Uromac Users Guide

Contents 1 Getting Started 1

Data Display Area 16 Split Bar 16 Memory Indicators 16 The Marker 16 Start Button 17 Record/Monitor Button 17 Pointer 17

Learning to Use Uromac 2 Where to Start 2 How to use this Guide 2 Computer Requirements 3 The Acquidata System 3 Installation Instructions 4 Naming Your Copy of Uromac 5 Quitting Uromac 6

The Tool Bar 17 Recording 18 Display While Recording 18 Blocks and Settings 19 Recording or Monitoring 20

2 Introduction to Uromac 7 An Overview of Uromac 8

Recording Status Indicator 20

Controls and Display 8 Recording 8 Saving, Printing, and Editing 9 Analysis 9 Advanced Features 9 Customising 10 Recording Automation and Control 10

Adding Comments While Recording 21 Background Recording 22

Recording While Reviewing Data 22 Recording With a Split Screen 23 Running Other Applications While Recording 23 Duration of Recording 23

Opening a Uromac File 10 Closing or Quitting a Uromac File 12 The Uromac Window 12

3 Setting Up Uromac 27 Setting the Sampling Speed 28 Macintosh Type and Sampling Speed 29 Performance at Fast Speeds 30

Basic Window Controls 13 Navigating 14 View Buttons 14 The Uromac Axes 15 The Channel Controls 15 Sampling Parameter Display 16 Uromac UserÕs Guide

Display at Fast Speeds 31 Slow Sampling Speeds 31 Channel Controls 32 Turning Channels Off and On 32 iii

The Amplitude Axis 55 Time Display Mode 57 Channel Titles 58

Other Functions 33 The AcquiAmpliÞer 34

Signal Display 34 Setting the Range 34 Filtering 35 AC Coupling 36 Low-Pass Filtering 36 Inverting the Signal 36 Units 36 The Line Filter 37 Transducer Power 37 Balance 37 LoPass 37 Transducers 38

Superscripts and Subscripts 58 Display Settings 59

The Waveform Menus 60 The X–Y Plot 61 The Graticule 61 Display Control Checkboxes 61 The Overview Miniwindow 62 The Zoom Window 64

The Stacked Display 65 Data Display 65 Printing the Zoom Window 66 Display and Expectations 67

Units Conversion 39 Converting Units 40

5 Working With Files 69

Typing in Values 40 Defining Units Using Sampled Data 40

Selecting Data 70 Deleting Data 71 Transferring Data 72 The Clipboard 74 Saving Options 75

Choosing Units 42 Data Buffering 43 How it Works 43

Media and Speed 44

Data File 75 Settings File 76 Text File 76 Data Pad as Text File 77

Triggering 45 Setting the Controls 46

Event 46 Slope and Level 46 Start 47 Stop 47

Saving a Selection 78 Appending Data Files 79 Printing 80 Page Setup 80

Making Changes in the Uromac Window 48 The Stimulator 49 Setting the Controls 50

High-Resolution Printing 81 Faster Printing 81 Print Comments at the End of Uromac 82 Print Using Colour 82

Number of Pulses 50 Range, Frequency, and Pulse Duration 50 Range and Amplitude 50

The Print Command 82 On-Line Printing 84 Comments 85

The Stimulator Panel 51 Constant Output Voltage 52

Adding Comments While Recording 85 Entering Comments After Recording 86 Reviewing Comments 87

4 Data Display 53 Channel Separators 54 Split Bar 54

Chapter Ñ Contents

88 The Comments Window 88 iv

Cursor 120 Tool Bar 120 Controls 122 Start-Up 123 Menus 124

Comment Numbering 89 Identifying a Data Point 89 Printing Comments 90 The Notebook 90

Printing the Notebook 91

Command-Key Equivalents 125 Emergency Access! 125 Macros 126 Recording a Macro 127 Playing a Macro 129 Deleting a Macro 129 Macros That Call Other Macros 130 Options When Recording Macros 130

6 Data Analysis 93 Measuring From the Waveform 94 Using the Marker 95 Setting and Removing Baselines 96 The Data Pad 97 Adding Data to the Data Pad 98 Setting Up the Columns 99

