Wahle A, Builtjes JH, Oswald H, Fleck E:


DICOM-Integration in a Heterogeneous Environment.

18th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), Amsterdam NL, IEEE Press

Volume 3, Page 1228-1229, 1996/97

Description of DICOM and HL7 applications at the German Heart Institute Berlin, use of a Meta Patient Record for global patient data identification and administration (Paper) (Images) (Links)

Abstract: DICOM applications often have to be included into heterogeneous environments and cannot be treated as standalone systems. We have developed a DICOM library that covers all aspects of communicating and storing images and patient related data. This includes retrieval from off-line storage as well as the integration of conventional ACR/NEMA datasets and their derivatives. In a prototypic implementation we used this library to build a database, which satisfies the requirements for archiving and retrieval of image data. By an interface based on the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), the contents of the database may be examined and associations explicitly requested. Currently, we are integrating DICOM applications into our existing Image Archiving and Hospital Information Systems, resulting in a hierarchy of a Meta Patient Record and dependent databases or applications. Our experience showed that DICOM applications must fit into existing and normally heterogeneous systems. All aspects of the DICOM standard have to be considered, the communication aspects as well as the archiving aspects. Relationships to other - already existing - components must not be impaired. Where a Hospital Information System (HIS) exists, e.g. as it is a part of our Meta Patient Record, the query of DICOM databases may be neglected. The knowledge about patients and images is kept in the HIS.