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PACSADMIN-01-2014 ©Copyright Novarad 2014 Lesson 1: Introduction to NovaPACS 1

The purpose of this training module is to provide new and experienced PACS Administrators with foundational knowledge and tools to effectively begin supporting their users who will be using Novarad software products to carry out their daily responsibilities. This training module is divided into the following lessons:

Lesson 1: Introduction to NovaPACS

Lesson 2: Introduction to the Study Browser

Lesson 3: Using the Study Browser Menus

Lesson 4: Using the Image Viewer

PACS BASICS

MODULE 1 PA03

Module 1: NovaPACS Basics


Lesson 1: Introduction to NovaPACS

At the completion of this lesson, you will be able to do the following:

Understand the components of NovaPACS and how they are used in your facility

Explain the differences between a Managed Viewer and Web Viewer

Launch the Diagnostic Viewer from a Managed Viewer Workstation

Launch the Diagnostic Viewer from a Web Viewer Workstation Many of your staff will receive training during the implementation of your Novarad solution. However, your staff members may only use a specific subset of the available NovaPACS features. They may also forget some of their training on features they do not use on a regular basis. When problems arise or one of your users just has a question about how to do something, they will come to you, the PACS Administrator, for answers. This training course is designed to provide you with practical insight into most of the features within the NovaPACS software. This will enable you to effectively provide support to your users. The Novarad Education group takes training very seriously and our aim is to transform our learners into knowledgeable and capable users of our products. We take a highly interactive approach to training because we believe the combination of seeing and applying knowledge is a highly effective method for reinforcing the things that we teach.

Section 1.1 NovaPACS™

Novarad’s NovaPACS™ software is recognized as a world-class product and is one of the original Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS). The NovaPACS product is divided into two main user-facing components: the Diagnostic Viewer and the PACS Administration Console.

The Diagnostic Viewer

The NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer is designed to provide your users with the ability to manage and view DICOM files produced by the various modalities being used in your imaging department or facility. The Diagnostic Viewer also



provides your radiologists with effective and efficient workflows and methods for reading studies and creating reports.

The Novarad Diagnostic Viewer consists of two fundamental user interfaces: the Study Browser and the Image Viewer.

The Study Browser

The Study Browser is a screen that contains various lists designed to allow radiologists to search for and open patient studies quickly and easily. The Study Browser allows your users to display and manage study information and is highly customizable for ease-of-use.

The Image Viewer

The Image Viewer is a sophisticated user interface designed to allow the radiologist to efficiently view and manipulate patient studies, series, and images, and to easily produce patient reports. The Image Viewer is highly customizable and can be manipulated to display studies in multiple different layout configurations. Additionally, the Image Viewer’s mouse functions, toolbars, hotkeys, and drop-down menus are also highly customizable and will be discussed in greater detail later.

The PACS Administration Console

The PACS Administration Console (“Admin Console”) provides an intuitive interface designed to allow you as the PACS Administrator to easily manage your PACS system and users and optimize performance. The PACS Admin Console will be discussed in a later training course.



Section 1.2 Managed Viewer and Web Viewer Workstations

The Diagnostic Viewer and Admin Console are Windows applications that run on one of two types of systems. These systems are referred to as Managed Viewer workstations and Web Viewer workstations.

The types and number of these workstations you choose to use in your organization will depend on your circumstances and will vary from one facility to another. Although these systems may look and behave the same, there are distinct differences between them. The differences between these two systems are discussed in more detail in this section.

Managed Viewer Workstations

A Managed Viewer Workstation is a computer system provided by Novarad as part of your overall Novarad solution. This workstation has the NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer application pre-installed directly onto the machine. The Managed Viewer workstation is made up of computer hardware and software that meets Novarad’s system requirements. It is remotely configured, monitored, and maintained by the Novarad Support organization by way of a dedicated Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection between your site and Novarad’s Support department.

The PACS Admin Console is typically only available on the main PACS

server machine, but can be installed locally and/or accessed on other

computers as necessary. You will want to talk to Novarad Support if you

need access to the PACS Admin Console on other computers or when

using a Web Viewer Workstation.

Dedicated Virtual Private Network (VPN) Connection

Managed Viewer workstations will be located on your local (internal) network, and will access studies from the PACS server from this network connection.

However, your Managed Viewer workstations will also have a Dedicated VPN connection to Novarad. The Dedicated VPN connection provides Novarad’s Support organization with an “always on,” secure, remote connection to your private or internal network. By providing this dedicated connection, Novarad’s Support department is able to remotely monitor and maintain your Novarad system and resolve issues faster and easier than using alternative methods.



This dedicated VPN connection also serves as a means for enabling offsite image archiving to Novarad.

The Novarad Shell

In many instances, the Managed Viewer workstation is set up to use the Novarad Shell, which is a customized desktop designed to allow your users to run Novarad applications exclusively, instead of interacting with the traditional Windows desktop with its additional applications and configurations. This provides a dedicated Novarad application environment, free from issues that arise from unrelated applications being installed and run on the workstations. The need for the Novarad Shell is determined based upon your requirements.

Web Viewer Workstations

A Web Viewer workstation is a customer-provided computer system used to access the NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer and the studies that are on the PACS server.

These systems are referred to as Web Viewer workstations because they are most commonly used in locations that are remote to the facility and rely on Internet connectivity to communicate with the PACS server and the Diagnostic Viewer application. However, Web Viewer workstations can also be used within your facility on your local network—depending on the number and type of users needing access to NovaPACS. These computers are typically customer-provided hardware and are therefore maintained by your IT department and are not managed by Novarad Support. Web Viewer workstations won’t have the NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer pre-installed on them. The application will need to be downloaded and installed before it can be used. This quick download is accessed by clicking on the Diagnostic Viewer application from the Novaweb page your facility uses.

The NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer application is supported by Novarad

regardless of which of the two types of systems is being used.

Examples of Web Viewer workstations would be computers that are the property of staff members, a hospital, a clinic, or an imaging center. Licensing for Web Viewer workstations is based on concurrent users, which means that the number of users connecting to the PACS server at any one time cannot exceed the number of licenses that have been purchased. Licensing varies from



one solution to the next so you may want to talk with your Novarad Account Manager to fully understand how many licenses have been purchased for your organization.

SSL Connection

If Web Viewer workstations are being used within your facility, they will connect using your local (internal) network. If your users are accessing the Web Viewer remotely, they may use a VPN connection to connect virtually to your network as well.

However, there are circumstances where a Web Viewer workstation is located outside your facility’s private network and must gain secure access in order to download and run the Diagnostic Viewer. This is often the case when a facility has referring physicians outside their private network accessing the Diagnostic Viewer.

Novarad supports the use of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) technology in order to allow a remote computer to securely access the PACS Server from outside the private network.

An SSL Certificate enables Web Viewer workstations to connect securely and pass confidential information back and forth in much the same way that E-commerce websites protect a person’s credit card information when shopping online.

Now that you know the differences between Managed Viewer workstations and Web Viewer workstations, we will discuss how to access the Diagnostic Viewer on both of these systems.

Section 1.3 Launching the Diagnostic Viewer on a Managed Viewer Workstation

With Managed Viewer workstations, the Diagnostic Viewer application is installed directly on the machine and can be accessed like any other Windows application. This local installation provides the user with a connection to the NovaPACS server on your local network or intranet ensuring that images will load at optimum speed.



Exercise 1.3.1 Launching the Diagnostic Viewer on the Managed Viewer Workstation

The following exercise demonstrates how to launch the Diagnostic Viewer from a Managed Viewer workstation.

Step 1. Locate the Novarad Image Viewer shortcut on your computer’s desktop.

Step 2. Double-click the icon to launch the Diagnostic Viewer. A login dialog box will appear prompting you for your username and password.

If you are using a Novarad workstation as a domain user, your Windows login credentials may be used, eliminating the need for you to enter your credentials each time you access the Viewer.

Step 3. Enter admin in the Username field and abc123 in the Password field, and press Enter. The NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer application will open.

Step 4. Click on the File menu, and select Exit to terminate the application.



Section 1.4 Launching the Diagnostic Viewer on a Web Viewer Workstation

The Diagnostic Viewer, when used with a Web Viewer workstation, is accessed through a web page hosted on your NovaPACS server. The Web Viewer workstation will require either direct network access to the NovaPACS server, or internet access with an SSL connection. The first time the Diagnostic Viewer is accessed, the application is fully downloaded from the NovaPACS server over a secure connection and automatically installed on the Web Viewer workstation. You may find that the initial launching of this application will take longer than subsequent launches due to the fact that the application is being installed.

The Diagnostic Viewer, when used on a Web Viewer workstation, provides the same functionality as the Diagnostic Viewer used on a Managed Viewer workstation and can be accessed anytime from any computer as long as that computer has either network or SSL Internet access to the secure NovaPACS server.

In order to use the Diagnostic Viewer on a Web Viewer workstation, Microsoft’s .NET Framework version 4.0 must be installed.

Exercise 1.4.1 Launching the Diagnostic Viewer on a Web Viewer Workstaton

The following exercise demonstrates how you would launch the Diagnostic Viewer on a Web Viewer workstation. For this exercise, you will be accessing the Web Viewer from within the network, but you are going to imagine that you are using a workstation located remotely outside your organization’s network.

Step 1. From your Windows Start Menu or Desktop shortcut, launch Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Step 2. Enter “http://localhost/novaweb” into the URL address box and press the Enter key.

If you were outside the network, you would use “https” and the IP address or name of your PACS server in the URL instead.



Step 3. Click on the Diagnostic Viewer option.

A login dialog box will appear. Enter Admin as your user name and abc123 as your password and click the OK button.

The NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer will open.

Leave the Diagnostic Viewer window open; it will be discussed in the next lesson.



Lesson 1 Review

Please answer the following questions:

1. Complete the following statement: The Diagnostic Viewer can be accessed differently depending on whether it is being used on a ______________ or ______________workstation.

2. What is the purpose of a Virtual Private Network or VPN? a. To securely interconnect remote networks through a public

communication infrastructure. b. To connect users to the Internet from within a private computer

network. c. To create an unsecure network accessible to other users. d. To provide a personal network within a remote location such as

clinic or imaging center that can be shared by local users.

3. A Web Viewer workstation is best defined as which of the following? a. A computer system which is an integral part of the PACS system that

is not accessed by a Novarad user. b. A computer used to access the NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer that is

not directly managed by Novarad Support. c. A computer within a hospital or clinical environment which is not a

part of the PACS system. d. None of the above.

4. The Diagnostic Viewer is always preinstalled on a Web Viewer workstation.

a. True b. False

5. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology is a secure transport protocol used by

websites to protect online communication. a. True b. False


PACSADMIN-12-2012 ©Copyright Novarad 2013 Lesson 2: Introduction to the Study Browser 11

Lesson 2: Introduction to the Study Browser


Understand the purpose of the Study Browser

Understand and use the primary components of the Study Browser

As an Administrator, you may spend a lot of time in the Study Browser to set up custom settings and workflow options for your users to easily manage and view their studies on a daily basis. Radiologists and technologists will most likely not want to spend very much time searching for and locating their studies in the Study Browser. An understanding of your workflow will help you take the time now, before you are in production mode, to understand what you and your users can accomplish with the Study Browser. The Study Browser serves as the “control panel” for the Diagnostic Viewer and displays current patient study information, patient history, and series information associated with a selected study, as well as many other tools for locating and managing patient study information. The following sections describe the basic functions of the Study Browser.

Section 2.1 The Study Browser Tabs

The Study Browser window contains multiple tabs that offer users various ways to work with studies. These tabs form the foundation of the Study Browser, enabling its users to manage how they work with the information.

The following sections describe the different tabs and many of the options users have when using them.

The Search Tab

The Search tab is used primarily for locating patient studies based on search criteria entered by a user. By selecting/entering data in the search filters provided on this tab, you can easily locate studies in the system. The Search Tab is used as a “general search” page when users need to use a variety of search criteria to locate their studies. Many search filters are enabled by default for use, and users can add any additional search filters as needed.



Your users can save their frequently used search filter settings as saved search filters. This option will be discussed in greater detail later. The Search Tab contains four lists—the Filtered Studies list, Patient History list, Series list, and Favorite Hanging Protocols for Modality list; these lists are available on all three tabs in the Study Browser. However, the Search Tab contains toolbar options that are specific to this tab. The toolbar options on the other tabs vary slightly. The Search Tab contains the “Add to Worklist” option on the Filtered Studies list toolbar. This is for adding studies to your own worklist. This option is not applicable on the Assigned Worklist tab and is therefore not available on that tab.

The Assigned Worklist Tab

The Assigned Worklist tab is used primarily to work with studies that users have added to their own worklist or that other users have assigned to them. The Assigned Worklist tab is an effective tool that can be used by groups of Radiologists who read simultaneously.

The Assigned Worklist tab will display in the Study Browser as soon as a study has been added to your worklist (by you or another user). If the Assigned Worklist tab is not displayed in your Study Browser, you can click on the View menu and select the Assigned Worklist option or press the hotkey of F2. The Assigned Worklist can be hidden/shown at any time by selecting or deselecting the Assigned Worklist option on the View menu or using the F2 hotkey option.

Administrators, techs, and radiologists can assign studies to users’ Assigned Worklists using the Assign to User function from the Search tab. Individual users can also use the Add to Worklist option from the Search tab to assign studies to their own Assigned Worklist.



Many radiologists prefer to only see studies on their Assigned Worklist that they still need to read. They want studies that have a “Reviewed” status to drop off the list. This can be done by using the Status search filter and selecting “New” and “Verified” statuses. Any studies that don’t meet the criteria will no longer display in their list. The Assigned Worklist tab also includes a Filtered Studies list, Patient History list, and Series list for viewing and locating study information. Like the Search tab, this tab also provides you with a set of filters that can be used to find studies based on the criteria you provide.

Users cannot customize or create saved search filters on the Assigned

Worklist tab.

This tab also contains toolbars that provide quick access to frequently used actions. The Add to Worklist option is not available on the Assigned Worklist tab, because this is the Assigned Worklist. However, the Assign to User option is still available. Options specific to the Assigned Worklist tab such as Remove and Clear are on the Assigned Worklist toolbars.

The Advanced Worklist Tab

The Advanced Worklist tabs are used primarily to create custom saved searches for frequently used criteria. Creating Advanced Worklists with saved search information will eliminate the need to constantly interact with and change filters on the Search tab. Advanced Worklists are specific to each user and are saved to user preferences. Users can create multiple Advanced Worklists. Many radiologists create saved searches for specific modalities to separate out their study types. For example, they will create an Advanced Worklist for that day’s CT studies and a separate one for that day’s MRI studies.

Before any Advanced Worklists are created, this tab is labeled with “…”.

Once an Advanced Worklist is configured and named, the new Advanced Worklist tab name that you create will display. An “empty” tab with “…” will always display to the right of any Advanced Worklists. Users will click the empty tab to create new Advanced Worklists.



The Advanced Worklist tabs include a Filtered Studies list, Patient History list, and Series list for viewing and locating study information, like the other two tabs. The ability to use search filters to find studies is significantly different on these tabs, however. When creating or editing an Advanced Worklist, you can right-click next to the search filters and have the option of adding any applicable search filters to your list. This enables you to create a custom search using any available criteria, unlike the Assigned Worklist tab that is limited to only a few search filters.

Once you have created and saved your Assigned Worklist, the search filters appear to be “locked down” or no longer available for interaction. Right-clicking next to the search filters will not display the search filter drop-down list that is available in the Search tab.

However, you can add and change search criteria for your Advanced Worklists by editing them. To add/change your search filters for your Advanced Worklists, click the Edit link next to the Advanced Worklist’s name. This will allow you to change or add any information you need. When you are finished, click Save to save your changes.



This tab also contains toolbars that provide quick access to frequently used actions. The options on the Advanced Worklist tabs are identical to the toolbar options on the Search Tab. The Remove and Clear options that were on the Assigned Worklist tab will not be available on the Advanced Worklists.

Section 2.2 The Study Browser Lists

The Study Browser is designed specifically to display three levels of study data within a single view.

Patient Level - Displays the patient and study information for each exam.

Study Level –Displays the entire imaging procedure history for the patient.

Series Level - Displays information specific to the highlighted study. The information is broken down into individual series.

Displaying study data in this manner provides the following benefits:

1. It provides a consolidated arrangement of study data in a single view which can be automatically refreshed, eliminating the need to manually query.

2. It provides the user with a more traditional hierarchical approach to viewing and deciphering patient data.

3. It makes better and more economical use of screen real estate and reduces clutter.

The following sections describe the Study Browser’s lists.

Filtered Studies List

The Filtered Studies list displays the study results based upon the search filter criteria selected/entered by your users. Information for each study is displayed in columns across the page.



Information displayed on the Filtered Studies list will most likely be patient-related and study-related information. You will often see the patient’s name, PID, and other identifying patient information. You may also see study information such as the study’s modality, the study date, the anatomical area for the study, etc. The display columns on the Filtered Studies list will display information from various sources. Information contained in the DICOM file may be displayed—such as study date and anatomical area. Some information that is specific to the Diagnostic Viewer can be displayed as well—such as the Status column which is the status of the study (New, Verified, Reviewed). Some information from a HIS/RIS system may be displayed as well, such as the Procedure Status column that will display the procedure’s NovaRIS patient workflow status (Scan Completed, Report Dictated, etc.) if applicable. This set of columns is highly customizable and can easily be modified. Customizing options will be discussed in greater detail later. Each user can choose to see all studies for a patient in the Filtered Studies list, or can filter out older studies and only show the patient’s most recent study in the Filtered Studies list. This option is selected on the Options page, which will be discussed in greater detail later.

Patient History List

The Patient History list displays the entire patient history for the study that is selected (highlighted) on the Filtered Studies list. This list is located in the lower left-hand corner of the Study Browser window. Information for each study in the Patient History list is displayed in columns.

This set of columns is highly customizable and can easily be modified. Customizing options will be discussed in greater detail later.



Studies can be opened from the Patient History list instead of the Filtered Studies list when necessary. Some users may want to quickly review a patient’s prior study or a study from a different modality before reading the current study.

Study Information List

The Study Information list displays all of the series that are associated with the study currently selected in either the Filtered Studies list or the Patient History list. This list is located in the lower right-hand corner of the Study Browser window. Information for each listed series is displayed in columns.

This set of columns is customizable and can easily be modified. Customizing options will be discussed in greater detail later. By default, the Series Details will display. Details may include the Series ID, description, image count, etc., based upon which display columns the user has selected.

Your users can change the Series list display from Details to Images—which enables your users to view the series preview thumbnail images for each series.



