AMD Global Telemedicine Inc. (AMD) www.armdtelemedicine.com just announced that the first universal Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) controls designed for telemedicine consults are available for use in video conferencing cameras. This new technology greatly improves the effectiveness of telemedicine encounters by providing remote physicians the capability to visually and virtually navigate closer to their patient.
“Using remote PTZ camera control for clinicians has been a challenge for some time. Increased usage of web-based software video conferencing solutions, and new lower cost entries into the camera market further exacerbated the issue,” said Dan McCafferty, Vice President, Global Sales and Corporate Development at AMD. He adds, “Our engineering team finally has solved the problem for the majority of users.”
The universal PTZ controls are embedded inside AMD’s AGNES Interactive® telemedicine platform. There is no separate download or plug-in required for users to manage, making the workflow simple and in one single platform. This new AGNES feature allows the local telepresenter or the remote clinician to control all PTZ functionality via a browser during the patient exam.
The camera controls developed are universal for VISCA and Direct Show compliant cameras and control the camera regardless of what video conferencing application is being used. The universal PTZ controls tested with software-based video conferencing solutions including Vidyo Desktop, VidyoWeb, Polycom RealPresence, Zoom, and BlueJeans. Cameras that have also been tested that have produced consistent quality and functionality include Logitech, Vaddio, Sony, and Minrray.