Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Often the task defines the most appropriate user interface. For example, if the data are from a DNA
microarray device, then an interface that mirrors the array of florescent markers may be the most
appropriate, especially if the user is the same person who works directly with the microarray
equipment. However, if the user is removed from the device and works more closely with the binding
sites, then an interface based on a metaphor of nucleotide sequences may be more effective in
support of his work.
Display Architecture
The user interface is defined and limited by the overall system architecture, especially as it relates to
how the data and interface are communicated to the workstation and its display. As illustrated in
Figure 5-19
, system architectures range from standard Web-browser-based systems based on native
Web browsers to stand-alone systems that use the Internet only as an asynchronous data source.
Figure 5-19. Bioinformatics Visualization System Architectures. (A) Native
browser; (B) Extended browser; (C) Web-enabled application; (D) Stand-
alone application.
