SPI: a PACS interface specification

In the developing area of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) standardization is of major importance in guaranteeing compatibility between medical equipment from various manufacturers. The first necessary step was the development of the ACR-NEMA Standard. To implement a full, practical PACS it is necessary to add further specifications to the ACR-NEMA Standard. For this reason Philips and Siemens have developed the SPI (Standard Product Interconnect) specification that addresses PACS-specific issues. The main features of SPI are discussed briefly.