- Pros and Cons of PACS, VNAs for Medical Image Data Storage
- Providers Demand Interoperability, Security from PACS Vendors
ACR will be using FUJIFILM’s Synapse PACS version 5 and Synapse 3D to support educational courses so students can have fast access to large data sets.
PACS use digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) to store and transmit images. DICOM is both a protocol for transmitting images and a file format for storing them. Medical imaging devices communicate with the application server through the DICOM protocol. Clinicians can then locate and view the image they want to see at a workstation in an office or clinic setting.
PACS are typically used by individual departments, such as radiology, cardiology, dental, and pathology, to manage digital images and share data within the department.
"The ACR Education Center is one of the most technologically advanced training facilities in the world for radiologists. We are proud to work with vendors like Fujifilm to enable radiologists in the U.S. and abroad to review hundreds of cases using the latest technology, and use their skills to deliver the highest quality patient care," said Vinay Sandhir, Senior Director, ACR Education Center.
ACR will be using FUJIFILM PACS technology for abdominal imaging, body and pelvic MR, cardiac MR, emergency radiology, high-resolution CT, and neuroradiology. Synapse PACS will be integrated with ACR’s learning solution ACR Case Engine, so how students access images can be included in their feedback.
Synapse 3D will be used to help display advanced visualization workflows and 3D rendered images.
The healthcare organizations now using FUJIFILM for medical imaging are Capital Health, Elliot Hospital, Greater Hudson Valley Health System, Hackensack Meridian Health, Halifax Health, Valley Medical Center, and West Virginia University Health System.
Many of these healthcare providers contracted FUJIFILM to replace or upgrade their PACS to improve their enterprise imaging. These organizations require faster server-side technology for large datasets.
“The bigger picture shows that providers now recognize they need a long-term enterprise imaging strategy. It might start with a PACS replacement or a specialty imaging area need,” Lacy said in a statement.
FUJIFILM released Synapse PACS version 5 last year. This version added speed and interactivity features. The PACS system gives users access to large datasets and the ability to interact with the data.
Synapse PACS version 5 includes server-based image rendering and a zero-download viewer with browser flexibility. Its secure server-side technology gives users fast access to large data sets through most web browsers. The ability to access images through a web browser uses less bandwidth so large image files won’t create a bottleneck in the network.
“Highly functional software designed to streamline workflow, along with speed and precision, are what practices and healthcare systems across the country need to collaborate and deliver the best possible patient care,” said Lacy. “Synapse 5 offers a transformational enterprise imaging opportunity for new customers, while providing value to our existing PACS customers.”
Flexible PAC systems are vital to healthcare organizations as the number of images processed and stored continues to grow. Clinicians need to be able to access images quickly, which can be difficult with legacy PAC systems that don’t integrate well with other infrastructure tools.
Clinicians often need to view images from multiple departments to assess a patient. A simplified viewing platform and integrated PAC system can help clinicians treat patients faster and gain better insight into their overall health.
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