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Informatics in radiology (infoRAD): A complete continuous-availability PACS archive server.
Brent J Liu1, H K Huang, Fei Cao
1Department of Radiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. brentliu@usc.edu
Summary
A new continuous-availability (CA) Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) server uses triple modular redundancy (TMR) to ensure reliable operation. This TMR CA PACS server minimizes downtime and data loss, even during hardware failures.
Area of Science:
- Medical Informatics
- Computer Engineering
- System Reliability
Background:
- Operational reliability of Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) servers is critical in filmless hospitals.
- Server failure can severely disrupt entire PACS operations and clinical workflows.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and develop a simple, low-cost, continuous-availability (CA) PACS archive server.
- To ensure maximum uptime and transactional integrity of clinical PACS data.
Main Methods:
- Implemented a triple modular redundancy (TMR) system with majority voting logic for fault detection and isolation.
- Integrated the server with external mass storage for short- and long-term data retention.
- Conducted laboratory experiments simulating hardware failures to assess recovery time and data flow resumption.
Main Results:
- The TMR system automatically identified and removed faulty modules, allowing continued operation.
- Achieved maximum uptime of 99.999% for end users.
- Demonstrated minimal performance impact and no interruption of clinical data flow or data loss during simulated hardware failures.
Conclusions:
- A TMR CA PACS archive server provides a reliable solution for achieving continuous availability in hospital PACS.
- This approach ensures uninterrupted clinical data flow and transactional integrity, crucial for modern healthcare settings.