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Frequently Asked Questions Questions About
the MediCap USB100 & USB150 Questions
About the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard
1. Brief Description of the MediCap USB100 & USB150 Q. What is the MediCap image capture device and what are the differences between the model USB100 and USB150? A. The MediCap image capture device can save digital images to a USB flash drive from virtually any video source, for example, an ultrasound camera, endoscopic camera, surgical microscope, etc. It connects to your equipment the same way a VCR does, except instead of recording onto video tape, the MediCap saves still images onto a USB flash drive. Once you have finished saving images onto the flash drive, you can remove it from the MediCap and insert it into any Windows computer that supports USB. Then you can copy the images onto the computer where you can archive them, email them, share them on a network, enhance them with third-party software, etc. The MediCap is very easy to use and can bring the power and convenience of digital imaging to virtually any existing video device. The MediCap USB100 and USB150 models are the same except that the USB150 includes a built-in LCD monitor to help with navigation and image capture confirmation. For an in-depth description of both models, see the USB100 User Guide and USB150 User Guide. 2. No Video or Scrambled Video Q. When the MediCap is connected to a monitor, there is no video picture on the monitor or the picture is scrambled, like a TV that is not tuned in. A. The MediCap requires a clear video input signal. If the input signal is not clear, then the output signal will also be unclear and will result in a scrambled picture on the monitor. A poor input signal can be caused by a faulty video source (for example, a broken camera), by a loose or defective cable, or by improper switch settings on the back panel of the MediCap. Please check the following: 1) On the back panel of the MediCap, ensure that the "Video System Select" switch is set to the proper position for the video system used by your video source. This is either NTSC (commonly used in the U.S., Canada, and Japan) or PAL (commonly used in Europe and China). Check the user guide for your video camera or other video source to confirm the type of video system. 2) Also on the back panel of the MediCap, ensure that the "Input Select" switch is set to the proper position for the type of input cable: S-Video or Composite Video. The switch should be positioned closest to the cable connector being used. 3) Test the video signal by disconnecting the input cable from the MediCap and connecting it directly from the video source (camera, etc.) to the monitor. The picture should be clear. If it is not, there may be a problem with the video source or with the cable being used. Check the output cable in a similar way by connecting it directly from the video source to the monitor. 3. Opening the USB Connector Cover on the Front Panel Q. My MediCap has a plastic cover over the USB connector on the front panel. The cover is preventing me from inserting the USB flash drive. How can I open this cover? A. You can open this cover by lightly pressing down on the top of the cover to reveal the USB connector. The cover keeps the device sealed when not in use. Once the connector is revealed, you can insert the USB flash drive. Q. On the back panel of the MediCap, there's a switch labeled "Preview Mode." What does this do? A. If Preview Mode is on, then each time you capture an image it will be "frozen" on the screen for a few seconds. This allows you to confirm that you have captured the image you wanted. You don't need to wait until a freeze frame is finished to capture a new image. In other words, even when Preview Mode is on, you can capture a series of images in rapid succession. Q. I'm trying to use a non-MediCapture brand USB flash drive with the MediCap, but it won't work. A message is displayed that says, "Wrong USB Device." A. The MediCap supports MediCapture brand USB flash drives exclusively. Only MediCapture brand USB flash drives contain the necessary software and have the proper configuration to fully utilize the capabilities of the MediCap. Please contact your MediCapture dealer for information about purchasing MediCapture brand USB flash drives. 6. "Internal Memory Is Full" Message Q. What should I do when I see the "Internal Memory is Full" message? A. The MediCap contains internal memory built into the box. When you capture an image, it goes directly into internal memory. When you're done capturing images, you press the green Save button on the front panel to transfer the images from internal memory to the USB flash drive. Once the images are saved onto the flash drive, you can select the menu choice to "Clear Internal Memory." This is a good "housekeeping" practice that keeps the internal memory clear so you can capture more images. If you do not regularly clear the internal memory, it can fill up. If you see the "Internal
Memory Full" error, first select the "Save images to USB"
menu choice at the bottom of the screen (to do so, use the Back, Next,
and Select buttons on the front panel). This will copy the images to the
USB flash drive. A menu choice will then be displayed that allows you
