The question of what monitor to use for diagnostic purposes with digital medical images has been a recurring theme ever since these images were first generated. Variations on this theme are: Can I use a commercial monitor for diagnosing medical images? Is a 3-megapixel (MP) display sufficient to look at chest radiographs? Related questions that we are often asked are: How should I calibrate these monitors? What is the impact of environmental light on the diagnostic capability of displays in the ER or the ICU?

This white paper provides practical guidelines for the selection of the right monitor for the right diagnostic application. We also will describe how to keep your monitor operating at diagnostic quality. In addition, we provide an introduction to the characteristics of displays and the key parameters that describe monitor performance.