How to Compare Operating Room Integration Companies

The market and the types of supplier

The operating room integration market includes several kinds of vendor. Some are manufacturers of endoscopy or surgical equipment whose integration is built around their own devices, such as the offers from Stryker, Karl Storz, Olympus or Mindray. Others are independent integrators who combine devices from many makers, and some OR equipment makers such as Lojer offer an integration layer alongside lights, pendants and furniture.

None of these models is wrong. The point is that each has a different default: a manufacturer-led system tends to work best with its own devices, an independent integrator tends to emphasise flexibility, and an OR equipment maker tends to emphasise how the system fits with ceiling and room equipment. Read each offer with that in mind, and check specifications on the manufacturer's own documents.

Openness and device support

Openness is the most important criterion for long-term value. Ask which third-party devices are supported, whether support is native or needs custom development, and who owns the interface documentation. A hospital that buys devices from several brands needs a system that does not force a single supplier.

OpenOR is described by its manufacturer as having an open architecture that allows devices from any manufacturer to be integrated, with a modular design that lets a hospital start with the AV system and add features later. Ask every vendor, including Lojer, for a list of integrated devices and for reference sites you can verify.

Video quality and connectivity

Compare end-to-end resolution, latency, the number of simultaneous sources and the type of network used. OpenOR is described with a fibre network that supports uncompressed 4K, and it communicates with HIS, BMS and PACS. Request a live demonstration under realistic conditions rather than a slide, and ask how the system behaves when a source is added or a display fails.

Check recording, streaming and export. Teaching centres in particular should confirm telementoring and conference capability, storage location and patient-data handling in line with hospital policy and local regulation. For selection criteria in more detail, see our guide to choosing an integration system.

Cost of ownership

Purchase price is only one part of cost. Consider licences and software updates, driver development for new devices, support contracts, spare parts, training and the cost of upgrading or replacing the system at end of life. A system that is cheaper at purchase can be costlier over ten years if each new device needs paid development.

Ask each vendor for a written statement of what is included and excluded, and compare on the same scope. Beckfinity does not quote prices in public articles; a specific offer can be prepared once the room, the devices and the integration scope are defined.

A neutral scorecard

Score each shortlisted vendor on the same criteria and weight them according to your hospital's priorities.

• Openness: supported third-party devices, documentation, driver policy.
• Video: resolution, latency, sources, recording and streaming.
• Connectivity: HIS, PACS, DICOM, HL7, network security.
• Usability: sterile control, tablet use, language, training time.
• Support: local engineers, response time, remote access, update policy.
• Ownership: licence model, upgrade path, exit conditions.

Talk to a specialist

To see how OpenOR would fit your rooms, read the Lojer brand page and the overview of the integrated operating room, then request a consultation from Beckfinity.