to clear the internal memory. 7. "USB Memory Not Sufficient" Message Q. What should I do when I see the "USB Memory Not Sufficient" message? A. This message will be displayed after you press the Save to USB Memory button, and the system has determined that there is not enough memory available in the USB flash drive to hold the images that it is trying to copy from internal memory to the flash drive. To correct this problem, remove the USB flash drive from the front panel and insert it in a Windows computer. Then use the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard to transfer any images on the flash drive to your computer. When you do so, you will see an option in the "Image Name and Destination" window called "Delete Images form my USB flash drive after copying them." Be sure to put a check mark next to this option. Once the flash drive memory is clear, you can reinsert it in the front panel of the MediCap and press the Save to USB Memory button again. If the flash drive
still does not have sufficient memory, you will need to delete some images
from internal memory by using the Review Images and Delete buttons on
the MediCap front panel. 8. "Images Not Saved to USB" Message Q. What should I do when I see the "Images Not Saved to USB" message? A. This message will be displayed if you remove the USB flash drive before the images in internal memory have been fully saved to the flash drive. To correct this problem, insert a MediCapture USB flash drive into the front panel and press the Save to USB Memory button again. If the USB flash drive does not have sufficient memory, you will need to follow the procedures in the previous question ("USB Memory Not Sufficient"). 9. "Cannot Read USB Flash Drive" Message Q. What should I do when I see the "Cannot Read USB Flash Drive" message? A. This message
will be displayed if you insert a USB flash drive in the front panel and
the system is unable to connect with it. The flash drive may be defective
or broken. Please contact your MediCapture dealer for information on how
to obtain a new flash drive.
10. Brief Description of the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard Q. What is the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard (mcwiz.exe)? Why can't I bypass the wizard and drag and drop the images from the USB flash drive onto my computer? A. The nature of video capture requires that images be captured to the USB flash drive in a "raw" format called YUV. When you use the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard to copy images from your flash drive to your computer, the wizard converts the YUV image formats to more standard formats such as JPG or BMP. YUV images cannot be read by your computer system so you must use the Image Transfer Wizard in order to ensure that the images that arrive on your computer from the flash drive have been converted to a standard format. The Image Transfer Wizard also performs other useful functions. It allows you to preview images, reduce the blur of moving objects (see Question 23), crop images, and assign a file name to groups of images. To install the Image Transfer Wizard, refer to the Readme document on your Medicapture USB flash drive. After the wizard has been installed, you can start it by double-clicking on the MediCapture Image Wizard icon on your desktop. Q. My computer uses Windows 98/98SE. When I connect the MediCapture USB flash drive to my computer, a message is displayed telling me that I need to load drivers. What should I do? A. Windows 98/98SE does not natively support "plug and play" USB. For your USB flash drive to work, you will need to install the drivers found on the CD-ROM that came with the flash drive (if any). You can also download the drivers from the MediCapture web site at: www.medicapture.com/support.htm 12. No
DLL File, DLL File Missing, or DLL File Not Found Error When Q. When trying to start the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard (mcwiz.exe) on my Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, or Windows NT operating system, it will not start and a "No DLL File," "DLL File Missing," or "DLL File Not Found" error is displayed. A. A DLL error will be displayed if your Microsoft operating system either does not have the proper Microsoft Visual Basic System files installed, or the files are outdated. Although these files are already installed on almost all Windows-based computers, for various reasons they may be missing or outdated on some computers. To avoid Visual Basic DLL errors, you can install the latest version of the Visual Basic System Files which are available for downloading from Microsoft. To install the files, click on the link below and follow the instructions: Microsoft Visual Basic Files: Downloading and Installation Instructions If you need the instructions in a language other than English, or if the link above does not display the desired page, go to www.microsoft.com/downloads/ and select the the language your want. Then use the search function to search for vbrun60sp5.exe . 13. Runtime Error When Wizard Starts Q. When trying to start the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard (mcwiz.exe) on my Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, or Windows NT operating system, it will not start and a "Runtime Error" is displayed. A. A runtime error will be displayed if your Microsoft operating system either does not have the proper Microsoft Visual Basic System files installed, or the files are outdated. Although these files are already installed on almost all Windows-based computers, for various reasons they may be missing or outdated on some computers. To avoid runtime errors, you can install the latest version of the Visual Basic System Files which are available for downloading from Microsoft. To install the files, click on the link below and follow the instructions: Microsoft Visual Basic Files: Downloading and Installation Instructions If you need the instructions in a language other than English, or if the link above does not display the desired page, go to www.microsoft.com/downloads/ and select the the language your want. Then use the search function to search for vbrun60sp5.exe . 14. Runtime Error When Saving Images with the Wizard Q. The MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard is working fine. However, when I try to save an image, an error message is displayed such as "Runtime Error 26001: Failed to save to JPG [or BMP]." A. Certain characters are not allowed in file and folder names used in the Windows operating system. Do not use these invalid characters in the "name group of images" field or in the name of the folder where the images will be saved. If you use an invalid character, a runtime error will result. If you are using Windows XP, do not use the following characters when naming groups of images or folders because they are invalid in Windows XP: \
