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[Further development of the program system for lung function diagnostics running on minicomputer C 8205 (author's transl)].

Starting from the level of 1972 the development is characterized in view of -- general technical, psychological and economical problems -- completion of the program library and the -- technique of semi-on-line data collection. The last point describes experiences using the system of VEB Funkwert Erfurt. Different levels of automatization in lung function labs are discussed.

Computers↗

Application of a minicomputer-based system in measuring intraocular fluid dynamics.

A complete, computerized system has been developed to automate and display radionuclide clearance studies in an ophthalmology clinical laboratory. The system is based on a PDP-8E computer with a 16-k core memory and includes a dual-drive Decassette system and an interactive display terminal. The software controls the acquisition of data from an NIM scaler, times the procedures, and analyzes and simultaneously displays logarithmically converted data on a fully annotated graph. Animal studies and clinical experiments are presented to illustrate the nature of these displays and the results obtained using this automated eye physiometer.

Animals↗

Mini-micro-mainframe computer marriage: combining technologies in a radiology results reporting system.

The minicomputer-based information system in the Department of Radiology at the Medical College of Georgia Hospital and Clinics was placed in service in February, 1982. This system represents a sizable investment in minicomputer hardware in addition to more than 6 years of software customization. One serious deficiency in the original system was the lack of a radiology results reporting facility. Several options were considered to provide the department with this capability. The most obvious option was retiring the existing system and replacing it with one of a number of commercial products already offering results reporting. In-house development of a reporting facility lent itself more readily to microcomputers than to the existing minicomputer system. Due to system customization, economic and time constraints, it was decided to merge an in-house developed microcomputer-based report module into our existing minicomputer system. The minicomputer was able to communicate with and transfer files to and from both micro and mainframe systems. Combining technologies allowed us to continue taking advantage of our sizable investment in money, time, and customization while providing a microcomputer-based report module. Radiology reports are now typed on microcomputer word processors and bulk transferred to the minicomputer. The minicomputer provides access to both unapproved and approved reports on system terminals throughout the department. It also enhances reports by merging patient demographics and registration information. Using existing communications facilities to the hospital mainframe system, reports are provided throughout the institution.

Computer Communication Networks↗

[Trial digitalization of analog-data obtained from the AutoAnalyzer].

The AutoAnalzer(Basic Model) manufactured on Technicon corporation was a very useful instrument for clinical laboratory automation, but it was necessary to convert the data obtained from the instrument to digital values used the chart reader. This was very troublesome and there was apprehension that there would be errors in A-D conversion. We tried converting data obtained from the AutoAnalzer to a digital value by on-line connection of the instruments with minicomputers(LINC-8 and FACOM-R). The output of the recorder was converted to voltage(0 to 100 V) using a potentiometer, quantitated(0 to 1.000) by the A-D converter attached to LINC-8, and processed by the minicomputer. The control-box was an experimental device mainly designed for the convenience of users. The functions of the control-box were designated analytical items, No. of A-D converters, start and stop of the AutoAnalzer operation to the minicomputer. Employing the control-box, a technician operated this system freely, without direct computer operation. We established a generally satisfactory system for clinical laboratory automation using the minicomputer.

Analog-Digital Conversion↗

Comparison of acoustic voice perturbation measures among three independent voice laboratories.

The purpose of this study was to compare jitter and shimmer data measured with three different analysis systems, the Visi-Pitch PC system (Pine Brook) and two systems based on minicomputers (Chicago and Denver), as a preliminary step toward establishing recording and analysis standards. The results show that, although similar hardware and software used at independent laboratories can yield similar findings, differences in recording hardware as well as recording and analysis procedures can result in important differences in perturbation findings. Jitter measurements obtained with the Visi-Pitch were not consistently in good agreement with jitter measurements obtained from the minicomputer systems due, in part, to an interaction between the Visi-Pitch internal filter selected during the recording process and the novel method of pitch period determination used in the Visi-Pitch. Magnitude of shimmer measurements differed between the two minicomputer systems, in part because of differences in amplitude resolution of the A/D converters and recording noise. The correlation between the two shimmer data sets was relatively high, however, indicating that relative changes across utterances were comparable in spite of magnitude differences.

Adult↗

Kinetic and morphometric measurements of enzyme reactions in tissue sections with a new instrumental setup.

An instrumental setup is described for the measurement of enzyme kinetics and morphometry in tissue sections. It consists of a Vickers M85 microdensitometer and computer-assisted Kontron Videoplan system. The Videoplan system consists of a minicomputer with two mini-floppy disks, a keyboard, a graphic tablet, a TV monitor and a printer/plotter. The measuring component of the M85 is linked to the minicomputer via a BCD interface, and the optical system of the M85 is coupled to a TV camera for display on the monitor screen. The enzyme-kinetic data obtained with the M85 in a specified area of the tissue section (density values as a function of reaction time) are stored in the minicomputer. The measurement process is controlled by a corresponding measuring program. Through correlation analysis (a component of the commercial software) between density values and reaction time, the initial and thus maximum enzyme activity is determined. Upon completion of the kinetic measurements, the measured area of tissue is transferred by the TV camera to the monitor, and the reaction area is described and measured with the graphic tablet in video dialogue and related to the initial enzyme activity. With the setup described, it is possible to make microdensitometric measurements of enzyme activities in a specified tissue area while morphometrically analyzing the associated reaction area. To illustrate the use of the system, enzyme-kinetic (succinate dehydrogenase) and morphometric measurements are performed in tissue sections from the proximal tubule of the rat nephron. Additional applications of the system are discussed.