Your users will be able to left-click on any series-preview thumbnail in the Series list and drag it directly into the Image Viewer. Your users can drag-and-drop series from the patient’s current study into the Image Viewer, as well as any series from the patient’s prior studies. Series from multiple modalities can be displayed in the Image Viewer simultaneously. It is important to note that you will need to already have one of the patient’s studies open before you can drag new series and drop them into the Image Viewer. You will be unable to drag-and-drop series preview thumbnails into an empty Image Viewer; you will also be unable to drag-and-drop series from a different patient into a patient’s study in the Image Viewer. On the Series list, there are two tabs. The default tab is the Series tab, which displays the series details and series image preview thumbnails discussed above. The second tab on the Series list is the Report tab. This tab will display the exam report for the selected study (selected on the Filtered Studies or Patient History list) if it exists. Users are able to view the entire exam report (by scrolling) and print the exam report from this preview window.

Many radiologists and technologists will view exam reports for prior

studies if available. Exam reports can be accessed in several ways. Exam

reports can be viewed from the Report tab on the series list. Users can

open the exam report in a new window by using the Report button the

Patient History list or by using the Exam Report function on the Study

Browser’s Study menu or the Image Viewer’s Study menu. Users can

customize the Exam Report function to be accessed from a toolbar, a

right-click menu (in the Image Viewer only), or by pressing a configured

hotkey (usually the letter “R). Users can also select the “Show exam

report when opening a study” option on the Options menu—which will

automatically open any exam reports in a new window when a study is

opened. These options will be discussed in greater detail later.



Hanging Protocol Layouts List

Radiologists often want to alter the display of the studies they are viewing. Users have the option of creating multiple display options—referred to as hanging protocol layouts—for each modality. They can also create layouts for each specific anatomical area (study type) within a modality type. For example, a radiologist may want to create a few different layout options for viewing CT brain studies. They may want to create a different set of layout options for viewing CT chest studies.

Adding, editing, and deleting hanging protocol layouts will be discussed

in greater detail later.

The Hanging Protocol Layouts list displays any saved layouts for the selected modality (and anatomical area if applicable). The Hanging Protocols Layouts list is located at bottom of the Study Browser window.

If a study is not currently opened in the Image Viewer, the Hanging Protocol Layouts list will be empty. Once a study is opened in the Image Viewer, the layouts for the selected modality (and anatomical area when applicable) will be displayed in this list. Users can select a study in the Filtered Studies or Patient History list and click on one of these layout options to open the selected study with that particular display.



Each layout displayed on the Hanging Protocol Layouts list has a corresponding number displayed on the bottom of the graphic. Users can press the number keys on the keyboard (the default hotkeys) while in the Image Viewer to change the layout to the different layouts from the Hanging Protocol Layouts list. The Hanging Protocol Layouts list can be hidden/shown at any time by selecting or deselecting the Hanging Protocol Layouts option on the Study Browser’s View menu or by pressing the default hotkey of F4.

Section 2.3 The Study Browser’s Toolbars

The toolbars in the Study Browser provide users with easy-to-locate, frequently used functions so the need for clicking through menus and lists is eliminated. There are two types of toolbars in the Study Browser: the Custom Toolbar that can be customized to contain frequently used functions, and the list toolbars for the Filtered Studies, Patient History, and Series lists. The list toolbars are not customizable.

The following sections describe the toolbars in the Study Browser.

The Study Browser’s Custom Toolbar

The Study Browser’s Custom Toolbar is located in the top of the Study Browser window and provides your users with tools for performing actions that relate directly to the patient study information displayed in the Study Browser’s Filtered Studies list.

The items on the Study Browser’s Custom Toolbar can be any item found on a menu in the Study Browser. For example, if you want to quickly access the Exam Report function, you can customize it to be on your toolbar instead of having to locate it on the Study Browser’s Study menu each time.



It is recommended that you, as the administrator, set commonly used functions on this toolbar for each role. You may customize the Verified and Scan Complete functions, as well as the Patient CD/DVD function for the technologist role. For the radiologist role, you may want to customize the Exam Report, Manage Report Workflow, and Route options. These settings can be customized as part of the role preferences. Saving role preferences and toolbar customization will be discussed in greater detail in the PACS Advanced module.

The Filtered Studies List Toolbar

The Filtered Studies list toolbar is located in the upper right-hand corner of the Filtered Studies list. This toolbar provides you with a set of easily accessible functions that are most commonly used in conjunction with patient studies.

The Filtered Studies list toolbar gives your users easy access to the following functions:

Select All—Selects all the studies in the list.

Add to Worklist—Adds the selected study/studies to the Assigned Worklist of the logged-in user.

Open—Opens the selected study in the Image Viewer.

Open + Old—Opens the selected study and the most recent, related study.

Open in Current Workspace— Opens the selected study in the current open workspace in the Image Viewer.

Assign to User—Allows users to assign studies to their own or another user’s worklist.

The Patient History List Toolbar

The Patient History List toolbar is located in the upper right-hand corner of the Patient History list. This toolbar provides you with a set of easily accessible functions that are most commonly used.



The Patient History list toolbar gives your users easy access to the following functions:

Report—Opens the exam report (if available) for the selected study in a new window.

Add to Worklist—Adds the selected study to the logged-in user’s worklist

Open—Opens the selected study in the Image Viewer

Open+ Old—Opens the selected study and the most recent, related study

Open in Current Workspace—Opens the selected study in the current open workspace in the Image Viewer

Select All—Selects all the studies in the list for the next action

The Study Information List Toolbar

The Study Information List toolbar is located in the upper right-hand corner of the Series list. This toolbar provides you with a set of easily accessible functions that are most commonly used.

The Series list toolbar gives your users easy access to the following functions:

Details/Images Drop-Down—This drop-down list allows users to view the Series Details or the Series preview thumbnails in the Series list.

Select All—Selects all the studies in the list for the next action

Open—Opens the selected study in the Image Viewer

Exercise 2.3.1 Using the Study Browser List Toolbars The following exercise demonstrates multiple uses of the toolbars located in the Filtered Studies, Patient History, and Series Lists.

Step 1. Reset your search filters by selecting View Reset Filters.

Step 2. Click on the Time Frame search filter, and select All.



Step 3. Click the Modality search field and select CT.

Step 4. Click the Select All button on the Filtered Studies list toolbar.

The entire Filtered Studies list will be highlighted indicating that all studies are selected. Click on any study in the list to deselect all studies except that one.





Step 7. Enter Thelma in the First Name field in the Search tab.

Note that the search begins as soon as you begin typing into the field. Step 8. Select the study for Thelma Gulley in the Filtered Studies list and click the Add to Worklist button.

Step 9. Click on the Assigned Worklist Tab and verify that Thelma Gulley was added to the Filtered Studies list.



Step 10. Return to the Search tab, and enter Tina in the First Name field. Select one of Tina Chitwood’s studies.

Step 11. Click the Open button on the Filtered Studies list toolbar.

The study will open in the Image Viewer. Step 12. Press the Spacebar on your keyboard to close the study. Step 13. Select Tina Chitwood from the Filtered Studies list again.

Step 14. Click on the Forearm LT study from the Patient History list.

Step 15. Click on the Open button on the Patient History list toolbar.

Step 16. Press the Spacebar on your keyboard to close the study.



Step 17. Select Tina Chitwood from the Filtered Studies list again.

Step 18. Click on the PA series in the Series list.

Step 19. Click the Open button on the Series list toolbar.

Step 20. Press the Spacebar on your keyboard to close the study.

Section 2.4 Searching for Studies

The Study Browser is designed to provide your users with an intuitive way to search for and open patient studies in the Image Viewer. The Search Filters are a group of drop-down lists and text fields displayed along the top of the Study Browser Window. These filters allow you to select /enter data which defines your search criteria for patient studies you are attempting to locate in the system. The list of search results becomes more refined depending on the amount of search criteria selected/entered.

The Search Filter tab has a defined set of search fields by default. However, this set of filters is highly customizable and can easily be changed to suit the needs of the individual user. By default, the Study Browser’s search filters use what is called “Auto-search” functionality—or the ability to search for studies by simply entering search criteria. Users will not need to press a search button or press the Enter key to launch a search. The Auto-search functionality is enabled by default for all users.



However, a new option allowing users to toggle the Auto-Search functionality off has been added. This will enable customers with very large databases to have the most efficient search functionality to meet their needs. If searches perform slowly for very large databases, these customers may want to turn off their Auto-search option on the Study Browser’s View menu.

With the Auto-search functionality disabled, users can take their time entering their search criteria, and when they are ready to launch their search, they will press the Enter key or click on the displayed screen tip.

The following sections describe the most commonly used Search Filters.

The Data Source Filter

The Data Source Filter allows you to specify which data sources you wish to base your search on. Your facility may have more than one PACS system employed and this feature allows you to search across multiple databases of information.



You can select one or more Data Sources to search by clicking the drop-down menu and making the appropriate selection(s). The Data Source filter cannot be removed.

The Time Frame Filter

The Time Frame Filter allows you to select specific time periods to filter a search by. You can search all time frames by selecting All, or you can also select any of the other time frames listed in the drop-down list. Additionally, you can create a custom time frame filter by selecting Custom.

Exercise 2.4.1 Creating a Custom Time Frame Filter The following exercise demonstrates how to create a custom time filter to search for studies that occurred during a specific time frame.

Step 1. Click on the Time Frame drop-down list.

Step 2. Select the Custom option at the bottom of the list. The Select Date Range dialog will appear.



Step 3. Click on the Down Arrow in the Start time: date field to display the calendar.

Step 4. Select a date from the past, in the calendar.

Step 5. Click on the Down Arrow in the End time: date field to display the calendar.



Step 6. Select a date from the calendar.

Note that the start time must precede the end time.

Step 7. Select a start time in the Start time: time field by using the arrows to the right to set the exact start time.

Step 8. Select an end time in the End time: time field by using the arrows to the right to set the exact end time.

Step 9. Click on the OK button to apply your new custom time frame filter.



