The AMD Global Telemedicine VersaScope supports a variety of use cases with its set of interchangeable lenses and large touchscreen with touch controls. It features built-in image capture, a variable light source, and onboard setting controls making this a flexible tool for general clinical imaging.
USB exam cameras provide a way for a distant provider to get a closer view of their patients. Working similarly to a USB webcam– most devices will support uvc driver compatibility. This means that switching to an exam camera can be as simple as switching from one camera device to another in the video conferencing software. Many cameras will have interchangeable lenses to provide other functionality like otoscope, and dermatology imaging.
General Device:
A direct USB connection allows you to stream medical images and video to a a PC in real time. When used with video conferencing software this means that the AMD Global Telemedicine VersaScope can be selected like a webcam for live examinations. The device features a USB-C port on the bottom for local USB connectivity. This allows for charging operation while using the device for exams. This may not be a concern as it does have ~3.5-hour battery life when recording video.
The AMD Global Telemedicine VersaScope also features 16GB of internal storage for locally captured images. The large display allows for tagging of images to make a review of them easier. There is an optional SD card for increased storage and Wi-Fi transfer compatibility. We were unable to test the function of the Wi-Fi-enabled SD card as it was not an option available at the time of review. Images can be accessed by switching the device from UVC (webcam) mode to standard camera mode in the device menu.
Large touchscreen monitor
A large user-facing touchscreen screen makes it easy to see what you are “looking at” through the lenses. In addition, the built in interface software allows for multiple software-enabled touch controls for this device.
The large display also makes it easier for local medical practitioners to navigate device options. You can use the software buttons for image capture or can use the physical scroll wheel. It is worth noting, that for some users the touchscreen buttons may be far away from the scroll wheel, making true one-handed operation tricky. This may be particularly true for those with medium to small-sized hands. Most of the time, we found it was easier to use a 2nd hard to change camera settings before using the scroll wheel to capture. The function of the scroll wheel will vary depending on the setting selected on the touch screen, so when you adjust the scroll wheel it may be affecting brightness, focus, or zoom depending on what setting is selected on the touch screen.
The large display allows for pinch-to-zoom image review locally on the device. The smartphone-sized display is large enough to allow a practical review on the device itself.
Otoscope, Exam, and General Exam Lens
The medical camera system comes with 3 interchangeable lenses to accommodate multiple medical specialties.
Lenses are aligned with an embossed white dot. This ensures that the channels on the lenses align properly and that the power nodes for the LED lights are connected to the base. The lenses feel a little loose when connecting to the camera body. This may cause the user to question the alignment of parts when changing the lens.
The device supports between 2 x – 8 x digital magnification natively depending on attached lens.
- Otoscope lens supports 2x – 6x magnification
- Dermatoscope and General Exam support 2x – 8x magnification
Images can be cropped and zoomed when on a computer.
The device features a built-in white LED illumination that provides a crisp light source for clear medical images with accurate color representation with built in white balancing. LED lights are very bright, and can easily blow out the image at higher settings. Auto white balance color adjustments can take a few seconds but does a good job of producing accurate color in our test settings.
Automatic and manual focus
In most cases, the device will use automatic focus, put this can be overridden via a touchscreen control and manual focus can be used for a higher-fidelity image. The device does feature a scroll wheel for manual focus and light intensity. Switching between these two functions is done via a touchscreen button. It would be nice if an additional physical controls for capture or mode toggle were present, ie. long press for mode toggle and short press for image capture. In general, more physical controls would be appreciated on this device.
8MP CMOS sensor
The device features an 8-megapixel CMOS image sensor that captures high-resolution and scalable medical images. Images can be cropped and zoomed when on a computer. The device delivers a 720p resolution video when using UVC on a computer. Even though the device only streaming live exams at 720p, this resolution is generally enough for most live exam situations.
Product specs:
| Manufacturer | Distributed by AMD Telemedicine |
| Manufacturer Address | 100 Apollo Drive, Suite 100, Chelmsford, MA 01824, USA |
| Manufacturer Web Address | AMD Global Telemedicine | Telehealth Solutions |
| Model Name | AMD Global Telemedicine VersaScope |
| Temperature Range Usage/Operating | 0°C to 45°C at a relative humidity of 15% – 95% (non-condensing) |
| Product Dimensions (mm) | 225 x 135 x 45 (8.86 x 5.31 x 1.77) (in) |
| Weight | 292 g |
| Power Supply | Wired/Battery |
| Battery | 3.6 V 2600 mAH 1S1P 18650-li-battery |
| Operating time | Video 3.5 hours |
| Power Adapter | Input: 100 ~ 240 V50 ~ 60 Hz, 0.3 A Output: DC 5 V/2 A |
| Platform Device | |
| Consumables | Otoscope tips |
| Lens Options* | General, Dermatoscope, Otoscope |
| CMOS Sensor | 8 MP (megapixels) |
| Cables Included | |
| Zoom & Magnification* | 2 x – 8 x Digital Magnification
Scalable images with 2x to 6x magnification of the otoscope and 2x to 8x magnification of the dermatoscope as well as digital zoom function. |
| Polarization | |
| Image Device | 8 MP (megapixels) |
| Lighting | Provided by exam lens |
| Mounting Options | N/A |
| White Balance | |
| Display Screen | 5“ full HD colour TFT-LCD display 1280 x 720 pixel including scratch proof cover |
| Internal Memory | 16 GB |
| Software/Cloud Storage | |
| Device Case/Storage | |
| Image File Format | Picture: JPEG / Video: MP4 |
| Video Output Signal (Type, Resolution) | OTG type C USB, UVC |
| Focus Type | Automatic (otoscope/general lens) & manual (all lenses) focus settings |
| Focus Range | Varies by Lens |
| Physical Device Controls | Scroll Wheel |
| Software Device Controls | Touchscreen |
| MSRP | ~$4000-$5000 depending on accessories |
Summary:
The AMD AMD Global Telemedicine VersaScope is a versatile exam camera that retails for an estimated MSRP $4,000-$5000 depending on the bundled accessories. The devices’ multidisciplinary functionality and battery/wired operation make for a wide use case. This potential for versatility and value are key innovative factors for this device.
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