Ian Tseng MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Hamza Alim Shaikh MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Vincent M. Lee, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jason Huang Lee MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Keyur Bhupendra Patel MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Basic functionality of the Kinect in Windows is readily achievable. The benefits are most apparent to our interventionalists due to the ability to review images without removing sterile gloves. In the reading room, the Kinect is useful in a limited fashion due to limitations in PACS software, Kinect drivers and scripting software. While the Kinect has the potential to give us new, intuitive ways to navigate temporal and spacial data, this is currently not refined enough to fully replace the mouse and keyboard. It is clear that many changes will need to be made to PACS software before devices like the Kinect can be consistently used in the reading room. Besides the obvious user interface changes in PACS image viewers, we feel that changes will also need to be made on a much broader level, including the transfer of studies and the integration of advanced viewing functions, such as multiplanar reformats. It is our recommendation that imaging software vendors keep these devices in mind since the changes we will soon demand from them will not be small.

The advanced detection technology used in the latest human interface devices has the potential to improve radiology work-flow. One example of such a device is the Microsoft Kinect. The motion, facial, posture, gesture and voice sensors of the Kinect can be adapted to control various aspects of our software. 

This is an ongoing investigation, as there is continuous advancement in the software involved. We assess the benefits and limitations of the hardware and software combinations with critical attention to ergonomics and intuition with the goal of gaining insight and providing useful advice for the development of future PACS user interfaces.  

Through the use of open sourced drivers and software, we enabled use of the Microsoft Kinect on several PACS viewers. For the most part, the Kinect is configured to replace the mouse. Gestures and specific movements are mapped to functions available in the PACS software as well as functions found in desktop management and scripting software. 

Tseng, I, Shaikh, H, Lee, V, Lee, J, Patel, K, Novel Human Interface Devices for Image Interpretation: Our Experiences with the Microsoft Kinect on PACS Viewing Workstations.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11014221.html