Changing Dialog Box Settings 130 Starting Sampling 131 Opening and Appending Files 132 Saving Files 133

Printing 101 The XÐY Window 101

Printing the X–Y Window 103 Off-Line Functions 103 Absolute Value 103 Smoothing 103 Computed Input 104 Sampling Speed 105 Signal Displays 105 Raw Data Controls 106

Macro Commands 134

Update Screen 134 Wait… 135 Play Sound… 136 Message… 137 Speak Message… 137 Begin Repeat 138 Repeat Select Every… 139 Repeat Select Each Block 140 End Repeat 140 Set Units Conversion… 140

Threshold and Sensitivity 106 Baseline Tracking 107 Computed Input Controls 108 Computed Input Functions 110

Ratemeter 110 Period 111 Frequency 111 Counter 112 Cyclic Mean 112 Cyclic Maximum and Minimum 113 1/3Max+2/3Min 113 Envelope Maximum and Minimum 114 Differential 115 Integral 115

Timed Events 143

Timed Event Actions 144 Editing Timed Events 146 The Accuracy of Timed Events 146 Digital Output Control 146

Configuring the Digital Output 147 Controlling the Digital Output 148 Automatic Comments 149

Setting Up Automatic Comments 149 Connections and Multiple Copies 151 Extensions 152

7 Customising & Automating Uromac 119 Preferences 120 Chapter Ñ Contents

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A Menus & Commands 155 Menus 155 Keyboard Shortcuts 158

B Troubleshooting 159 Technical Support 159

Dealer and Distributor Information 160 System Configuration Information 160 General 161 Solutions to Common Problems 161

Starting Up 161 Interface Problems 163 Recording Problems 165 Printing Problems 168 Macro Problems 169 Crashes 170

Index 181 Licensing & Warranty Agreement 191

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C H A P T E R

O N E

1 Getting Started

Welcome to Uromac, an application program that lets you use your Acquidata as a multichannel chart recorder for clinical investigation and diagnostic Urodynamics. It is one of a range of Acquidata applications that provide a multi-purpose data recording and analysis environment for use with an Apple Macintosh computer.

This chapter contains instructions on the installation of Uromac, hardware requirements, and the use of this guide in learning to use the application.

Uromac UserÕs Guide

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Learning to Use Uromac Where to Start To install Uromac and to use it, you should be familiar with the Apple Macintosh environment. If you do not know how to use the mouse and keyboard, choose commands from the menu, copy or duplicate files, and so on, please consult the Macintosh User’s Guide that came with your computer. The application is designed to be easy to use, but familiarity with the Macintosh computer and some simpler applications will make learning it a lot easier. If you have previously used Macintosh applications, you should find that Uromac works similarly in most respects - menus, dialog boxes, and controls all follow the standard user interface. If you have used earlier versions of Uromac, you should find that this version has much in common, although it has been improved in a number of ways. You should start by reading the introductory chapters in your Acquidata owner’s guide to be sure that you know how to connect your Acquidata to your computer properly, and how to use your Acquidata safely and effectively. Skim through the various terms defined in the guide’s glossary, then continue with this chapter.

How to use this Guide

Press here for online help topics

If you are in a desperate hurry, read the rest of this chapter, the Overview of Uromac in the next chapter, and then go through the Quick Start booklet, to familiarise yourself with some of the key features of Uromac, trying the controls and settings with a copy of a Uromac demonstration file. Start recording data, using this book for reference when you encounter problems or unexpected results, or as you have the time to learn about the features you need. We recommend, however, that you work through this guide in front of your computer. It may take more effort in the short term, but will end up saving you time and energy. Working through a guide like this (method), while slower, is a more effective learning process than just trying an application on the computer and seeing what happens (heuristics). The information in the following chapters is set out in the

Chapter 1 Ñ Getting Started

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order you will probably require it. First of all, though, read the rest of this chapter, which covers system configurations and installing and personalising your copy of Uromac. Note. The screen shots used as illustrations in this guide are from a monochrome monitor. There will be slight differences in appearance when using Uromac on a grayscale or colour monitor.

