| How often do Totoku monitors need to be re-calibrated? |
| Theoretically, the monitors do not require re-calibration. The calibration procedure makes two adjustments. First, it sets all shades of gray to the DICOM standard that is built into the lookup tables of the monitor and stores this information in the memory. Second, it also adjusts the brightness to 410 cd/m2. This does not change because a built-in sensor increases the power to the backlight and maintains a constant light output. This is called automatic brightness control (ABC). The only way to disrupt the calibration is to change the monitor settings to “manual” and use the on-screen display (OSD) function. |
| What are the differences between the medical grade monitors and the PC grade monitors? |
The main differences are:
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Commercial monitors must be continually calibrated because they lack the automatic brightness control feature and begin to dim upon installation. These monitors must be re-calibrated as often as once a week. By contrast, medical grade monitors require no additional calibration. Further, since commercial grade monitors cannot be calibrated, no two monitors will look exactly the same.
- Due to patient safety regulations, commercial monitors cannot be placed within ten feet of a patient. An unannounced
FDA audit and infraction of this regulation can result in a fine of $100,000 per unit.
- Commercial grade monitors frequently have dead or missing pixels that can result in the absence of critical image data.
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| What does Auto-Calibration mean? |
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Auto-Calibration means there is a sensor on the front of the panel in the lower right corner which measures the luminance of the backlight.
Totoku monitors have a built-in sensor which controls the brightness of the backlight.
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| Can the brightness be adjusted? |
| Yes. The brightness can be set to higher or lower levels by using the calibration tool. It can also be manually
changed by going to the on-screen display function and altering the settings. |
| Who manufactures the “panel” or “glass” of the flat panel displays? |
| IDT/IBM (see: www.idtech.co.jp) manufactures the panel for the 1.3M and 3M color displays and the 1.3M, 3M and 5M monochrome displays. Sharp manufactures the 2M monochrome and the 2M color panels. NEC manufactures the panels for the new hi-brite 2M color and monochrome displays. |
| What is the screen type? |
| Active-matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) |
| What operating system is compatible with the different size flat panels? |
| Windows 2000 is compatible with all of our monitors. The 1.3M and 2M displays also work with Unix although the 2M display must be initially calibrated with Windows. All monitors can also be used with Linux. |
| How much heat does a flat panel emit? |
| Unlike CRTs, flat panel displays do not emit any heat other than what is produced by internal electronic components.
This is approximately 5 degrees warmer than room temperature. CRTs can increase ambient temperature by as much as 30 degrees and often require hospitals to invest in room cooling equipment |
| What is the normal replacement cycle for the flat panels? |
| 30,000 hours or 3.4 years if in constant use. The new 2M panels have a life of 50,000 hours or more. |
| Are the flat panel screens glare resistant? |
| All our displays come with an anti-glare and anti-static coating. |
