LG Electronics, the South Korea-based company best known for making televisions and cell phones, is now entering the imaging market.

The company announced today that it is adding clinical and surgical monitors to its portfolio, which already includes advanced flat-panel display technology.

The new monitors are being previewed this week at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual conference in Chicago.

"LG is diving head-first into the U.S. medical imaging device market with advanced display technologies designed to improve the accuracy, quality and efficiency of diagnostic procedures," said Kimun Paik, senior vice president at LG, in a statement. "To serve this highly competitive market, we plan to build on LG's position both as a worldwide leader in premium display technologies and as the largest provider of hospital patient room TVs in the U.S."  

LG is introducing three new displays, a clinical review monitor, a surgical monitor and a digitalized x-ray detector for radiography.

The clinical review monitor is a 27-inch IPS designed to make hospital staff more efficient. With enhanced brightness levels, wide viewing angles and accurate images, the monitor should streamline workflows. It is Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine compliant and ensures image consistency across multiple devices.

The surgical monitor, also 27 inches, will help surgeons who favor minimally invasive techniques since the monitor allows them to make precise observations of their patient and perform complex procedures. It also allows multiple physicians to view the screen at the same time and has brightness levels of up to 800 nits.

To serve patients in a range of medical settings, LG’s digitalized x-ray detector is portable, lightweight and durable. It produces high quality radiography images, which will help radiologists better analyze scans and identify problems. It will be available in 2017.