PACS Peripherals Bridge Hardcopy and Softcopy

Companies continue to upgrade pieces of the PACS puzzle that link hardcopy and softcopy thanks to new software and hardware introductions and a variety of upgrades. Vendors are focused on streamlining the informational flow from the acquisition of the images and data to the transference within a network or across the country, between facilities, specialists and patients. Look for new products and upgrades that are speedier and easier to use. Virtually every device seeks to reduce the amount of time it takes from an image to be scanned to its electronic transfer. From CD and DVD burners to printers to PACS assessment and training, let your eyes do the walking prior to walking the aisles of McCormick Place.

 

aycan Medical Systems (Booth 6903) is showcasing its xray-print solution—a DICOM paper print solution that provides a way to communicate with referring physicians and patients. The system allows users to print radiology and other medical images on plain paper at near film quality, according to aycan.

Carestream Health (Booth 2513) is spotlighting its new Kodak Dryview 6800 laser imager, a compact dry laser imager that offers image output for general radiography and digital mammography applications. The imager supports output from all digital modalities in a networked PACS environment.

The new laser imager, which is available worldwide, produces 650-pixels-per-inch output for all images in all sizes, while maintaining throughput of up to 200 films per hour.

Cedara Software (Booth 1316) is showing tools for application development. Using Cedara platforms and toolkits, developers have ready access to technologies and open standard environments. The tools include:

• Open Eyes: The platform, available in Java and .NET, incorporates connectivity, visualization and printing components that can be used for new development or as extensions to existing applications. Specifications include: capabilities beyond IAP, OpenEyes provides support for software engineering; integrates into the Java (SWT and Swing) and .NET environments, which include functional libraries for data access, viewing, direct interaction, annotation; image processing, analysis, rendering and display; and an IDE Starter Kit.
• MergeCOM3:  The software development toolkit provides abstraction of DICOM messaging details. The format currently includes JAVA and .NET.

For connectivity tools, Cedara is displaying MergeBox Video, among others. The streaming video acquisition device enables capture from multiple sources of patient data and images, and fully integrates into the RIS/PACS workflow, according to Cedara.

 

Codonics (Booth 1921) is exhibiting a series of solutions, including a medical disc recording system, a multi-media solution and a dry imager.

The Virtua XR Medical Disc Publisher, a medical disc recording system, can burn one disc per minute, and more than 60 CDs or 30 DVDs in an hour. The disc publisher is designed for high-volume imaging applications such as breast MR, PET/CT, MR angiography and CT angiography.

The Codonics multi-media solution, which comes in a variety of sizes, provides professional patient consultation tools to their referring physicians, such as the Horizon Multi-media Dry Imager.

The Codonics Horizon XL Multi-media Imager is a dry imager that supports 36-inch and 51-inch long film output for digital applications. The XL is geared for printing long-bone studies, scoliosis, and pediatric and adult spines on long film for surgical planning.

DatCard Systems (Booth 8528) is releasing PacsCube software 4.0, which includes a DICOM server, a multi-language user interface, and a reporting engine.  

The new version features an intelligent AutoBurn service, patient de-identification management and an IHE-compliant media import utility. PacsCube 4.0 also provides users with monitoring controls utilizing a new robotic engine, managing both Rimage and Primera robotics.
 

Etiam (Booth 7510) is presenting a new version of its automated CD and DVD distribution system for medical images, the Open LiteBox.

The system imports external DICOM media to PACS, and provides a faster and more cost-effective means to create and label DICOM CDs and DVDs automatically, according to Etiam.

GencoSoft (Booth 8010) is introducing its customizable DICOM image router/server and burner software, AutoPACS. AutoPACS can be configured to automate different sets of directions, such as: sending images to other DICOM-compliant device (CT, MR ultrasound and CR); on-the-fly manipulation of image tags; DICOM printing; CD/DVD burning querying remote servers; and retrieving data. It exports images in different formats such as JPEG, AVI, BMP, and can execute custom scripts.

Konica Minolta Medical Imaging (Booth 2554) is showcasing DryPro 832, a small medical laser film imager, which is configurable with one or two trays for use with four different sizes of film and seven DICOM connections.

