<title>Application of a voice-actuated computer system for reconstructing and displaying magnetic resonance imaging data</title>

Abstract

With the integration of computer graphics to presently available computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography scan devices, processing and displaying three dimensional data arrays is rapidly becoming important. Present systems can model full color, complex two or three dimensional objects, and manipulate their perspective displayed appearance in real time. However, even with the many hardware and software tools available for providing enhanced versions of two or three dimensional information,the rapid developments within these areas continues to outpace the ability of users to learn and use them efficiently. At the University of Tennessee Space Institute, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Radiological Sciences, research is being performed to develop a voice actuated computer graphics system that responds interactively with the human voice. The research uses a Texas Instruments voice recognition and speech synthesis board, a Texas Instruments 955 computer workstation, and a Sun Microsystems 4/280 color graphics workstation. Verbal commands are used to control the graphics system programs, set parameters for displaying two and three dimensional views, and instruct the system for additional cross-sections, viewing references, display formats, etc. Verbal responses from the computer inform the user when additional information is needed or error conditions have occurred. The system provides a means for users to conduct an interactive verbal dialogue with the computer for rendering and displaying complex medical imaging data.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.