Will the image viewer run on this computer?
SmartCVI reads cardiac CT and MR studies inside your browser: the images are decoded on your computer and drawn by its graphics card, the same way a 3-D game is. That makes the viewer fast and keeps the images off any third party's server — but it also means the computer has to be able to do the work. This page checks yours and tells you exactly what, if anything, is missing.
This computer
- Hardware 3-D graphics (WebGL 2) Every image is drawn through the graphics card. Without WebGL 2 the viewer cannot display anything at all.
- Graphics processor Volume and thick-slab views are rendered on the GPU. A software renderer cannot do this at a usable speed, and low-power integrated graphics may fail on large CT studies.
- 3-D texture size A CT or MR volume is uploaded to the graphics card in one piece. A small limit here is what makes multiplanar and 3-D views fail to build.
- Image texture size Large image frames are uploaded to the graphics card whole. A small limit forces the viewer to downscale them.
- WebAssembly Compressed DICOM images are decoded in the browser by a WebAssembly codec.
- Available memory A coronary CT study is several hundred megabytes once decoded. 8 GB of RAM or more is recommended; browsers that do not report memory are not checked here.
- Processor cores Images are decoded in parallel background threads, so fewer cores means a longer wait before a study is readable.
- Browser The workstation is developed and tested on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. Other browsers usually work, but rendering problems are markedly more common.
- Screen size The reading layout places several viewports and a tool panel side by side. Below about 1440 pixels wide they compete for the same space.
- Device type Phones and tablets cannot run a reading workstation. Use a desktop or laptop computer.
These checks read what your browser reports about itself. They are a guide, not a guarantee — a computer that passes every check can still be slow with a very large study.
Declared requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Browser | Any browser with WebGL 2 and WebAssembly | Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, current version |
| Graphics | A real (hardware) GPU with WebGL 2 — integrated graphics from roughly 2018 onwards | A dedicated GPU, or recent integrated graphics with hardware acceleration switched on |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM or more, especially for coronary CT |
| Processor | 4 cores | 8 cores or more |
| Screen | 1440 pixels wide | 1920 pixels wide or more; two screens is better still |
| Network | A stable broadband connection — a CT study is several hundred megabytes | Wired or strong Wi-Fi |
| Device | Desktop or laptop computer | Desktop or laptop computer — phones and tablets are not supported |
SmartCVI is a research and teaching prototype. These are the conditions under which the viewer is developed and tested; they are not a certification, and they are not a claim of diagnostic performance.
If a check failed
- Turn on hardware acceleration
- This is the single most common cause. When a browser falls back to drawing with the processor instead of the graphics card, the viewer reports a real GPU as missing. In Chrome or Edge open Settings → System and switch on "Use graphics acceleration when available", then restart the browser and re-run this check.
- Update the graphics driver
- An out-of-date driver is the usual reason a browser refuses hardware acceleration on a computer that is otherwise capable — particularly on Windows laptops that have never had a driver update.
- Close other tabs and applications
- The viewer needs a large, contiguous amount of memory. On a computer with 4 GB or less, another browser window with many tabs is often the difference between a study that opens and one that does not.
- Use a different browser
- If the viewer fails in one browser, try Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge before concluding that the computer is at fault.
- Allow pop-up windows for this site
- The viewer opens in its own window or tab so you can keep the report beside it. If nothing opens when you start a case, your browser blocked it: look for the blocked-pop-up icon in the address bar and choose to always allow pop-ups from this site.
Working with two screens
Reporting is much easier with the images on one screen and the report form on the other — which is how it is done in a reading room.
- If your browser supports it, SmartCVI can place the viewer on your second screen for you. The first time you ask for this, the browser will request permission to manage windows — allow it. This works in Chrome and Edge; other browsers will simply open a normal tab.
- Otherwise, drag the viewer's tab out of the browser window to detach it, then drag that window onto your second screen. It stays there for the rest of the session.