RSNA 2012 - Radiology Informatics Series: Mobile Computing Devices

This early morning a whole session on Mobile Computing Devices. Apperent from the attention mobile devices get both from the industry and the RSNA itself, this is a very important topic that will greatly influence the future of radiology.


Mobile lessons from other failures are:

1. Make sure your app works very well

2. Native apps win hands-on over web-apps


Both healthcare professionals and patients will be demanding the use of mobile devices. Although ipads and iphones are used prominently in industry and hospitals, the consumer market is dominated by Android because of the much larger market share in smartphones of Android.

To keep up to pace, healthcare institutions should pay attention to mHealth and start developing apps for both their employees and customers.

VSIN31-03 • Comparative Efficacy of Intra-operative Interfaces for Interventional Radiologists: The Microsoft Kinect Device, Hillcrest Labs Loop Pointer and the Apple iPad

Cherng Chao et al


Intra opative image review is challenging and standard setups using keyboard and mouse are not optimal. This group compared the used of Microsoft Kinect, hillcrest labs loopp pointer, apple iPad for image interaction all using mimcloud software. Time, measurement and easy of use was determined for a prototypical task measuring a liver lesion. The Kinect software used a button approach to switch tasks. 29 radiologists participated in this study. The iPad was the fastest in performing the task while the Kinect was the slowest. However, sterility requirements hampers the use of the loop and the iPad. All three devices were believed to be usefull in the future. Windowing and measuring proved to be the most challenging tasks. Users with video game experience and experience with a particular interaction method showed a better performance.


Main shortcoming of this study was that the users using the Loop and iPad did not use gloves.

VSIN31-04 • Modular Design of a Mobile Web-app Clinical Decision Support and Communication Tool for Radiologists and Ordering Clinicians in a Multi-Facility Academic Medical Center

Loyrirk Temiyakarn , MD et al


This group used iwebkit 5 to build a modular webapp that provided all kind of information beneficial to different healthcare providers such as guidelines, phone lists, protocols, etc.

VSIN31-05 • Enhancing Utilization of Mobile Imaging: Assessing Variation in Diagnostic Accuracy of iPad with the Nature of Radiological Findings on Chest Radiographs

Supriya Gupta et al


30 cases following tube placement at ICU were evaluated on iPad and (after one week) on a PACS workstation. The conclusion is that the iPad still has to be evaluated for image quality and to determine that it can be used for a certain task. Image quality heavily depends on the app. DICOM calibration of iPad screens is becoming a critical issue and methods have to be developed specifically for tablets.