Using the RPE from User Settings

Introduction

When you launch the Reading Protocol Editor from User Settings, you can edit or create one or more reading protocols independent of the Viewer or study information. Depending on your role and privileges, you can then save the reading protocol to yourself or other users.

Use the Reading Protocol Editor to change DICOM or viewport properties to select series for display in a user reading protocol.

Match Properties

The reading protocol you select inherits the match properties of the protocol you selected.

  • You can only change the match properties for modality and procedure match protocols.
  • For all other protocols, you cannot change the match properties.

Saving Reading Protocols

The options you have for saving a reading protocol in User Settings depend on your privileges:

  • Manage System Reading Protocols privilege:
    • If you do not change the reading protocol name of the selected reading protocol, you can overwrite an existing system reading protocol or a user's reading protocol.
    • If you save a reading protocol with a name that already exists in the system, Synapse creates a new reading protocol and appends a number to the reading protocol name.
    • If you select a user-owned reading protocol and you save the reading protocol with the same name, Synapse removes the user-owned reading protocol and creates a system reading protocol.
  • Manage Reading Protocols privilege:
    • If you do not change the name of the selected reading protocol name, you can overwrite your own reading protocols.
    • If you save a reading protocol with a name that already exists in the system, one of the following prompts displays:
      • A dialog box displays prompting you to confirm that you want to override the existing reading protocol, if the reading protocol can be overwritten.
      • A duplicate protocol warning message displays if you try to overwrite an existing reading protocol using the same name (as the existing reading protocol).

Prerequisites

  • To save reading protocols for yourself, you must have the Manage Reading Protocols privilege.

  • To save reading protocols for other users, you must have the Manage System Reading Protocols privilege.

Steps

  1. Click Settings to open User Settings.
  2. Select the Reading Protocols tab to display the RP Directory.
  3. Double-click the reading protocol to open the Reading Protocol Editor.

    Note:

    When you edit a rule card, PENDING displays in the title bar until you click Save to apply all pending changes.

  4. Optional: Complete the following steps to create additional steps automatically so all the images in the study are available in reading protocol steps.

    Note:

    This option is available for all modalities except MG.

    1. Click the Reading Protocol Step drop-down list located on the Reading Protocol Editor toolbar.
    2. Select Organize Steps. A dialog box displays.
    3. Select the Automatically create steps check box.

      Note:

      This option is only available for index-based reading protocols.

    4. Click Update.
  1. Change some, all, or none of the following viewport options.

    2. If you want to do this...

    Complete these steps...

    Determine what displays in the viewport: Empty, All Images, Bookmark Images, or Series.

    Note: Synapse displays additional options when you select Series.

    From the Type drop-down list, select an option.

    Determine if a current or prior (such as P1 and P2) series displays in the selected viewport.

    From the Study Reference drop-down list, select an option.

    Change the tile format for the selected viewport.

    See Changing the Number of Images in a Viewport.

    From the Tile Format drop-down list, select an option.

    Apply an interactive tool, such as zoom, to all of the images in the series or to the selected image in the series.

    From the Apply Tools To drop-down list, select an option.

    Apply a selected zoom factor to a series.

    See Changing the Zoom Factor.

    From the Initial Zoom drop-down list, select an option.

    Note: You must calibrate your monitor in order for some Initial Zoom options to work. See Calibrating Monitors for True Size Image Display

    Enable or disable text overlay information for all the series in a study.

    See Displaying and Hiding Text Overlay Information.

    From the Text Overlays drop-down list, select an option.

    Determine which index displays in the selected viewport.

    Note: The Index option is not available unless you remove the Series Contains option.

    In the Index text box, change the index number.

    Determine the step increment.

    The increment is typically the number of viewports in the reading protocol step. If you change the increment number, some series might not display using this reading protocol.

    Note: The Index/Increment option is not available unless all view ports in a step are indexed-based.

    In the Increment text box, change the increment number.

  2. Click the plus sign below the last option to display a drop-down list.
  3. Select one or more of the following options.

    If you want to do this...

    Complete these steps...

    Perform a query of the Synapse database using the contents of the Series Contains field. Synapse displays the series description based on characters of each word and displays the series that match the characters in this field.

    Note: The Series Contains fields are not available when the Stress Echo Values option is selected.

    For example, if the series description contains the term sagittal, Synapse searches for the "sag" characters for a match to other sagittal descriptions. If another series description contains the term sagittal spelled as sagital, Synapse still matches the misspelled sagital series description with this user created reading protocol.