The results of your new search will be displayed in the Filtered Studies list.

The Modality Filter The Modality Filter lets you narrow your search by modality. You can specify which modalities to base your search with by clicking the Modality drop-down list and selecting or deselecting modalities in the list.

Exercise 2.4.2 Searching by Modalities The following exercise demonstrates how to select one or more modalities to base your search on.


Step 2. Click on the Modality drop-down list.

Step 3. Select one or more modalities by selecting or deselecting the box next to each modality.



The modalities list that appears is based on the current data source(s) selected. Some data sources may include modality data not available from other data sources.

Step 4. Once you’ve selected the desired modalities, click anywhere in the Study Browser outside of the Modality drop-down list to close the list. The results of your new search will be displayed in the Filtered Studies list.

The Patient ID, Last Name, First Name, and Accession # Filters

The Patient ID, Last Name, First Name, and Accession # filters all function in the same manner.

By entering the first few characters of the patient’s ID, last name, first name, or accession number, the filters will search and return all results that contain those letters or numbers in the Filtered Studies list. The search will continuously update as more characters are entered.

The ability to begin typing search criteria and have the results

automatically populate in the Study Browser is the Auto-search

functionality, that is enabled by default. If you have your Auto-search

option turned off, you will be prompted to click a screen tip or press the

Enter key before you will see your search results. The Auto-search option

is enabled/disabled on the Study Browser’s View menu.



Exercise 2.4.3 More Filters The following exercise demonstrates how to search for patient studies using different text-based search filters. The Filtered Studies list will populate with all of the studies meeting the search criteria entered—even partial entries.



Step 3. Enter the name Tina in the First Name field.

You’ll see the results of your search begin to display as each keystroke is entered. Step 4. Delete the data in the First Name field.

Step 5. Enter the numbers 762 in the Patient ID field.



Step 6. Delete the data in the Patient ID field.

Step 7. Enter the letters Chi in the Last Name field.

Step 8. Delete the data in the Last Name field.

Step 9. Enter the numbers 1507 in the Accession # field.

The Filtered Studies list will populate with all of the studies meeting the search criteria entered.

Section 2.5 Opening Studies

After using the Study Browser to search for studies in the Filtered Studies, Patient History, and/or Series lists, your users can open the studies in the Image Viewer to verify and read the studies, and create diagnostic reports.

There are several ways to open studies in the Image Viewer. The Study Browser is designed to allow Radiologists and Technologists to use the Diagnostic Viewer in the most efficient way possible within your workflow.



The following list describes the different methods used to open studies:

Double-clicking the study

Selecting a study in a list and clicking the list’s Open button on the toolbar

Right-click on the study and select one of the Open options from the drop-down list

Selecting a study in a list, clicking on the Study Browser’s Study Menu, and selecting the Open option

Selecting a study in a list and pressing a configured hotkey (usually configured to CTRL + O)

Exercise 2.5.1 Opening Studies The following exercise demonstrates various ways studies can be opened.



Step 3. Enter “Tina” in the First Name field.

Step 4. Double-click on one of Tina Chitwood’s studies to open it.



Step 5. Press the Spacebar to close the study and return to the Study Browser. Step 6. Click on Tina Chitwood’s study again to select it, and click the Open button on the Filtered Studies list toolbar.

Step 7. Press the Spacebar to close the study and return to the Study Browser. Step 8. Right-click on Tina Chitwood’s study and select the Open Selected Studies option from the drop-down list.

Step 9. Press the Spacebar to close the study and return to the Study Browser. Step 10. Click on Tina Chitwood’s study again to select it, click the Study Browser’s Study menu, and select Open.

Step 11. Press the Spacebar to close the study and return to the Study Browser.



Lesson 2 Review


1. What is the primary purpose of the Study Browser? a. To act as the control panel for the Diagnostic Viewer b. To manage patient electronic medical records. c. To distribute patient study information to different locations. d. To add patient studies to different user’s worklists.

2. The Add to Worklist button enables the user to assign the selected studies to another user? a. True b. False

3. Complete the following statement:

When you select a study in the Filtered Studies or Patient history list, you can see a list of the study’s associated ___________________ in the bottom right-hand list in the Study Browser.


PACSADMIN-12-2012 ©Copyright Novarad 2013 Lesson 3: Using the Study Browser Menus 38

Lesson 3: Using the Study Browser Menus

Once you’ve completed this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand and use the most commonly used Study Browser menu functions by role

The Study Browser’s menus contain many helpful functions that apply to both the Study Browser and Image Viewer within the Diagnostic Viewer application. The following section will provide basic information on the Study Browser’s most commonly used menu items.

Section 3.1: The Study Menu

The Study Menu provides your users with tools that make it easier to manage workload and to work with study-related information and applications. The Study menu is located on the Study Browser’s main toolbar.

The Study menu has a number of powerful functions. In order to keep these functions and their uses in perspective, we’ve divided the Study Browser’s Study menu functions into three categories:

1. Most commonly used by radiologists 2. Most commonly used by technologists 3. “Global” functions that are available to all users

Commonly Used Radiologist Functions

Radiologists will use the Study Browser’s Study menu to perform study-related functions, collaborate with other users on studies, and to launch third party



applications to work with studies—among other functions. This next section contains functions in the Study menu most commonly used by Radiologists.

Collaboration

Many radiologists work in groups that have access to the same group of studies. The Collaboration options allow multiple radiologists and cardiologists to work simultaneously from the same worklist without duplicating their readings. Radiologists and cardiologists can use the Collaboration options to check out studies, mark them reviewed, and even double-check each other’s work by using peer and utilization reviews. The NovaPACS Collaboration features make use of modern, cloud-based technologies to allow for the types of workflows needed in today’s complex multi-site environments.

To access the Collaboration options, select a study and click on the Study menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar. Select the Collaboration drop-down list.

The Collaboration drop-down list contains the following collaboration options.

Checkout

The Checkout function essentially “locks” a study. Others can view it but are prevented from making changes to the study or its status.

To use the Checkout function, click on the Study Menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select Collaboration, and then select Checkout.



The study will now have a “Checked Out” status in the Status column of the Filtered Studies list. The Current User column will reflect the user name of the person who checked the study out.

The “Checked Out” status for the study will update on all collaborating users’ lists. Other users attempting to open the study will receive a prompt notifying them that the study is already checked out. They may view a checked out study, but cannot mark it reviewed or use the Checkout function on it.

Undo Checkout

The Undo Checkout function allows your users to undo the checkout process for a study. This function is helpful when a user checks out the wrong study or the user is unable to complete the review of a study after checkout and needs to make it available to others. The study or series will be restored to a new status.



The Undo Checkout function can only restore studies

with a “checked out” status to a “new” status. It cannot

restore a status to “Verified” or restore the status of a

study if it has already been marked “Reviewed.” Users

can only change a study with a “Reviewed” status by

using the “Reset to New” function.

To use the Undo Checkout function, click on the Study Menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select Collaboration, and then select Undo Checkout.

The study will now have a “New” status in the Status column of the Filtered Studies list. The Current User column will no longer reflect a user name.

The “New” status for the study will update on all collaborating users’ lists.

Reviewed

When a radiologist is finished reading a study, they will want to mark the study “reviewed” to signify to the rest of the staff that the study has been read. The Reviewed function allows your users to mark a study reviewed.

Only users with a radiologist role can mark studies

“Reviewed.”



To use the Reviewed function, click on the Study menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select Collaboration, and then select Reviewed.

The study will now have a “Reviewed” status in the Status column of the Filtered Studies list. The Current User column will reflect the user name of the person who reviewed the study.

The “Reviewed” status for the study will update on all collaborating users’ lists.

Reset Status to New

If a user inadvertently changes a study’s status (to “Checked out,” “Verified,” or “Reviewed”), they may need the option to reset the status of a study back to a new status. The Reset Status to New function allows your users to restore the status of a study back to a “New” status. To use the Reset Status to New function, click on the Study menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select Collaboration, and then select Reset Status to New.



The study’s status will change from “Reviewed” to “New” in the Status column of the Filtered Studies list. The user name will no longer appear in the Current User column.

Radiologists can only reset the status for studies they have changed.

Tip: The Reset Status to New function must be used within six hours of a study being marked “Reviewed.” Only Administrators can change the status of a study after four hours.

Peer Review

The Peer Review function allows radiologists to evaluate each other’s reviewed studies and provide quality assurance. This falls in accordance with ACR accreditation requirements—as a form of checks and balances to make sure all of your radiologists are in agreement with their reads. To use the Peer Review function, select a reviewed study from the Filtered Studies list. Click on the Study menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, select Collaboration, and then select Peer Review.



Select any applicable options for the Peer Review in the dialog box and click on OK to submit the review.

Radiologists will not know who has Peer Reviewed their studies. Your everyday users will not be able to see any information relating to Peer Reviews. Only Administrators can view a completed Peer Review in the PACS Admin Console, under the Reports tab.



Under the Select Report drop-down list, select the Peer Review option and date range and click the Search button.

The Peer Review reports will display will all of its associated details.

Commonly Used Technologist Functions

Technologists can use the Study Browser’s Study menu to perform study-related functions. This next section contains functions in the Study Browser’s Study menu most commonly used by Technologists.

Route

There are times that your users will want to send studies from NovaPACS to another location. This may be relevant if a user wants to read studies on a separate mammo reading workstation, or if a facility you work closely with is requesting a study be sent to them. You can also route studies to another server or workstation (to cache locally and open faster) in your facility. This is common practice for Radiology Groups who read for multiple facilities.

The Route function allows your users to easily route studies from your NovaPACS system to other locations such as other PACS systems, modalities, and third-party software applications.



