Very high resolution video display memory and base image memory for a radiologic image analysis console

Abstract

Digital radiographic images are created by a variety of diagnostic imaging modalities. A multi-modality workstation, known as the Arizona Viewing Console (AVC), was designed and built by the University of Arizona Radiology Department to support research in radiographic image processing and image display. Two specially designed VMEbus components, the base image memory and the video display memory, were integrated into the AVC and are the subject of this thesis. The base image memory is a multi-ported, 8 megabyte memory array based on random access memory used for raw image storage. It supports a 10 megapixel per second image processor and can interface to a 320 megabit per second network. The video display memory utilizes video memories and is capable of displaying two independent high resolution images, each 1024 pixels by 1536 lines, on separate video monitors. In part, these two memory designs have allowed the AVC to excel as a radiographic image workstation.