OKI: The first in digital printer technology

OKI largely benefits hospitals and diagnostic centres and cut cost of using expensive polyester media

OKI is the first in digital printer technology, combining the cost effectiveness and high quality output of LED printer with DICOM software.

This could largely benefit the hospitals and diagnostic centres to cut cost of using expensive polyester media (digital speciality films) and print patient referral on plain paper media thereby saving huge amounts of money. It is an inexpensive way to print very high quality glossy prints that physicians can use for treatment planning and consultation with colleagues and patients, especially when diagnosis is done on soft copy using high-end diagnostic monitors.

DICOM (Digital Imaging & Communications in Medicine) is the primary international standard for handling, storing, printing and transmission of medical images and related information. OKI DICOM printer solution allows users to print medical images such as X-ray, MRI, CT scan, ultrasound and nuclear medicine on inexpensive media and in colour, for purposes such as medical discussions and patient records. Normally, DICOM medical images printer prints on speciality film whereas in OKI printer, the same images can be printed on plain paper in either grey scale images or color images. OKI Printer receives DICOM images directly from modality and allows to print without the use of any conversion software or external print servers, thereby ensuring lossless/no resolution loss of image quality. One can further fine tune the print quality with easily accessible set defaults and adjust image quality output settings such as brightness, gray scale, and contrast for each modality.

OKI printer is compatible with modalities using DICOM 3.0 standard, it fits effortlessly into existing work flows. Moreover, it does not require any special training as it gives almost near film quality output. From start to finish, working with film is expensive and labour intensive. Replace film with paper and images can be shared with minimal expense, eliminate the need and cost for special processing, handling and storage, and reduce labour costs associated with tracking, filing and transporting film. Compliance and other environmental costs associated with using chemical-based film can be saved, as well as minimise the impact on the environment. In fact, because the special printing, handling, storage, transportation, and other infrastructure needed for film can be eliminated, it actually simplify the work process and that of referring physicians.

In India referring physicians want physical images in their hand in order to fully explain them to patients. They do not have to deal with DVD, search database or have their internet bandwidth choked by huge image files. For which they require high quality images which they can review and share easily. This is where OKI DICOM embedded paper printer is an effective solution.