Introduction of AIMS-PACS
A Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) is a medical imaging technology which provides economical storage of, and convenient access to, images from multiple modalities (source machine types). Electronic images and reports are transmitted digitally via PACS; this eliminates the need to manually file, retrieve, or transport film jackets. The universal format for PACS image storage and transfer is DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine).
A PACS consists of four major components
- The imaging modalities such as X-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- A secured network for the transmission of patient information
- Workstations for interpreting and reviewing images, and
- Archives for the storage and retrieval of images and reports
Combined with available and emerging web technology, PACS has the ability to deliver timely and efficient access to images, interpretations, and related data. PACS breaks down the physical and time barriers associated with traditional film-based image retrieval, distribution, and display.