technology, mechanisms design, and control technology are employed, contributing to the high-resolution 4K 3D transmission and display with low delay.

Olympus:

Olympus has provided their expertise in medical device development as well as knowledge of the medical community needs based on their experiences in the development and sales of surgical microscopes for extended periods of time. Using the core technologies such as arm mechanisms, balance technology, infra-red imaging*1, blue imaging*1, and NBI*1, Olympus has been engaged in new product design and manufacturing in total*2.
They have produced a new surgical microscope system which sets a new standard for microsurgery (surgery using a microscope). It will be sold through Olympus's sales channels, as an offering in Olympus's line of surgical products.

  • *1: Submission of FDA 510(k) application is being prepared in the US.
  • *2: It is manufactured and distributed by Olympus Medical Systems Corporation.

By combining the companies' technologies and expertise as well as taking maximum advantage of the resulting synergies, we will make a contribution to world medical progress.

The collaborations between Sony and Olympus - including those involving Sony Olympus Medical Solutions - will be branded with the logo "Innovation by Sony & Olympus".

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