    • Select Series Contains.
    • Add or remove characters in the series description as necessary in the Series Contains text box.

    Note: Although Synapse 7.1 supports editing reading protocols from prior releases that have multiple Series Contain rules, you can only create a single Series Contain rule per rule card when building a DICOM property reading protocol.

     

    Perform a query of the Synapse database using the contents of the Series Does Not Contain field. Synapse ignores the series description based on characters of each word and displays the series that does not match the characters in this field.

    If multiple words are used in the Series Does Not Contain field, Synapse ensures there is no match for all items listed in this field.

    Note: The Series Does Not Contain field is not available when the Stress Echo Values property is selected.

    • Select Series Does Not Contain.
    • Add or remove characters in the series description as necessary in the Series Does Not Contain text box.

    Note: You can only include a single Series Does Not Contain property per rule card when building a reading protocol.

    Match against the image type in the DICOM properties of the image.

    Note: The number of Image Type Value options depends on the image.

    • Select Image Type. Synapse displays all three Image Type menu options in separate drop-down lists.
    • From the drop-down list, select the image type.
    • Optional: Click the Minus sign to remove Image Types that you do not need.

    Match against the orientation of the patient: sagittal, coronal, or transverse (axial).

    • Select Image Orientation.
    • From the drop-down list, select the image orientation.

    Match against the DICOM contrast tag.

    • Select Contrast.
    • From the drop-down list, select the contrast type.

    Apply a preset to the series. See Applying a Preset to an Image.

    • Select Image Preset.
    • From the drop-down list, select the image preset.

    Display Stress Echo Values for ultrasound (US) modality viewports for Stage Number and View Number.

    Note: When the Stress Echo property is selected, the Series Contains and the Series Does Not Contain fields are not available.

    • Select Stress Echo Values.
    • Enter a whole number value in the text boxes for:
      • Stage Number
      • View Number

    When you select a DICOM property, Synapse automatically adds the Rules Target option to the rule card.

    Note:

    • The Rules Target default setting is Undisplayed Series.
    • The Rules Target is automatically updated based on the series in the viewports.
  4. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you have selected all the necessary options.
  5. Optional: To remove an added viewport option, click the Minus sign .
  6. Optional: To specify the number of viewports that a monitor displays, click Page Layout . See Page Layout Overview for additional information.

    7. Note:

    You cannot change the monitor count from the Reading Protocol Editor. You must open a reading protocol that contains the number of monitors you want.
  7. Optional: To change the match properties, click Match Properties . The Match Properties dialog box displays.

    8. If you want to do this...

    Complete these steps...

    Match a study based on the modality.
    • Click the Modality tab.
    • Select a modality for each study.
    • Optional: Click the plus sign to add a study or the minus sign to remove a study from the list.
    • Click Close.

    Match a study based on a procedure.
    • Click the Procedure tab.
    • Select a modality for each study.
    • To select one or more procedure codes for each study, do the following:
      • Click the button in the procedure column. A dialog box displays.
      • To narrow the search, you can select RIS procedure or use the search text box.
      • Select one or more procedures in the left box and click Arrow to move the right box.
      • Click OK when you have all the procedures you want.
    • Click Close.

    Note: You must have at least one procedure for every study.
  8. Click Save . Synapse automatically adds your user name to the end of the reading protocol name.
  9. Optional: Enter a different name for the reading protocol and then click the Save to drop-down list to select who will have access to the new reading protocol using the following information.

    If you want to do this...

    Complete these steps...

    Save the reading protocol for you only.

    • Select My Reading Protocols.
    • Note: This option is available with the Manage Reading Protocols and Manage System Reading Protocols privileges.

    Save the reading protocol for all users.

    • Select System Reading Protocols.
    • Note: This option is only available with the Manage System Reading Protocols privilege.

    Save the reading protocol for specific users, roles, or combination of both.

    • Select Other Users. The Select Other User dialog box displays.
    • From the Role drop-down list, select a role or All users or type a user name in the search box.
    • Select the role or user name from the left list.
    • Click Arrow to add the role or user name to the selected right list.
    • Note: This option is only available with the Manage System Reading Protocols privilege.
  10. Click OK.

Results

Synapse saves the new reading protocol to yourself, other users, or roles depending on your privileges.

Additional Options

Related Topics

Reading Protocol Overview

Using the RPE from the Viewer

Using the RPE from User Settings for MG Stacking