IMRIS Inc. announced a global partnership with KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG to merge VISIUS Surgical Theatre system integration with OR1 technology from KARL STORZ. IMRIS's unmatched intraoperative vision in specialized hybrid operating rooms will be combined with KARL STORZ's range of networking technologies to provide efficient image and data management, facilitate workflow and enhance safety in the intraoperative imaging environment that is the VISIUS Surgical Theatre. Connectivity, image management workflow, patient safety applications, and service are the primary features and benefits of this collaboration. KARL STORZ OR1 operating rooms combine digital technologies that provide intuitive centralized control of systems and equipment within the room. Innovative digital control systems seamlessly integrate an array of key OR devices and environmental components. These capabilities will combine with IMRIS's integration elements of ScanCheck, collision detection systems, and system interlocks for safe control of on-demand imaging movement and technology for eliminating RF interference during imaging. Every VISIUS Surgical Theatre featuring OR1 provides cutting-edge network capabilities to aid communication, such as video streaming, documentation and archiving, as well as video on demand for educational purposes. It offers exceptional ergonomics and a user-friendly design to optimize the workflow and patient safety. Both IMRIS and KARL STORZ are innovators in improving image and data access, ease of workflow and safety in the OR environment. KARL STORZ recently celebrated their 3,000(th) U.S. OR1 system installation, which was completed at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and represents the first installation under this partnership. IMRIS has sold 55 systems around the world and continues to expand its portfolio in the areas of intraoperative MR and CT, MR guided radiation therapy and image guided robotics.

Ekahau, Inc. and KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG announced a joint solution for OR management. The MIC Clinic in Berlin has successfully deployed and is using the combined solution of Karl Storz ORchestrion and Ekahau RTLS for automatic real-time management of clinical processes around their OR. The ORchestrion Steering and Localization Module is a software solution developed by KARL STORZ that enables the monitoring and control of all surgical treatment processes in the OR. The solution has been enhanced with the Ekahau RTLS system giving hospital staff an unprecedented and automated overview of the surgical procedure flow. Unpredictable events, such as emergency cases, are seamlessly integrated into the existing resource planning without compromising the current work flow. The combined solution and the related optimization of operations planning and execution bring significant cost savings to the daily work-flow in the OR. The solution can be easily integrated in existing hospital information systems and wireless networks and does not require the deployment of any new infrastructure. At the MIC Clinic in Berlin, the operating room staff use the ORchestrion SLM for daily patient sequence control. With the help of Ekahau’s latest generation Wi-Fi tags, the solution meets all the challenges that arise in monitoring various resources and in coordinating their application in the operating theater. Since communications are handled over the existing Wi-Fi network, time-consuming phone calls between the individual service facilities are a thing of the past. Thanks to mobile task management, physicians and nursing staff receive automated text messages on their portable devices telling them where the patients are during the entire OR process. The patients are tracked using the Ekahau T301W Wearable Wi-Fi tags. In addition to optimizing OR utilization, the automation of the OR surgery schedule also benefits the patients by enabling shorter wait times because of a more systematic process flow.

KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG announced the launch of a new concept in high-resolution visualization for a wide array of open microsurgical procedures, including cardiovascular, spine, small joint applications, pediatric, head and neck, and plastic surgery, to name a few. Designed to function as more than a simple surgical tool, the VITOM(R) System provides enhanced visualization and a better ergonomic working position for surgeons, as well as a useful method for presenting and sharing clinical images during training and education, and a simplified means of documenting procedures. The KARL STORZ VITOM(R) System provides enhanced high-resolution visualization and a better ergonomic working position for surgeons in an array of open microsurgical procedures, including cardiovascular, spine, small joint applications, pediatric, head and neck, and plastic surgery, among others. The VITOM(R) System combines an exoscope with a high-definition (HD) video camera system developed originally for endoscopic procedures. The system includes a display unit, light source, holding systems and documentation unit. The FULL-HD video components deliver 1080p resolution for exceptional image quality for display and recording, with a wide 16:9 aspect ratio. Surgeons also gain the benefits of large working distance of 25--60 cm above the surgical site, and greater depth of field.