Renal Nuclear Medicine Teaching File

The

was my first foray into multimedia computer education.

To "capture" nuclear medicine images, I used a

video camera

connected to my Amiga 2000 via a PP&S frame grabber

(black box on the bottom).

I organized them into a book format using a fantastic, new program called

HyperBook

by Gold Disk. There was one case per page, with questions based on that case. By "double-clicking" on a question, a reader could read the corresponding answer. Similarly, a reader could see related x-rays, CT scans, etc.

There were many innovations.

An interactive help page was included.
A convenient index provided direct access to cases.
The Cases provided interactive learning.
Related cases were linked.
Many cases provided an option to hear a recording of me explaining the case.
- Voice was captured by the Amiga using a microphone, an 8 bit audio digitizer(Perfect Sound, Sunrize Industries) and the
  appropriate software.
An audio CD could be played in the background.
A list of references was included.
"Master pages" made adding new cases very easy.

Although some of this may seem "old hat" to you, please remember that we are talking about 1990 and what I am describing was heady stuff!

In 1991, my Renal Nuclear Medicine Teaching File was accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Commodore supplied the Amiga computers and monitors. I supplied the peripherals, the software and the enthusiasm for this week-long meeting.

During the RSNA Annual Meeting, I received and accepted an offer to display my Renal Nuclear Medicine Teaching File at the National Medical Library, Bethesda, Maryland. From early 1993 to approximately 1995, it remained, running on an Amiga 2500, for all to see.

It was, of course, a great honor.

Although I have go on to far more sophisticated presentations, there was something special about the first.

I have begun to adapt the Nuclear Medicine Teaching File to an HTML (Internet) format. I have many reservations. The discussions are old and dated and the better cases will be made part of my more general Nuclear Medicine Teaching File Nuclear Medicine Teaching File.

Yet, it is a bit of history, at least for me. It's not too much work, although it is more than I thought it would be. So, I'll chip away at it for a while. I won't include the voice -- it takes too much space. But, you'll get an idea of what it was -- and maybe, learn something as well.

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