Animals↗

A distributed computer network using microcomputers for on-line data processing in clinical monitoring and medical research.

Microelectronic technology has made possible a rapid expansion in the exploitation of the digital computer in medicine, but software development remains an increasingly significant problem. This paper describes a distributed computer network which combines the low cost computing power of the microcomputer with the highly developed features of a minicomputer. Powerful data processing facilities are provided through centralization of major resources on the minicomputer. Parallel real-time computing is assigned to microcomputers which have access to the minicomputer filestore, and to its comprehensive software development aids.

Animals↗

[The ideal computer for ECG analysis (author's transl)].

An on-line minicomputer with a suitable structure turns out to be the ideal system for ECG interpretation. The motivations for this conclusion come both from the nature of the ECG analysis process and from the solution that the present state of the process and from the solution that the present state of the computer technology suggests for the controversy on large-scale computers versus minicomputers in the medical environment. In this paper both these aspects of the problem are briefly discussed and an ideal structure is proposed for a system based on a minicomputer. The main goals of this system are flexibility, adequate man-machine interfacing, low cost, high reliability and minimal maintenance, minimum installation space and site preparation.

Analog-Digital Conversion↗

Computer utilization in the Food and Drug Administration's bureau of foods mass spectrometry laboratory.

A network of computers is being used to support the Food and Drug Administration's Bureau of Foods mass spectrometry facility. Five mass spectrometers are each interfaced to at least 2 of the 6 dedicated minicomputers in the laboratory. This multiple interfacing provides data acquisition and processing backup, reducing the overall down-time. Selected data from all of the minicomputers can be sent to FDA's main computers via a digital cartridge tape recorder or paper tape. The digital cartridge tape recorder records data that are output from a minicomputer terminal and then plays it back on a terminal which is on-line with the main computer. This main computer stores and edits data; plots spectra for reports, data banks, and publications; and carries out some data processing. Multiple interfacing also serves to supplement the capabilities of the 8-year-old Finnigan MAT (formerly Varian MAT) SS-100 data system (Sperry-Univac/V-76) with the newer and more powerful Finnigan MAT INCOS (Data General/Nova 3) data system. The SS-100 data system is also enhanced by the substitution of the 110 baud paper tape with a 9600 baud cartridge tape recorder for I/O of system bootstraps, BASIC programs, and raw data.

Computers↗

EEG data acquisition and preprocessing by microcomputer satellite system.

Recent development in computer technology allows already medium scale EEG data processing to be performed within the clinical neurophysiology department, if a fast minicomputer with adequate mass storage and graphical output facilities is used. Data acquisition, however, should be delegated to a microcomputer which also should take over as much preprocessing as possible. A system is presented, where one or several microcomputer-based satellite units perform analog-digital conversion, Fourier transformation (FFT), calculation of power spectra and crossproducts, as well as event related averaging or other preprocessing procedures. The units are connected to a fast central minicomputer, where a supervisor program loads the microprocessors with their programs, supervises their activity, receives preprocessed data and activates appropriate postprocessing programs to produce the final results.

Analog-Digital Conversion↗

Display of prolonged EEG recordings.

An interactive minicomputer system for displaying, storing and providing hard copy output of prolonged EEG recordings has been described. Perhaps the most significant feature of the system is the versatility gained by using a minicomputer. The routines developed initially solely for the display and storage of the EEG have recently been readily modified to control a different playback unit. They also form an integral part of a software package being written to set up a data base for prolonged EEG recordings and also for the study of artefacts in ambulatory recordings.

Computers↗

[A chronological linkage technic of records and use of the obtained information. Application to the functional control of cardiac stimulators].

The application of information processing to the study of the evolution of the patient's state requires the constituting of a file which contains the values of different items as functions of time. There are many methods for doing this and most of them appeal to the construction of a complex database. The technique presented in the paper paper tries at first to constitute, for each patient, some records, of which every one corresponds to a determined "operation' (the term "operation' is taken in the wide sense; example: consultation, surgical intervention,...) then to link them according to the chronological order. It has the advantage of being easy so that it may be used even on minicomputers. Furthermore, the exploitation of the resultant data file is very easy. This method is well suited to problems such as the examination of the longitudinal investigations, the treatment of records of the patients who went through several operations, etc. The application presented here is the checking of the functioning of pacemakers. We wrote on a minicomputer MITRA 15/125 transferable general program (using FORTRAN IV exclusively), which allows one to carry out the linking and to exploit the resultant file. It is so designed that the addition of new procedures involved in new applications may be very easy.

Computers↗

A video interface for behavioural recordings with applications.

An interface which can transmit information from a TV camera to a minicomputer is described. The interface delivers addresses significant for the position of an animal in an observation arena. These addresses are then treated by a minicomputer assembler program. In our application, the length of visiting (duration), frequency of visits and latency of first visit to a specified field are recorded, together with an activity variable. The high IR sensitivity of the camera makes it possible to record the position of the animal relative to certain environmental objects under conditions of dimmed light.

Animals↗