Workstation design. Image manipulation, image set handling, and display issues.

The importance of this article is fourfold. First, the introduction of workstation technology and the types of image workstations provides readers with a better understanding of the state-of-the-art and availability of digital image-display workstations in the market-place. Second, this article identifies primary processes related to image viewing in radiology daily operations. This is crucial because it illustrates the important concepts of the Folder Manger with image preprocessing, patient folder organization, and automatic image display sequencing. With these features incorporated in the workstation design, the number of steps required for a radiologist to interact with a workstation is minimized. Third, the discussions on how to present and manipulate images on the workstations suggest methods concerning the issue of displaying large volumes of image sets on a limited number of monitor screens. Lastly, examples of automatic image sequencing, high-resolution color monitors, and voice-based user interface illustrate current research topics in the future of digital workstation design.