Digital image management: networking, display, and archiving.

The requirements for implementing a radiology imaging network are similar to those for local area networks now being designed for other purposes to manage large data films. A radiology department serving a 500-bed hospital generates about 927 megabytes of digitally formatted data per working day. These data are expected to be on line for the patient's hospitalization period. The retrieval rate of these data among the interactive diagnosis display stations requires data throughput rates of between 2 and 5 megabits per second. This throughput rate requires signaling rates of between 20 and 50 megabits per second. Analog hard-copy generation of the images on the network is required by the referring physician for selected images that support the consultation report. Digital laser recorders using paper may be quite satisfactory. Long-term archiving must be low in cost and requires a database scheme capable of managing more than a terabyte of image data. Radiology networks must be required to bridge with other hospital information systems.

On-line three-parameter data uptake, analysis, and display device for flow cytometry and other applications.

Multiparameter flow cytometric measurements are of growing interest in the study of complex features of biological cells. With state of the art instrumentation, three-parameter (3-P) data handling is relatively complicated and time consuming and the display methods are not satisfactory. As an alternative, an interactive 3-P analyzing module, Cytomic 123 is described, which displays 3-P fields during and immediately after data uptake in the form of a cubic array of 32,768 channels. The fields can be randomly rotated by hardware and software. The event frequencies in the field are primarily visualized by brightness modulation of the display dots. Additionally, the display of the field may be confined to user selected ranges of event frequencies, which may also be superposed to mixed frequency displays. A set of preprogrammed functions is available for the following tasks: (a) uptake of 3-P histograms combined with on-line control of the transducer pulses, (b) automatic uptake of a series of 2-P time correlated histograms in the cube, (c) generation and numerical evaluation of sections and projections of cube histograms, (d) interactive generation and evaluation of spatial subfields for integration, or as sorting matrix by successive erosion of section planes, or reprojection of projection windows, and (e) isometric display of sections and projections and exchange of data sets with other Cytomic modules or other data systems, especially the Cytomic 12 module, whose 2-P capabilities can be used. The module is built with low cost Z80 microprocessor eurocards. A standard oscilloscope serves as a display unit.

Semi-automatic medical image processing.

During the last few years a number of systems for graphics generation and image processing have been developed by the authors. Depending on the application, one can consider many kinds of systems; for example for simple analysis of cellular images, a system that realizes the video mixing between a camera and graphics data from a microcomputer would be adequate. For a more elaborate analysis, such as angiographic and echographic images requiring a high level of interactivity, a semi-automatic acquisition system linked to a host computer would be necessary. Limits in precision and execution time of these semi-automatic systems leads to independent work-stations that realize digital acquisition, processing, and display of images.

A computer-based data analysis system for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

A computerized system is presented for automating the data collection, processing, and displaying tasks involved in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. This system uses a through-the-well absorbance reader of microtiter plates interfaced to a minicomputer running the UNIX operating system. Optical density in each well of a 96-well microtiter plate is recorded as a function of time for up to 10 time points. These data are automatically transmitted to the remote computer. The rate of product formation is then calculated for each well, and a battery of analysis, display, and comparison programs can then be used by the researcher for data presentation. Using the initial rate of reaction as the basis for quantifying enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays focuses on the catalytic property of the enzyme and allows a large dynamic range of the assay on any plate. These programs can be adapted to virtually any mini- or microcomputer with a graphics display or a plotting device. Assuming moderately powerful computing hardware, throughputs of 50 plates per day are easily achieved. The programs work equally well with peroxidase, beta-galactosidase, or alkaline phosphatase conjugated second antibodies, and with whole cell or soluble antigens.

The in-house computer for the orthodontic office.

Increased labor costs and reduced computer costs have made the in-house computer system for the orthodontic office a reality that is both cost effective and efficient. Six years of research have been devoted to development of the correct handware and software combination that will harmonize with the staff personnel available in the routine orthodontic environment.

[Automated unit complex for analyzing biomedical signals in a mass population screening system]. / Avtomatizirovannyi kompleks dlia analiza biomeditsinskikh signalov v sisteme massovykh obsledovanii naseleniia.

Some features of automating processes of biomedical signal analysis are considered. An actual complex of algorithms and programs realized on the homemade hardware is taken as an example. Practical recommendations to improve similar complexes being in current use in outpatient clinics are given.

The competer automatic campimeter I. Technical description and evaluation.

We evaluated the perimetric concept and the technical construction of the Competer. The test procedures of the Competer are well conceived. The screening-strategy may fail in cases of central islands or large central defects. The interpretation of the visual field results is not easy, due to the use of a numerical print-out which, in addition, is different for screening and threshold examinations. The mechanical and electrical construction of the instrument could be improved. In the accompanying paper (Graniewski et al., 1982) results are presented of a comparative clinical evaluation.