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A high resolution mammographic display station is implemented for clinical diagnosis and for a digital teaching file. The display consists of a specially designed, high resolution mammographic station which contains a connection to a 50 micron (variable spot size) laser film digitizer, two 2 K X 2.5 K display monitors, an image processor, a host computer, and a disk array for high speed image transfer to the display monitors. After digitization on a separate host computer, the files are immediately transferred to the display station and post- processed for viewing. The algorithm for post-processing of the digitized image applies a non- linear LUT to mimic the original film characteristics while taking into account the luminosity of the display monitors in an attempt to produce the highest digital image quality possible. Image processing functions for enhancing calcification and soft tissue are also available to assist the human observer in classification of objects within the image. Windowing and level controls are seamlessly integrated for each monitor, as well as magnification capabilities. For an image display at its full resolution (e.g., digitized at 100 microns), the magnification is accomplished with a roaming window utilizing simple 2X pixel replication. This has been found to be acceptable in preliminary tests with clinicians. Measurements of features on the 2 k displays are possible, as well. The display format accurately simulates mammographic viewing arrangements with automatic side-by-side historical, current, left and right craniocaudal, mediolateral, etc., view comparisons. This high resolution mammographic display is found to be essential for fast and accurate display of high resolution digitized mammograms. A digital mammographic teaching file has been designed and tested using this display architecture. The teaching file presents the case questions on the host display monitor, and the related images for each question are presented on the high resolution displays. The full functionality of the aforementioned high resolution mammogram display is held intact, so that the images can be examined with the full range of tools available: image processing, magnification, window/level control, and feature measurement.
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