Renowned Medical University Uses Extron Fiber Optic, Control & Streaming Technologies

The Invasive Medicine Centre at the Medical University of Gdańsk in Poland is one of the most modern hospitals in Europe. Its design is based on mutual cooperation between the departments of emergency, surgery, radiology, and sterilization services. As an integral part of the university, the Centre's surgical theatres, classrooms, seminar rooms, teaching and computer labs, and 288-seat auditorium offer interactive training for the country’s future doctors and dentists.

To link the various spaces, Integra AV designed a fiber optic AV signal switching and distribution system with live broadcast and recording capabilities. It enables high performance video presentation and recording, streaming to educational TV, conference and teleconference sound, and wired/wireless control. The application includes a full complement of fiber optic, control, and streaming products from Extron. “We chose Extron products because quality, installation and configuration simplicity, and ease of operation are important,” says Jaroslaw Patschull, Owner of Integra AV.

The new AV system supports a wide variety of high resolution and standard definition video signals as well as digital and analog audio. Incoming analog signals are digitized to ensure reliable and high performance routing. It also provides transmission of RS-232 and IR control, Ethernet, and USB signals.

We chose Extron products because quality, installation and configuration simplicity, and ease of operation are important.

Jaroslaw Patschull, Owner of Integra AV

Fiber for Enterprise-Wide AV Distribution

All educational and surgical spaces are equipped to allow display of medical data and recording of lectures and surgical procedures. Lessons are broadcast in real time to all active locations over a fiber optic infrastructure that is built around the FOX Matrix 7200 modular 72x72 fiber optic matrix switcher fully loaded with 8x8 singlemode boards. This design is especially effective for the operating theatre with Faraday cage shielding. Unlike traditional wiring, fiber optic technology helps eliminate electromagnetic interference with magnetic resonance imaging. According to Patschull, the AV system is designed around the FOX Matrix because it includes the features and high performance switching that are vital for this mission-critical environment.

For remote locations, an Extron PowerCage 1600 enclosure loaded with modular fiber optic extenders and FOXBOX DVI Plus SM transmitters and receivers enable signal delivery throughout the facility.

Room Details

The 31 classrooms and seminar rooms include compact, low profile singlemode extenders that provide access to system sources over the fiber optic infrastructure. Portable HDMI and VGA sources can also be connected through a Cable Cubby ^® enclosure installed in the lectern or other room furnishing. For the HDMI, DVI, and RGBHV sources, the MPS 409 Media Presentation Switcher provides signal switching and delivery to the projection system. An HDMI 101 Plus mounted close to the projector equalizes incoming signals for long HDMI cable runs. The MPS 409 sends audio signals to the room’s sound system, which includes an Extron DMP 64 . This 6x4 ProDSP™ digital matrix processor supports microphones and simplifies mixing and room optimization for ceiling speakers that are driven by an energy efficient XPA 2002 high impedance amplifier. An Extron FOXBOX Tx DVI Plus SM transmitter mounted with the DMP 64 feeds AV signals back to the FOX Matrix.

The 17 surgical suites and 10 preview rooms have the same source-sharing capabilities over fiber; however, these spaces do not offer connectivity for portable devices due to security reasons. A FOXBOX Rx DVI Plus singlemode fiber optic receiver installed behind the LCD flat panel in each room delivers video signals to the display. The receiver's analog stereo audio output supplies audio signals to the XPA 2001-100V amplifier for distribution to the speakers.

AV System Control and Monitoring

To simplify AV operation for the instructors, rooms include the Extron TLP 350MV 3.5" Wall Mount TouchLink ^® Touchpanel and an IP Link ^® control processor. Some spaces also provide the TLP 700TV 7” Tabletop TouchLink Touchpanel and the IPL 250 control processor. Typically, the wall-mount model is recessed into the lectern using the SMB 303 Low Profile Surface Mount Box for Three-Gang Products. One of the many advantages of the 3.5" touchpanel is the Power over Ethernet – PoE, feature that allows it to receive power and control over the single twisted pair cable. IP Link control processors work with the installed TouchLink touchpanels for complete room control. Built-in Ethernet capabilities enable remote control, monitoring, and troubleshooting of AV equipment from anywhere on the network. Relays and contact closures provide management of a room's environment, including lighting level adjustment and motorized screen operation in spaces with a projection system. Extron's fully configurable AV control systems use free Global Configurator software, which offers drag-and-drop simplicity to AV system design.

To consolidate AV system monitoring and operations, the University’s IT department uses GlobalViewer ^® Enterprise – GVE, a Web-based AV resource management and remote control application for institutional AV environments. Integra AV worked closely with the IT staff to design user interfaces for the GVE Web pages. AV devices are grouped by location to provide specific details for each level of the organization. According to the integrator, the University team appreciates the ability to remotely view and modify dates and times of configured events and shut down AV devices that are left active in error. “Thanks to Extron’s GlobalViewer application, management and control of the system throughout the building is very simple. This is a reliable tool for our day‑to‑day operations,” says Mikolaj Burka, System Administrator at the Medical University of Gdańsk.

Streaming and Capture of Lectures and Procedures

Instructional materials and encoded media for various subjects are shared internationally through the University's Extranet. Lectures, medical procedures, and other data are distributed over the fiber infrastructure and streamed on the Extranet using the Extron SME 100 HD streaming media encoder. To document special events, Integra AV installed a VN‑Matrix ^® streaming and recording system. Four VNE 225 DVI encoders, a VN-Matrix multi-channel recorder, and a VN-Matrix enterprise controller record four high resolution AV sources. The recorded content is decoded using four VND 225 DVI decoders and VNM Software Decoder installed on a number of computers. The visually lossless compression and system synchronization offered by VN-Matrix ensures that camera video and computer visualizations can be recorded and played back across four displays, producing an audio-visual experience that is identical to the original event.

Positive Impressions

The AV system was installed and operational in only three months. University representatives report that the AV/LAN system works very well for campus instruction and international conferences. The administration is quite pleased with their system, which enables the sharing of AV signals with full HD quality among operating theaters, preview rooms, classrooms, consulting areas, and the auditorium. Instructors have commented that it is easy to control a presentation from a room’s touchpanel and that letting IT control the AV system when presenting in the auditorium is very helpful. For the international student body, posted recordings of lectures and medical procedures to the Extranet is proving to be just as valuable as anticipated.

The new Invasive Medicine Centre, with its AV system consisting of fiber optic, control, and streaming products from Extron, is an excellent example of why the Medical University at Gdańsk is a recognized leader of higher learning in Europe and around the world.