Image Fusion System Using PACS for MRI, CT, and PET Images

This paper presents and evaluates Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and its interaction with the image fusion applications using positron emission tomography (PET), CT, and MRI, as well as some clinical applications of fusion images. A network connections between medium-sized PACS involving CT, MRI, SPECT, and PET were developed. Image registration and fusion was achieved in the PET's workstation by Advanced Visual System (AVS) software. Reconstructed datasets of CT, MRI, SPECT, and PET were transferred and archived in PACS servers. Series of anatomical images of CT and MRI were fused with metabolical images of PET with (18)F labeled fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG). Throughput rate of image data, as well as clinical applications of fusion images were evaluated and correlated with phantom studies. The average throughput rate of archiving and processing steps was 0.45 Mbps, 0.77 Mbps, respectively. Image fusion experiment using phantom and patients' data showed high accuracy in all directions. The combination of PACS and image fusion provided very useful clinical tools and made it quite easy to maximize the benefit from the diagnostic imaging.