The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust is a major teaching organisation. The Trustís Medical Illustration Department, based at Leicester Royal Infirmary, has a range of interesting responsibilities.

Many clinical conditions and surgical procedures are photographed for record, teaching and research purposes. They are used in clinical textbooks and journals, teaching presentations, open days, seminars and international conferences. X-rays have to be copied and culture plates recorded at different stages of growth. These are produced in-house using state of the art digital cameras and the latest Apple Macintosh computer systems and peripherals. Because of the problems of accurately recording skin tones, colour management can be difficult. Large, high resolution monitors are used and images can be output to a wide range of devices up to a 42íí high resolution large format printer for scientific posters.

A 100BaseT Ethernet network with intelligent switches handles internal communications.

The range of computer systems and imaging equipment, and the reliability required to produce such a diverse range of output, means that the department has to have a reliable supplier that meets their technical demands and provide a rapid response back up service. As the manager, Ken MacLean, said recently, ëOur technology supplier has to be an extension of our in-house team and Anova Technology meet that need. They listen to our requirements and that is what makes the differenceí.

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