Built-in mouse functions

Synthesis Health
The viewer is designed to allow efficient viewing with minimal head, eye, and hand movements. Most common viewing activities can be controlled with a simple mouse, without even needing to access a toolbar or toolbox. 
 
Built-In Mouse Functions
 
Paging
Option 1:

Action: Page a single series (P keyboard shortcut) via left press while dragging the mouse forward or backward.

Description: Pages images in the selected series.
 
Option 2:

Action: Press and hold the shift key and left click at any location in the viewport.

Description: The series will hop to the position in the stack depending on the location of the cursor within the viewport. For example, move the cursor to the top of the viewport, then Shift-left click to snap to the top slice, or to the middle of the viewport to move to the middle slice, and so on.

 

Option 3:

Action: Wheel scroll up and down.

Description: Page through a stack of images one image at a time.

 

Option 4:
Action: Page all images for the current exam with the same DICOM frame of reference that are in the same plane (Q keyboard shortcut, “Q” for Quick-page).
Description: All images with the same DICOM frame of reference and same plane all page, whether using the wheel or left press-drag method.

 

Option 5:
Action: Page all images in the same plane for the current and comparison exam(s) (\ keyboard shortcut. Use the backslash key to slash through many series at once.).
Description: When any method of paging is used, all images from the current and comparison exams in the same plane will page.

 

The Power Wheel:

The patent-pending power wheel feature provides a new and ergonomically efficient way to page through a stack of images. To turn this feature on/off, use a keyboard shortcut (~key) shortcut. Alternatively, the power wheel mode can be selected from the toolbox. The power wheel is like power steering in a car; it requires far less effort to get the job done.  Here's how it works:

  • One wheel scroll forward or backward initiates auto-play of a stack of images.
  • Additional wheel increments (up to five) increase the page speed.
  • A single wheel scroll in the opposite direction or left click stops playback.
  • Additional wheel increments backward increase the speed of reverse paging.

The net result is far less wheel scrolling or mouse dragging to page through a stack of images. 

 

Linked Paging

Action: Position the cursor near an image border (the peripheral 25% of the image, which you can think of as the viewport frame, is the region when actions affect the current image and the nearest neighbouring image). Then use the left press-push forward/backward method or the mouse wheel method to page through the desired series.

Notice that the cursor image changes when you move it near an image border. This shows that you are controlling the neighbouring series or neighbouring three series (if near a corner bordering four viewports). Therefore, you can easily control whether you page through a single series or multiple neighbouring series. Only series in the same image plane will page synchronously. The system automatically chooses the series under the cursor as the controller, which is important to realize when neighbouring series have different slice thicknesses and increments. It also automatically and properly chooses to link paging via slice increment or slice number depending on the type of image.

 

3D Targeting

Action: When using the various tools (Page, PageAll, Swap Series, Window/Level, Pan, Magnify), hold the mouse still for about 0.3 seconds while pressing the left mouse button.

The 3D Cursor tool will appear. The system will show the specified location on all displayed series that have a common DICOM frame of reference, and a target-shaped icon will specify the matching location. Continue to press the left button while dragging the mouse to control all displayed series with the same DICOM frame of reference.  Release the left button to return to the prior tool.
TIP: Using this very powerful method, one can review many exams without leaving a single viewport.  Example: Page through a sagittal spine MRI series using the Page or PageAll tool, then quick-switch to the 3D cursor to control all axial and coronal series.

 

Toggle to 1:1 and Back

Action: Center wheel click or left double click.

 

Smart Magnify

Action: Move the cursor to a desired location. Hold down the wheel and push the mouse. Pull to de-magnify. Release to stop.

 

Window/Level

Action: Press the right and left mouse buttons, then push/pull to adjust level, drag right/left to adjust window.

For CT, PT, and NM images, there are special Window and Level functions. For CT, in the lower right of each viewport, a window/level icon is present. Right click on the icon and a menu of present CT window/level settings appears. Click on the text of any line in the menu to cause the series to change to that setting. You can also set your favorite window/level presets. To do so, right click on that same window/level icon at the lower right of the viewport, then select the checkboxes you desire in the order you desire. The system assigned number lock keyboard shortcuts for your desired window/level presets. You can see the assigned numbers when you hover the cursor over the checkboxes. Now that you have set your favorites, you have two options when you want to quickly flip between different pre-set window/level settings:

  1. Left click on the window/level icon at the lower right of the viewport to toggle between your presets.
  2. Use the numlock keyboard shorcuts.

Configurating color presets for PT and NM images works in exactly the same way.

 

Open Toolbox

Action: Right press while holding the mouse still 0.3 seconds to display the toolbox, then drag over the desired tool, then release to select the tool. This way, you can select a tool without dragging to a toolbar and with just one press/release action. However, if you don’t like this method, access the toolbar with the T shortcut.  Remember, as with any shortcut key, you can set a mouse button or keypad to press T. For many tools, after the tool is selected, a right click displays a menu of options. Hover over any tool in the toolbox to see the tooltip and keyboard shortcut.

TIP: While it may be tempting to use the toolbar near the top of the display, the toolbox is much more efficient. Instead of dragging the mouse to the toolbar and moving your head and eyes to a small target away from the image, when you use toolbox, the tools come to you. Although the right-press – drag – release method is a little harder to master than clicking the T key, it allows access to tools with half as many clicks. Please also remember that the toolbox also includes the exam navigation keys. Use the toolbox to navigate to the next exam...it’s faster and easier!
TIP: Hover over any item in the toolbox to reveal the associated tool-tip and keyboard shortcut. The more you learn these shortcuts (also available in HELP), the faster and easier you will perform.

 

Pan

Action: Press the right mouse button while moving the mouse.