In order to successfully route studies to another system, a Route

Destination to that system must be set up in advance using the

Novarad PACS Administration Console. This service is typically

configured by Novarad’s Support or Implementatin team.

To use the Route function, click on the Study menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select Route.

The Add Route Queue Entry dialog box will open, allowing you to select the entire study to route, or expand to select just individual series or images.

Select the route destination from the Destination drop-down list and click OK to route the study/series/image(s).



Patient CD/DVD

Users with CD/DVD burning ability on their workstation can use the Patient CD/DVD function to burn entire patient studies or only selected studies to a CD or DVD.

To use the Patient CD/DVD function, select a study, click on the Study menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select Patient CD/DVD.



The Patient CD/DVD dialog box will open. Select the studies, series, and compression options you want for your CD/DVD.

Users have the options to burn the selected study or all studies for the selected patients. They also have the option of burning all of the series in each study, or choosing select series to burn.

Click OK to burn the CD/DVD when you have finished selecting your options. There are separate preferences for Patient CD/DVD burning that an Admin can set. Any customizations such as monitor configurations, toolbars, etc., will be used when burning the patient CD/DVD if they have been saved as the Patient CD/DVD preferences; the current user’s preferences will not be the settings burned to the CD/DVD.



When a user opens a Novarad Patient CD/DVD, it will open with

an executible file that opens a local copy of the NovaPACS Lite

Viewer (LaunchCDViewer.exe). The study’s information and

images can be accessed and viewed from the application.



Scan Complete

The Scan Complete function allows your users to change the study’s status to reflect that the scan has been completed. This will change the procedure status in NovaRIS—or send a procedure status update HL7 message to a HIS/RIS when applicable.

When a study’s status is changed to Scan Complete, it will reflect in the Patient Workflow in NovaRIS.

There are several reasons users would want to change a procedure’s status to Scan Complete. For customers using NovaRIS that have purchased Management Reports, there several Management Reports that can show the time it took to move procedures from Scan Started to Scan Complete.



Customers using another HIS/RIS that have HL7 configured will want to communicate to that initial system if a procedure is moving in the workflow. Changing a procedure’s status to Scan Complete will trigger any applicable order and/or billing HL7 messages to be sent. Another reason users may want to change a procedure’s status to Scan Complete is if they are billing separately for technical and professional charges. Technical charges can be billed for once the scan has been completed—so they will want to change the procedure’s status to reflect this.

To use the Scan Complete function, click on the Study menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select Scan Complete.

Verified

Some facilities have their technologists open and double-check their studies before they are ready for the radiologists to read. Settings often checked are W/L settings, image orientation, and study accuracy. Once a technologist has opened and checked to make sure the study is ready for the radiologist, they can use the Verified function to change the status of the study to “Verified.” To use the Verified function, click on the Study menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, select Collaboration, and then select Verified.



The study will now have a “Verified” status in the Status column of the Filtered Studies list. The Current User column will reflect the user name of the person who verified the study. The “Verified” status for the study will update on all collaborating users’ lists.

Technologists typically mark a study Verified for the Radiologist before marking it Scan Complete which takes it off the modality’s worklist.

As discussed earlier, many users will filter their Assigned Worklists to show “New” and/or “Verified” statuses. If a radiologist prefers their technologists to mark their procedures “Verified” when they are ready, they will most likely filter their Assigned Worklist to only show “Verified” studies.

Global Study Menu Functions

Many of the functions on the Study menu are available to all users regardless of their role. This next section describes the remaining Study menu functions.

Select All

If there is a function you want to use for an entire list of studies, such as the Open or Patient CD/DVD function, the Select All function will select



all of the items in the active list (Filtered Studies, Patient History, or Series List).

The Select All function will select all of the items on the active list.

You must click on a list to activite it.

To use the Select All function, click on a list in the Study Browser, click on the Study menu, and select Select All.

Users can also use the Select All function by right-clicking on the

list or by clicking the Select All button on one of the Study

Browser’s toolbars.

Click anywhere on the list to deselect the items after using the Select All function.

Close Workspace

Multiple studies can be opened in the Image Viewer at one time. By default, each study will open independently—or in separate workspaces. Opening studies in workspaces will be discussed in greater detail later.



If a user has multiple workspaces open simultaneously in the Image Viewer, they may want to close just the current workspace without closing the other studies they have opened. The Close Workspace function allows you to close the active workspace in the Image Viewer while leaving any other workspaces open. To use the Close Workspace function, click on the Study menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select Close Workspace.

Close All Workspaces

While working in the Image Viewer, many users will open multiple studies without closing previously opened studies. If they are opening each study in their own workspace—which is a default setting—they may end up with several workspaces open simultaneously.

Rather than closing each workspace individually, the Close All Workspaces function enables users to quickly close all workspaces in the Image Viewer.

To use the Close All Workspaces function, click on the Study menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select Close All Workspaces.



Exam Report

Most users will want to see a procedure’s exam report if it exists. Radiologists in particular often review a patient’s prior exam and report before reading the current study. Technologists may check to make sure prior reports are available for their radiologists. PACS Administrators will also often check exam reports to verify that their radiologists’ reports are being created and saved correctly. The Exam Report function allows your users to see the report associated with the selected study if one exists in NovaRIS.

The Exam Report function on the Study Browser’s Study menu

will only work correctly if you have NovaRIS and the integration

is correctly configured. If you are using NovaRIS and your reports

are not displaying correctly, you may want to check the Report

URL in the PACS Admin Console under the Server Options tab to

verify that it is set up correctly.

To use the Exam Report function, click on the Study menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select Exam Report.



The RIS Report window will appear displaying the associated report.

Exercise 3.1.1 Viewing an Exam Report The following exercise demonstrates how to view an exam report.

Step 1. Right-click on the column header in the Filtered Studies list. Select the Report option, if not already selected.




Step 3. Click on the Time Frame filter and select All.

Step 4. Search for all CT studies by clicking on the Modality filter and selecting CT.



Step 5. Select a study the Filtered Studies list that displays an “X” in the Report column.

Step 6. Click on the Study menu and select Exam Report…

The RIS Report window will appear and display the associated exam report.



There are several other ways to access a study’s exam report in addition to the Study menu item. In newer versions, a report preview tab has been added to the Series list in the Study Browser.

Users can see and interact with the study’s exam report when using the Report tab. The report can be printed from this preview window. A benefit to the report preview window is that, if configured correctly, reports from other HIS/RIS systems can be displayed and printed. In newer versions, a Report button has been added to the Patient History list toolbar.

The Report button will open the exam report for the selected study in a new window—which works the same as the Exam Report function on the Study menu.

One of the most common ways exam reports are accessed and viewed is by using the “Show exam report when opening study” option on the Options menu. This will automatically open any existing exam reports when a study is opened.



RIS Information

The RIS Information function allows you to view relevant RIS information for a study. The information you will see in the RIS Information dialog is typically submitted by the Receptionist, or Technologist, in the NovaRIS product. RIS Information includes patient information, Referring Physician information, order notes, and procedure information associated with the selected study. RIS Order Form

RIS Information (PACS)



To use the RIS Information function, click on the Study menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select RIS Information.

On the Options menu, you can customize the RIS Information dialog box to open automatically when a study is opened—and to fade away after a few seconds.

Section 3.2 The View Menu

The View menu contains functions specific to how information is displayed in the Study Browser window, as well as settings for the Hanging Protocols in the Image Viewer. The View menu is located on the Study Browser’s main toolbar.



Worklist

The Worklist function on the Study Browser’s View menu allows your users to hide and show the Assigned Worklist tab in the Study Browser window.

By selecting and deselecting the Worklist function, the Assigned Worklist tab will toggle between shown and hidden .

Users can also show/hide the Assigned Worklist tab by pressing the default hotkey of F2.

Hanging Protocol Layouts List

The Hanging Protocol Layouts function on the Study Browser’s View menu allows your users to hide and show the Hanging Protocol Layouts list in the Study Browser window.



By selecting the Hanging Protocol Layouts function, the Hanging Protocol Layouts list will toggle between shown and hidden.

Users can also show/hide the Hanging Protocol Layouts list by pressing the default hotkey of F4.

We will discuss this topic in greater detail in PACS Advanced.

Study Information

The Study Information function on the Study Browser’s View menu allows your users to hide and show the Series list/Report tab in the Study Browser window.



By selecting the Study Information function, the Series list/Report tab will toggle between shown and hidden.

Patient History

The Patient History function on the Study Browser’s View menu allows your users to hide and show the Patient History list in the Study Browser window.

By selecting the Patient History function, the Patient History list will toggle between shown and hidden.

Refresh Lists

Each of the lists in the Study Browser window can be refreshed to show the most up-to-date information by using the Refresh Lists function.

To use the Refresh Lists function, click on the View menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar and select Refresh Lists.



Users can also use the Refresh Lists function by pressing the default hotkey of F5.

Reset Filters

Your users can reset each of the filters for the Study Browser by using the Reset Filters function. This function is helpful when your user is about to do a completely new search; some search criteria may be hard to see and could stop an effective search. Using the Reset Filters function is a quick way to reset all of the search filters back to their default settings.

All search filters will be set to “All” or blank and the Time Frame filter will be set to the last “3 hours” when you use the Reset Filters function.

To use the Reset Filters function, click on the View menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar and select Reset Filters.

Users can also use the Reset Filters function by pressing the default hotkey of CTRL + Shift + F5.



Section 3.3 Settings Menu

The Settings menu contains options for you, the PACS Administrator, or Novarad to configure the Diagnostic Viewer’s features, tools, and monitors that will be used by all users in your facility.

