The present invention is directed to a system for converting a graphical trace of acquired patient data into digital data suitable for digital signal processing, which includes the steps of receiving data representative of an image including the graphical trace of acquired patient data; analyzing the received data to identify individual pixels comprising the graphical trace in the image representative data; generating a plurality of pixel representative data elements in a desired data format identifying the relative location of the individual pixels in relation to a reference point; generating the desired data format by identifying the relative location of the individual pixels and identifying at least one of, (a) color of said individual pixels and (b) luminance amplitude of said individual pixels; and storing the generated pixel representative data elements in a file. In addition, the received data may be formatted into a format compatible with a procedure located at a remote destination, wherein the procedure is for processing the data representative of the graphical trace to provide processed data suitable for use in presenting the graphical trace in a displayed image; and communicating the formatted data to the remote destination in response to a user command; and generating the displayed image at the remote destination using the formatted data.