i CAT Tips & Tricks Steve McEvoy of MME Consulting, Inc. www.mmeconsulting.com Saturday June 26 th, 2010 La Jolla, California
Today s Agenda Share some experience based advice that might help you with your Practice. Respecting your i CAT Acquisition PC When should I upgrade my i CAT software? Network Sweeper Service The ideal i CAT computer Printers
Respect your i CAT PC You have a very valuable CBCT scanner. You need to treat the PC that came with it with the same respect. Dead i CAT PC = Dead i CAT Avoid installing any application on this PC that isn t absolutely necessary (no AOL, etc) Ideally it would only have the software that it had when installed (i CATVision, Antivirus App, Sweeper, Backup Software)
Upgrading Don t chase theleading (bleeding) edge Upgrade only when there is a compelling reason. If your setup is working well for you, why mess with it? Consider twice per year, or whenever ISI support suggests you should. Don t do the Q version on the Acquisition computer on your own. Enlist ISI support.
Upgrading Backing up your Acquisition computer prior to upgrades is a good idea. When you upgrade, upgrade ALL your computers to the same version. ISI makes the latest versions available on their hi website at http://www.imagingsciences.com/downloads.htm Generally, upgrading goes smoothly if you follow these recommendations
Network Sweeper Service Acquisition PC Locally Stores: Scout Views Raw Data Reconstructions
Network Sweeper Service Sweeps the data accumulated on the i CAT Acquisition PC to a location on another PC Beneficial if you have additional space on a server to hold all the scans Ideally Fault lttolerant tand backed up Takes some of the workload off the i CAT Acquisition PC.
Network Sweeper Service Server Stores all scan data Acquisition PC Stores most recent scans Workup Station
Network Sweeper Service Process Take a scan like normal It s saved to the local ldi drive of the Acquisition iii PC. This is great since you could scan even if the server was offline
Network Sweeper Service Process Automatically after the scan and reconstruction are complete, the sweeper service will begin to process the case. This is great since any other i CATVision i installations will have access to new cases nearly immediately
Network Sweeper Service Process Sweeper checks that the Server is available If so copies the new scan to the Server. If not will wait until it detects the Server is online and then will catch up
Network Sweeper Service Process Verifies the scan was properly copied Sweeper doesn t delete dl the case from the Acquisition PC right away. Keeps the most recent 60 days of scans. This is great since it acts like an extra backup of the most recent data. Also keeps the Acquisition PC in top shape
Network Sweeper Service If you want to setup Sweeper contact ISI support. Be prepared before you call them Ensure you have plenty of space on the Server ready to go (have your IT person handy) You ll need to makean an adjustment to each Workup stations i CATVision to point at the Server Have time to deal with it Plan to do when the office Have time to deal with it. Plan to do when the office is quiet.
Ideal i CAT Computer Talking about computers otherthan than the Acquisition computer that came with the i CAT. Fiddling with the i CAT Acquisition PC hardware is really not recommended Your local lit person might htfeel up to it, but resist tthis. Rely on ISI for support of this system, and only involve local tech when asked to by them
Ideal i CAT Computer i CATVision has very modest computer requirements to have good performance. At least2gbof RAM (4GB preferred) Video Display Resolution of at least 1024 x 768 with 32 bit color. (1600 x 1200 preferred). 40 GB hard drive This is great news if you have existing PCs there is a good chance they will work well
Ideal i CAT Computer If you determine you need a new computer to If you determine you need a new computer to accompany your i CAT, what should you get?
Monitors Spoil yourself. A really good, large monitor will enhance your i CAT experience Your i CAT Acquisition PC was supplied with a great monitor, one ideal for X rays I would suggest 22 or larger If possible, taste test it. Not all monitors are the same. The Dell Ultrasharp U2410 24 is my favorite
Operating System Here is the official ISI statement: i CATVision stand alone is fully tested and released for use with Windows XPand Windows Vista. We are working towards Windows 7 support in the near future. * If Apple PC or laptop: i CATVision will not operate on Apple OS. A Windows Operating system emulator/partition must be utilized.
Operating System Windows 7 Support I think Windows 7 works great My experience has been that i CATVision i i appears to work pretty well in most cases You need to turn off Windows UAC 64 bit version of the OS might have integration issues
Windows 7 Support Operating System If I was buying a new PC I would get Window 7. I wouldn t want to use an older OS. You would be using i CATVision at your own risk until ISI has fully tested. If you have challenges, you shouldn t expect support to help, it s not fair. Watch the ISI site for official notice of support, and you may need to upgrade at that time
i CAT Acquisition PC Operating System It runs Windows XP don t mess with it! This is fine it s very stable which is exactly what you want for your machine Microsoft will be supporting at least through Microsoft will be supporting at least through 2014
Operating System ipad Not Yet!
