Transparent image access in a distributed picture archiving and communications system: the Master Database broker

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Health Informatics
• Computer Science

Background:

• Distributed Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) offer cost-effectiveness for small-to-medium scale implementations.
• A key challenge in distributed PACS is presenting decentralized image data as centrally accessible.
• Existing systems require users to manage data locations across the network.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a system that makes distributed image data appear centralized in a PACS network.
• To provide a single access point for users querying image data.
• To enhance data retrieval efficiency and user experience in distributed PACS.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a master database to index all studies and their locations.
• Development of a Master Database Broker to translate queries and manage data distribution.
• Integration of a worldwide web (WWW)-based PACS browser for non-Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) clients.
• Enabling the Broker to act as a storage service class provider for selected image subsets.

Main Results:

• The master database successfully centralizes study information, providing a single point of access.
• The Master Database Broker transparently translates DICOM queries and distributes retrieval requests.
• Non-DICOM clients can query the master database directly to locate and access images.
• Users can store reformatted images and subsets without needing to know the original data location.

Conclusions:

• A distributed PACS design with a master database and broker is a cost-effective solution.
• This approach effectively centralizes access to distributed image data, simplifying user interaction.
• The system enhances data retrieval and storage capabilities for both DICOM and non-DICOM clients.