PEPconnect

Introduction to the PEX Editor

This course is an overview of the PEX Editor, which is the database for Organ Programs located within the Fluorospot Compact Systems.  This training will help guide the end user through the functionality within the PEX Editor.  Additionally, vital topics such as modifying Program Names, changing Organ Program parameters and making backups will be covered. 

Introduction to the PEX Editor   By the end of this course you should be able to: •  Access and log into the PEX Editor •  Navigate between the five tabs •  Utilize the Exam tab to map customized names •  Organize the individual Organ Program Views within the Examination View •  Edit individual Organ Programs via the Organ Program tab •  Identify the EXI values and stand positions within the Parameter Module •  Back up and restore a PEX database via the Configuration tab C = Cassette DSA = Digital Subtraction Angiography Fluoro = Dynamic Imaging LXTL = Lateral Cross Table Imaging OT = Ortho at the Table Position OW = Ortho at the Wall Stand Position P = Tomography Q = Programs for Quality Checks (Service) RAD = Warm up Program (not required) Scan = Scanogram T = Table Exposure U = Under Table Imaging w/ Dynamic Detector (fluoro rooms) V = Vertical Imaging W = Wall Imaging X = Table Top Imaging Z = 3D Imaging (1)  System must be configured for that particular view (2)  OGP must be selected within the OGP View section        (a check placed in the box) _S(d) = Factory Default Examination View _S(d) = Siemens _S(d) = Default   Body Part Examined Name of body part to be examined (DICOM character set) Program Name Acquisition program name (max 64 characters, DICOM character set) Acquisition Mode Display of acquisition mode: DR RAD, Cassette, Ortho, etc. Acquisition Type Workstation used: Table, wall, etc.   Fluroro Program Set Displays 1 of 10 predefined fluoro program sets MField   Measuring fields or dominants for body region adapted control of exposure on units     Enhanced MField             Not shown   Used in preparation for image capture.  If enabled - 5-field chamber is used.  If disabled - 3-field chamber is used. Rad Exposure Control Manually set technical factors for the selected OGP View. These options determine the kind of exposure that is used for the selected OGP.     1 pt       1 pt with ext. exp.     2 pt     3 pt     3 pt with AEC Acquisition taken with an operator specified kV value and a mAs value set by the generator 1 pt technique with extended exposure (AEC w/ current reduction) Acquisition taken with operator specified kV and mAs values Acquisition taken with operator specified kV, mAs and ms values 3 pt technique with automatic exposure control (4 pt technique) kV (kilo volts)   Possible tube voltage values are generated by generator size. They can range from 40 - 150 kV. mAs (milli amps/sec)   Product of tube current and time.  Possible values will range from 0.5 - 800 mAs. ms (milli seconds)   Pulse width. Possible values can range from 20 - 2300 ms. Some detectors allow for increased milli seconds up to 3200 ms. Exp Correction   To obtain darker or brighter images, the dose can be modified. Values can be set between -2 and +2. the higher the number the brighter the image. The lower the number the darker the image. Dose The system dose can range from 0.89 - 7.14. Sensitivity   Automatically adjusts according to the dose selected.  Can range from 1120 to 140. Tube Load   Helps preserve the life of the tube. Maximum load for the x-ray tube is 100%. 80% is default setting. Focus Small or large options. Filter Type   Thickness of the copper filter in mm. Possible values: 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 mm Cu or not available.  This option is collimator dependent. Auto-cropping   If enabled, images are automatically cropped to the size of the collimator. Three options include:     No - Image will not be cropped automatically Yes/Standard - Image will be cropped automatically to the size of the collimator. the cropped image will fill the entire screen also known as        "fit to screen." Fixed - Image will be cropped to a defined size like cassette formats. Set Black   Sets the perimeter of the image (outside the collimated area) to black. This box is checked by default. Defined Size Allows user to choose to have the image crop the field of view to the size of the collimation set or to a pre-defined size (e.g.14 in x 17 in or 8 in x 10 in). Amplification   The amplification number is associated with the set system dose and helps apply a certain look (gray scale) to the image.  The amplification ranges from 0.5 to 8.0. Auto   The Auto check box is typically selected for OGPs that have a manual technique set.  This selection allows the system to adjust the image processing if the amplification deviates from the set number. Gradation Parameters   Adjusts the gradation of the image post acquisition.  