Any settings set using the Settings menu can be customized by individual users and saved to their user preferences.

This section of the training will briefly describe the purpose of each of the functions on the Settings menu and will defer more detailed discussion to the advanced section of this training course.

Options

The Options page in the Settings menu allows your users to customize multiple options for the Study Browser and the Image Viewer. Many options for opening studies in the Image Viewer are configured on the Options page. Administrators should familiarize themselves with the Options page.



The following sections describe the tabs on the Options page.

General

The General tab on the Options page allows your users to select many options for opening studies in the Image Viewer. This is the most commonly used tab on the Options page.

Keyboard Shortcuts

The most commonly used functions in the Study Browser and Image Viewer come with default hotkey settings already configured. However, these default settings can be changed and customized at any time.

Any menu function can also be assigned a customized hotkey setting using the Keyboard Shortcuts tab in the Options menu.

Hotkey settings for menu functions are listed next to menu function names in the menu drop-down lists.




Mouse Settings

Most functions in the Image Viewer can be performed with the mouse instead of the keyboard for radiologists’ convenience. The most commonly used features in the Image Viewer come with default mouse settings. These default settings can be changed and customized on the Mouse Settings tab.


Image Context Menu

The most commonly used functions in the Image Viewer can be accessed from right-click menus called Image Context Menus.



These menus can be customized to have global settings—settings that apply to all modalities—or customized to have functions specific to individual modalities.


Labels

Your users can change and customize the DICOM labels that appear on images in the Image Viewer. These labels provide useful patient, study, and series information. Font sizes and colors as well as locations can all be customized for the labels as well.


Lexicon

The Lexicon function provides your users with a list of commonly used words to select from when using text annotations in the Image Viewer.

Your users can add phrases to the Lexicon that they can select from a list instead of manually typing them. As the Administrator, you can create global Lexicon values available to all users, and customized values can be created by each user available only to them.




Plug-ins

The NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer has Plug-ins options available to our users. Plug-ins are 3rd party applications that integrate with Novarad’s software to extend its functionality.


Data Sources

Data Sources are the connection settings that allow the Diagnostic Viewer to communicate with database and image servers. Data Sources are the primary source from which images are downloaded.


W/L Presets

The W/L Presets function allows your users to specify window/level preset values for each modality when using the Image Viewer. The Image Viewer sets default W/L values for each modality that correspond in number with the F1-F12 keys on the keyboard.




Manage Hanging Protocols

Hanging Protocols are the layouts for displaying study images in the Image Viewer. Users can edit default and comparison Hanging Protocols from the Study Browser using the Manage Hanging Protocols function.


Configure Monitors

The Configure Monitors function allows your users to select monitors for viewing images. Monitors properly connected to your user’s computer will appear in the Configure Monitors window as numbered rectangles. Users can select any monitor or combination of monitors by clicking on the rectangles.

Preferences

The Preferences menu provides your users with multiple options for selecting the settings they will use for viewing and managing images and information in the Study Browser and Image Viewer. Any changes a user makes to the default preferences settings are stored and automatically recalled each time that user logs into the Diagnostic Viewer. This includes all preference settings; keyboard, mouse, context menus, databases, hanging protocols, toolbars, icon sizes, layout of the browser, etc. As you exit the NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer application, your user preferences will be saved to your individual login; subsequent logins will automatically use your saved preferences.



We recommend that you periodically export a copy of your preferences to your desktop, a flash drive, or some other data storage device in case they are ever reset or otherwise misconfigured.

Tip: Your preferences are saved on the primary PACS server, meaning that they are automatically configured for you regardless of which Novarad workstation you are using.

To use the Preferences function, click on the Settings menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select the Preferences drop-down list. The following sections describe the Preferences options.

Reset Preferences

The Reset Preferences function allows your users to reset all preferences to the site’s original default settings. Each role has 3 levels of preferences; basic, normal, or advanced. The NovaPACS system is installed with all levels pre-configured. The levels of user preferences will be explained in greater detail later.

Tip: Administrators can set the levels of default preferences for each role.



The Diagnostic Viewer will permanently overwrite any settings that have been changed in the Study Browser and Image Viewer when the Reset Preferences function is selected. Users will receive a warning prompt before resetting the preferences to ensure they really want to reset their preferences.

To use the Reset Preferences function, click on the Settings menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select the Preferences drop-down list. Select Reset Preferences.

You will receive a warning dialog box, informing you that “all of your preferences will be reset to the defaults” and that all of your changes/customizations will be lost. If you are sure you want to reset your preferences, click the Yes.




Import Preferences

The Import Preferences function allows your users to import preference settings from a saved location. This is helpful when sharing preference settings from one Diagnostic Viewer installation to another.

To use the Import Preferences function, click on the Settings menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar, and select the Preferences drop-down list. Select Import Preferences. Browse to find the preferences file you want to import, and click Open.

When exiting the Diagnostic Viewer, if you have imported preferences that are not stored in the database, you will receive a warning prompt before your preferences are overwritten.


Export Preferences

The Export Preferences function allows your users to save and export a copy of their user preferences in case they ever get lost or reset. It is recommended that each user periodically exports a new copy of their user preferences to a secure location such as a network drive or a flash drive. To use the Export Preferences function, click on the Settings menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar and select the Preferences drop-down list. Select Export Preferences.



Select your export options in the Export Preferences to file dialog box. Preferences are exported as an .XML file.


Save as Default Preferences

Before your users log in for the first time, you may want to create customized settings for each of the roles in your facility. For example, you may want to set options such as the Exam Report, Assign Password, Patient CD/DVD, Route, Verified, and Scan Complete options on the Study Browser’s Custom Toolbar for all of your technologists to access quickly and easily. You may want to customize hanging protocols, Study Browser and Image Viewer toolbars, hotkeys, mouse settings, and Image Context Menus for all of your radiologists to use. The Save as Default Preferences function allows you to save a custom set of options for each of your user roles. A new profile for CD preferences can also be set for when users burn Patient CDs. It is important to note that if you’re going to use the Save as Default Preferences option, you will want to use this before your users log in and make customizations for the first time. That way you can reset the preferences for those roles to the new defaults you have customized and it won’t affect any changes/customizations they may have made.

Only Administrators can alter Default User Preferences. It is important to remember that all settings including buttons, hotkeys CD burning preferences, and the general layout of the windows that you set will be the default settings for all of your users.

To use the Save as Default Preferences function, click on the Settings menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar and select the Preferences drop-down list. Select Save as Default Preferences.



The Set Default Preferences for Profile dialog box will open. Click on the drop-down list to select a role that you want to reset to the defaults.


Customize Toolbar

The Customize Toolbar function allows your users to add, remove, and/or reorder toolbar items on the Study Browser’s Custom Toolbar.

To use the Customize Toolbar function, click on the Settings menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar and select the Customize Toolbar option.



The Custom Toolbars dialog box will open.


Section 3.4 Help Menu

The Study Browser’s Help menu offers users help with using the Study Browser and Image Viewer functions. The Help menu contains instructions, current user information, the ability to contact Novarad’s customer support, the ability to submit feedback, access to the Diagnostic Viewer User Manual, and access to What’s New documents detailing new features in the Diagnostic Viewer.

The Help menu is located on the Study Brower’s main toolbar.



Instructions

The Instructions function offers users basic information about how to open studies with the Diagnostic Viewer.

Tip: This is a good resource for users who rarely login to the PACS or for Referring Physicians who can’t remember how to open studies or use navigation tools.

To use the Instructions function, click on the Help menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar and select the Instructions option.

The NovaPACS Viewer Instructions window will open.

Basic instructions for the Viewer will be displayed. When you are finished viewing the instructions, click the Close button.



Current User Information

The Current User Information function shows users their user role and what features and tools they have been granted permission to use.

To use the Current User Information function, click on the Help menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar and select the Current User Information option.

The Current User Information dialog box will open. Click on the Data Source drop-down list to select your current data source.

Once you have selected your data source, your user role and permissions will populate.



Contact Support

The Contact Support function allows you and your users to submit support-related questions via email to Novarad’s Support department. To use the Contact Support function, click on the Help menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar and select the Contact Support option.

The Contact NovaPACS Technical Support dialog box will open.

Type your questions or comments and click the Send button when you are finished.

Submit Feedback

The Submit Feedback function allows your users to send product feedback and suggestions to Novarad Corporate. Your input and recommendations help Novarad to improve our product. To use the Submit Feedback function, click on the Help menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar and select the Submit Feedback option.



The Submit Product Feedback dialog box will open.

Type your comments and click the Send button when you are finished.

User Manual

The User Manual function allows your users to view the Diagnostic Viewer User Manual (in PDF) any time they have questions about using the product. Users can search for needed information using the Table of Contents, Index, Find (CTRL + F) feature, or the PDF chapter and section bookmarks to the left of the PDF viewer window. To use the User Manual function, click on the Help menu on the Study Browser’s main toolbar and select the User Manual option.



Depending on your PDF reader software, the user manual may open in a new window in NovaPACS or ask you if you’d like to open in your PDF software.

What’s New

The What’s New function allows your users to see the NovaPACS What’s New document detailing the newest features in that version of the NovaPACS software (in PDF).



About

The About function allows your users to view type and version details about their Diagnostic Viewer. Novarad’s Support number is also displayed on the About NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer page.



Lesson 3 Review


1. What is the best way to exit the NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer? a. Click the Red X in the top, right-hand corner of the Study Browser

window. b. Click the Red X in the top, right-hand corner of the Image Viewer

window. c. Press the Esc button on your keyboard. d. Click on the Study Browser’s File menu, and select Exit.

