Softcode Systems - A Medical Informatics Blog

Job Posting: Help create an app for your specialty!

It’s impossible to remember everything. How many times a week do you Google the same information? Wouldn’t it be great to have this info right at your fingertips on your iPad or iPhone?

I am the developer of Radiology Toolbox Pro and Radiology Toolbox Lite, an
iPhone/iPad app for radiologists. In less than a year and a half, our app has had over 40,000 downloads in over 100 countries. Softcode Systems, LLC is looking to expand into other specialties in our series of “ectopic brains” for health care professionals.

We are looking for residents, fellows or other practitioners who are interested in
developing a list of tools, calculations and charts that are frequently consulted in
your specialty. No knowledge of Objective C coding is required, simply a desire to
become part of the mobile health community.

This is not a solicitation for just suggestions. We are looking for those who want to
have an integral hand in developing the whole project for their specialty.

As an example, you can view or download the free lite version, Radiology Toolbox Lite at:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/radiology-toolbox-lite/id415176373?mt=8

Your part of the project:
The list of tools. The reference source for each tool must be provided and
summarized in a presentable form that we can adapt into a usable standard iPad / iPhone format.

This is a great opportunity to contribute to your field. Compensation and developer
credit will be based on the extent of your contribution to the final product.

Looking forward to hearing from you. Sense of humor preferred, but not required.

Best of Luck!
Eric M. Baumel, MD
Founder, Softcode Systems, LLC

Radiology Toolbox Pro update available on the App Store

A new update for our app, Radiology Toolbox Pro is now available on the Apple iTunes App Store.

The new version is optimized for iOS 5.1 and the Retina display on the new iPad.

Three new tools are added, including the classification of aortic stent graft endoleak types and a chart listing the various dementias on brain FDG PET scans.

Many of the current users of the app have requested the lung segment anatomy.  Eight diagrams are now included in this new free update for existing users.

We are very gratified by the number of suggestions submitted, and more tools are in the works.

Abstract Accepted at Medicine 2.0 Conference

We are very excited that our abstract, Radiology Toolbox Pro - An iOS (iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch) App for Radiology has been accepted for presentation at the Medicine 2.0 - 5th World Congress on Social Media, Mobile Health, and Internet/Web 2.0 in Medicine and Health This years conference is at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School, September 15 - 16, 2012. 

The New iPad - Time for App Developers to Upgrade Their Graphics

With the announcement of Apple’s new iPad with the higher resolution Retinal display, it means that iOS developers will have to update the graphics for any apps that run on the new device.

Apple’s new iOS Human Interface Guidelines require a minimum of 10 icon sizes (more if your app needs document icons)! Its time for all app developers to re-size and redraw.

In descending pixel order, the app icons for iPhone and iPad apps are:

• 1024 x 1024 - Hi-Res app icon for the App Store
• 512 x 512     - Standard app icon for the App Store
• 144 x 144     - App icon for New iPad
• 114 x 114     - App icon for Hi-Res iPhone and iPod Touch
• 100 x 100     -  Hi-Res iPad Spotlight search results
• 72 x 72         - Standard app icon for the iPad
• 58 x 58         - Settings and Spotlight search results for Hi-Res iPhone and iPod Touch, and Settings for the new iPad
• 57 x 57         -  App icon for standard iPhone and iPod Touch
• 50 x 50         -  Standard iPad Spotlight search results
• 29 x 29         -  Settings and Spotlight search results for standard iPhone and iPod Touch, and Settings for the iPad

There are now six sizes for the launch images as well:

• 2048 x 1496 - Landscape for the Hi-Res iPad
• 1536 x 2008 - Portrait for the Hi-Res iPad
• 1024 x 748   - Landscape for the standard iPad
• 768 x 1004   - Portrait for the standard iPad
• 640 x 960     - Hi-Res iPhone and iPod Touch
• 320 x 480     - Standard iPhone and iPod Touch

For the optimum appearance, all the existing graphics used by an app will also need to be upgraded as well.

Photoshop will be very busy.

Medicine 2.0

We have recently registered for  

Medicine 2.0

5th World Congress on Social Media, Mobile Apps, and Internet/Web2.0 in Health and Medicine.

To be held in Boston, September 15-6.

Hope to see you there!

Radiology Toolbox breaks 30,000 downloads!

We are very excited to announce that the Lite version of Radiology Toolbox has now been downloaded over 30,000 times from the Apple iTunes App Store worldwide. The app has been downloaded in over 85 countries, and hundreds of suggestions have been set in by users of the app.

The Pro version is available for download for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch at the App Store.

New Buzzword Alert: “Patient Activation”

We have a new buzzword to add to mHealth.

Here is an interesting article from mobihealthnews on “Patient Activation,” a new coinage for patients taking charge of their own health and healthcare. We are, of course our own best advocates. The mobile health apps will help us do just that.

With all of the changes coming, we all need to be our own first lines of defense, to help us better help those professionals who take care of us.

More from the RSNA

Another fascinating day at the 97th annual meeting of the RSNA.

I attended a fun (for the inner geek in us all) lecture, “Cool Technologies for Radiologists” given by Drs. Richardson, Petscavage and Thapa, based on their ebook of a similar name (available on Amazon).

Besides all of the new diagnostic imaging equipment, there were several interesting new technologies for education and interacting with complex data sets.

Anatomage has a product call ‘The Table’ an interactive anatomy study table. This is a virtual cadaver, a touch screen the size of an actual dissection table that you can manipulat 3D CT data. Very cool!

We also demoed two new methods of interacting with volumetric data from CTs.

Digital ArtForms was demonstrating their iMedic3D, a two-handed interface for moving through 3D space, such as in virtual colonoscopy, as well as their iMedicPACS, which allows the user to navigate through multiplanar views of cross sectional imaging.

GestSure Technologies new product uses a Microsoft Kinect style interface designed so that surgeons can manipulate CT images in the sterile environment of the operating room.

These devices are still works in progress, but I look forward to the future development of these types of interfaces.

Exciting First Day at RSNA

Sunday was the first day of RSNA 2011, the worlds largest annual medical meeting.

From RSNA President Dr. Burton Drayer’s very upbeat and forward looking opening oration to lectures on the imaging of dementia, it was a fascinating and varied first day.

The food in Chicago is great, too.

Today will start off with a lecture on “Cool Technologies for Radiologists,” an Informatics in Practice course.

We have had great feedback on our app, Radiology Toolbox Pro as well!