Dicom Capture?
We send our scans to a local medical radiologist who wants to know if we have looked in the Dicom capture system so we can eliminate the need to burn discs. Anyone using it? And how can we get it?
posted by Anonymous at 9/25/2006 05:53:00 PM
5 Comments:
Perhaps the medical radiologist was referring to FTP?
I found a web based dictionary with this definition: FTP or file transfer protocol is a commonly used protocol for exchanging files over any network that supports the TCP/IP protocol, such as the Internet. There are two computers involved in an FTP transfer: a server and a client. The FTP server, running FTP server software, listens on the network for connection requests from other computers. The client computer, running FTP client software, initiates a connection to the server. Once connected, the client can do a number of file manipulation operations such as uploading files to the server, download files from the server, rename or delete files on the server and so on. Any software company or individual programmer is able to create FTP server or client software because the protocol is an open standard. Virtually every computer platform supports the FTP protocol. This allows any computer connected to a TCP/IP based network to manipulate files on another computer on that network regardless of which operation systems are involved (if the computers permit FTP access).
The original FTP specification is an inherently insecure method of transferring files because there is no method specified for transferring data in an encrypted fashion. This means that under most network configurations, user names, passwords, FTP commands and transferred files can be "sniffed" or viewed by anyone on the same network using a packet sniffer. This is a problem common to many Internet protocol specifications written prior to the creation of SSL such as HTTP, STMP and Telnet. The common solution to this problem is to use either SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol), or FTPS (FTP ove SSL), which adds SSL or TLS encryption to FTP as specified in RFC 4217.
In other words, i-CAT DICOM data can be zipped then transferred over the internet using an FTP instead of burning and physically having to deliver a CD.
We use FTP to transfer our i-CAT DICOM data from North Hollywood CA to Biomedical Modeling Inc. in Boston, MA to make custom surgical guides and BioDental Models for implant patients. We save considerable time and money by not having to burn DICOM data, labeling a CD and having to send it by next day air.
Diane Yamamoto (CRT) called me today and very politely corrected my answer to Colleen’s question. The medical radiologist was referring to Picture Archiving and Communication System. PACS are computers or networks dedicated to the storage, retrieval, distribution and presentation of huge volumes of information from various imaging modalities such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Single Positron Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), mammography, computed tomography (CT), Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), ultrasound and radiography.
The PACS network has a central server to store a database containing the images and provides a single point of access for images and associated data. Since PACS can use the internet to provide the capability of off-site viewing and reporting, Colleen’s radiologist was asking about PACS.
Hospitals and medical imaging centers have been slowly converting to PACS because of the efficiency and cost savings. Brockton Dental X-Ray in Riverside CA has the first PACS system from American Medical Sales (AMS) that was designed specifically for the dental imaging center. Mike or Matt, would you kindly explain your PACS system? Was it easy to integrate into your office? Does it save you time? What is the response from your referral base?
Our PACS is called Catella and was designed by AMS. We are still in developmental stages, trying to get it to work best for us. Images and data are sent from different modalities in our office to a central computer and then it backs them up via RAID/removable drive and saves them off site. Then, the images are pushed to a workstation and put in the appropriate patient file. Here we can edit and save it. A CD is then burned automatically with its own integrated viewing software and our label is printed on it. As for sending images to doctors over the internet, we use what Eric was talking about, which is a secure FTP. Using the i-Cat with the PACS is great. Catella has very simple viewing software. We put still images, interactive axial, coronal, and sagittal views, cross-sections, 3D movies (Dolphin 3D), all which the doctor can move, adjust, and measure. The doctors love it, and we are coming up with new ideas to make it even better. PACS are the future and will become the standard.
Mike - I am making a presentation on viewing software at the I-Cat users meeting and would like to include what your lab uses in my presentation. Can you send me a screen shot of it? I want to be able to show people examples of what's out there. Thanks.
Matt
ocdxfv@yahoo.com
We also have a PACS system, this one is from Xoran. The Dr. Logs onto the DDI web site and types in his/her username and password. Then the Dr. can view the CBCT data in MPR, Oblique, and Pan/Joint
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