2. Please complete the following statement:

The Worklist function on the Study Browser’s View menu allows users to

show/hide the _____________ Tab?

3. What is the best method for accessing the NovaPACS Diagnostic Viewer User Manual?

a. Call Novarad Support and request a copy. b. Ask for a copy during training. c. Contact your applications trainer for a copy. d. Access a copy from the Help Menu in the Study Browser.

4. Users can select which monitors they want to use for displaying the Study Browser and Image Viewer windows.

a. True b. False

5. Please complete the following statement:

Information associated with the selected study, including documents,

reports, and RIS Information, can be found on the Study Browser’s

_____________ menu.


PACSADMIN-12-2012 ©Copyright Novarad 2013 Lesson 4: Using the Image Viewer 85

Lesson 4 Using the Image Viewer


Understand how to view and navigate series and images in the Image Viewer

Understand basic components of the Image Viewer

When a user opens a study from the Study Browser, the images are opened and displayed using the Diagnostic Viewer’s Image Viewer. The Image Viewer displays images along with easy access to features on toolbars and menus. Users can review and annotate images, create reports, and customize options in the Image Viewer.

In this section, we will provide information on how to view studies, series, and images. We will also describe how to access and customize Image Viewer toolbars.

Section 4.1 Introduction to the Viewer

When a user opens a study from the Study Browser, the images/series associated with that study will display in a workspace in the Image Viewer window according to the default or selected hanging protocols for that modality.

Depending on the monitor configuration you are using, the Image Viewer will either display in front of the Study Browser window, or display on a separate monitor/monitors so both windows are visible.

The following sections describe how studies, series, and images are displayed in the Image Viewer.

Study Display

Studies will display as many series and images as the hanging protocols designate. Each study will be viewed in its own workspace by default. The study’s information will be displayed in the top left-hand corner of the Image Viewer window.

If the default option of opening a new workspace for each patient is not selected, each time a study is opened, the previous one will close. Users won’t be able to switch between workspaces (have multiple studies open simultaneously). Users can customize settings to open prior studies with current studies, which will be displayed side-by-side in a workspace. This option will be discussed in greater detail later.



Series Display

Series will display in as many viewing windows as the hanging protocols designate. Images in the series will also be designated by the selected hanging protocol.

There may be more series in the study than are displayed in viewing windows in the Image Viewer so your users will need to scroll through the series in the study to view all of them (e.g., If a study has 16 series and the hanging protocol designates that only 4 series display at a time, users will need to scroll through the series to view all 16.) Scrolling through series will be discussed later in this section.

Each series displayed in the Image Viewer will have its own set of series box icons in the top right corner. Your users will know the difference between looking at an entire series of images and a single image by locating these series box icons.

The active series is shown by a red highlighted box around the series. Selected functions will apply to the active series and/or image. By displaying the Choose Series box (MenuStudyChoose Series), your users can see which series are currently being displayed in the Image Viewer.



The Choose Series function is often customized to be on an Image Viewer’s toolbar for quick access.



Image Display

The images in the series that display will be designated by the selected hanging protocol.

If the hanging protocol is set up to only show one image at a time, it may be hard to tell the difference between images and the series. However, if the image layout is set to show multiple images displayed in a series layout, your users will know they are viewing individual images because they will not have series box icons in the top right corner for each image displayed.

Section 4.2 The Image Viewer Elements

Your users can access Image Viewer options from several different locations including menus, toolbars, and hotkey settings. This section of the training will address the various each of the fundamental elements of the Image Viewer and their purpose.

The following sections describe the basic elements of the Image Viewer.



Switch Between Workspaces

Users can open multiple studies in the Image Viewer at the same time without having to close the previous study. By default, each study will open in a new workspace.

Users can navigate their open studies using the Switch between Workspaces folder icon. This drop-down list displays a list of open studies with a checkmark by the currently open study. Selecting the desired study from the list brings that study to the forefront.

Patient Name, Study Date, Time of Study, Anatomical Area

This element provides basic patient and study information about the study that is currently open.

Close Current Study

Clicking the red “X” closes the current study but keeps the Image Viewer open.



Main Toolbar

The Main Toolbar is usually located at the top of the Image Viewer window and is completely customizable. Many users customize their most frequently used functions to be located on this toolbar.

Default Hanging Protocol Drop-Down Menu

This menu contains options for the Image Viewer’s default Hanging Protocol settings.


Study Browser Icon

Your users can click this button to restore the Study Browser window. This is especially helpful for users on a one-monitor setup.

Main Menu

The Image Viewer’s main menu contains sub-menus such as the Study, Series, Image, Navigation, and Help Menus.



Minimize Window Icon

This minimizes the Image Viewer window.

Close Application Icon

This closes the entire Diagnostic Viewer application.

Quick Reference Toolbar

This toolbar can be configured to include functions that users access most frequently and can be docked on any of the four sides of the Image Viewer window.

Series Box Icons

The Series Box icons are located in the upper-right corner of each series displayed in the Image Viewer and provide functions for directly manipulating the study’s layout, editing hanging protocols, and closing the series.



Window/Level Toolbar

The Window/Level Toolbar contains window/level presets that can be applied to images.

Section 4.3 Series Box Icons

When your users open a study in the Image Viewer, the series in the study will display according to the set hanging protocols for the modality (either the default hanging protocol settings or a customized hanging protocol set by the user). The image layout within the displayed series is also designated by the hanging protocol settings.

Each series displayed in the Image Viewer will have its own set of icons in the upper right-hand corner of the display window. These icons allow users to change the image and series layouts, edit hanging protocols, and close the series box in the display.

Individual images do not have their own set of icons. An image displaying these tools in the upper right-hand corner identifies it as a series, while images that don’t display the tools, represent individual images within a series.

The following sections describe the series box icons.

Choose Image Layout Icon

The Choose Image Layout icon opens the Choose Image Layout window, allowing your users to choose how images are laid out in a series.

To select how images will be displayed within the series, click on the Choose Image Layout icon. Move the mouse downward and to the right until the desired number and configuration of squares are highlighted, then click the mouse to complete the process.



Exercise 4.3.1 Choose Image Layout Icon The following exercise will demonstrate how to configure the layout for a series using the Choose Image Layout icon.

Step 1. Locate Maria Stewart in the Filtered Studies list.

Step 2. Click on Maria Stewart’s study, then locate and open her Axial Sinuses series from the Series list.

Step 3. Click on the series in the Image Viewer to make it active.

Active series are surrounded in a red box highlight. All other inactive series will not have the red box highlight.

Step 4. Click on the Choose Image Layout icon.

Step 5. Highlight a grid of 3 rows, 3 columns (3x3) and click to select the layout.



Nine images will now be displayed instead of a single image.

Leave Maria Stewart’s study open for the next exercise.

Split Window Horizontally Icon

The Split Window Horizontally icon splits the layout window horizontally into two separate windows, allowing your users to view additional series.



To split the viewing window horizontally, click on the Split Window Horizontally icon. Each layout window in the Image Viewer can be split horizontally.

Split Window Vertically Icon

The Split Window Vertically icon splits the layout window vertically into two separate windows, allowing your users to view additional series.



To split the viewing window vertically, click on the Split Window Vertically icon. Each layout window in the Image Viewer can be split vertically.

Exercise 4.3.2 Split Window Icon The following exercise will demonstrate how to use the Split Window icon.

Step 1. Click on Maria Stewart’s Axial Sinuses series to make it active.

Step 2. Display the Choose Series box by selecting MenuStudyChoose Series.



Step 3. Click the checkbox to Stay Visible.

This window will help you see which series are currently displayed. (You can change the height and width of the Choose Series box to make the best use of screen real estate.)

Step 4. Click on the Split Window Horizontally icon.

Notice how the window splits horizontally and a new series is indicated as displayed in the Choose Series box.



Step 4. Click on the Split Window Vertically icon in any window.

Notice how the window splits vertically and a new series (if available) is indicated as displayed in the Choose Series box.

Tip: Users can drag and drop thumbnails from the Choose Series box to any window to switch the series being viewed.

Users can also drag and drop series to different windows by clicking on the Series header (the top bar of the series box) and dragging it to a different window.

Step 5. Click and drag series 3 – Axial Sinuses to the left window and replace the Scout series.

Tip: Users can place the cursor directly on the line between series windows to resize the window. Click and drag the line to make the window the desired size.

Users can also save the changes to a new default hanging protocol using the Edit HP Icon. This will be discussed in greater detail in the next exercise.

Leave Maria Stewart’s study open for the next exercise.



Edit HP Icon

The Edit HP icon opens the Edit Layout dialog box that allows your users to edit the Hanging Protocols.

Hanging Protocols will be discussed in greater detail in PACS Advanced.

Close Series Icon

The Close Series icon closes the series that is currently open, and replaces it with the next series if applicable.

Exercise 4.3.3 Close Series Icon The following exercise will demonstrate how to use the Close Series icon.

Step 1. Click on Maria Stewart’s Axial Sinuses series to highlight it. Step 2. Click on the Close Series icon. Note that Series 2—Axial Sinuses—has closed and the thumbnail is missing from the Choose Series box.



Closing the series using the Close Series icon does not close the viewing window. The next avalable series (if applicable) will display in the viewing window.



Step 3. Leave Maria Stewart’s study open for the next exercise.

Maximize/Minimize Window Layout Icon

This icon maximizes or minimizes the currently open series.

Exercise 4.3.4 Maximize/Minimize and Close Icons The following exercise will demonstrate how to use the Maximize/Minimize and Close icons.

Step 1. Click on Maria Stewart’s Series 3-Axial Sinuses series to highlight it. Step 2. Click on the Maximize icon. Note that the series is now maximized and the only series displayed on the screen.