Users can view the details of each pre-defined gradation parameter set look up table or LUT by clicking the button to the right. Invert (Image) Inversion of grayscale values. Spatial Frequencey Parameters Adjusts the detail and background of th eimage. Details of the pre-defined options can be viewed by clicking the button to the right. EXI Values   Selection of upper and lower limits for controlling the clinical exposure index values.  EXI ranges are determined by the dose setting under the X-ray Parameters section. Details of the predefined options can be viewed by clicking the button to the right. Windowing Windowing includes options to adjust the following parameters:     Width Factor:  Possible values for width factor are 0.50 to 2.50     Center Shift:  Possible values for center shift are -1000 to +1000     Window Center:  Represents the brightness of the image.  These pre-defined values are set based on the organ program.  Possible values range from 0 to 4095.     Window Width:  Represents the contrast of the image.  These pre-defined values are set based on the organ program.  Possible values range from 1 to 4096.     Auto:  Enables automatic windowing.  If this option is selected, Window Center and Window Width will become inactive. Mark Image Automatic marking of stored acquisition images/series options include either Yes (default) or No. PT Position Default setting is "Not defined" (no laterality) Laterally Options include Not Defined (no laterality) and Left/Right/Both (the left, right, and both options enable user to pre-mark the visualized anatomy. View position Identify the position of the patient during examination. Options include:     Not Defined - viewing position is not set   AP - anterior - posterior view PA - posterior - anterior view   RL - right lateral view LL - left lateral view   RLD - right lateral dedcubitus view LLD - left lateral decubitus view   RLO - right lateral oblique view LLO - left lateral oblique view Anatomically Correct View Set the correct anatomical view. Flip The options available include no change from previous OGP view or to flip the image horizontal or verical.  Once selected, the location of the indicator can be adjusted by selecting 1 of the 6 pre-defined options. Rotate Rotate the image either 1, 90, 180, or 270 degrees. Label Presetting for left/right label.  Once selected, the location of the label can be adjusted by selecting 1 of the 6 pre-defined options. TOD Table object distance Grid Use of a grid; grid type Grid rotation Enable grid mounted in rotated fashion Collimator Collimation size (H x W) Stand Position Position of stand (e.g. T Foot End = table exposure with the tube located at the foot end of the table). Top Alignment Enable top alignment instead of center alignment (receptor stand only) SID Tracking Enable SID tracking (i.e. keeps the source to image distance constant). Tracking Enable tube tracking (i.e.keeps the x-ray tube aligned to the detector). Fluoro Mode Fluoroscopy modes include Automatic 1, 2, & 3. This is called a Fluoro Triplet.  These modes can be changed at any time during the examination. Automatic 1   Lower dose Automatic 2   Average sized patients Automatic 3   Larger patients Pulse Rate The number of pulses of fluoro per second. Options include 3, 7.5, 10, and 15. Dose Level Dose level per pulse or Nano Gray per Pulse - nGy/p. Possible values include 15 - 80 nGy/p. Increments in in 0.5 Exposure Points. Dose Rate Index This value can be used in combination with the dose level to help acquire a good image at a very low pulse rate while keeping the dose low. Possible values range from 0.0 to 1.0. Fluoro Curve System pre-sets to auto-adjust the kV and mA as the anatomical density increases or decreases. Curve selection is based on patient and exam specific factors such as contrast type or patient body habitus. Fluoro Filter Auto Automatic use of the copper filter. Thickness of the copper filter ranges from 0.0 - 0.3 mm. Filter Type (Cu) Copper - mm of copper placed in the beam. Noise Reduction (k Factor) Degree of integration for noise reduction or moving weighted averaging. Possible values range from 1.0 to 8.0. 1 indicates no noise reduction applied to the image. Spatial Frequency Parameters Adjusts the detail and background of the image. Details of the pre-defined options can be viewed by clicking the button to the right. Window Center Window Center (WC) represents the brightness of the image. These pre-defined values are set based on the organ program. Possible values range from 1 - 4095. Window Width Window Width (WW) represents the contrast of the image. These pre-defined values are set based on the organ program. Possible values range from 1 - 4095. Auto Window Enables automatic windowing. If this option is selected WC & WW will be inactive. Width Factor Possible values for Window Width Factor are 0.50 to 2.50. Center Shift Possible vlaues for Window Center Shift are -1000 to +1000. Bandwidth The Bandwidth determines how much the Window Center and Window Width can shift. Possible Window Bandwidth range from 0 to 5; 0=off. Mark Image Automatic marking of stored fluoro image (not possible for fluoro loop). Default Select this checkbox to activate the desired program mode. NOTE: 30 p/s cannot be set as the default within the PEX Editor. This option will need to be manually selected during the exam. Window Center or Brightness Basic setting of the image brightness for roadmap. Window Width or Contrast Basic setting of the image contrast for roadmap. Mark Image Automatic marking of stored roadmap image. Peak Opacification Automatic use of peak opacification. Fluoro Mode There are 3 phases for Fluoro Mode; Roadmap, Phase 2, and Phase 3.  