Computer Requirements Minimum: a Macintosh computer with a 68020 microprocessor and a hard disk, System 7, and 4 MB RAM. Recommended: either a Power Macintosh or a Macintosh computer with a 68040 microprocessor, with a hard disk, System 7.x, 8 MB RAM, and a 14-inch or larger monitor. Your particular needs will determine the computing requirements and hence which Macintosh you use. The Acquidata will work with any Macintosh from an LC onwards, including the Quadra, PowerBook, and Power Macintosh models (Uromac v3.4 in fact has various features optimised for the Power Macintosh). Slower Macintosh computers may not be able to perform some of the more mathematically intensive functions in real time, or sample continuously at the highest speeds (using Uromac). Faster computers allow better sampling rates on a greater number of channels, faster printing, and improved overall performance. Your Acquidata dealer will be happy to discuss your requirements and suggest possible configurations.

The Acquidata System The Acquidata system is an integrated system of hardware and software designed to record, display, and analyse experimental data. The system consists of a Acquidata hardware unit and software application programs (such as Uromac and EMG/Scope), which run on the Macintosh computer to which the Acquidata is connected. Your Acquidata unit has considerable computing power of its own and performs many tasks that are necessary during data recording. Once the Chapter 1 Ñ Getting Started

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Acquidata transfers the data to the Macintosh, the data becomes available for display, manipulation, printing, storage, and retrieval.

Installation Instructions You will have been provided with two 1.4MB disks labelled Uromac and Extensions, these may contain the following files: Uromac: Uromac application software. Folder ‘Sample Patient’: Sample Patient Uromac data file. Extensions: AcquiAmp1 system extension. Folder ‘Uromac Extensions’: (AcquiPack) AcquiFKeys AcquiMeter AcquiVideo UroCalc UroFillRate UroPhase UroReport (some of these are options) Folder ‘Calibration Folder’: Uromac Settings customised file for your system.

If you purchased your computer from Neomedix Systems your Uromac System will be fully configured. However if you need to set up the system yourself the following steps outline the recommended installation. 1. Create a new folder called ‘Uromac’ on your hard disk drive. 2. Insert the Uromac installation disk into your floppy disk drive. 3. Copy the Uromac application and Sample Patient Folder from the installation disk to the Uromac folder you have just created. 4. Eject the Uromac installation disk and insert the Extensions installation disk into your floppy disk drive.

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5. Copy the contents of the Extensions installation disk to the same Uromac folder as before. 6. Eject the Extensions installation disk. If you are using System 7.5 (or above) we recommend that you place an alias of the Calibration Folder into the Apple Menu Items folder (refer to your Macintosh Guide for further details); then to start Uromac just select the particular settings file from the Apple Menu Calibration Folder. Alternatively double click on the Uromac application (or a settings file) and open the Setting file from within the application. File opening and execution are discuss later in the manual.

Figure 1–1 The Uromac icon

We recommend that you remove any earlier versions of Uromac and EMG/Scope from your hard disk. If there are multiple versions of an application present, and you double-click on an icon of one of its files in the Finder, then any version of the application could start up to open the file, not necessarily the latest. Use the Find… command (File Menu) from the Finder to locate multiple copies. Keep your original disks in a safe place after installation. Follow your workplace policy on backups (we recommend you make at least one), but remember that each purchased copy of the software only licenses you to use the software on one computer at any one time.

Naming Your Copy of Uromac Ensure that the Acquidata is connected properly to your Macintosh (this is covered in the owner’s guide that came with your Acquidata), and turned on. Click the Uromac icon and select Open from the File menu, or simply double-click the icon. There may be a short delay while the Acquidata is set up. Figure 1–2 Fill in this dialog box with the name of your department and institution, or whatever is most appropriate.

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On opening Uromac for the first time, a dialog box may appear (Figure 1–2), asking you to name the copy of the application. If the computer has an owner’s name in the system already (for file sharing), the name will be put into the Name box and selected automatically. Just start typing if you want to overwrite it.

Figure 1–3 This dialog appears if the Acquidata is not connected correctly.

