Today’s modern operating rooms are evolving rapidly, driven by the demands of next-generation surgical technologies, advanced imaging systems, and an ever-growing number of high-resolution medical displays. As surgical environments become increasingly complex, the need for reliable, high-performance video connectivity that can be quickly reconfigured has never been greater.
Yet while the need for speed and flexibility is clear, achieving it without compromising image quality or reliability remains a significant challenge.
The Challenge of Connectivity in the OR
Copper cabling has traditionally been the go-to solution for medical video connectivity. It’s simple, fast to deploy, and easy to replace. However, as the demand for higher video resolutions and longer distances has grown, the limitations of copper have become increasingly evident. Copper cables are restricted in length when transmitting uncompressed high-resolution video, and they are vulnerable to electromagnetic interference (EMI) — a serious concern in the electronically dense environment of the operating room.
Fiber optic solutions, by contrast, easily overcome these challenges. Fiber can carry uncompressed 4K and even 8K video signals over much greater distances without degradation and is naturally immune to EMI. But many fiber solutions come with their own set of issues: expensive multi-fiber cables, complicated setup, and specialized configuration that can add unnecessary complexity and slowdowns to the surgical environment.
The modern operating room needs a better answer — one that delivers the performance of fiber with the simplicity of copper.
Seamless Fiber Connectivity with Inneos Optical Interconnects
At Inneos, we believe the future demands seamless innovation, not complicated connections. Our optical connectivity solutions are engineered to simply work — empowering surgical systems and displays to perform at their peak without interruption.
Inneos’ optical interconnects eliminate the traditional headaches associated with fiber. Our solutions manage both the electrical-to-optical conversion and the optical coupling within compact, ruggedized modules, allowing them to integrate effortlessly into the operating room. No complex setup. No exotic fiber arrays. Just a single industry-standard fiber for fast, reliable connections.
We offer:
- Real4K™ HDMI optical extenders, providing plug-and-play fiber solutions for uncompressed 4K video.
- Embedded optical subsystems, capable of handling a wide range of video and data protocols, integrated directly into surgical systems.
Whether retrofitting an OR suite or designing the next generation of imaging, diagnostic, or surgical system, Inneos solutions enable point-to-point optical links that are robust, low-latency, and ready for mission-critical applications.
Why Not Just Use Video Over IP?
As the need for flexible video routing grows, some look to IP-based video distribution as a solution. However, video over IP presents its own challenges in the OR:
- Uncompressed video consumes enormous bandwidth that can quickly overwhelm even high-capacity Ethernet networks.
- Compressing video to fit the network introduces latency and loss of image fidelity — unacceptable when precision is critical.
- Ethernet infrastructure requires IT-level hardware, configuration, and ongoing maintenance, adding complexity that surgeons, nurses, and OR techs shouldn’t have to worry about.
The bottom line: in a mission-critical environment, you need video that is fast, flawless, and easy to manage — without the burdens of compression artifacts or network downtime.
Connectivity Should Never Be the Bottleneck
At Inneos, we believe connectivity should be the foundation that propels surgical technology forward — reliably, intuitively, and seamlessly.
Our Real4K Optical Extenders and embedded optical subsystems are designed with the modern OR in mind, delivering the performance of fiber with the simplicity of copper.
By making optical connectivity simple and reliable, we ensure that surgeons, staff, and technologies can focus entirely on what matters most: the patient.
Inneos is proud to power the future of the hybrid operating room — with connections you can trust, performance you can count on, and innovation that never slows you down.