MICROPACS - A PC-BASED SMALL PACS IMPLEMENTATION

To make picture archiving and communication (PACS) a practical reality for small-scale structures, it appears necessary to build a network t hat integrates and optimises production management, analysis and stora ge of images, and to include the ability to communicate with other sim ilar remote structures. To solve the various technical problems relate d to small-scale PACS implementation, MicroPACS, a local area network, was developed around PC-like microcomputers. Every necessary function is assessed and implemented, including a centralised data-base, a dis tributed image bank, different storage levels and a specific task for image exchanges. An additional protocol was also developed for remote consultation through ISDN. Standardisation of image encapsulation and a point-to-point link between remote sites ensure easy transfers betwe en heterogeneous local networks or bases and integrity of local databa ses.