What are the benefits of adding video to your microscope?

There are multiple reasons why video for microscopy is being used in hospitals & private clinics. It is used in a variety of different disciplines such as ENT, dentistry, ophthalmology, gynaecology, etc.

There are lots of benefits in adding video to a microscope, the main ones being:

Operating convenience – For long lasting procedures or for doctors who work many hours continuously. In order to release the pressure on the shoulders, neck and the eyes, a video with a larger screen can create a comfortable working position.

Quality of treatment – Working in front of a screen where the image is enlarged improves accuracy and also allows all the medical staff that is participating to take an active part in the treatment, especially when two doctors are operating at the same time.

Training & Learning – Adding video to a microscope improves the quality of the training without interrupting and delaying the treatment, replacing a situation where doctors look directly through the eyepiece (or an additional eyepiece).

Documenting the procedure – this allows the clinic to add photos and videos to the patient’s file, present special cases at conferences and studies, market and promote the clinic’s expertise to new patients. Also, documentation can help in rare cases of legal issues.

In order to enjoy the benefits of video for the microscope, the microscope must contain a beam splitter, an accessory located between the optical part and the eyepiece. Without the beam splitter, it is not possible to add a video camera to the microscope. Each microscope has its own dedicated beam splitter, so one microscope camera might not necessarily be suitable for another microscope. However, there are a variety of manufacturers that are compliant with the brand ZEISS, which is the most common standard.

The next step is choosing the most suitable video camera for your clinic:

Purchasing a video adapter from the manufacturer allows you to connect any HD camera or even an analog camera, as long as it has a C-MOUNT or CS-MOUNT. The advantage is the low cost of the camera, with the disadvantages being the video cable and power cable that go out from the microscope to the power outlet and the screen.
Connecting the mobile phone adapter – 4K video quality benefits without the need for a video cable or power (thanks to the long working capacity of the battery), where any doctor in the clinic can document the operation on his personal phone, the main disadvantage is significantly smaller phone screen size from any video screen.
Connecting a DSLR camera adapter that allows high video quality combined with video editing option (many professional cameras also offer editing software) of course without the need for a video cable or power cable, again the main disadvantage is the phone screen size which is significantly smaller than any video screen.
Dedicated camcorder that connects to any microscope (for most leading manufacturers). With this there is no need for a beam splitter. The Camcorders are in HD or 4K quality, with 16GB of internal memory, option to operate with a foot pedal in addition to the camera itself, wireless transmission capability for several devices that support WIFI, software burned into the camera powered by a wireless mouse without the need for a computer. The downside of this option is the high cost and not significantly from the other alternatives.
Last but not least, you can purchase a microscope with a built-in video camera that includes all the benefits from the previous sectio