Two new paediatric operating theatres at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital feature the latest integrated theatre system from KARL STORZ ENDOSCOPY, the OR1 NEO.
The laparoscopic theatres form part of the development of the new Chelsea Children’s Hospital at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, which has been designed to provide world-class children’s services following the hospital’s designation as the lead centre for specialist paediatric and neonatal surgery in North West London.
The surgeons’ choice for such a highly specialised theatre, the entire design encapsulates what a 21st century operating theatre should look like, combining the aesthetic with safety, practicality and unparalleled functionality, and creating an environment where surgery of the highest standard can be carried out. A vital element of the OR1 NEO is that it takes integration to a new level, bringing control of virtually all connected devices to both the sterile field and nurses’ workstation, creating the safest possible environment for staff and patients.
Every element of the Karl Storz OR1 NEO theatre is designed to ensure optimum efficiency, safety and ease of use – its advanced design means it is head and shoulders above anything else on the market, both in performance and style. Its most immediately noticeable feature is the equipment mounting solution which ensures all the laparoscopic surgical equipment is off the ground and can be articulated around the operating zone, so eliminating cable trail and creating a safer, more ergonomic, environment. It also features fully adjustable coloured room lighting, allowing enhanced contrast of endoscopic images and the reduction of background glare and flicker to reduce eye strain.
Each theatre has three HDTV surgical viewing monitors, boom-mounted and positioned around the sterile field for optimum efficiency and to provide the best operating position for the surgeon. An additional boom arm on the operating theatre lights provides touch screen control of all surgical devices and full room integration from within the sterile field, thus minimising risk of infection. Integration is achieved through a Realistic User Interface (RUI), which is unique to the OR1 NEO and means that an actual graphic image of the connected device appears on both the sterile touch screen and the replica non-sterile nurses’ workstation. This makes it easier for staff to use as there is no change in operational control of the devices, and reduces risk to staff and patients. The same RUI control applies to operating theatre lights and tables, and offers the same level of integration for ancillary theatre equipment such as room lighting and blinds.
A key feature of any OR1 NEO theatre is the unique integration of Karl Storz’s leading endoscopic camera platform: a 3-chip digital camera system in full HD (1080p), perfectly matched to the medical grade HD LCD monitors, ensuring crystal clear surgical images in widescreen high resolution. Cameras mounted in the operating theatre lighthead and positioned around the room ensure the theatres are enabled for digital transmission to remote sites for educational and training purposes and for the capture and archiving of surgical images for medical records.
Connections to the hospital network and teaching locations allow the surgical team to access patient notes and PACS images, with full integration provided through the RUI - a vital resource in making the OR1 NEO an easy to use, powerful teaching and clinical tool.
For further information, please send an email to: OR1@karlstorz-uk.com
