How many screens does a CT workstation need?

A considerable number of prototype and commercial workstations have been developed during the last 10 years for electronic display of computed tomographic (CT) images during clinical interpretation. These CT workstations have varied widely in the number and size of monitors available for the display of the medical images ranging from a single 1,024 x 1,204-pixel monitor, to eight 2,500 x 2,000-pixel monitors. Image display times also have varied considerably, ranging from as fast as .11 seconds, to as slow as 26 seconds to fill a single monitor. No consensus has formed in the workstation community with regard to display area and response time requirements. To address this issue, we have constructed a time-motion model of CT interpretation. Model accuracy is experimentally verified with three workstations as well as with the film alternator. In general, CT interpretations with an electronic workstation become faster as display area increases and display time decreases. Results can be used by workstation designers and purchasers to roughly estimate differences in interpretation speeds among contending CT workstation designs.