8K Imaging Technology and Its Medical Application

Abstract

8K UHD (ultra-high-definition), also known as Super Hi-Vision, is an ultra-high-resolution television system created by NHK. Its video format comprises 7,680×4,320 pixels. 8K features four times the number of pixels as 4K, but that does not mean to say that 8K specifications are decided based on a competition in pixel count. They are determined, rather, on human science research that aims to determine the conditions under which video can provide “high presence” that makes the viewer feel as if he or she is actually present in the scene shown. Medical Imaging Consortium (MIC) has studied endoscopic surgeries using 8K imaging technologies since 2013. It was confirmed that an 8K endoscope clearly depicts details that are difficult to see using conventional HDTV (high-definition television) endoscopes, including thin blood vessels, nerves and the borders of body organs. Based on the fundamental research at MIC, we developed the world's first 8K endoscope commercial camera.