/ Slashes If you are using an earlier version of Windows (for example, Windows 2000), do not use the following characters when naming groups of images or folders because they are invalid in earlier versions of Windows: \
/ Slashes 15. Errors with the Flash Drive ("file is corrupted," "cannot remove folder") Q. When I'm working with the flash drive, I receive error messages even though I've followed the procedures described above. For example, I receive the message "file is corrupted" or "cannot remove folder." What should I do? A. If errors are being displayed on your computer when you access your MediCapture flash drive, the drive may have become corrupted. You can correct this condition by cleaning up the files on the drive (formatting the drive). For a description of this procedure, see Cleaning Up Files on Your USB Flash Drive. Note: To avoid corrupting your flash drive in the future, be sure to leave it connected to your MediCap image capture device while images are being saved to the flash drive (after you press the green "Save to USB Memory" button). While the images are being saved, the green light under the "Save" button will blink. Do not unplug the flash drive until this light stops blinking, indicating that the save process is complete. 16. JPG, BMP, PCX, and DICOM Image Formats Q. The MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard allows me to save images in several formats. What are the pros and cons of using these various formats? A. JPG is the imaging industry's most common format and is compatible with many third-party imaging software packages. This format has the advantage of smaller file sizes because it compresses the image information. The disadvantage is that the compression may result in a slight reduction of image quality. The MediCap uses very little compression so you may not notice any loss in image quality. In other words, JPG is an excellent format choice for many users. BMP is a format that does not use compression so there is no loss in image quality, but the disadvantage is that the file sizes can be relatively large. PCX is a format used by some specialized software packages. If you do not have a particular reason to use this format, you should probably use one of the other formats instead. DICOM is a format specially designed for the medical industry. It's much like the JPG format except that it also allows data to accompany the image (for example, patient name, doctor name, etc.). Information and tutorials on DICOM can be found on the Web. The DICOM options are only available in the Image Transfer Wizard when it is in "Doctor Mode." See the next question. 17. Cannot Locate the DICOM Image Options Q. I want to use the DICOM image file format, but it is not showing under the Advanced features of the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard. Why? A. The MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard has two modes: User and Doctor. The DICOM image file format is hidden in the User mode to reduce confusion for average users who are not familiar with the DICOM format. You can change the mode from User to Doctor at any time. To do so, launch the Image Transfer Wizard (mcwiz.exe) and click the "Back" button at the bottom of theopening window. Then select "Doctor." Once the wizard is in Doctor mode, it will display the DICOM image options. 18. Some Options are "Grayed Out" in the Advanced Options Window Q. I want to enter the patient's name and other information about the image in the Advanced Options Window, but these options are "grayed out" (I can't type in the fields). What should I do? A. The patient's name and other information about the image can only be entered when you are using the DICOM image format (the format has a header in which the information is stored). To make the Patient Name field and the other information fields available, select one of the DICOM formats in the Image Format pull down list. But be aware that the DICOM format is for advanced users who are familiar with this medical imaging standard. If you create DICOM images, you will need a third-party DICOM viewer to view and manage the images. Q. There are files on my USB flash drive that have a YUV extension. What are these files? A. The YUV files are the raw image files that you have captured onto your flash drive. The YUV format is used because it saves the exact image that is displayed on your monitor with no loss of resolution. When you transfer the images from your flash drive to your computer using the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard, the images will automatically be converted to the standard file format you select (for example, JPG). 