Live Pointer: Real-Time Annotation for Patient Consultations

Dermi Atlas now includes Live Pointer, a real-time drawing and annotation tool designed for patient consultations. Live Pointer allows clinicians to draw directly on clinical images during discussions with patients, with annotations that fade automatically within seconds, leaving the original image record completely unmodified.

How It Works

Live Pointer adds a temporary drawing layer over clinical images. When activated, clinicians can draw circles, arrows, or freeform annotations to highlight areas of interest. Each stroke fades automatically after a few seconds, creating a natural flow for real-time explanation without cluttering the display.

The key design principle is that Live Pointer annotations are entirely ephemeral. No drawings are saved to the patient record. The underlying image is never modified. This ensures that clinical images remain pristine documentation while still being useful as communication tools during consultations.

Use Cases

Live Pointer is particularly valuable in scenarios where clinical images are used for patient communication:

• Patient-facing consultations where images are displayed on a shared screen or projector
• Explaining treatment areas or changes over time by highlighting specific regions
• Comparing before-and-after images while pointing out specific improvements
• Teaching and training scenarios where images are reviewed with students or colleagues

Available Across All Viewing Modes

Live Pointer works across all image viewing modes in Dermi Atlas, including single image view, split comparison, and overlay comparison. This means annotations can be used whether reviewing an individual image or comparing two images side by side or overlaid.

Input Support

The tool supports both pointer (mouse) and touch input, making it equally functional on desktop workstations and touch-enabled devices such as tablets. On touch devices, the drawing experience is natural and responsive, similar to drawing on paper.

Live Pointer is available in Dermi Atlas Professional and Dermi Atlas Cloud Demo.