We had developed a method of using a computer with a video capture card in place of an endoscopy monitor, so that we could both see what we were doing during endoscopy using a CCD camera, and record the operations as videos. It turned out to be just 40000 INR while a high definition endoscopy monitor would cost 175000 INR or more. It was working out fine, until a few days ago, when it started periodically showing blurred images, reversing colors so that green looked orange and orange looked red. Endoscopic surgery could not be done safely any more.
I got the electronic engineer to look at the system. He checked it. We used another camera. That did not work too.
“I cannot find the fault” he declared. “Most probably the computer is at fault.”
I got the computer engineer to look at the computer.
“Perhaps the color display is faulty” he said.
So I started MS Paint and drew lines of different colors. Green looked green and orange looked orange. I showed him previous recordings of operations, and they looked fine. “Color display is OK” I said. “There is a problem with the video capture.” He went away, because he could not do hardware repairs. I got another video capture card from home and fitted in the computer in place of the old one. It did not work, though it was working fine in my home system. So it was not a problem related to the card. Then I checked the device manager and found that the video capture driver was corrupt. I removed and reinstalled it. It remained faulty. The computer engineer tried to install it and failed.
“Let is see if there is a better driver on the net” he said.
“I think it is a problem in the motherboard” I said. “The old driver was working fine in the past. Why would it not work now? We have tried to install it from the original CD as well as from a copy of the CD. Both got installed but did not work.”
He went away, because there was nothing further he could do.
Then I checked the camera on an LCD projector and it worked fine. So the fault was indeed with the video capture part of the motherboard. No I have two options. Either I use a television set in place of the monitor, or I get a new LCD projector and project the operation video on a screen while we operate.
“Sir, it was a good idea to test the camera this way” said the Associate Professor in charge of endoscopy equipment.”
“Yes. I like the algorithm myself too” I said.