If the Acquidata is not connected, then after naming your copy of the application, the dialog box in Figure 1–3 will appear. If this dialog box appears when the Acquidata is connected and turned on, see the owner’s guide that came with your Acquidata for help. Some of the information from that guide on Acquidata start-up problems is also repeated in Appendix B at the back of this guide.

Quitting Uromac If you want to quit Uromac after naming your copy of the application, choose Quit from the File menu. If you want to proceed with working through this guide, you can leave the file open, and just carry on.

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C H A P T E R

T W O

2 Introduction to Uromac Uromac is one of the application programs that together with your Acquidata make up the Acquidata system, providing a highly ßexible data recording and analysis environment for your Macintosh computer. This chapter provides a general overview of Uromac, looks at the Uromac window in detail, and deals with the basics of recording data in Uromac.

Uromac UserÕs Guide

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An Overview of Uromac Uromac, together with the Acquidata hardware and a Macintosh computer, gives you the capabilities of a multi-channel chart recorder and more. Depending on your hardware, you can record on from one to eight channels at a variety of speeds. Uromac also provides a range of powerful, sophisticated, and easy-to-use features that transcend the limitations of a mechanical pen-and-ink recorder.

Controls and Display Controls are easy and intuitive. The Uromac window can be resized like other Macintosh windows. The data display can be compressed or expanded horizontally, or the window split into two panes, and the vertical size of each channel can be changed to suit, simply by dragging the dividing bars. Channels can be turned off if they are not required, or set to show absolute values only, and their Amplitude axes can be dragged, stretched, or set through a dialog box for optimum data display. You can type in appropriate channel titles, and define units of measurement for each channel. The time display format and speed of recording can be changed swiftly, and range and filtering options can be set independently for each channel. Display colours, patterns, and grids can be altered. A Tool Bar allows common operations and userdefined macros to be performed with a single click of the mouse.

Recording You can not only view data as it is recorded, but also review data while still recording, in a split or single window. Recording speed and range can be changed while recording. You can start and stop recording at any time and build up a Uromac file with many individual sections of data. You have the option of recording to disk - especially useful if you are making very lengthy recordings, and data recorded this way can survive a power failure. Comments to mark particular events can be made during or after recording, on all or on specific channels. A Notebook accessory is available for making general notes about a recorded data file.

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Saving, Printing, and Editing Uromac recordings can be printed, edited, and saved to a disk for later review. You can save the settings of any Uromac file to enable a procedure to be repeated quickly and easily, without having to go through the process of setting it up again. You can print a selection or save it as a file - this allows for easy editing by extracting only that part of the recording you need. You can append files to the end of an already open file, to produce recording summaries conveniently in a single file. Data can be transferred as text to other Macintosh applications, such as spreadsheets or statistics programs.

Analysis When you have finished recording, you can scroll through your data and make measurements directly from the recording - since everything is digital, you are given a direct read-out, with no chance of measurement errors. You can measure from a selected reference point, using the Marker, or a baseline (which you can also set). There is a sophisticated and flexible Data Pad, which calculates and stores statistics about recorded data - this can be printed out or its data transferred to other applications. It is saved along with the data file. The X–Y window gives you a plot of data from one channel against another. Uromac has an Overview miniwindow for finding areas of interest in large recordings, and a Zoom window for examining a section of the recording in more detail - this window allows you to overlay data from several channels for direct comparison. Comments can be added after recording, and are listed in the Comments window, from which you can go directly to the part of the record where a comment was added.

Advanced Features Triggering functions allow you to control when Uromac starts and stops recording, using internal or external measurements. The Stimulator allows you to set up an external stimulus for an experiment, and the Stimulator Panel control allows this to be turned on or off or adjusted as required during recording. Data can be smoothed off-line to remove unwanted high frequencies in the waveform. A range of computed input functions can be applied in real time to measured data: event counting, signal frequency, and so on, cyclic and envelope parameters,

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and differential and various integral functions are all available. Computed data can be displayed in place of the raw data or in addition to it, on another channel.

Customising Uromac can be extensively customised for your purposes. Controls, and menus and their commands (and Command-key equivalents) can be locked, hidden, or altered, and Uromac as a whole simplified, say, for student use. Macros can be created to speed up and to automate complex tasks, stored in any menu in a file, and added to the Tool Bar as buttons. Uromac extensions are available to add specific features to Uromac: Data Pad functions, off-line functions, and general utilities.

