NEC MD212MC Guida Informativa

details, display an adequate range of shades of gray and produce a uniformly bright

image. This

is especially critical for imaging modalities such as digital X-rays and

mammography, which require displays with native resolutions of 3-megapixels and 5-

megapixels, respectively. Beyond resolution specifications, medical displays also

incorporate superior electronics with longer-life components and features important to

image quality like the ability to calibrate to the DICOM curve, uniformity correction to

address issues inherent in every LCD panel and 12-bit gamma lookup tables for finely

detailed, accurate renderings of delicate shadings.

Overall, LCD display technology has improved in quality over recent years, and

resolutions and picture quality can appear to be good enough for diagnostic work on

many of the consumer-grade displays available at retail stores. However, the tradeoffs

are substantial and warrant scrutiny.

Part of the analysis includes return on investment (ROI), which is improved with medical-

grade displays, because typical product life is four times greater than that of COTS

(commercial off-the-shelf) displays.

Calibration also impacts ROI because medical-grade displays include integrated front

sensors and backlight sensors to automatically hold DICOM calibration steady over time.

All LCD backlights lose luminance over time, fading 5 percent over the first 100 hours and

10 to 15 percent over the first 1,000 hours.

Therefore, when displays are equipped with self-correcting sensors, the displays can

avoid frequent calibration at the expense of time and manpower. In addition, the ROI of

medical-grade displays is better due to longer warranties, which in some cases include

overnight replacement.

“Many radiology departments are now considering COTS displays for diagnostics due to

budgetary considerations,” said Stan Swiderski, Business Development Manager for

Professional/Specialty/Medical Displays at NEC Display Solutions. “But most COTS

displays will not pass muster for diagnostic reads, even if these displays look good on

first evaluation. Lesser-grade panels exhibit color shift at off-angle viewing, which can

impact interpretation. In addition, most diagnostic displays are used in portrait orientation,