the present invention is directed to a system and method which allows for a simplified user interface tailored to specific procedures and which allows for mobility and easy sanitation . advantage is taken of an understanding as to the critical functions that an operator is to perform for a specific range of procedures and tailoring the user input to accommodate only those functions . in one embodiment , the user interface consists of a touch screen and a rotatable knob having positional indents with the indents providing incremental increases or decreases in functionality specific to exams or procedures performed with the sonographic equipment . using this approach , the complexity normally associated with operating sonographic devices is greatly reduced . the operational controls available from the touch screen are changeable to accommodate different function uses of the sonographic device .