Patent ID: 7657566
Filing Date: 2010-02-02
Classification: H04N,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for simulating on a computer a desired medical workplace hanging protocol configuration for a medical field user to preview and test without buying one or more pieces of at least one of not available or non-existent hardware for which said hanging protocol configuration to be simulated, said hanging protocol configuration comprising a display order of images, and text and data relating to said images, comprising the steps of: providing a hanging protocol simulator comprising software and said computer, said computer having an associated user display to provide said desired medical workplace hanging protocol configuration to said medical field user, said simulator storing a plurality of images and corresponding data relating to said images; in response to a query from said simulator requesting from the user a definition for said desired hanging protocol configuration, said user providing, as said definition, criteria comprising parameters data for said desired hanging protocol configuration, said user providing as said parameters data image parameters data comprising at least modality and organ, hardware parameters data comprising at least a number of monitors, number of columns and number of rows for arrangement of the images, and user-related parameters data comprising at least one of the data types selected from the group consisting of user data, group data, role data, and word data; said simulator determining if a sufficient amount of said parameters data is present to newly create said requested desired hanging protocol configuration or to locate by searching based on said parameters data a previously stored hanging protocol configuration from a plurality of previously stored hanging protocol configurations as said desired medical workplace hanging protocol configuration; if a sufficient amount of said parameters data is not present, then said simulator querying said user for additional parameters data until a sufficient amount of said parameters data is present; if a sufficient amount of said parameters data is present, then said simulator showing on said user display said requested desired medical workplace hanging protocol configuration which is either said newly created configuration or said one previously stored configuration from said plurality of stored configurations; and testing by use of said user display said requested hanging protocol configuration to thus allow the medical field user to test without buying said not available or non-existent hardware for said requested desired hanging protocol configuration being simulated.