Brand of Computer Most anything will work. If you have a personal favorite run with ihit. If you are looking for some direction, I would suggest the Dell business line of equipment Dell Optiplex for Desktops Dell Latitude for Laptops The Dell Optiplex p 780 is my favorite
Memory (RAM) Most applications list a minimum amount of RAM. For i CATVision it s 2GB 32 bit versions of Windows support 4GB max RAM is cheap! Get 4GB of RAM and you don t have to worry
Think about Size: Hard Drive Get what you need. If you store everything on your server, you won t need much in your local workstation. 80GB would still be large enough to hold everything. Of course, larger won t hurt. Watch the value level and get as much as you can for a good price.
Think about Speed: Hard Drive Even if you plan to keep your data on the server, Windows and your applications are on the local drive. A faster local drive means better Windows and application performance. Cheap drives (and most Green drives) spin at slow speeds, 5400rpm typically. y Most good drives spin at 7200 rpm. Make sure you get a 7200rpm drive.
Solid State Drives Same idea as USB keys, but smarter No moving parts, shock resistant Very high h speed (3x a normal di drive) Intel Mainstream X25 is a good choice Samsung too Price Premium 80GB = $214!!! Intel Mainstream X25
Video Card Why would you care? The video card is the part of the computer in charge of generating the images to show on the monitor. CBCT is graphics intensive, i and a good video card improves your experience You usually have options to choose from when ordering a new computer so let me help!
Video Card i CATVision is a great application, and has very modest video card needs. Nearly any video card in a new PC will work great But, you should consider the other applications you might run on the same computer utilizing you new 3D data.
Video Card Third party 3D applications like Anatomage InVivo or Dolphin 3D These applications require a moreadvanced video card, one more suitable for 3D rendering InVivo s current requirements are: ATI Radeon 4650 or better (5770 ideally) nvidia 9800 or better
Video Card Generally I recommend looking for the best video card offered with your system, and make sure it meets the minimums for Anatomage and/or Dolphin. CYA buy a computer that the video card can be changed out. Some PCs (and particularly laptops) can t accept a new video card. If you get one that can, you future proof yourself.
Steve s Pick If I was buying a computer for you: Dell Optiplex 780 4GB of RAM 80GB SSD hard drive ATI 4650 video card with 512mb of RAM Dell Ultrasharp 24 monitor Windows 7 Professional 32 bit
Printing The best printer you can get for your high fidelity 14 bit grey scale x ray images is: Don t print! Think about if your can adjust your workflow process to eliminate the need for printing. Can you put a computer and monitor where you Can you put a computer and monitor where you need access to the record, and not print at all?
Not Printing Think about if your can adjust your workflow process to eliminate the need for printing. Even the best printer is merely an interpretation of your original data Can you put a computer and monitor where you need access to the record, and not print at all? Can you exchange records with your peers electronically rather than in hard copy?
Printing No one size fits all solution to printing. Need to evaluate your print needs to pick the best solution How much do you print? A little, you might do best with an inkjet A lot, you might do better with a Dye Sub
Who are you printing for? Consider who you are printing for: If you are printing for external use (patient, referral source, transfer record, radiologist) you might want to have the best output possible If you are printing for internal use (charts, case planning) you might ihbe able to meet a lower standard (or don t print at all!)
Printing Inkjets are the most common printer, and you may have one already for photos, etc. Media costs for an inkjet are tough to pin down but my guess is $1 per page Dye Sublimation printers are higher end/quality and produce photograph quality output Printers aremore costly Media costs are about $1.60 per page
Color Inkjet Printer Inkjet printers are common, but unfortunately the models dl seem to change very quickly. ikl If you already own one, start with that and see if it meets your needs. Review the output critically. Can you see all the fine detail of your CBCT data? Use brand name quality gloss papers and brand name inks for the best quality output. Set the printer driver to the highest quality
Color Inkjet Printer HP PhotoSmart Pro 8850 ISI recommended printer Has a special illight grey ink cartridge Larger format, can print 11x17 2+ minutes per full page print About to be replaced, and I don t know the replacement model yet. Approximately $500
Color Dye Sublimation Printer Sony UPD75MD 8 x10 print area on 8.5 x11 paper 80 seconds per full page print Photograph quality output Must use Sony supplies Approximately $2,500
Grey Scale Thermal Printer Sony UPD72XR 7 ¾ x 9 ¼ print area Prints to bright bih white paper or blue film 40 seconds per full page print 512 shades of grey (9 bit) Must use Sony supplies Approximately $6,000
But what should I do?
Questions?
Thank You! steve@mmeconsulting.com Presentation Online at www.mmeconsulting.com/presentations t