20. My Imaging Software Does Not Recognize Images on My USB Flash Drive Q. I use imaging software that is not MediCapture brand and it does not recognize any of the images on my MediCapture USB flash drive. What should I do? A. Images on the MediCapture USB flash drive are in a raw video format (YUV) that is only recognizable by the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard. Use the wizard to preview the images and transfer them to your computer. During the transfer, the images will be converted to a format you select (for example, JPG). After the files have been converted to the selected format, you can use your imaging software to view and edit them. Q. Why can't I open a YUV file? A. YUV image files are not supported by typical image viewing programs. Use the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard (mcwiz.exe) located on the MediCapture USB flash drive to preview the YUV images and transfer them to your computer. During the transfer, the images will be converted to a standard file format of your choice. Once the files have been transferred to your computer and converted to a standard file format, you will be able to open them with common image viewing programs. Q. I clicked on the mcwiz.exe.manifest file and nothing happens. What is this file and how do I run the wizard? A. The mcwiz.exe.manifest file is not the wizard. It is a hidden system file that is required by the wizard on some versions of Windows. To run the wizard, click on the mcwiz.exe file. Q. Are there ways to improve the image quality of captured images? A. The MediCap captures exactly what your video source is taking a picture of -- there is no loss of resolution. In other words, the images captured by the MediCap can only be as good as the pictures taken by your video camera (or other video source). If you are working with moving images, your can reduce blur as described in the next question. Also various third-party imaging software packages are available (such as Adobe Photoshop) that can help you enhance captured images (this is one of the big advantages of working with digital images rather than hard copy). For example, you can use imaging software to lighten or darken the image, increase or decrease the contrast, etc. 24. Moving Objects Look Blurry Q. Some of the images of moving objects that I captured with my MediCap are blurry; the edges seem "jaggy." A. You can reduce blurring of moving objects by using the "Show Fields" option in the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard (it's in the Advanced Options window). To reduce the blurring, select either the First Field or Second Field, NOT Both Fields. To check the results of your selection, click on the Preview button to display a full-screen preview of the image. (See the next question for background on this issue.) Q. In the MediCapture Image Transfer Wizard, under Advanced options, there is an option called "Show Fields." What is this? A. The Show Fields option allows you to specify whether the Image Transfer Wizard will save the First Field, Second Field, or Both Fields of each image. The selection you make can affect how clear and sharp your images are for the reasons described here. To understand what a video "field" is, it is first necessary to briefly review how a video camera works. To record an image, a video camera scans a series of horizontal lines of the image. The beam makes two passes to record one complete image (called a "frame"). On the first pass, only every other line of the image is scanned (the lines in between are left blank). Then on the second pass, the lines in between are filled in. Each pass is called a "field." Therefore, two fields make up a complete image. The process of scanning fields on a video monitor happens so quickly that it is not discernible to the naked eye. However, when an image is captured and "frozen," the fact that it is made up of two fields may become apparent, especially if a moving object is being captured (for example, a beating heart). If an object is moving fast enough, it will be in one position when the first field of an image is scanned and will be in another position when the next field of the image is scanned. When the two fields are combined (the technical term is "interlaced") to create the captured image, the moving object will appear blurry or "jaggy" and the frozen image may flicker on the monitor. This effect can also occur if the camera is moving and the object is still. To help reduce the blurring caused by a moving object, you can select that only one of the two fields that make up the image will be saved. The other field will be discarded. You make this selection in the Show Fields option of the Advanced Options window. You can select that the "First Field" or "Second Field" be saved (there is usually very little difference between the two) or you can select that "Both Fields" be saved. Saving just one of the two fields that make up an image can help eliminate the blurry effect from moving images, but it also decreases the resolution of the image since only half of the data for the image is being saved. Therefore, it is recommended that you normally select the "Both Fields" option. Save just one field only when it is necessary to eliminate a blurry effect from movement. 26. No Images on the Flash Drive Q. I captured images to my flash drive using the MediCap image capture device, but when I insert the flash drive in my computer and try to use the wizard to transfer the images to my computer, the wizard cannont find andy images on the flash drive. Where are the images? A. You may have forgotten to press the green "Save To USB Memory" button on the front panel of the MediCap before removing the flash drive. When you capture images with the MediCap they are captured to an internal memory area (not the flash drive). The images are only transferred from internal memory to the flash drive after you press the green "Save To USB Memory" button. Note: While
images are being saved to the flash drive, the green light under the Save
button will blink. Do not remove the flash drive until this light has
stopped blinking, indicating that the save process is complete.
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