Advantech announced a pair of Linux-friendly “AVAS-400 Series” video recorders for surgical and other medical applications with 7th Gen CPUs, multiple 4K UHD displays, and optional capture and graphics cards.

Medical computers have traditionally been dominated by Windows but we’re gradually seeing Linux move into the territory. Advantech’s Intel Kaby Lake based AVAS-401 and more expandable AVAS-402 video recorder computers for medical applications support both OSes and offer FCC, UL 60601, CE EN60601, CB EN60601, MDD, and CCC certifications.

AVAS-401 (left) and AVAS-402
(click images to enlarge)

The primarily application for these “medical-grade 4K ultra high-definition (UHD) video recorders” are “surgery centers, operating rooms, and training facilities that use 4K UHD cameras and display monitors for surgical operations and post-surgery reviews and research,” says Advantech. Video can be captured at 4K UHD (4096 x 2160) and then streamed to connected displays. The 4K detail enables surgeons to “distinguish between tissue, blood vessels, and other anatomy” and “assist post-surgery evaluations.”

The “open” Linux and Windows SDK supports streaming control, capture, recording, playback, and editing functions. Open APIs enable interconnection with other medical software.

Both the 320 x 88 x 305mm AVAS-401 and 320 x 145 x 329mm AVAS-402 support 6th Gen Skylake and 7th Gen Kaby Lake CPUs. The two listed choices are 7th Gen: an Intel Core i7-7700 with 4x 3.0GHz/3.6GHz cores and a Xeon E3-1275 v6. Available chipsets include Intel Q170, C236, and H110. The systems ship with 16GB RAM and a 1TB HDD or SSD.

AVAS-401 (left) and AVAS-402 rear views
(click images to enlarge)

The two models appear to differ in their number of PCIe slots, although the documentation is not very clear on this and never even uses the term PCIe. The AVAS-401 appears to have two slots for a standard video recorder card and an Nvidia graphics card. The AVAS-402 appears to have four slots. In both cases, you can choose between 4K or FHD video cards with a choice of HDMI or DVI interfaces. Optional cards include image capture cards and PTZ cameras.

In addition to these PCIe cards, the AVAS-401 provides DisplayPort, HDMI, and CRT ports while the AVAS-402 has DisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI ports. On the AVAS-402, the HDMI port is optional. Video features include H.265 recording, automatic video signal detection and resolution, support for recording from multiple video sources simultaneously, and the ability to record 4K and FHD medical videos simultaneously.

The other difference between the two systems is that the AVAS-401 has 4x USB 3.0 and 2x USB 2.0 ports while the AVAS-402 has 6x 3.0 and 4x 2.0 ports. Both AVAS-400 Series models provide 2x GbE ports, an RS-232 port, and 2x audio jacks. There’s a 100~240V AC power supply and a 0 to 40°C operating range. A TPM 2.0 security chip is optional.

 
Further information

The AVAS-400 Series is available for order at an undisclosed price. More information may be found in Advantech’s announcement and the AVAS-401 and AVAS-402 product pages.