Each phase includes its own set of parameters. Body Part Examined View or edit the predefined list of body parts.  These can be selected in the Organ Program tab. EXI Values View or define clinical EXI ranges for specific doses. These values enable the user to determine optimal exposure for the patient. Gradation Parameters View and edit pre-defined LUTs used in post processing. Stand Position Define and store tube and receptor positions.  If the system requires stand positions, this area enables the user to define site specific positions. Spatial Frequency Parameters View or edit pre-defined spatial frequency parameters used in post processing. Identifier System generated names to distinguish customized EXI values vs. Customer Defined values. System generated identifiers are comprised of 4 characters; c, d, or s followed by a number 000 - 999.  (e.g.  c017)  c = customer read-write access, d = default read-only access, and s = service read only access. Name Default names are correlated with system dose.  Users can customize EXI Values and then store these with a unique name. Min. EXI The low end of the clinical EXI range (potential low exposure) Max. EXI The high end of the clinical EXI range (potential high exposure) Target EXI The mid-range of the Min & Max EXI values. This value must be included but acquiring the target value is not required for optimal images. Identifier System generated names to distinguish customized Stand Positions versus customer defined positions.  System generated identifiers are comprised of 4 characters:  c, d, or s followed by a number 000 - 999, e.g. c017. c = customer read-write access, d =default read-only access, s =service read only access. Name Contains a list of names or default and user-defined stand positions (max. 20 characters - DICOM character set). Store Position Button Stores the current position of the system. This can be used if an adjustment is needed for one of the existing stand positions.  In order to edit and save a system position, maneuver the system into the desired location. Next, select the position to be updated from the Name field. Click the Store Position button to save the updated position. Store Parameters Button Stores the Name and Identifier within the Stand Position section. Use this button to edit the Name field of an existing position. New Button The New button is used when creating a new position which requires a new name and a new identifier (e.g. c000). Additional functionality is available and is covered in more advanced training. Units for Selection of units for Collimator size Data Type Selection Storage support for different types of data (exam, organ program, and film layout data)   • Calibration - Organ programs and exams for detector calibration   • Customer - Customer specific exams, organ programs and film layouts   • IQAP - Organ programs and exams for quality assurance   • Maintenance  - Service programs for maintenance   • Siemens Default - Siemens default exams, organ programs and film layouts Language Language of the PEX Editor user interface. Image Converter Image receptor types include flat detector or image intensifier. Password Allows the user to change the Customer Login Password. Database Export/Import Used for backing up data and user-specified customizations. Covered in detail on the next slide. PEX Versions Displays PEX Editor software and database versions. You have now completed the course Introduction to the PEX Editor. You should now be able to: •  Access and log into the PEX Editor •  Navigate between the five main tabs •  Utilize the Exam tab to map customized names •  Organize the individual Organ Program Views within the Examination Views •  Edit individual Organ Programs via the Organ Program tab •  Identify the EXI values and stand positions within the Parameter Module • Back up and restore a PEX Database via the Configuration tab OGP Parameters STC Video Demonstration: OGP Parameters STC   Alternative Acquisition Programs Video Demonstration: Alternative Acquisition Programs     Click the links below to view video demonstrations of the features found on the Exam Parameters Subtask card. Exam View Name Video Demonstration: Exam View Name   Switch to Next OGP Video Demonstration: Switch to Next OGP

  • PEX
  • FLC
  • fluorospot compact
  • organ programs
  • radiography
  • x-ray