Performance comparison in workflow efficiency between a remotely installed 3D workstation and an on-premises image...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging Technology
• Dental Diagnostics

Background:

• Dental cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging generates large datasets requiring efficient processing.
• On-premises (OP) image processing can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
• Remote workstations (RW) offer a potential solution for optimizing medical image processing workflows.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the image processing times of dental CBCT images between remote workstations (RW) and on-premises (OP) processing.
• To evaluate the impact of remote versus on-premises processing on dental CBCT workflow efficiency.
• To assess the performance of a remote medical image processing workstation for dental CBCT data.

Main Methods:

• 100 dental CBCT cases were processed by seven experienced dentists in both OP and RW environments.
• Processing times for data transfer, re-slicing, 3D reconstruction, and PACS transfer were recorded.
• A 2 Gbps network connected the remote workstation (ZIO STATION) for RW processing.

Main Results:

• Remote processing demonstrated significantly shorter data transfer and re-slicing times compared to on-premises.
• 3D image reconstruction times were comparable between the remote and on-premises setups.
• Overall processing time was significantly reduced in the remote processing environment, with most operators experiencing time savings.

Conclusions:

• Remote processing of dental CBCT images using dedicated devices provides equivalent or superior performance to on-premises processing.
• This workflow enhancement reduces processing times and frees up local resources.
• Further research is recommended for optimizing remote display protocols and multi-client access for remote dental CBCT processing.