Recording Automation and Control The Timed Events dialog box allows you to create a list of actions you want performed at particular times: Uromac will do the rest. By setting up the digital output lines appropriately (using the Configure Digital Output dialog box), you can control the state of the output while recording. This is ideal for turning on and off external devices, controlling pumps, relays, indicator lights, and so on. By setting up a list of comments that correspond to certain states of the digital inputs on the Acquidata, you can have Uromac automatically insert appropriate comments when the digital inputs change.

Opening a Uromac File Figure 2–1 Uromac desktop icons: double-click one to open Uromac

It is a good idea to have a Uromac file open if you are working through this guide, so that you can try the commands, controls, and settings as they are discussed in the text. First, make sure that the Acquidata is properly connected to your computer, and is turned on. You may wish to learn Uromac without the Acquidata - if you have taken home a copy on your Macintosh PowerBook, for instance. In this case, on opening a file, a dialog box will offer the Analysis option, which lets you use Uromac except where it requires the Acquidata hardware: for recording, for example. Unusable controls appear dimmed. To open a Uromac file, click one of the Uromac icons in the Finder to select it, and choose Open from the File menu, or simply double-click the icon (see Figure 2–1). There may be a short delay while Uromac

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sets up the Acquidata. The top icon in Figure 2–1 shows the Uromac application, which will open a new untitled file if double-clicked. The middle icon shows a settings file, which will open an untitled file set up in a predefined way. The bottom icon shows a file of recorded data. In each case, Uromac opens and the Uromac window will appear. By default, the new untitled file opened when Uromac starts up will fill the screen, but its size can be adjusted. Once the Uromac application has already been loaded, you can open another file or create a new one by choosing Open… or New from the File menu. The Open directory dialog box appears: only Uromac files are shown in the scrolling list. You can navigate through your hard disk using the Macintosh file system to find the file you want. Uromac allows you to open only one file at a time.

Figure 2–2 The Open directory dialog box

Note To start up Uromac with its default settings, hold down the Command key as you open it (straight after double-clicking the icon). Release the key when the alert box appears, asking you to conÞrm your actions, and click the OK button. To start up Uromac without Uromac extensions, use the same procedure with the Shift key.

There are two checkboxes, Load Settings and Load Data, at the bottom of the Open directory dialog box. Data refers to the recorded waveforms. Settings are of two sorts: those that affect recording, such as the sampling speed, channel ranges, triggering, and stimulation functions; and those that affect the way the data looks, such as the window size, channel areas, display settings, and menu configuration. (Macros are also stored as settings.) If the Load Settings checkbox alone is selected when opening a file, then settings of the first sort from the selected file are loaded into the current file, which is not closed. Settings will apply to any recording subsequently carried out; display settings are unaffected.

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If the Load Data checkbox is selected, then the currently open file will be closed, and the selected file opened. If there are any unsaved changes to the current file, an alert box will appear asking if you want to save them before opening the new file. You can keep the alterations, abandon them, or change your mind and click the Cancel button. If both checkboxes are selected, then both the settings and the data will be loaded, otherwise the current settings are retained. Using a demonstration file as you work through this user’s guide will show you some real data and perhaps give a better idea of what is going on in Uromac. To protect the original files (although you should have backups!), duplicate some demonstration files in the Finder, and name them something like MyFile1, ProfessorTraining2, and so on, and open these to experiment with.

Closing or Quitting a Uromac File To close a Uromac file, choose Close from the File menu. To quit Uromac, choose Quit from the File menu. In either case, if you have made any changes, a dialog box will appear, asking you if you wish to save your work. Click the Save button if you wish to keep the changes you have made. Click the Don’t Save button if you want to discard the changes - probably the case while learning Uromac.

