1.1 What is a PACS system?
PACS (Picture Achiving and Commmunication System), often referred to as medical image computerized archiving and transmission system or medical imaging system, is an important part of the hospital information system, which is a system for digitizing medical images using computers and network technology, and is targeted to be used to replace the current analog medical imaging system. Its goal is to replace the current analog medical imaging system. It mainly solves five problems: acquisition and digitization of medical images, storage and management of images, high-speed transmission of digitized medical images, digitized processing and reproduction of images, and integration of image information with other information.
The standard that PACS adheres to is the international standard for medical imaging, DICOM 3.0.
1.2 Origin and history of PACS systems
The concept of PACS was introduced in the 1980s. The concept of PACS was introduced in the early 1980s. The idea of establishing PACS was mainly caused by two main factors: one was the creation of digital imaging equipment, such as CT equipment, which enabled medical images to be obtained directly from examination equipment; the other was the development of computer technology, which enabled the storage, communication, and display of large-volume digital information. In the early 80's, Europe, the United States and other developed countries based on the mainframe computer hospital management information system has basically completed the research stage and turned to the implementation of the research in the mid-80's on the gradual shift to the system for medical services, such as clinical information systems, PACS and other aspects. In Europe, Japan and the United States and other successive establishment of research PACS laboratories and experimental systems. With the development of technology, to the early 90's has been the establishment of a number of practical PACS.
In the mid to late 80's the medical imaging system studied mainly used special equipment, the whole system is very expensive. By the mid-1990s, the creation of computer graphics workstations and the development of network communication technology, making the overall price of PACS has decreased. Into the late 1990s, the rapid improvement in microcomputer performance and the rapid development of the network allowed PACS to be established at a level that would be acceptable to a larger number of hospitals.
Early digital medical imaging equipment produced digital image formats that were proprietary formats determined by the individual equipment manufacturers themselves and could not be utilized by others. This problem greatly affected the development of PACS, which caused the majority of scholars committed to medical imaging research, manufacturers and academic and industry groups. 1982 American College of Radiology (ACR) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) jointly organized a research group in 1985 to develop a set of formatting standards for digital medical imaging, that is, the ACR-NEMA 1.0 standard. In 1988, ACR-NEMA 2.0 was completed, and with the development of network technology, it was recognized that image format standards were not enough, and that communication standards also played a very important role in PACS. Immediately in 1993 by the ACR and NEMA on the basis of ACR-NEMA 2.0 standard, added the communication aspects of the specification, at the same time in accordance with the imaging examination of the information flow characteristics of the E-R model to rework the definition of some of the information in the image format, the formulation of the DICOM 3.0 standard. This standard has been accepted by the world's major medical imaging equipment manufacturers and has therefore become a de facto industry standard.
In recent years, a DICOM environment has also been dedicated to organizing the interconnection of imaging equipment from various vendors at the annual North American Radiology Congress. With the continuous development of the application, DICOM standard is also constantly updated, it supports the medical image types also continue to increase, has been expanded from the original ACR-NEMA standard only supports radiological images to support endoscopy, pathology and other images. Some scholars are also studying the processing of medical graphics, sound and other information, while some people are also studying the communication between DICOM and other medical information transmission standards, such as HL7. It has been recognized that the medical imaging system should be an important part of the hospital information system, PACS should communicate information with other systems to each other to form a hospital information as a whole.
1.3 Development trend of PACS system
HIS (Hospital Information System)-Hospital Information System
RIS (Radiology Information System)-Radiology Information System (RIS)-Radiology Information System (RIS)-Radiology Information System (RIS)
The Integration of PACS and HIS /RIS
Over the years, although PACS and HIS /RIS have been developed independently with different standards, but looking at their development, their trend is to integrate with each other in the end, the reasons for which are analyzed as follows:
(1) From the point of view of HIS/RIS, the development of the technology requires that the medical information in HIS
(1) From the point of view of HIS /RIS, the development of technology requires that medical information in HIS /RIS does not only include numerical and character records, but also graphic, image and sound forms of recordings. PACS is the source of diagnostic images, so HIS /RIS needs to be integrated with PACS.
(2) From the point of view of the need for the development of PACS, if the patient statistical information can be obtained directly from HIS /RIS, it will avoid the duplication of the recording of this kind of information and improve the efficiency of the hospital efficiency and reduce data loss.
1.4 Benefits of PACS system
--Improve the quality of the hospital
--Save manpower
--Save film cost
--Save technician operation time
--Save patient waiting time
--Fully ****enjoy in-hospital information <
--Improve the efficiency of imaging equipment
--Realize true teleconsultation medical care
1.5DICOM Standard
DICOM (Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine) is a standard for medical imaging technology. Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is a communication standard for medical imaging instruments and software. This standard is currently the international standard for medical imaging communications and storage, as long as the instruments or software that comply with this standard, can be connected to the *** same PACS network system.