Sony UP-870MD Video Graphic Printer Thermal BNC Ultrasound Medical 120V 1.6A

Sony UP-870MD Video Graphic Printer Thermal BNC Ultrasound Medical 120V 1.6A

The Sony UP-870MD is a benchtop thermal video graphic printer designed for medical imaging environments. It captures and prints still frames directly from a connected video source — such as an ultrasound scanner, endoscopy system, or surgical camera — using thermosensitive paper for fast, dry, monochrome output. The unit is UL Listed as Medical Equipment and was manufactured in Japan by Sony Corporation.

Specifications & What's Included

• Brand: Sony
• Model: UP-870MD
• Type: Video Graphic Printer (thermal)
• Power: 120V AC, 50/60Hz, 1.6A
• Video Input: BNC (75Ω)
• Video Output: BNC (loop-through)
• Print technology: Thermosensitive (thermal paper roll)
• Output: Black and white
• Front panel controls: ON/OFF button, CONTR (contrast) knob, BRIGHT (brightness) knob, THRU/EE mode switch, POSI/NEGA (positive/negative) switch, COPY button, PRINT button
• Front panel indicators: PAPER EMPTY, OPEN/CLOSE
• Rear panel: BNC VIDEO IN, BNC VIDEO OUT (loop-through), REMOTE jack, GAMMA selector (I/II/III), DIP switch bank (10-position, for paper type, aspect ratio, memory, scan mode, direction, wide/norm, B&W/color, 75Ω input), D ADJ knob, IEC AC inlet
• Certifications: UL Listed Medical Equipment
• Country of manufacture: Japan
• Printer only — no paper roll, cables, or manual included

Applications

The Sony UP-870MD was designed for clinical and procedural use in medical imaging departments. It connects inline via BNC between a video source and a monitor, allowing a clinician to capture and print a thermal hard copy of a video frame at the press of a button — without interrupting the live video feed through the loop-through output. Typical applications include printing ultrasound images, endoscopy or colonoscopy captures, laparoscopic procedure documentation, and ophthalmic or dermatological imaging. This model was widely used in hospitals, clinics, and imaging centers during the 1990s and 2000s as a cost-effective, self-contained alternative to digital DICOM printing systems. Thermosensitive video graphic printers of this type use a thermal head that applies heat to a roll of heat-sensitive paper, producing a monochrome print in seconds without ink or toner. Sony's UP series was one of the dominant product lines for this application, found alongside systems from Mitsubishi (P-Series) and Hitachi. Today these printers are still used in facilities maintaining older analog imaging equipment and in veterinary, research, and educational settings where a simple, direct-print video capture is needed.