The Uromac Window All essential controls for recording data are provided within the Uromac window, illustrated in Figure 2–3. These controls are discussed below, and, where appropriate, in greater detail elsewhere. There are three main areas in the window, from left to right: the Amplitude axis area, which contains the scale for each channel; the data display area, which contains recorded data; and the channel control area. The menu bar at the top of the screen contains the Uromac menus (see Appendix A), allowing you to set up and modify the way Uromac looks and behaves. The Uromac Window command from the Windows menu returns to this window from another, or opens a new, untitled file. The Tool Bar appears by default between the menu and the title bar of the Uromac window, and provides shortcuts for common tasks, including returning to the Uromac window or opening a new file.

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Basic Window Controls The close box, title bar, zoom box, and size box all work as they do in other Macintosh applications.

Figure 2–3 The Uromac window Title bar

File title

Close box

Zoom box

Speed popup menu

Memory used bar

Speed/Time display

Time Display Mode button

Channel Function pop-

Amplitu de axis

Range popup menu

Channel units The data display Scale pop-up menu

Range/ Amplitude display

Channel separator

Channel separator

Time axis

Marker

Size box Memory Remainin

Split bar

Scroll

View

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Record/Monitor

Start/Stop

Click the close box to close a currently open Uromac file (this is the same as choosing Close from the File menu). The title bar shows the title of the file, and has horizontal lines across it if it is active (that is, the frontmost window). Drag the title bar to move the Uromac window to another area of the screen, or to another monitor if you have one attached (you can do this while recording). Drag the size box to set the size of the window: this is useful if you want other applications on the screen, and does not affect recording fidelity - the resolution of recorded data is independent of the resolution of the display. Click the zoom box to toggle the Uromac window between the set size and the full size of the screen.

Navigating The scroll bar allows you to move through the Uromac file in the window. Click the left and right arrows, or drag the box in the scroll bar, to move smoothly left or right. Click in the gray region to either side of the box in the scroll bar to jump a screen left or right. You can also move left or right by pressing, respectively, the left and right arrow keys on the keyboard. Hold down the Option key while pressing the left or right arrow key to jump a screen left or right. Hold down the Command key while pressing the left or right arrow key to go to the beginning or the end of the file. You can manually scroll data by holding down the Option key while the pointer is over the data display area: this turns the pointer into a hand that can drag the data back and forth. If you ‘push’ the data, by moving the hand and releasing the mouse button while it is moving, the file keeps scrolling through automatically at the speed at which you moved it. It will stop at the beginning or end of the file, or when you click anywhere in the Uromac window.

View Buttons The View buttons allow you to compress or re-expand the horizontal scaling of a file in the Uromac window (the steps are 1, 2, 5, 10… up to 2000 to 1). To see more of the file on screen at once, click the left (far mountains) button to compress it. To expand the file out again, click the right (near mountains) button. The button between the two shows the scale: clicking it returns the scale to 1:1 from any other setting, or if it is at 1:1, changes it to 20:1. Pressing the button pops up a menu Chapter 2 Ñ Introduction to Uromac

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allowing you to choose directly the extent of horizontal compression. If you print a horizontally compressed file or selection, then it will print at that compression.

The Uromac Axes The horizontal Time axis, above the scroll bar along the bottom of the Uromac window, records the time from the start of sampling or the absolute time, depending on the time display mode (which can be set by clicking the clock at the top right of the channel control area - note that this clock is visible only when the pointer is over the area). The vertical Amplitude axis on the left of the window indicates the amplitude of the recorded waveform. Note that the axis area remains blank until some data are actually recorded. The scale for each channel is initially set by the range control on the right side of the window, but can be stretched or dragged using the pointer. Display options can be chosen from the Scale pop-up menu. Units are volts by default, but may be changed to mmHg, Ω, kPa, or any other unit that you need, by using units conversion.

The Channel Controls The channel controls are located rightmost in the Uromac window, at the right of the data display area. The Speed pop-up menu to the left of the clock controls the sampling speed (scrolling speed and samples per division), which is always the same for all channels. (Clicking the clock at the top right of the window brings up the Time Display Mode dialog box, where you choose the form and units of the Time axis and time display.) There are two channel controls for each individual channel. Press the down arrow button to the left to choose the range from the Range popup menu. Press the channel title to choose options from the Channel Function pop-up menu. Note that the channel’s Range pop-up menu button is dimmed when the channel is off.

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