Macquarie University Surgical Skills Lab and Gefen Video Over IP Solutions

Integration

Macquarie University Surgical Skills Lab – Sharing Revolutionary Research with Gefen Video Over IP Solutions.

Macquarie University’s Surgical Skills Lab is used by the medical community to explore human anatomy. The University’s faculty set out to make its current research sharing system, complete with camera-equipped medical stations, displays, speakers, and a central LCD display and projector, much easier to use. Iain Brew, Clinical AV & IT Coordinator at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Macquarie University, decided to enhance and expand the lab’s sharing capabilities by building an entirely new Gefen connectivity infrastructure.

Project Objectives
The previous system had limitations around its ability to route and control video signals. The objective was to keep the existing medical equipment, but change how the signals were transmitted and accepted in order for students to display the images from their discoveries on to the main room’s projector instantly.

Maquarie Uni Lab

Project Goals
The project had to be completed within six weeks, and stay within the very strict budget constraints. Also they had to adhere to the university’s commitment to sustainability and re-use existing equipment where possible.

Product Solution
To do that, Brew designed a new Gefen Video Over IP-based system that allows the entire lab to function with one cohesive matrix, thus enabling any video source to be routed to any video destination in full HD quality. Additionally, the new system allows any user to control video content sharing with an Apple iPad Pro tablet.

“If a student at a pendantor individual medical station makes an interesting discovery, their images can instantly be displayed on the room’s main projector,” Brew explained. “And the instructor can also send their camera feed to all displays in the lab during a demonstration, or with a push of a button, return all the displays back to the individual pendant inputs. The system makes research sharing so much easier.”

Brew installed one Gefen EXT-CU-LAN Matrix Controller to serve as the basis of the new Video Over IP infrastructure to guarantee seamless video sharing amongst the lab’s 10 Stryker VisionElect 26” medical displays. Brew also installed 16 Gefen HDMI Senders, 15 Gefen HDMI Receivers, two Gefen KVM Senders, one Gefen KVM Receiver, three Gefen Scalers, two Gefen HDMI scalers, 10 Gefen SDI-HDMI Converters, and one Gefen Audio Converter.

Results
Brew and the Surgical Skills team worked on a strict budget within a six-week time frame. With great customer service and easy installation software, he accomplished the Faculty’s goals without issue.

“Gefen’s Syner-G and its auto-discovery tools make it easy to quickly set up the video aspect of the installation,” he commented. “We also really appreciated the great technical support from the team at Gefen.” The installation process also adhered to Macquarie University’s commitment to sustainability.

According to Brew, “I am very impressed with the Gefen range of products and will definitely recommend anyone exploring an AV upgrade or new install to check out Gefen. The support from the Gefen team during the entire project was fantastic.”

L-R: Amber Technology’s Matt Rennie and MU’s Iain Brew

This article first appeared in the September 2018 edition of CX Magazine – in print and online. CX Magazine is Australia and New Zealand’s only publication dedicated to entertainment technology news and issues. Read all editions for free or search our archive www.cxnetwork.com.au

© CX Media