DICOM - What kind of medicine seal is needed?
Currently, medical institutions in Russia are striving to use the most modern technologies for successful diagnosis and treatment. Some changes are also taking place in the field of diagnostic devices, 3D images, full-color X-rays, monitors for viewing images, etc. appear. But these technologies only increase the cost of the process. However, in medicine, as in any business, innovation is required to reduce costs. The ability to use conventional printers to visualize data from X-ray or tomography images makes it possible to achieve such savings on films, as well as to get research results faster.
Last year, OKI introduced several new printer models that support DICOM, which differ from the basic models with the “DM” prefix, as well as with the price and exclusive support for this technology. And here the question arises, is DICOM really so in demand and can benefit medical institutions or is it more of a marketing trick?
What is DICOM?
Typically, the introduction of new standards and technologies is perceived by IT professionals "in hostility", because no one wants to abandon the existing and familiar formats and already known principles of work. ("It works - do not touch!"). However, in the case of DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine), things are completely different. The fact is that the DICOM standard is used to collect and store information about a patient on modern medical equipment. The DICOM file format clearly regulates the principles for storing research results, and the network protocol controls the interaction between various devices (including storages and terminals), providing an easy search on the network and on a separate device for all data related to a specific patient.
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DICOM versus conventional printers
As for printing capabilities, standard printers, which have been successfully used in medicine as auxiliary elements of a visualization system for many years, have two shortcomings:
• first, most printers require an intermediate element for communication with medical systems — a personal computer;
• secondly, the use of 8-bit print interface does not allow displaying all the “subtleties” of diagnostic information.
The first trouble dictates to the medical institution the need to maintain an additional workplace, update computer components, adjust the export of images from tomographs and modeling systems, and so on. This means that the printing function will not always be available, an IT specialist is needed from time to time for its maintenance, which means ... we will return to the films again, at least in most cases.
The second nuance significantly limits the possibilities of diagnosis without the use of film carriers. The fact is that incomplete transmission of information that could be extracted from magnetic resonance data or, for example, passing X-rays through body tissues, can lead to incorrect diagnosis and harm the patient ... and simply infuriates doctors, who ultimately prefer to receive film research results.
DICOM protocol is designed to solve both problems. The twelve-bit interface makes prints more useful, and the ability to print without using a computer simplifies the visualization process, eliminates the need for an additional computer with an operating system and drivers, and also frees IT staff from unnecessary tasks. Print jobs can be sent directly from an imaging system, MRI control, or other medical devices.
Rejection of the film?
Of course, printing to a printer is easier, cheaper and faster than printing images onto a film, but it would be foolish to count on a complete rejection of the film. This is due not only to the traditions in medicine, but also to the exceptional resolution of film diagnostic materials.
The high value of printers with a DICOM interface can manifest itself when printing three-dimensional images obtained as a result of tomography or compiled from other medical research. Thus, printers can be used more as an addition to film carriers, but medical managers need to know: the more staff use the print function instead of exposure to film, the more additional material is released in the department. And although research printouts are far from always useful in diagnostics, they can always be given to clients, prepared for insurance companies and used for a preliminary assessment of the angle of the picture.
There are several reasons for saving:
• first, the cost of the print itself on the printer is 5-10 times less than the exposure of the image to the film - on average about 10 rubles against 70 rubles;
• secondly, the time spent on the development of the film is 10-15 minutes, while printing A4 page on LED printers is less than a minute;
• thirdly, the high load on the developing machines leads to their wear and premature replacement, and the cost of such equipment amounts to tens of thousands of dollars.
Place DiCOM printer in infrastructure
A printer with a DICOM interface is not only an element of a medical system, but also a complete printing system, usually with the ability to transfer a wide range of colors. Such a printer can be connected directly to the diagnostic system, as well as to an Ethernet computer network, using data from medical PACS servers. But it does not exclude the possibility of using the same printer for solving office printing tasks - creating sick-lists, printing out epicrises and much more. At the same time, the presence of a minimum supply of consumables guarantees the availability of printing services for both treating physicians and diagnostics specialists. However, one should not forget that it is not always possible to use the prints obtained in this way for therapeutic diagnostics; first of all, such technologies can reduce the cost of necessary bureaucratic procedures.
