Review of optical storage technology for archiving digital medical images

Digital optical recording (DOR) is a data-acquisition and storage technology important to the development of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). DOR offers attractive advantages in high-density, low-cost archival storage of images and other information. At present, film is used as the storage medium for archiving images generated by both conventional equipment and digital technologies such as computed tomography, digital subtraction angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and nuclear medicine. The basic methods of DOR data storage are discussed together with requirements essential for making DOR an acceptable alternative to film archiving. The impact of DOR technology on the operation of an imaging department is projected.