Lindsey Shriner

Notebook 12
Post-processing to Storage
PACS- Picture archiving and communication system, consists of digital acquisition, display
workstations, and storage devices interconnected through a network.
RIS- Radiology information system, information system used in the radiology department for
ordering examinations and reporting results.
HIS- Hospital information system, information system used throughout the hospital, includes
direct patient care information, billing systems, and reporting systems.
DICOM- Digital imaging and communications in medicine, it is a global information
technology standard that allows network communication between a modality and a PACS.
A PACS is a networked group of computers, servers, and archives that can be used to
manage digital images. A PACS can accept any image that is in digital imaging and
communications in medicine (DICOM) format, for which it is set up to receive, whether it is
from cardiology, radiology, or pathology. A PACS serves as the file room, reading room,
duplicator, and courier. It provides image access to multiple users at the same time, on-
demand images, electronic annotation of images, and specialty image processing.

PACS

Modalities/
Acquisition RIS-PACS
Network Printer
Devices Broker
Gateways

Primary and Archive server,

Database/
Secondary Short and Web server
Image server
displays Long term

Web-based Tele-PACS
clinical review (Satellite)
 Lindsey Shriner

PACS consist of digital acquisition, display workstations, and storage devices interconnected
through an intricate network. DICOM is universally accepted as a standard for exchanging
medical images among modalities, viewing stations, and the archive.
Image acquisition- most images are acquired in a digital format so the images are
inherently digital and can be transferred via a computer network.
Display workstations- any computer that a health care worker uses to view a digital image.
Archive servers- the file room of PACS. Composed of a database server or image
manager, short-term and long-term storage, and a computer that controls the PACS
workflow manager.
Workflow- term that can be used in any industry or in any organization, means how a
process is done, step by step. In radiology, how an examination is completed.
File room/image management stations- may be as simple as a couple of computers with
CD/DVD burners and a dry laser to make copies for outside needs.
System architecture- hardware and software infrastructure of a computerized system.
Client/server based systems, distributed or stand-alone systems, and web-based
systems.