My application consists of looking into a live feed from a spectroscope (optical instrument) and extracting frames from it. Clicking a point in the feed launches a new Frame where the image is analysed. Each frame handles a single panel.
The action of creating  a new frame is very easy for a programmer to do (immediate showing and focus capture, discrete objects, no complex layout management, easy meaning for close button). 
I now want a design that works in a single window. What is the easiest design pattern that replaces the practice of creating new frames? It should offer the same advantages (see previous paragraph) as far as possible. I am thinking of using tabs to manage the panels as they can capture focus, hide/show panels, destroy themselves elegantly etc.
Create a frame with two main elements:

Your current feed
A navigation control such as a wx.ListBox, wx.ListCtrl, or wx.TreeCtrl to allow you to scroll through and click on the feed you want displayed in element (1).
Design substitute to popping up new frames on each click in WxPython