The imager delivers resolution of 78.6 microns and prints 90 14-inch-by-17-inch films per hour. It takes 50 seconds to the first print.

Merge Healthcare (Booth 1122) is releasing eFilm Workstation 3.0, the new version of the desktop diagnostic imaging software available via download.

The new release provides two options for reading—gold or platinum. eFilm Workstation Gold delivers reading tools, and now will include spine labeling, SQL database, media burning capabilities and overlay tools. The platinum version includes hanging protocols, key images and roaming profiles. eFilm Workstation 3.0 also is available as an upgrade for Merge’s current Fusion PACS customers.

NAI Tech Products (Booth 2909) at RSNA is launching its MDR Publisher, MDR Video RP and a software and hardware upgrade to the DiCOM box network interface.

The MDR disk publisher includes dual DVD/CDR burners and full-color printing of label graphics including patient and exam details. 

The MDR Video RP, a stand-alone medical image recorder, allows the recording of high-resolution video to CD or DVD media in a DICOM format with printing of full-color label graphics including patient information. 

The hardware upgrade to the DICOM box provides a faster processor and expanded memory, while the software release 7.0 includes an upgrade to the video set-up capabilities, simplifying installation and set-up, NAI says.  

PACSGEAR (Booth 2965) is demonstrating the MediaWriter, a CD/DVD burning system that writes DICOM files to portable media.

MediaWriter combines studies from multiple DICOM devices and burns to CDs/DVDs, USB memory sticks or flash memory; creates DICOM CDs/DVDs from any PACS or modality user interface; provides a built-in printer that labels CDs/DVDs with customizable information; is compatible with more than 25 PACS solutions; and includes an embedded DICOM viewer.

Pegasus Imaging (Booth 1902) is displaying an updated PICTools software development kit, containing support for multithreading JPEG 2000 compression and decompression operations.

The PICTools release adds speed enhancements to the JPEG 2000 compressor and decompressor by adding support for multiple concurrent processes at the opcode level, according to Pegasus.

RCG HealthCare Consulting (Booth 3938) is showcasing PACS Assessment, a program designed to give healthcare facilities a reality check on its existing PACS, along with recommendations and implementation methods to improve the use of PACS.

PACS Assessment includes a complete PACS configuration evaluation with a review of application and imaging modalities, according to RCG.

Richardson Electronics (Booth 8344) is showcasing the ScrollSeal washable mouse and SpillSeal protected keyboard. The company says the seal helps protect against bacterial cross-infection in medical environments were a disinfecting protocol is required.

RSTI (Booth 1032) is highlighting its PACS engineer and administrator certification series training for RSTI-PACS master certification. RSTI-Training Center provides third- party support and OEM training. It also offers new and used equipment sales, technical support services, and a classified section with postings of positions available and alumni resumes.
 

Sony Electronics (Booth 2571) is displaying an array of PACS Peripheral products for a range of radiology modalities:

• IPELA is a visual communication system that portrays high-resolution images. 
• The FilmStation Dry Film Imager model UP-DF500, which is designed for modalities such as CT, MRI and x-ray, provides an installation choice of horizontal or vertical images, allowing for easy integration.
• The UP-D77MD is a full-page digital color printer designed for nuclear medicine, PET/CT and 3D-CT applications for accurate color reproduction.
• The UP-D74XRD, an 8 x 10 inch diagnostic thermal black and white digital film and paper imager, is compatible with ultrasound, mobile C-arm and x-ray.
• The DVO-1000MD is a medical-grade DVD recorder featuring a built-in 80 gigabyte hard drive that can store up to 30 hours of video. The recorder features DVORECOVERY, which enables the end-user to re-capture lost video due to an accidental power outage and DVOFAST, enabling users to remove a recorded disk in less than two minutes with no finalization requirement.

Sorna Corporation (Booth 3147) is introducing software update Version 2.5 for the eXpedo DICOM CD/DVD publishing systems.
 
The company also is showcasing its Reviewer software package, a new, stand-alone software package which contains both manual and automated tools for re/deidentification of patient data and study information. The package creates IHE PDI conformant CD/DVDs which can contain DICOM objects optionally-integrated with Reviewer DICOM-ized objects.