Download Welcome to HemoSurf!

Welcome to HemoSurf!
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Minimal system requirements
Installation of Netscape Communicator 4.7 and QuickTime™ 5
User’s guide
Target audience
Legal aspects
Using HemoSurf in an Intranet
The interpretation of blood films
The quality of blood films
Using the normal values of your lab
Color display of computer monitors
Variability of web browsers
How to handle error messages
Special thanks
Authors and contributors
Address
Minimal system requirements
PC: Windows® 95/98/NT4.x/2000
Mac: OS 7.6.1, PowerPC
CD-ROM drive 2x
SVGA, 800 x 600 resolution
16-bit color display (32 000 colors)
A 4th generation web browser; Netscape 4.7 recommended (installation program included
on CD-ROM)
Optional: QuickTime™, sound card with speakers (only Windows®)
Internet connection not necessary
Installation of Netscape Communicator 4.7 and QuickTime™ 5
You will find the installation programs for Netscape Communicator 4.7 and QuickTime™ 5
on the CD-ROM.
If you do not have a web browser installed, or if you encounter difficulties using a web
browser other than Netscape Communicator 4.7, install Netscape Communicator 4.7 from
the CD-ROM. During setup you will receive instructions on how to proceed.
To view the movies on how to create and stain blood films, you will need to have
QuickTime™ installed. Make sure that the QuickTime™ Plugin is in the Plugins folder of
your web browser. The installation program will copy these software components to the
right place. The QuickTime Player in the newly created QuickTime Folder allows you to
watch the movies separately, without a web browser.
User’s guide
To use HemoSurf, you must first open a web browser (Netscape Communicator/Navigator
4.0.6 or higher or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x or higher). Choose from within the "File"
menu the command "open/open file/open page/open page in Navigator". In the dialog
box, browse for the CD-ROM "HemoSurf" and select the file "english.htm". Click "open".
If your web browser uses the default preferences, text with links will appear in blue and will
be underlined. Clicking on these words will bring up other pages or open new windows.
There is a blue arrow that is always located on the right. Clicking on it will cause you to
jump to the top of the page or to a page one step up in the hierarchy of the program.
Additional explanations are given on the page if needed.
Note!
Your web browser must have JavaScript enabled and allow the writing of cookies. These
should already be your default settings.
Target audience
Medical students of laboratory technology schools, laboratory technicians, residents in
hematology, medical doctors in private practice with or without a lab.
Legal aspects
All images are provided for educational use only and may not be used outside of the
learning program without the permission of the authors. The demonstration of the learning
program for other than instructional purposes is not allowed. Nor is duplication and/or
distribution. The learning program may only be used on one workstation. For Intranet use,
a special license must be purchased from the Division for Instructional Media.
Using HemoSurf in an Intranet
An Intranet license can be purchased from the Division for Instructional Media. It costs
CHF 250.00 (Swiss franks) and includes a description on how to configure your Intranet
server. Additionally, you have the option of replacing the normal values from your
laboratory with those used by HemoSurf. (See below)
The interpretation of blood films
It is almost impossible for a group of hematologists to agree fully on the classification of
individual cells. This must not be a disadvantage. Such disagreements can lead to
discussions that are very instructive for students. Some of these discrepancies can be due
to technical problems that are discussed below.
The quality of blood films
When selecting and photographing blood films for a learning program, you become aware
that many blood films done on a routine basis are not perfectly prepared. Often it is just
impossible to prepare perfect blood films from the blood of patients with hematological
diseases. When selecting the blood films for this program, we chose those that most
clearly demonstrated the abnormality in question.
Using the normal values of your lab
When using HemoSurf on an Intranet (see above) or from a hard disk, you can replace the
normal values of the program with your own normal values. The normal values are stored
in the file normal_values.js residing in the folder Data/scripts. The used variable names
are easy to understand and may not be altered. Replace the numbers between the
quotation marks. The quotation marks may not be removed and must always exist in
pairs. Note! The normal values are always linked to given units. A modification of the used
units is possible in principle, but much more difficult. Therefore, changing the units is not
advised.
Note! If your normal values differ much from those of HemoSurf, it is possible that normal
results in one of the cases may become pathological or vice versa
Color display of computer monitors
While it is possible to control for the correct display of colors in printing, this is almost
impossible for computer monitors. As a consequence, depending on brightness and hue,
some cells may look different and are attributed to another cell type. Therefore, try to
optimize the color display of your monitor or test different monitors, if you have the
opportunity. Over all, the quality of the images is good to very good.
Variability of web browsers
The competition between Netscape and Microsoft to produce the most popular web
browser has many disadvantages for web authors. The interactivity of HemoSurf is based
on JavaScript. The different interpretation of this programming language by the Web
browsers of these two companies forces the developer to make compromises or to write
separate code for each browser. Taking this into consideration, I made the program as
compatible with both browsers as I could. But at a certain point, further concessions
became impossible. Since the web browser of Netscape can be distributed without any
obligations, I decided that HemoSurf should comply with the standards of Netscape 4.7.
Most modules of this learning program can be used with Internet Explorer 4.0, 4.5, or 5.0
from Microsoft. But it is possible that some modules do not function properly or are badly
displayed.
How to handle error messages
If you change the size of the browser window within a learning module, you may get error
messages. In this case start the module over again. Adjust the window size immediately
after opening HemoSurf. The error message in Internet Explorer may ask you if you want
to continue to run scripts. Click "Yes". Otherwise the interactivity of HemoSurf will be lost.
Please send error messages to me by email. I will try to find out what is causing them. If I
find a solution to the problem, I will send you the corrected files for replacement, if you
have HemoSurf copied on your hard disk. To solve any problems, I need the following
data:
- Description of the error: Where does it appear? What does it look like? Exact
text of an error message. Can the error be reproduced?
- Which web browser are you using? Name and version.
- Which operating system are you using? Name and version.
Special thanks to
R. Köchli, Head of the School for Medical Laboratory Technicians, who provided us with
the technical equipment to capture the microscopic images.
Authors and contributors
Authors:
Dr. med. U. Woermann (1)
Prof. Dr. med. A. Tobler (2)
M. Montandon (3)
HemoSurf Logo:
B. Boog (1)
Video:
G. Ferrieri (1)
English version:
G. Rodgers (4), MD, PhD
K. Mauger (5), MA, PhD candidate and Teaching Fellow
1 Division of Instructional Media AUM, Institute for Medical Education IAWF, University of
Bern
2 Central Hematological Laboratory, University Hospital, Inselspital Bern
3 Head Laboratory Assistant, University Hospital, Inselspital Bern
4 University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, Utah
5 University of Utah Language and Literature Department, Salt Lake City, Utah
© Copyright 2002 AUM Bern
University of Bern
Division for Instructional Media AUM
Inselspital 38, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
Tel. +41 31 632 25 15
Fax +41 31 632 49 98
Email: [email protected]
Bern in February 2002
Dr. med. U. Woermann
Division for Instructional Media AUM
Inselspital 38
CH-3010 Bern
[email protected]