Dual Display CT Scanner Interface Parallel Workflows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing CT scanner user interfaces are inefficient due to their linear, sequential architecture, which leads to bottlenecks and fails to support multi-tasking workflow, collaboration, and consistency in scan quality, lacking proper identification of users involved in the patient experience and clear presentation of the CT exam workflow.
Innovation Solution
A dual-display user interface for CT scanners, with distinct zones on each display for setup, scanning, and post-processing tasks, allowing operators to manage patient records, scan protocols, and radiation dosage, enabling multi-tasking and collaboration while maintaining focused attention on specific steps and reducing cognitive load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a linear, sequential user interface architecture is used, then the system is simple to design and implement, but it creates bottlenecks and reduces overall efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The user interface is divided into multiple independent workspaces, each capable of displaying different functional areas (scanning, post-processing, patient management). This segmentation allows operators to perform multiple tasks simultaneously in different workspaces, eliminating the sequential bottleneck while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a one-dimensional sequential workflow to a two-dimensional parallel workspace architecture. Multiple workspaces can be arranged spatially on the display, allowing operators to switch between scanning, post-processing, and administrative tasks without leaving their current context, thereby improving productivity without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a single display is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but it fails to support multi-tasking workflow and collaboration
Solution Approach 1:
Each workspace within the multi-display interface is designed to be universal and configurable, capable of displaying any combination of functional areas based on operator needs. This multi-functionality allows the same hardware configuration to support various workflow patterns including multi-tasking, collaboration, and different scan types, without requiring additional specialized displays.
3Ease of operation
If the user interface focuses on system tasks like post-processing, then comprehensive functionality is achieved, but bottlenecks are created that reduce efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The interface allows operators to prepare and configure post-processing parameters in advance while the scanner is acquiring data, or to set up multiple processing queues before scanning begins. This preliminary configuration reduces the time spent on post-processing bottlenecks by having everything ready beforehand, maintaining ease of operation while reducing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The parallel workspace architecture enables the scanning process to continue uninterrupted while post-processing operations are performed in a separate workspace. Operators can monitor scan progress in one workspace while reviewing or preparing post-processing tasks in another, ensuring continuous productive action without bottlenecks halting the workflow.
4Reliability
If comprehensive scan controls and monitoring are provided, then scan quality consistency is improved, but the interface becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Each workspace can be customized to display the specific controls and monitoring parameters most relevant to that function. The scanning workspace shows quality assurance parameters and protocol settings, while post-processing workspaces display different metrics. This local specialization maintains comprehensive quality control without requiring all controls to be visible simultaneously, managing interface complexity through context-relevant information display.
Data Source
AI summary
A CT user interface includes first and second displays that enable an operator to perform set-up and scanning tasks associated with performing CT scans and enable the operator to perform image post-processing tasks associated with the CT scans. A plurality of distinct display zones are selectively displayed on the first and second displays, with the first display displaying a zone enabling the operator to create a record for each of a plurality of patients, a task list zone displaying all steps and sub-steps of a CT scan to be performed for a selected patient based on a selected scan protocol, a settings zone and a scanning zone displaying and enabling operator selection of scan parameters related to the selected scan protocol for the selected patient, and a dose area zone displaying a relationship between the selected scan parameters and a radiation dosage experienced by the patient based thereon.