Last year, OKI introduced several new printer models that support DICOM, which differ from the basic models with the “DM” prefix, as well as with the price and exclusive support for this technology. And here the question arises, is DICOM really so in demand and can benefit medical institutions or is it more of a marketing trick?
Like this one:
What is DICOM?
Typically, the introduction of new standards and technologies is perceived by IT professionals "in hostility", because no one wants to abandon the existing and familiar formats and already known principles of work. ("It works - do not touch!"). However, in the case of DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine), things are completely different. The fact is that the DICOM standard is used to collect and store information about a patient on modern medical equipment. The DICOM file format clearly regulates the principles for storing research results, and the network protocol controls the interaction between various devices (including storages and terminals), providing an easy search on the network and on a separate device for all data related to a specific patient.
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This is what a standard protocol program looks like.
DICOM versus conventional printers
As for printing capabilities, standard printers, which have been successfully used in medicine as auxiliary elements of a visualization system for many years, have two shortcomings:
• first, most printers require an intermediate element for communication with medical systems — a personal computer;
• secondly, the use of 8-bit print interface does not allow displaying all the “subtleties” of diagnostic information.
The first trouble dictates to the medical institution the need to maintain an additional workplace, update computer components, adjust the export of images from tomographs and modeling systems, and so on. This means that the printing function will not always be available, an IT specialist is needed from time to time for its maintenance, which means ... we will return to the films again, at least in most cases.
The second nuance significantly limits the possibilities of diagnosis without the use of film carriers. The fact is that incomplete transmission of information that could be extracted from magnetic resonance data or, for example, passing X-rays through body tissues, can lead to incorrect diagnosis and harm the patient ... and simply infuriates doctors, who ultimately prefer to receive film research results.
DICOM protocol is designed to solve both problems. The twelve-bit interface makes prints more useful, and the ability to print without using a computer simplifies the visualization process, eliminates the need for an additional computer with an operating system and drivers, and also frees IT staff from unnecessary tasks. Print jobs can be sent directly from an imaging system, MRI control, or other medical devices.
prints examples
Rejection of the film?
Of course, printing to a printer is easier, cheaper and faster than printing images onto a film, but it would be foolish to count on a complete rejection of the film. This is due not only to the traditions in medicine, but also to the exceptional resolution of film diagnostic materials.
The high value of printers with a DICOM interface can manifest itself when printing three-dimensional images obtained as a result of tomography or compiled from other medical research. Thus, printers can be used more as an addition to film carriers, but medical managers need to know: the more staff use the print function instead of exposure to film, the more additional material is released in the department. And although research printouts are far from always useful in diagnostics, they can always be given to clients, prepared for insurance companies and used for a preliminary assessment of the angle of the picture.
There are several reasons for saving:
• first, the cost of the print itself on the printer is 5-10 times less than the exposure of the image to the film - on average about 10 rubles against 70 rubles;
• secondly, the time spent on the development of the film is 10-15 minutes, while printing A4 page on LED printers is less than a minute;
• thirdly, the high load on the developing machines leads to their wear and premature replacement, and the cost of such equipment amounts to tens of thousands of dollars.
Place DiCOM printer in infrastructure
A printer with a DICOM interface is not only an element of a medical system, but also a complete printing system, usually with the ability to transfer a wide range of colors. Such a printer can be connected directly to the diagnostic system, as well as to an Ethernet computer network, using data from medical PACS servers. But it does not exclude the possibility of using the same printer for solving office printing tasks - creating sick-lists, printing out epicrises and much more. At the same time, the presence of a minimum supply of consumables guarantees the availability of printing services for both treating physicians and diagnostics specialists. However, one should not forget that it is not always possible to use the prints obtained in this way for therapeutic diagnostics; first of all, such technologies can reduce the cost of necessary bureaucratic procedures.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/169519/
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