Step 3. Click on the Maximize icon again to restore the hanging protocol to its original display size.

Tip: Users can also double-click on the Series header to maximize and minimize the series.

Step 4. Click on the empty series box in the bottom, right-hand corner to make it active.

Step 5. Click on the Close icon. Note that the viewing window closes completely.

Step 6. Click on Series 104—Coronal Sinuses series.

Step 7. Click on the Close icon. Note that the series and window disappear, but the series thumbnail is still displayed in the Choose Series box.

Closing the window using the Close icon only changes the hanging protocol. It does not close the series.

Close Window Icon

The Close Window icon closes the viewing window completely.



Using the Close Series icon closes the current series, but leaves the viewing

window open. Using the Close Window icon closes the entire viewing

window.

Section 4.4 Basic Viewing Functions

When your users open studies in the Image Viewer, each study will display according to the default or set hanging protocols. Users can change the display of the images and navigate through images and series in the Image Viewer.

The following list describes some default functionality for viewing a study:

Selecting Images

Most tools only work with selected images. Click on an image to select only that image. Hold the control key and click to select multiple images. To select a range of images, click the first image, then hold down the Shift key and click the last image.



Rapid Scroll

Left-click and drag the mouse up and down to scroll through the images in a series.

Window/Level

Right-click and drag the mouse up and down to change the level (brightness) and left and right to change the window (contrast).



Zooming

Click with both the left and right mouse buttons at the same time and drag the mouse up and down. The center of the zoom is where your cursor is located on the image.

When zoomed in, pressing and holding the middle mouse button/wheel and dragging the mouse enables you to pan around the image.



Scrolling through Series

Slide the mouse wheel up and down to scroll through the series in a study.

Image Context Menu

Right-click on an image to access the Image Context menu. The functions on the Image Context menu will vary based on how they have been configured for each modality.



The Image Context Menu functions will be discussed in greater detail in PACS Advanced.

Keyboard Navigation

The left and right arrow keys scroll through the images in a series. The up and down arrow keys switch to other series in the study.

Exercise 4.4.1 Basic Image Viewer Functions The following exercise will demonstrate how to perform basic functions in the Image Viewer.

Step 1. Click on Maria Stewart’s Axial Sinuses series to make it active.

Step 2. Left-click and drag down to scroll through the images in the series.

Step 3. Click both the right and left mouse buttons and drag up to zoom in the image.



Step 4. Press and hold the mouse wheel and drag to pan around the image.

Step 5. Click and hold both the mouse buttons and drag down to return the image to its original state (zoom out).

Step 6. Use the mouse wheel to scroll between the series in that study.



Step 7. Right-click on the image to display the Image Context Menu.

Step 8. Press the right then left arrow keys on the keyboard to navigate through the images in the series. Press the up then down arrow keys on the keyboard to navigate through the series in the study.

Step 9. Leave Maria Stewart’s study open for the next exercise.

Section 4.5 Image Viewer Menus

The Image Viewer menus contain functions related to studies, series, images, hanging protocols, etc. The following sections describe the Image Viewer’s main menu and the Default Hanging Protocol Drop-Down menu.

Image Viewer Main Menu

The Image Viewer’s main menu contains the Study, Series, Image, Navigation, Customize Toolbars, Tools, and Help menus. This section of the training will provide a cursory overview of each of these menu items. Many of the menu items will be discussed in greater detail later in PACS Advanced.



Study Menu

The Image Viewer’s Study menu provides radiologists, cardiologists, and technologists with tools relevant to working with studies and their associated information.

Series Menu

The Image Viewer’s Series menu provides radiologists, cardiologists, and technologists with tools relevant to working with series within studies.



Image Menu

The Image Viewer’s Image menu provides radiologists, cardiologists, and technologists with tools relevant to working with images within studies.

Navigation Menu

The Image Viewer’s Navigation menu allows your users to navigate between images, series, and studies.

Customize Toolbar…

The Customize Toolbar function allows your users to edit, add, remove, and reorder the functions available on the various Image Viewer toolbars.



Help Menu

The Image Viewer’s Help menu offers users help with using the Study Browser and Image Viewer functions. The Help menu contains instructions, current user information, the ability to contact Novarad’s customer support, the ability to submit feedback, access to the Diagnostic Viewer User Manual, and access to What’s New documents detailing new features in the Diagnostic Viewer.

Default Hanging Protocol Drop-Down Menu

The Default Hanging Protocol Drop-down menu displays the name of the current Hanging Protocol layout for the selected modality.

The following sections describe the Default Hanging Protocol Drop-down menu options.

Add Study Description to current hanging-protocol

Radiologists often want to view their studies in the most clear hanging protocol for that study type. Hanging protocols can be created for an entire modality, such as HP: CR—which would be the hanging protocol



for all CR studies. However, if the radiologist is viewing a 3 view foot CR, they may want to edit their HP: CR to include this study description. Then, any time they open a subsequent 3 view foot CR, it will open with that configured hanging protocol. The Add study description to current hanging protocol option allows your users to edit their current hanging protocol’s description to include the open study’s specific study description. Any future studies matching that modality and study description will then be opened with that configured display.


Create New Hanging Protocol

As mentioned previously, your radiologists may be viewing all CR studies with a simple hanging protocol for all CRs. However, at any time, they can add an additional hanging protocol specific to the modality and anatomical area combination, without affecting the original. This option allows your users to retain their original hanging protocol setup (e.g., HP: CR) while adding a new type of CR hanging protocol (e.g., HP: CR, FOOT, 3 VIEWS). The Create New Hanging Protocol option allows your users to add a new hanging protocol for the modality and anatomical area for the open study.


Save Current Layout

When users first open a study from any modality, the study will be opened and displayed using the default hanging protocol layout for that modality. Additional hanging protocol layouts can be created and used to display studies.



Users can highlight a study in the Study Browser and then click on an

additonal hanging protocol layout in the Hanging Protocols for

Modality list to open the study with that display, instead of the

default hanging protocol. This will be discussed in greater detail

later.

At any time, your users can override their current hanging protocol layout by using the Save Current Layout option on the Default Hanging Protocol Drop-down list.

Create New Layout from Current Layout

When working with studies and hanging protocols, your users may want to save their current hanging protocol as an additional display for viewing that particular type of study without having to override their default hanging protocol.

The Create New layout from Current Layout option allows your users to add additional hanging protocols for that study type.

These additional layouts can be selected and navigated at any time while viewing a study.

Using additional hanging protocol layouts will be discussed in greater detail in PACS Advanced.



HP: Modality

While reading studies, your radiologists may alter their hanging protocol display for their series and images. To quickly reset the hanging protocol back to the default for the modality, users can select the HP: Modality option.


Section 4.6 Image Viewer Toolbars

The four default Image Viewer toolbars must be enabled to view them (Main Toolbar, Quick Reference Toolbar, Annotation Toolbar, and W/L Toolbar.) Your users can add to or edit the Image Viewer toolbars according to preferences and new toolbars can also be created.

Viewing Image Viewer Toolbars

The Image Viewer’s toolbars can be toggled on/off to be displayed or hidden in the Image Viewer.

To view an Image Viewer toolbar that is toggled off, right-click on the Image Viewer’s main toolbar and select the toolbar you want to view from the drop-down list. The checkmark next to the toolbar name signifies that it is currently being shown in the Image Viewer.

Customizing Image Viewer Toolbars

The Image Viewer’s toolbars are each designed to be highly customizable so that your users can configure them to display frequently-used functions.



To customize the Image Viewer toolbars, right-click on any toolbar in the Image Viewer window and select Customize… from the drop-down list.

The Custom Toolbars dialog box will appear. Functions can be added to any customizable toolbar in the Image Viewer.

Toolbar customization will be discussed in greater detail later.



Moving Toolbars

Users can move each of the four default toolbars, along with any toolbar created, to the top, bottom, or sides of the Image Viewer window. To move a toolbar in the Image Viewer window, right-click on any toolbar in the Image Viewer and make sure the Lock Toolbars option is not selected in the drop-down list.

Hover your cursor over the left side of the toolbar where the row of gray dots appears; your cursor will change to a double-ended arrow.

Click on the dots to drag the toolbar to a new location in the Image Viewer window. Releasing the mouse will dock the toolbar in its new location.

Locking Toolbars

Users can select the Lock Toolbars option to lock the toolbars so they cannot be moved to a new location. The toolbars will remain in their locations unless the user deselects the Lock Toolbars option.

After moving toolbars, it is best to lock the toolbars again so they aren’t accidentally moved. To lock the toolbars, right-click anywhere on a toolbar in the Image Viewer window, and select Lock Toolbars from the drop-down list.



Lesson 4 Review


1. Users can change the location for any toolbar in the Image Viewer. a. True b. False

2. Which of the following is the best method for restoring the Study Browser

window? a. Click the minimize button in the Image Viewer. b. Click on the Windows Taskbar and select the Study Browser

window. c. Click on the Study Browser icon in the top, right-hand corner of the

Image Viewer window. d. Click on the Image Viewer’s Navigation menu and select the Study

Browser function.

3. Scrolling the mouse wheel scrolls through the available series in the study. a. True b. False

4. Left-clicking and dragging the mouse on an image in the Image Viewer

scrolls through the images in a series. a. True b. False

5. Which of the following is the best method for closing the currently open

series in the Image Viewer? a. Click on the Image Viewer’s Series menu and select close. b. Use the default hotkey of the Spacebar. c. Use the Close Series icon in the top, right-hand corner of the series

box. d. Click on the red X in the top, right-hand corner of the Image Viewer

window.

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